Health insurance in Thailand.
Retirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
The rules
What Thailand asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- O-A retirement visa: 3,000,000 THB
New O-A applicants need health cover of at least 3,000,000 THB (about USD 100,000) for the whole stay. This replaced the old 40,000 THB outpatient and 400,000 THB inpatient minimums. You must be 50 or older.
Source: wellington.thaiembassy.org - O-A: foreign insurers allowed
For a first O-A, the policy can be Thai or from an insurer abroad. A foreign policy needs the official insurance certificate form, signed by the insurer.
Source: longstay.tgia.org - O-X 10-year visa: Thai policy only
The O-X needs a Thai health policy with at least 400,000 THB inpatient and 40,000 THB outpatient cover per year. You must be 50 or older.
Source: longstay.tgia.org - LTR visa: USD 50,000
LTR applicants need health cover of at least USD 50,000, or Thai social security, or USD 100,000 kept in a bank for 12 months. The plan must cover treatment in Thailand.
Source: ltr.boi.go.th - DTV: no insurance required
The Destination Thailand Visa asks for 500,000 THB in funds and proof of remote work. Health insurance is not on the list, but you pay every hospital bill yourself.
Source: london.thaiembassy.org - Co-pays on Thai plans since March 2025
Thai insurers can now add a co-pay at renewal: up to 30% of bills for people with many small claims, or up to 50% in some cases.
Source: asiainsurancereview.com
The free 30 baht scheme is for Thai citizens, so most expats pay at public hospitals or use private cover. Foreign employees with a work permit join social security, with care at 1 assigned hospital.
Source: tilleke.comLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
The O-X visa asks for a Thai policy. For the O-A and LTR, a foreign plan works too, so the choice comes down to price, age limits and cover outside Thailand.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Thailand. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Thailand.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Thailand and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What it costs
Published prices in Thailand.
List prices from insurers and official schemes. Your quote depends on your age, health and the cover you pick.
- Thai Health Insurance, O-A 1 year, 3M plan
95,374 THB at age 51 to 55, 135,944 THB at 61 to 65, and 190,149 THB at 66 to 70. Ages 71 to 80 are renewal only.
Source: thaihealth.co.th - Chubb Samaggi, Long Stay Visa Health Premium
27,600 THB a year at age 51 to 60 and 37,100 THB at 61 to 70, with a 300,000 THB deductible per stay. Cover is up to 3,500,000 THB a year, in Thailand only.
Source: chubb.com
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Thailand.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- It matches your visa
O-A needs 3,000,000 THB, O-X needs a Thai policy, LTR needs USD 50,000. Check the plan meets your exact visa before you buy.
- The insurer signs the certificate
For an O-A with a foreign insurer, the insurer must fill in and sign the official form. Ask before you pay.
- Age limits at renewal
Thai visa plans often cap the age for new customers. Check you can still renew at 75, 80 and beyond.
- The deductible behind a low price
A cheap visa plan can carry a deductible of 300,000 THB or more per hospital stay. Compare plans with the same deductible.
Step by step
Getting covered in Thailand.
- 01Start from your visa and your age. The O-A and O-X are for people 50 or older, and each visa sets its own cover minimum. The DTV sets none.
- 02Pick an insurer from the TGIA list. The Thai General Insurance Association lists the Thai insurers selling O-A and O-X plans, with a link to each product.
- 03Or have your foreign insurer sign the form. For an O-A with a policy from abroad, download the certificate form from TGIA. An authorised person at the insurer must sign it.
- 04Hand in the certificate with your visa file. Immigration checks the insurance certificate. The O-A gives a stay of up to 1 year, so the policy must match it.
- 05Buy before the entry age cut-off. Some visa plans take new customers only up to 70 or 80, then renew only. Buying earlier keeps you inside the window.
- 06Working? Use social security too. With a work permit and a Thai employer, you join social security and get care at 1 assigned hospital.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Buying a short trip plan for an LTR or O-A visa. Both need cover for treatment in Thailand for a long stay, not a holiday.
- 02Using the old 40,000 / 400,000 THB minimum for a new O-A visa. New applicants need 3,000,000 THB.
- 03Expecting a cheap local visa plan to pay for an existing illness. Most leave it out.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Just visiting?For a holiday or a short trip, travel insurance is enough. See what Thailand asks of visitors, and what care costs.
Questions
People also ask.
Do I need health insurance for a Thailand retirement visa?+
Yes for the O-A and O-X. The O-A needs at least 3,000,000 THB of cover for your whole stay. The O-X needs a Thai policy with 400,000 THB inpatient and 40,000 THB outpatient.
Can I use international health insurance for a Thai visa?+
Yes for a first O-A, if the insurer signs the official certificate form. The LTR also accepts foreign policies of at least USD 50,000. The O-X asks for a Thai policy.
Does the DTV need health insurance?+
No. The DTV checklist does not ask for it. It is still wise to have cover, as you pay hospital bills yourself.
Can expats use Thai public healthcare?+
Not for free. The 30 baht scheme is for Thai citizens. Expats who work for a Thai company with a work permit get care through social security.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.