O-A • O-X • DTV — with official sources • Updated August 2026
Visa Insurance Thailand: Complete Requirements Guide
The insurance rules for Thailand’s long-stay visas, with the current official figures and their sources — including the outdated numbers half the internet still repeats.
By Tommy Betts — Expat insurance specialist, Chiang Mai
✓ Last updated: August 23, 2026 — visa figures verified against official sources (MFA, TGIA); rules can change, always confirm before applying.
Disclosure: this guide contains affiliate links to insurance providers. We may earn a commission if you purchase through our links, at no extra cost to you. Full disclaimer.
Short answer: for the O-A retirement visa, the current requirement — in force since October 1, 2021 — is health insurance with at least $100,000 USD / 3,000,000 THB of coverage including all medical benefits, from either a Thai insurer on the official TGIA long-stay list or a foreign insurer with the official certificate, signed and stamped. It applies to new applications and to extensions of stay. The 400,000/40,000 THB figure you’ll still find on many sites is the old rule, obsolete for the O-A since 2021. For the O-X visa, official sources currently diverge — details below. For the DTV, the rules are different again: see the DTV insurance guide.
Sources for the O-A figures: the official MFA amendment (PDF published on image.mfa.go.th) and the TGIA long-stay guideline at longstay.tgia.org. Visa rules change — verify against these official sources or your embassy before applying; this page tells you what is current as of our last verification, and just as importantly, which widely repeated numbers no longer are.
The current rule, with sources
O-A visa insurance: the requirement that actually applies
Two compliance routes, both official:
- Thai insurer route: pick a plan from an insurer on the TGIA long-stay list (the list immigration recognizes) — our guide to OIC-approved insurance explains how that list works.
- Foreign insurer route: your existing international insurer completes the official foreign-insurance certificate, signed and stamped. Coverage must still meet the $100,000 / 3M THB floor with all medical benefits.
The extension point catches people every year: meeting the requirement once at application isn’t the end — your insurance must still comply when you extend your stay. Plan the renewal calendar, not just the application.
The 400,000/40,000 THB rule: obsolete since 2021
If you’ve read that the O-A requires 400,000 THB inpatient + 40,000 THB outpatient coverage — that was the original rule, and it has been obsolete for the O-A since October 1, 2021, when the MFA amendment raised the requirement to $100,000 USD / 3,000,000 THB. A remarkable number of guides, forums and even agency sites still quote the old figures, which is exactly why we cite our sources above.
⚠️ Practical consequence: a policy sized for the old 440k THB total is roughly seven times too small for today’s O-A requirement. If your current plan was bought to the old rule, it will not pass — check before your next extension, not at the immigration counter.
O-X visa: the sources currently disagree
For the 10-year O-X visa we won’t pretend there is one clean answer, because right now the official sources diverge: the TGIA guideline cites 400,000/40,000 THB for the O-X, while the US embassy’s guidance cites $100,000 USD. Until that resolves, the only honest advice is: confirm the current figure with the Thai embassy or consulate where you will apply — their checklist is the one that decides your application.
Weighing O-X against O-A in the first place? The trade-offs are covered in our O-X vs O-A comparison.
How to prove compliance
- Thai insurer route: the insurer issues the visa-compliant certificate directly — that is precisely what the TGIA long-stay framework exists for. Verify your insurer appears on the current list at longstay.tgia.org before you pay.
- Foreign insurer route: the official foreign-insurance certificate must be completed by your insurer, signed and stamped — a plain letter of coverage is the classic rejected substitute. Ask your insurer explicitly whether they will complete the Thai certificate before relying on this route.
- Both routes: the certificate must show coverage meeting the current floor, your name as in your passport, and validity dates covering the visa period. Check the dates twice — a certificate that expires mid-extension is a refused extension.
O-A compliance is an individual file — we build them
O-A applicants are 50+, and the realistic insurance options depend on your age, health history and budget — the same variables as any senior file, with a compliance checklist on top. That combination (medically sound and visa-compliant, at a premium you’ll accept for years of extensions) is matched case by case with our broker, not from a price table. One in ten of the requests we receive mentions the O-A or retirement visa. Outside the O-A file itself, our guide to travel insurance for senior visitors maps the realistic options by age bracket.
What to include when you write: your age, target visa (O-A or O-X), any ongoing conditions, monthly budget range — and whether you already hold a policy that could take the foreign-certificate route. Over 60? Read the over-60 guide first.
Not in Thailand yet? Cover the trip first
To be clear: the travel plans below are not the standard O-A compliance route. They are what you use for the scouting trip, the paperwork weeks, or the stay while your long-term file is being built — medical cover for you, not a visa certificate for immigration. SafetyWing runs $62.72 per 4 weeks (ages 18–39; ≈$218/month at 60–69), Genki Traveler from €52/month (age-based, up to 69, €1M limit). The full line-by-line differences are in the SafetyWing vs Genki comparison.
Original data from this site
What our inbox says about visa insurance
Of the last 1,709 insurance requests we processed (446 distinct travelers), 173 mention the O-A or retirement visa — about one in ten — and 17% mention retirement or being over 60. The two questions we answer most often in those threads: “does my foreign insurance count?” (yes, via the signed and stamped certificate, if it meets the floor) and “is 400k THB still enough?” (for the O-A: no, since 2021). No personal data is stored in these statistics.
Frequently asked questions
How much insurance do I need for the Thailand O-A visa?
Since October 1, 2021: at least $100,000 USD / 3,000,000 THB of coverage including all medical benefits, from a TGIA-listed Thai insurer or a foreign insurer with the official signed-and-stamped certificate (sources: MFA amendment; longstay.tgia.org). It applies to applications and extensions.
Is 400,000 THB coverage still enough for the O-A?
No. The 400,000/40,000 THB rule is the old regime, obsolete for the O-A since October 1, 2021. Sites still quoting it are out of date — the current floor is $100,000 USD / 3,000,000 THB.
Can I use my foreign health insurance for the O-A?
Yes — if it meets the coverage floor and your insurer completes the official foreign-insurance certificate, signed and stamped. A simple coverage letter is not the certificate. Ask your insurer explicitly before counting on this route.
What about the O-X visa insurance requirement?
Official sources currently diverge: TGIA’s guideline cites 400,000/40,000 THB while the US embassy cites $100,000 USD. Confirm with the embassy or consulate where you’ll apply — their checklist decides.
Does the requirement apply to extensions, or only the first application?
Both. Your insurance must still comply each time you extend your stay on the O-A — plan the policy renewal calendar alongside the visa calendar.
Are SafetyWing or Genki valid for the O-A visa?
They are not the standard compliance route, and we don’t present them as such. O-A compliance runs through a TGIA-listed Thai insurer or a foreign insurer that completes the official certificate at the required coverage level. Travel plans are for the trip and the transition — the visa file is built separately, with us if you like.
I’m over 60 with a health condition — can I still get O-A-compliant insurance?
Often yes, but it’s exactly the kind of file that needs individual matching: age, conditions and the compliance checklist interact. Start with the over-60 guide and the pre-existing conditions guide, then send us your situation.