Medical Insurance In Thailand For Retirees
Retirees getting medical insurance in Thailand should consider their health conditions and needs when picking a policy. Retirees should also be aware of the mandatory health insurance requirements for the Thailand retirement visa. If they don’t have coverage, they won’t be approved.
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Are you a senior wanting to retire in Thailand for a year or more? Are you shopping around for medical insurance? In this article, we’ll discuss key elements of retirement medical insurance plans worth considering for your Thailand policy.
Thailand Medical Insurance For Retirees
Expats who plan to retire in Thailand should consider getting medical insurance that covers their current health conditions, covers them internationally, and provides emergency repatriation in the event they need to be flown to the nearest hospital equipped to provide emergency care.
There are a lot of riders and policy options for retirees in Thailand, especially through an experienced brokerage like Pacific Prime. Let’s look at a few of the elements that Thailand retirees should look for.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Especially as you age and your health begins to wane, you need to have coverage for a wide variety of potential health concerns. Pacific Prime makes sure to have flexible policies that you can customize so you know exactly what you are insured for.
- International Coverage: It is very likely Thailand retirees will leave Thailand and travel around the neighboring countries. If you plan to do this, it is wise to get medical insurance coverage not only for Thailand but for anywhere in the world.
- Top International Providers: Retirees and expats in Thailand should know about the top-rated insurers and seek to hire them for their insurance needs.
- Hospital Access: Thailand has a multitude of public and private hospitals, retirees should check and make sure if their selected health insurance plan includes their preferred hospital in the insurer’s network of providers.
If you work with Pacific Prime, we have over 20 years of relationships built with the best Thailand insurers and can negotiate a policy on your behalf.
Support and Advice: Retirees in Thailand will want an insurance team that gives them sound, easy-to-understand advice about the right policy for their needs. If you work with Pacific Prime, we can help you file claims, process renewals, and give advice when you need it.
When picking your Thailand retirement health insurance plan, you can always send us a message with your Thailand questions, and we’ll give you free advice and answers. We also suggest a series of questions to ask yourself before agreeing to a policy.
Medical Insurance Required For A Thailand Retirement Visa
The three types of Thailand Retirement Visas each have their own medical insurance requirements. The types are Non-Immigrant O Visa, Non-Immigrant O-A Visa, and Non-Immigrant O-X Visa. Their mandatory medical insurance minimums range from USD $1,140 to $100,000.
Non-Immigrant O Visa Medical Insurance Requirements
Expats applying for the Thailand Retirement visa also called the Non-Immigrant O Visa, are required to have outpatient medical insurance coverage for a minimum of THB ฿40,000 (USD $1,140) and inpatient coverage for a minimum of THB ฿400,000 (USD $11,407).
Other requirements for the Non-Immigrant Visa O-X include:
- Being age 50 or older
- Having a passport and nationality from approved countries
- Meeting the financial requirements
- Not having any forbidden diseases (which include Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Drug Addiction, and the third stage of Syphilis)
The Non-Immigrant Visa O, or one of the Thailand Retirement Visas, lets foreigners have a short stay in Thailand for up to 90 days. Retirees are not permitted to work while living in Thailand.
For further reading on Thailand visa application, please check out our article about how to apply for a Thailand visa from the US.
Non-Immigrant O-A And O-X Visas Medical Insurance Requirements
Retirees applying for the Thailand Non-Immigrant O-A and O-X Visas designated for long-stay retirees are required to purchase medical insurance that provides a minimum of THB ฿3,000,000 (USD $100,000) per policy year. It must include COVID-19 coverage too.
In addition to these medical insurance requirements for Non-Immigrant O-A and O-X Visas, applicants must:
- Aged 50 or older
- Have national passports and nationalities from approved countries
- Meet the financial requirements
- Not be prohibited from entering Thailand
- Have no criminal record
- Not have any prohibitive diseases (including Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Drug Addiction, Elephantiasis, stage three Syphilis)
The Non-Immigrant O-A visa lets foreign Thailand retirees have an extended stay in Thailand for up to 1 year. The Non-Immigrant O-X visa lets foreign Thailand retirees remain in Thailand for up to 10 years.
Neither visa permits the applicant to work in Thailand for the duration of their stay.
To learn more about all three of the retirement visas, read our 2023 Guide About Thailand Retirement Visas for US Citizens as well as our Thai Visa Guide for Expats and Foreigners.
Tips To Pay Less For Retirement Medical Insurance In Thailand
Some tips to lower your retirement medical insurance costs in Thailand are to buy insurance while you’re healthy, partner with an insurance brokerage that can secure you the best policy available for your needs, and remain with your provider once new health conditions arise.
Below are some key tips to help you pay less for retirement medical insurance in Thailand.
Buy Insurance When You’re Healthy
Because it can be difficult to get coverage for pre-existing conditions (health issues you already have when you begin a new policy), it is wise to buy insurance before serious conditions arise. In that scenario, many severe conditions can be covered.
Compare Plans from Multiple Insurers
While there may be various plans from larger, reputed insurers out there, premiums can be overwhelmingly expensive for retirees. Continue doing your research and compare plans from as many insurers as you can find.
This is because while there are larger, well-known insurers, there could also be smaller, lesser-known insurers that offer more cost-effective plans that can still meet your unique retiree healthcare needs while remaining affordable.
Plan comparisons can be difficult on your own, which is why we recommend partnering with an experienced insurance broker, and that brings us to our next point.
Partner With a Broker to Find the Best Policy for You
Brokers, such as Pacific Prime, are insurance experts who work for the insured instead of for the insurance company. This gives them the advantage of putting the insured’s needs first.
At Pacific Prime, we use our established relationships with insurance companies to negotiate the best policies we can get you.
Stay With Your Chosen Provider to Secure Coverage for New Conditions
If you have an established plan before you get seriously ill, insurance should cover your new conditions. If this occurs, you’ll want to remain with the same provider so they must cover you.
If you switch to a new provider, your “new conditions” are considered “pre-existing” since they started before your new provider’s policy began. Changing providers may mean your new policy won’t cover those healthcare costs.
Top Thailand Medical Insurance Providers
Among the top Thailand medical insurance providers are Pacific Cross, Luma, AIA, Thaivivat, and April International. Each of these companies provides the best healthcare policies at fantastic rates. Pacific Prime partners with each of them, and we are happy to negotiate with them on your behalf.
To check out these top Thailand insurance providers visit each of their pages below:
- Pacific Cross
- LUMA
- AIA
- AXA
- Allianz Ayudhya
- April International
- Thaivivat Insurance
- Muang Thai Insurance
- Generali
- LMG Insurance
Getting health insurance for Thailand expats is very important, so we only offer suggestions for the best providers.
We also have advice about getting senior health insurance for expats in Thailand here.
Conclusion
In conclusion, retirees seeking medical health insurance should look beyond their budget by putting their particular healthcare needs first and remain vigilant of mandatory health insurance requirements for the retirement visa in Thailand.
Whichever plan you end up picking, we strongly urge you to begin selecting your health insurance plan when you’re still young as health insurance premiums can get progressively more expensive as you age due to increasing risks for health issues.
Get a Free Quote for Medical Insurance in Thailand
As you gather information about which insurance policy and the insurance company you’d like to get in Thailand, discover an estimate of how much medical insurance for your specific circumstances may cost with our free insurance quote generator.
This generator is easy to use, and we even have a tutorial page and video to explain it. You can plug in your age, types of coverage, country, gender, and viola! A free quote to give you an impression of how much it may cost to invest in your health and peace of mind.
We also are happy to answer any questions you have about medical insurance in Thailand and anywhere else internationally. Send us a quick message, and we’ll respond back with sound, unbiased advice. Pacific Prime is happy to help!
Further Reading: Learn about the Migrant Health Insurance Scheme in Thailand for migrant workers and their dependents.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a US citizen retiring in Thailand, what are healthcare costs like?
If you are a US citizen in good health wanting to retire in Thailand, outpatient healthcare fees are minimal. However, inpatient treatments and emergency treatments can add up quickly if you contract a severe condition or injury. Getting private health insurance can cover these expenses.
What do 80-year-old retirees in Thailand do for medical insurance?
Many 80-year-old retirees in Thailand get private medical insurance through insurance companies or brokerages. This grants them access to medical care in the private hospitals in Thailand where there is more updated equipment and more English-speaking professionals.
Do I need health insurance to live in Thailand?
Health insurance is mandatory in Thailand for expats applying for a retirement visa, a long stay visa, a long-term resident visa, and Thailand Elite Card. You can secure health insurance through local Thai insurance companies or foreign ones.
Jantra curates and reports on the results of Pacific Prime’s monthly newsletters, as well as manages Pacific Prime’s Deputy Global CEO’s LinkedIn posts. Complemented by her background in business writing, Jantra’s passion for health, insurance, and employee benefits helps her create engaging content - no matter how complex the subject is.
Growing up as a third-culture kid has given her a multicultural perspective that helps her relate to expats and their families while 8 years of working remotely have given her unique insight into hybrid work arrangements and enthusiasm for employee benefits.
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What are the options for dental care for retirees in Thailand? Are there specific dental clinics that cater to expats with English-speaking staff?
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