The Cabinet has approved in principle for the amendment of requirements in obtaining the Non-Immigrant Visa Category O-A and its renewal on the part of insurance.

The relevant authorities which are the Immigration Bureau, the Royal Thai Police, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will require to revise their required conditions for obtaining such Non-Immigrant Visa Category O-A and its renewal as there are problems in regard to the current requirements as follows:

1. Foreigners who are at the age of more than 70 years old cannot purchase an insurance in Thailand resulting in an inability to apply for an extension.
2. Forms for purchasing of insurances  in foreign countries do not align with the insurance and other funds’ benefits.
3. Those applying for the extension of their stays wish to use insurances from abroad.        

Hence, the new requirements for purchasing of insurance are as detailed below.

Current Requirements

New Requirements

The purchase of Thai insurance with a sum insured for medical expenses are to be: 1 No less than 40,000 THB for outpatient; and 2 No less than 400,000 THB for inpatient. The purchases of  insurance are done online via the website of  https://longstay.tgia.org

1st VISA application There will need to be a health insurance or governmental welfare for medical expenses and the insurance covering COVID-19 treatment no less than 100,000 USD or 3,000,000 THB (the adjusted health insured sum)       Application for VISA extension The purchase of health insurance from overseas or having a foreign governmental welfare is allowed under the conditions as follows: – it is required to have a government authority certifies on a form of health insurance, i.e. an overseas Royal Thai Embassy; or – it is required to have certification of signature of an authorized person signed on the document by the ministry of foreign affairs of the country of applicant   In case that the applicant is a risked group resulting in rejections by all insurance companies, the following additional documents are required: – The rejection letter of the purchase of health insurance – Securities, deposits, and other health insurances with an insured sum no less than 3,000,000 THB complying with the regulations of the Immigration Bureau.