Mandatory Health Insurance For Expats In Thailand

Health insurance is mandatory in Thailand for expats who are applying for a Retirement Visa, a Long Stay Visa, a Long-Term Resident visa, and a Thailand Elite Card. Health insurance can be secured through a local Thai insurance company or a foreign insurance company.

In this article, we will make it clear when expats are required to have health insurance in order to travel to Thailand and how they can apply for related visas. We’ll also explain when expats do not need to have health insurance to visit Thailand.

By the end of this article, you’ll be ready to pick your new home from the best places to live in Thailand and make sure that you’re close to the best private hospitals for expats in Thailand.

When Thailand Expats Are Required To Have Health Insurance

Expats are required to have health insurance in Thailand if they are applying for a retirement visa for a visit for up to 90 days or for a long-stay visa with a visit for up to 1 – 10 years. A new law made effective in 2021 states COVID-19 coverage can also be mandatory for expats in Thailand.

To make it easy for you, we’ve gathered information about each of the following Thailand visas that require health insurance and what documents you must submit as proof of your policy. We’ll discuss each below.

The information you will read is for non-Thai nationals, or expats, who want a retirement or long-stay visa and who currently have a re-entry permit for each visa.

It should be noted that for Non-Immigrant Visas O, O-A, and O-X, if the visa application doesn’t have a valid visa or a re-entry permit, the applicant must request a new visa at least 15 working days before their departure day.

You can submit each of the following applications online through the Official Thai E-Visa Website.

Retirement Visa: Non-Immigrant O

Expats wishing to spend a retirement trip in Thailand that isn’t longer than 90 days will need to apply for a Non-Immigrant Visa Category O. This visa is for individuals 50 years or older. It has a mandatory health insurance requirement and prohibits any kind of employment.

As a part of the application for a Non-Immigrant O Visa, expats must submit a health insurance policy that has proof of medical insurance in Thailand for the duration of the time that will be spent in the country.

You must have coverage for:

• Outpatient treatment of no less than THB ฿40,000 (about USD $1,100)
• Inpatient treatment of no less than THB ฿400,000 (about USD $11,600)
• The complete duration of your stay in Thailand

You are allowed to get Thailand insurance from either a local Thai insurance company or a foreign insurance company.

To prove you have insurance, you must submit the following documents along with your visa application:

• Thai Insurance Company: If you contract with a Thai insurance company, you must submit 2 copies of the insurance policy document or the original insurance policy document with 2 copies (if available).
• Foreign Insurance Company: If you contract with a foreign company, you must submit the original insurance policy document along with 2 copies of it.

In addition to needing to submit proof of their local or foreign insurance policy, every applicant must submit a Foreign Insurance Certificate that has been completed, signed, and stamped (by the insurance company).

Long Stay Visa: Non-Immigrant O-A

Expats who are 50 years old or above and want to stay in Thailand for up to 1 year must apply for a Non-Immigrant Category O-A Long Stay Visa. This visa does not allow any kind of employment and requires Thailand health insurance for the duration of the visit to the country.

As a part of the application for a Non-Immigrant O-A Visa, expats must submit a health insurance policy that has proof of medical insurance in Thailand for the duration of the time that will be spent in the country.

You must have coverage for:

• COVID-19 with a total sum of no less than THB ฿3,000,000 (USD $100,000) per policy year
• The entire duration of your stay in Thailand

You are allowed to get Thailand insurance from either a local Thai insurance company or a foreign insurance company.

To prove you have insurance, you must submit the following documents along with your visa application:

• Thai Insurance Company: If you contract with a Thai insurance company, you must submit the original insurance policy document.
• Foreign Insurance Company: If you contract with a foreign company, you must submit the original insurance policy document.

In addition to needing to submit proof of their local or foreign insurance policy, every applicant must submit a Foreign Insurance Certificate that has been completed, signed, and stamped (by the insurance company).

When applying for a Long Stay Visa Category O-A, you must submit a medical certificate demonstrating that you don’t have any of the following prohibitive diseases:

• Leprosy
• Tuberculosis
• Drug Addiction
• Elephantiasis
• Third Phase of Syphilis

Long Stay Visa: Non-Immigrant O-X

A Non-Immigrant Category O-X Long Stay Visa is for expats age 50 and older who want to stay in Thailand for up to 10 years. Applicants cannot work while in Thailand, and a holder of this visa can stay in Thailand for 5 years at a time with the option to renew once, for a total of 10 years.

Health insurance is mandatory to be approved for a Non-Immigrant O-X Visa in Thailand. 

You must have coverage for:

• COVID-19 with a total sum of no less than THB ฿3,000,000 (USD $100,000) per policy year
• The entire duration of your stay in Thailand

You are allowed to get Thailand insurance from either a local Thai insurance company or a foreign insurance company.

To prove you have insurance, you must submit the following documents along with your visa application:

• Thai Insurance Company: If you contract with a Thai insurance company, you must submit the original insurance policy document.
• Foreign Insurance Company: If you contract with a foreign company, you must submit the original insurance policy document.

For this visa, every applicant must also submit a Foreign Insurance Certificate that has been completed, signed, and stamped (by the insurance company), and a medical certificate demonstrating that you don’t have any prohibitive diseases.

Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR Visa)

Thailand has recently created a new visa called the Long-Term Resident Visa. It is designed for four categories of foreigners including digital nomads and wealthy expats. It is a renewable visa that can let you live in Thailand for up to 10 years, and it has mandatory health insurance requirements.

This new Long-Term Resident Visa is designed for the following foreign applicants:

• Wealthy Global Citizens
• Wealthy Pensioners
• Remote Workers (who want to work overseas from Thailand)
• Highly Skilled Professionals
• The dependents of the four above types of individuals

If you are to apply for this type of visa, you must have health insurance coverage with:

• At least USD $50,000 per policy year
• Social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand, or at least USD $100,000 deposit

Thailand Elite Card

The Thailand Elite Card or Privilege Card is a visa for Non-Thai nationals, and to apply and learn more about the program, you must contact the Thailand Privilege Card Co. Ltd. directly. Health insurance is mandatory for those applying for a Thailand Elite Card.

You must show proof of coverage for:

• A minimum of USD $10,000 of medical costs incurred in Thailand
• COVID-19 medical expenses and treatments

When Health Insurance Is Not Mandatory For Thailand Expats

Thailand expats aren’t required to get health insurance if they’re traveling to Thailand for tourist purposes, diplomatic missions, have a work permit, are international students, or several other scenarios. In these instances, they can enter Thailand without having coverage within the Thai borders.

Health insurance is not mandatory for the following foreign visitors to Thailand:

• Those visiting for tourist purposes
• Those on diplomatic missions
• Representatives for foreign governments
• Immediate family members of Thai nationals
• Non-Thai nationals who have been permitted to take up residency in Thailand
• Work permit holders and applicants
• Volunteers and NGO/charity workers
• Religious or missionary workers
• Non-Thai nationals entering for business or investments in Thailand
• International students
• Media production or filming workers

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a German in Thailand receive health coverage?

Pacific Prime offers health coverage to any expat around the world, including Germans who have moved to Thailand. We have health plans that provide inpatient and outpatient care, emergency evacuation, dental and vision care, pre-existing conditions, and specialist consultations.

When is the best time to visit Thailand?

The best time of year to visit Thailand depends on what you like to do. In the summer, there are festivals, beaches, and aquatic activities in Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui. In the winter, you can visit the night markets, museums, temples, and water parks in Bangkok, Hua Hin, and Pai.

Conclusion

You now have a much better idea when health insurance for Thailand expats is mandatory. If you found this article helpful, you may also want to read:

• Health Insurance in Thailand for Foreigners
• Health Insurance for Tourists in Thailand

Now that you know when you need health insurance in Thailand, you probably have more questions about which health insurance plans are available to you and how healthcare works in Thailand.

We highly recommend reaching out to an insurance expert at Pacific Prime. We have over 20 years of experience connecting our clients with the best insurance providers who offer coverage around the globe, including in Thailand.

But the trick is that we don’t work for the insurance companies, we work for you! It is our job to negotiate on your behalf with the insurers until we craft a plan that meets your needs and makes you happy, not the other way around. We’re happy to answer your questions without giving any pressure to hire us.

We also offer a free quote generator as a resource for you to gauge how much your plan might cost. You can check that out today without having to make any commitments.

Information is power, and we want to empower you to make the best decision possible!

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Serena Fung

Senior Content Creator at Pacific Prime

Serena Fung is a Senior Content Creator at Pacific Prime, a global insurance brokerage and employee specialist serving over 1.5 million clients in 15 offices across the world. With 2+ years of experience writing about the subject, she aims to demystify the world of insurance for readers with the latest updates, guides and articles on the blog.

Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).

Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.

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