Health insurance for type O (90 days) visa??

    Ok, now I'm completely confused...Just tried to apply to a type O 90 days visa online and they require a Thai health insurance certificate???They don't ask for that if you apply for 60 days tourist visa (that could be easily extend to 90 days) so what's the go on that??        -@Guy Dolev

Where did you try to apply online? The health insurance for the 90 days Non-immigrant O based on retirement doesn't exist anymore,at least not when applying via the e-visa website. It did until just a few weeks ago. The Canadian guy "rbakker" wrote about that just a week ago. Why would an insurance for a tourist visa be required?

@Leeds forever!

I tried to apply online via the Thai consulate website in Australia and it wouldn't let me apply without uploading a certificate if health insurance!

So I'm wondering whether I should just apply for a 60 day tourist visa (which doesn't require insurance) and extend it while I'm in Thailand, and maybe even apply for the retirement visa while I'm in Thailand, if that's possible .

I'm guessing the e-visa application process is way easier than the other option in Australia (Apply online and once approved send your passport to get the visa sticker)...No idea why Australia is not in the e-visa category but I guess it has to do with some agreement that the government couldn't be bothered to have...

    @Leeds forever!I tried to apply online via the Thai consulate website in Australia and it wouldn't let me apply without uploading a certificate if health insurance!So I'm wondering whether I should just apply for a 60 day tourist visa (which doesn't require insurance) and extend it while I'm in Thailand, and maybe even apply for the retirement visa while I'm in Thailand, if that's possible .I'm guessing the e-visa application process is way easier than the other option in Australia (Apply online and once approved send your passport to get the visa sticker)...No idea why Australia is not in the e-visa category but I guess it has to do with some agreement that the government couldn't be bothered to have...        -@Guy Dolev

Imo, the reason for the health insurance requirement in Aus, is clueless embassy personnel. They obviously don't know or understand that the mandatory health insurance for the 90 days Non-immigrant O visa has been cancelled. As far as I know,the Aussie government has nothing to do with the e-visa. You won't gain anything by applying for a 60 days tourist visa and extend it in Thailand. You can actually "change" from a 60 days tourist visa to a 90 days Non-immigrant O visa based on retirement at the local immigration office. The fee is ฿2.000. But, you still need the 800k in a Thai bank account 2 months prior to the day you apply for the 1 year extension. Do the math. 90 days or 60+30 days is the same. Why don't you ask the consulate/embassy why they still require an insurance when that requirement is gone when applying via the official e-visa website. The cheapest 90 days health insurance isn't very expensive and you can order it online if you need one.

@Leeds forever!

Thanks! I will contact the consulate on Monday and see how I can go around the insurance requirements. I guess at the end of the day it won't hurt to have insurance for my own piece of mind anyway but if I can do it later while I'm in Thailand rather than from Australia before I apply for the visa that would be easier. I do think that when I asked the girl at the consulate about the insurance requirements she said that I don't need to worry about it but for some reason it's still part of the application form...Hence why I said I'm completely confused

    @Leeds forever!
Thanks! I will contact the consulate on Monday and see how I can go around the insurance requirements. I guess at the end of the day it won't hurt to have insurance for my own piece of mind anyway but if I can do it later while I'm in Thailand rather than from Australia before I apply for the visa that would be easier. I do think that when I asked the girl at the consulate about the insurance requirements she said that I don't need to worry about it but for some reason it's still part of the application form...Hence why I said I'm completely confused
   

    -@Guy Dolev

We're talking about a 90 days health insurance covering the 90 days Non-immigrant O visa,nothing else. If it's a requirement from the consulate you must buy it online and the start date is the day of entry in Thailand. Immigration at the Suvarnabhumi airport won't ask for it.

    @Leeds forever!Thanks! I will contact the consulate on Monday and see how I can go around the insurance requirements. I guess at the end of the day it won't hurt to have insurance for my own piece of mind anyway but if I can do it later while I'm in Thailand rather than from Australia before I apply for the visa that would be easier. I do think that when I asked the girl at the consulate about the insurance requirements she said that I don't need to worry about it but for some reason it's still part of the application form...Hence why I said I'm completely confused         -@Guy Dolev

Maybe they have just forgotten to remove the health insurance requirement,or just being lazy. Just ask them if they are aware that the requirement is gone at the official thai e-visa website when applying for the 90 days Non-immigrant O visa based on retirement. If they know, then everything is ok. No insurance needed.

@Leeds forever!

So I'm just getting an online insurance for 90 days from a Thai insurance company? How much roughly is it ?

    @Leeds forever!
So I'm just getting an online insurance for 90 days from a Thai insurance company? How much roughly is it ?
   

    -@Guy Dolev

You're not getting anything.Read my last comment.

@Leeds forever!

Oh ok. Didn't see your last comment. I'll ask the consulate then and confirm with them. Thanks

"I tried to apply online via the Thai consulate website in Australia and it wouldn't let me apply without uploading a certificate if health insurance!"

Is that (still) true? As far as I can tell that website is the same for everyone all over the world and when I (recently) did it there was no possibility to upload proof of health insurance. The visa was issued and that was that.

What the consulate in Australia writes on its website may be a different matter, but what really counts is the form that you have to fill in online.

@rbakker

I don't think you understood my post. You're talking about the e-visa website. Unfortunately not every country in the world is eligible to apply for e-visa. Australian have to apply via the consulate website. Is that clear now?