Health insurance mandatory?!

[mudcat]

While clear, the explanation leaves out those who are using monthly transfers of 65k baht as their financial qualification.  How immigration will deal with those who attempt to use the combination of deposit and transfers is unclear, maybe require a 400k minimum deposit that needs to remain untouched?

[Starman]

While clear, the explanation leaves out those who are using monthly transfers of 65k baht as their financial qualification.  How immigration will deal with those who attempt to use the combination of deposit and transfers is unclear, maybe require a 400k minimum deposit that needs to remain untouched?

Good points.

The changes made to the retirement extensions were aimed more at trying to stop expats buying their permission stay. Having to keep the money in the bank for longer shows that it is, most likely, their money.

Same as the 65k a month rule. The embassy letters for USA,UK,AUS and Denmark can no longer be used as those countries announced that they did not actually verify the income but rather made the expats swear that the figures were true and correct. Now that the money has to be sent to a Thai bank every month it shows, most likely, that the money belongs to the expat and therefore would have enough money in case of needing health care.

The combination method is shrouded in doubt right now. There have been reports of some immigration offices refusing this method. Wait and see on that one. If I remember rightly, there was no mention of the combo method on the police order that went into effect on 1st March.

[Starman]

Actually there is mention but it doesn't say anything with regards to amounts. So the money in the bank must be there 2 months before and 3 months after but how much?

[Starman]

There is allegedly going to be an announcement about the O-A insurance requirements next week.

[alans]

The mandatory health insurance requirement is now stated on the website of the Thai Embassy in Canberra, Australia.

[alans]

Some wording in the new health insurance requirements for new applicants of the O-A Visa, that I have not seen any questions about, relates to the wording "any policy must cover the period of stay in Thailand".  As I will be applying for a new Visa when I return to Australia in December, I sent the Thai Embassy in Australia an email explaing that my policy commenced on 1 October and will be due for renewal on or before 30 September next year. Their response is below;

On Mon, Oct 21, 2019, 07:28 Royal Thai Embassy Canberra <rtecanb@gmail.com> wrote:

According to our new regulation about the health insurance, as long as the insurance covers the period of your stay in Thailand, it will be ok.

Kind regards
Visa and Consular Services
Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra.

Despite sending another email, it has still not been clarified if the effective dates of the insurance policy must mirror those of the Visa.

I have posted this because it could impact a lot of people if the health insurance requirement is extended to include O-A Visa extensions.

[Freddy]

For the majority of us it is irrelevant what our respective embassies tell us because the bottom line will be how the loacal Thai Immigration offices interpret things. I would guess that immigration will note the date that any policy expires and you will be required to evidence a renewal.
But, that?s just my guess.

[alans]

Hopefully you're right Freddy.