Showing posts with label Retirement Visas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Retirement Visas. Show all posts

Friday 5 November 2021

Thailand - Elderly expats dazed and confused over insurance, ‘retirement visas’ and COVID


A new policy concerning insurance for so called ‘retirement visas’, as well as the requirements needed for anyone entering Thailand have sparked concern, confusion and even panic amongst elderly expats.

A recent article by the Pattaya Mail revealed how some older expats now felt “trapped” in Thailand due to new rules recently rolled out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The new rules which are in accordance with the Thailand Pass system, launched on November 1, state that foreigners who enter Thailand need to provide health insurance with a minimum treatment coverage of 50,000 USD or equivalent in any other currencies.

The concerns raised by the expats who spoke to the Pattaya Mail are that if they were to leave Thailand and visit their home country, they would have difficulty meeting the insurance requirements needed for them to re-enter the country.

The concern mainly comes from elderly expats who due to their age or having pre-existing health conditions means that obtaining insurance is at best expensive or at worst impossible.

For others, they simply can not afford to purchase the insurance one currently needs to visit Thailand.

Pattaya Mail’s article raises some valid points, particularly for elderly expats who wish to return home to visit friends and relatives, which for many has not been possible for almost two years.

However, a short time after the article was published online, a thread started on ASEAN NOW, the comments of which highlighted the confusion among some expats regarding a number of issues related to insurance for so-called ‘retirement visas’ and the current requirements for people wishing to enter Thailand.

Non-Immigrant “O-A” visa vs Non Immigrant O extension

The confusion is predominantly caused by a separate change to the policy for anyone wishing to apply for a Non-Immigrant “O-A” visa.

Non-Immigrant “O-A” visas are available to people aged over 50 who wish to stay in Thailand for 1 year.

Since October 1, applicants are required to have health insurance which offers minimum coverage up to 3 million baht for inpatient care.

However, it is important to note that this requirement only applies to O-A visas.

Most expats in Thailand will have a Non Immigrant O extension, which is normally based on ‘retirement’, which is granted to those aged over 50.

One of the main differences between an O-A visa and Non-Imm O extension is that Non Immigrant O extensions are obtained from an immigration office within Thailand.

A Non-Immigrant “O-A” Visa is obtained by applying at a Thai embassy or consulate overseas.

However, confusion occurs as both the Non Immigrant O and Non-Immigrant “O-A” are often and incorrectly referred to as ‘retirement visas’ – which is used as a kind of catch-all term for both, by everyone from expats to immigration officials themselves.

But when a change in policy specifically applies to one and not the other it is important that people understand the differences between the two.

There is currently no requirement for anyone on a Non Immigrant O extension to have health insurance - apart from if they wish to re-enter Thailand, which is a requirement for all foreigners, regardless of their visa status.

However, those with a work permit can show a valid social security card or certified letter from their employer.

Whether the requirement will be introduced at some point in the future is impossible to say and any mention of such is pure speculation at this stage.

Thailand Pass and insurance

What is also not known is how long the Thailand Pass system - and consequently - the mandatory insurance for foreigners entering Thailand will be required.

While the Thai authorities have previously revealed the issue that unpaid medical bills from uninsured foreign tourists have on the Thai health care system (and state coffers), if the current insurance requirement was to be implemented long term it could potentially put off millions of foereign tourists from visiting Thailand altogether.


 Source - ASIAN NOW


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Thursday 21 October 2021

Thailand requires 3 million baht insurance for ‘retirement’ visas

In a revision to the rules for non-immigrant OA visas, foreigners will now be required to hold a minimum of 3 million baht in health insurance, for in-patient services, in order to be eligible for long-term stays in Thailand, 8 times more than the 400,000 baht that has been previously required.

The OA visa is also known as the Retirement visa (or Geeza visa).

According to Thai PBS World, the new rule was announced yesterday by the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Satit Pitutacha, saying that the increase in insurance is necessary to make sure that, should a traveller get ill during their one year in the country, more insurance money available is necessary to guarantee they receive the proper treatment.

The massively increased insurance requirement would be for foreigners with a non-immigrant visa including O Visas and A Visas staying up to one year inside of Thailand. Due to the strict border control that closed entry to nearly everyone, just 3,768 expats and foreign travellers were granted non-immigrant visas in all of 2021 and 2020.

The Health Ministry says that insurance policies can be purchased from their home country or domestically within Thailand, but stipulate that the coverage must maintain that minimum of 3 million baht or the equivalent if the policy is issued in a foreign currency.

The announcement will likely be met with displeasure and backlash from international travellers hoping to make Thailand their home long-term, or at least for one year. It is especially difficult for those hoping to retire in Thailand as insurance policy premiums are infamous for skyrocketing once the applicant passes a certain age, increasing exponentially with age under the assumption that older people are more prone to illnesses and accidents.

As Thailand releases plan after plan to lure back tourists, many complain that the complicated entry process, the rising costs, and constant changes to immigration policy not to the benefit of international travellers seems to be simultaneously pushing away the same expats with money that the country espouses to be courting.


SOURCE: Thai PBS World / The Thaiger

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