Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Insurance in the context of Thai Visas. Insurance has really been kind of a vexing thing the past well the past couple of months really this past year as we are looking especially at the O-A Retirement Visa Insurance requirement going up substantially starting beginning October 1 of 2022. So we are definitely going to start seeing things change with respect to that. End of September is kind of the end time for that; we are kind of in the end zone so we are looking at a couple of months here left as of the time of this video with respect to insurance.

I thought of making this video basically to provide some insight into what visas are out there that don't have an insurance requirement. I started thinking of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Medical Insurance is a complex business Mr. Ambassador. Quoting directly, and there is a lot in there. I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that article but quoting directly: "But the only visas currently requiring medical insurance are one type of Retirement Visa and extension of stay (O-A) and the yet-to-start 10 year LTR or Long-Term Resident Visa. There many alternative options without any insurance requirements at all, including the O retirement option and the Elite Visa". (I think they meant there "are" many alternative options) so “the O Retirement option and the Elite Visa. The latter is seen by many observers as the safest bet because it guarantees multiple-entry for between 5 and 20 years." And let's be clear, no it doesn't. It is a Non-immigrant Visa too so if you get crossways with Immigration you can end up losing your status, even in Elite; we have discussed that. 

Another thing, they weren't really exhaustive in this article. Presently, O Marriage Visas do not require any insurance as well as Business Visas. Business Visas with Work Permits don't have an insurance requirement either. Incidentally, I think the ED Visa, Education, still doesn't have an insurance requirement although that is a pretty limited use Visa. I think that is really going to get limited use again because I suspect Thai Immigration is going to ratchet up enforcement efforts against ED Visa holders because in many cases it is viewed as being used fraudulently and quite honestly most of the time that is not entirely an incorrect assessment. 

But long story short with respect to this, yeah the big thing that has changed and the big Visa category that a lot of people had used in the past that probably won't use to so much of an extent in the future, was the O-A Retirement Visa. That was the main visa and remains the main Visa that has this insurance requirement. The LTR we have yet to see because it doesn't exist yet but the O-A Retirement Visa, yes it has had an insurance component for I think now 3 years and we are looking at it having an even larger Insurance component or an increased Insurance component starting in October 2022.