On Tuesday, the Cabinet approved, in principle, new rules to support health insurance, with a required minimum coverage of $100,000 or 3 million baht, for medical expenses and treatment of COVID-19 for long-stay foreigners under the Non-Immigrant “O-A” visa.
Deputy Government Spokeswoman Traisulee Traisoranakul said the new rules would apply to all holders of the one-year, non-immigrant visa (NIV) in four categories: marriage, work, business and retirement.
At present, holders of the NIV must be insured to the tune of 40,000 baht for out-patient treatment, or 400,000 baht for in-patient treatment at a hospital. Future NIV applicants must produce proof they have taken out the far higher insurance against COVID-19 and, if they are eligible to state-sponsored welfare or insurance, the same minimum coverage applies. Those seeking to renew their NIV are free to buy the insurance abroad.
Ms. Traisulee said that, since the Cabinet has approved the new rule in principle, the next step would be for the Immigration Bureau to publish full details and make it official. The Foreign Affairs Ministry will also work to improve the NIV application procedure, while the Public Health and Interior ministries will be in charge of modifying related regulations. (NNT)
 |
 |
 |
