Health & medical care
Private health insurance and insurance requirements for visas
Check policy coverage, hospital payments and visa requirements such as O-A separately.
Start with these three things
- Private hospital care in Thailand can be expensive, and a deposit may be required.
- The Osaka consulate's requirements for a new O-A application list insurance of at least THB 3 million covering general illnesses, including COVID-19.
Planning tips (not official rules)
- Before buying insurance, check both the coverage you need for daily life and the certificate required for your visa procedure.
Steps
"Tip" marks a planning suggestion, not an official rule.
- Tip Identify your current visa type, whether the procedure is a new application or an extension, and the intended length of stay.
- Tip Explain your medical history and coverage needs to insurers, and request policy terms and quotations.
- Tip Compare inpatient care, outpatient care, pre-existing conditions, your share of costs and renewal terms using the same headings.
- Tip If the policy is for a visa, check the required certificate format and insurance period with the responsible Thai mission or immigration office.
- For non-urgent care or a planned admission, check coverage with the hospital and insurer beforehand.
What to prepare
"Tip" marks a planning suggestion, not an official rule.
- The hospital's guidance lists identity documents and an insurance card or policy number for checking coverage.
- Tip Gather the policy terms, benefit schedule, quotation and explanation of exclusions for comparison.
- Tip When asking about visa requirements, have the visa name and permitted-stay record from your passport ready and ask which documents your application requires.
- For a new O-A application in Osaka, the guidance specifies the prescribed overseas insurance certificate completed, signed and stamped by the insurer.
Where to ask
Your insurer / the Thai mission handling the application / the immigration office handling the extension
Reception hours are not yet confirmed. Check with the office before visiting.
Things to watch for
- You must pay costs outside your coverage. Even if an insurer appears on the hospital's partner list, check coverage for the particular treatment.
Planning tips (not official rules)
- Do not use an old blog's figures or another country's application documents as if they automatically apply to you.
Questions for your comparison
Planning tips (not official rules)
Ask each insurer when coverage starts, whether outpatient medicines are included, how existing conditions and previous treatment are treated, and how much you pay yourself. Use these questions to compare more than product names and premiums.
Ask about renewal as you get older, treatment abroad, visits to Japan, medical transport and family coverage to the extent relevant to you. Leave unclear items marked as unverified and resolve them before buying.
Using the policy at a hospital
Bangkok Hospital's guidance says coverage is checked before treatment for a planned admission and that the patient pays uncovered costs. A hospital making an enquiry is different from the policy actually providing coverage.
Planning tips (not official rules)
Ask the insurer about advance notification, whether you must pay first, claim documents and the submission process. Keep the date and response so you can explain the arrangements at the hospital.
Separate a new O-A application from an extension
The Osaka consulate's requirements for a new O-A application call for the insurance described above and the prescribed certificate completed, signed and stamped by the insurer. Check whether an insurance card alone satisfies the document requirements.
Planning tips (not official rules)
For an extension in Chiang Mai, ask immigration about the current coverage amount, insurance period and certificate format. This article does not apply the new-application requirements to an extension. Before buying, check that the documents can be used for your intended procedure.
Rules change frequently. Confirm the current position with the Thai mission handling your application or the immigration office handling your extension.
Inclusion is not an endorsement.
Sources & dates checked
- OfficialMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Japan 世界の医療事情：タイ
- OfficialFrequently Asked Question | Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai
- OfficialBangkok Hospital 保険 | Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai
- OfficialNon-Immigrant Type “O-A”
- OfficialDepartment of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand คนอยู่ชั่วคราวเพื่อการพำนักในราชอาณาจักรระยะยาว 1 ปี (Long Stay O-A)
- OfficialRoyal Thai Consulate-General, Osaka ノンイミグラント(OA) 長期滞在ビザ
- OfficialRoyal Thai Consulate-General, Osaka ビザ申請要項