Foreigners applying for non-immigrant (O-A) visas for stays in Thailand of up to one year are now required to have a health insurance policy with minimum coverage of three million baht for in-patient medical fees, instead of the previous 400,000 baht.
Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said today (Tuesday) that the new rule is intended to ensure that they will receive proper medical treatment if they fall ill during their long stay in the country.
According to the Thai Immigration Bureau and the Department of Consular Affairs, 3,768 foreigners were granted non-immigrant visas last and this year.
The insurance policies can either be purchased in Thailand or in their home country, but the coverage amount of foreign issued policies must be on a par with the sum stipulated in policies issued in Thailand.
