Thailand: Mandatory health insurance for retirees, What you should know, Since October 2019, foreigners - just landed.com



Mandatory health insurance for retirees

What you should know

Since October 2019, foreigners living in Thailand on a retirement visa are required to take out a health insurance plan that meets certain conditions. Let's see exactly who is affected, why was this change made, and what are those conditions.

Who is affected?

All foreigners over the age of 50 who stay in Thailand for a period of at least 1 year and do not intend to work. That is, retirees holding one of the two 'retirement visas':

• Non immigrant O-A visa

• Non immigrant O-X visa

Why the change?

The Thailand government claimed that there were a high number of unpaid healthcare bills from foreigners living in Thailand, especially from retirees with long-term visas.

In 2018, they stated, the unpaid amount was estimated to be 305 million baht (approximately 8,3 million euros). Consequently, they have decided to take action against it, making health insurance an obligation for all retirees.

Health insurance conditions

The new regulation requires expats to have health insurance with a company approved by the Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC) of Thailand. The insurance plan must provide:

• Cover for Outpatient Treatment of no less than 40,000 baht (1,096 euros) and Inpatient Treatment of no less than 400,000 baht (10,968 euros).

• Cover for medical expenses related to COVID-19 of no less than 100,000 USD.

You can take local health insurance from Thai brokers and agents. However, unless you speak Thai, it's recommended to go with a well-known international company such as Cigna Global Health Thailand.

With international health insurers you have the advantage to get coverage in Thailand and in your home country, access to the best hospitals & doctors and shorter waiting times. Plus, you'll be able to communicate in your own language with their multilingual team.