Best Health Insurance for the Thailand Retirement Visa

Reviewed 2026-10-31. General independent information; check current official immigration, financial and medical guidance before acting.

Expert take — Cost of Asia editorial team Since 1 October 2021 the O-A retirement visa has required at least THB 3,000,000 (USD 100,000) of cover, but some "long-stay visa" plans are still built around the old THB 40,000 outpatient / 400,000 inpatient limits, which now match the O-X visa, not the O-A. So check the sum insured printed on the insurance certificate, not the product name. Chubb Samaggi's published Long Stay plan, for example, tops out at THB 660,000 a year. If you're extending a Non-O visa on retirement grounds instead, no insurance minimum applies. Buy cover for your medical needs, not for the paperwork.

Commercial transparency: Cost of Asia has no contracted partner in this category. Providers are compared on published criteria, and no provider has paid for inclusion. If this changes, affiliate links will be labelled.

"Retirement visa" covers three routes in Thailand, and each treats insurance differently. The O-A (one year, applied for abroad) has a mandatory THB 3 million minimum. The O-X (ten years) asks for THB 40,000 outpatient and THB 400,000 inpatient at most embassies. A Non-O visa extended in Thailand on retirement grounds has no general insurance minimum. Before you compare policies, work out which route you're on.

This page is for people aged 50 and over choosing a policy that both satisfies Thai immigration and actually pays when they're in hospital. Those two goals often pull apart. The cheapest compliant policies carry deductibles of THB 100,000 to 300,000 per illness and cover Thailand only. Fuller plans cost more and get harder to buy once you're past 70.

We can't publish a "cheapest" ranking, because premiums depend on your age, deductible and health declaration. What we can do is show which options meet which rule, where the age limits sit, and which clauses to read before you pay.

At a glance

How we chose

• Meets a named visa rule: the policy's annual or per-illness limit must match the official O-A or O-X figure.
• Issuer status: Thai insurers listed on the Thai General Insurance Association (TGIA) long-stay portal, whose certificates immigration offices expect at extension time.
• Age rules: published maximum entry age and maximum renewal age.
• Real-world usefulness: deductible options, coverage area (Thailand only or wider), evacuation, and how pre-existing conditions are treated.
• Transparency: whether premiums or policy terms are published.

Sources: the TGIA long-stay portal, Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy pages, insurers' own product pages, and dated broker or independent reviews where an insurer's page was not available to us. Checked on 31 October 2026. Visa rules change, so confirm the current checklist with the Thai embassy or immigration office handling your file.

1. AXA EasyCare Visa — best for a low-premium O-A certificate

AXA Insurance is one of 14 companies on the TGIA's O-A participant list, and it sells EasyCare Visa as its long-stay product, with online purchase and an English hotline. Broker and independent reviews from 2025 and October 2026 describe two plans, at THB 2 million and THB 4 million per illness or injury. Both allow entry up to age 80 and renewal up to 99. You choose a deductible of THB 100,000, 200,000 or 300,000.

Who it suits

Applicants in their 70s who need a Thai certificate for an O-A and accept that they'll pay routine care themselves.

Trade-offs

Cover is Thailand only. Thailand Starter Kit's review reports that cancer treatment is capped at THB 100,000, and that dialysis, transplants and rehabilitation are excluded. There's a 30-day wait for illness and a 120-day wait for listed conditions such as tumors and hernias. Conditions you have before the policy starts aren't covered.

Check before you commit

Plan 1's THB 2 million limit sits below the O-A figure. Ask AXA, in writing, which plan's certificate states at least THB 3,000,000, and pick that one (the same review recommends Plan 2).

2. Luma Hi5 — best for fuller local cover if you're under 70

Luma is an English-language brand that works with Navakij Insurance, a TGIA-listed insurer. The TGIA portal names Luma Long Stay Care, Hi5 and Prime as the products from that partnership. Pacific Prime, a broker, wrote in a July 2026 update that Hi5 carries a THB 5 million annual limit, which meets both the O-A and the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa requirements.

Who it suits

Retirees under 70 who live in Thailand most of the year and want the policy to handle real hospital bills, not just the visa.

Trade-offs

New applicants must be 70 or younger and live in Thailand for at least 180 days a year. Renewal is guaranteed to 99. Worldwide emergency cover is capped at THB 1.25 million a year and excludes the USA. Luma's older Long Stay Care plan (THB 3 million per illness, renewable to 90) is being wound down in favor of Hi5 and Prime, according to a September 2026 review.

Check before you commit

If you're applying for an O-X, ask for outpatient benefits to be added, because the O-X has a separate outpatient minimum.

3. Luma Prime or AXA SwitchCare — best for evacuation and regional cover

A Thai-only policy won't fly you to Singapore or home. If you travel in the region, or want the option of treatment elsewhere, look one tier up.

Luma Prime offers annual limits of THB 10, 30 or 50 million, according to Pacific Prime. It covers emergency evacuation and medical repatriation in full, plus emergency treatment worldwide for trips of up to 90 days, in three zones that all exclude the USA. Entry is under 70, with guaranteed renewal to 99.

AXA SwitchCare runs from THB 3.5 million to 30 million per policy year, with Asia or worldwide (excluding USA) options, according to Pacific Prime's July 2025 review of AXA plans. AXA's International Exclusive goes higher and can cover pre-existing conditions.

Trade-offs

Premiums are well above visa-only plans, and the sources we found don't publish them. For SwitchCare and International Exclusive, the review doesn't state entry ages or say whether the certificate is issued for the O-A. Ask before you apply.

Check before you commit

Read the evacuation clause. It should say who decides that evacuation is medically necessary, and whether it covers the return trip.

4. Chubb Samaggi Long Stay Visa Health Plan — best for O-X applicants who want published prices

Chubb Samaggi is TGIA-listed and publishes its full premium table online, which is rare. Its three plans give THB 400,000 to 600,000 inpatient and THB 40,000 to 60,000 outpatient per year. You choose a deductible of THB 100,000 or 200,000 per confinement. Entry is possible up to 80 and renewal up to 100, with premiums rising with age and claims history. As one example from the table, Plan 1 for ages 61 to 70 with the THB 200,000 deductible costs THB 7,700 a year.

Who it suits

O-X applicants whose embassy asks for the 40,000/400,000 format. It also suits Non-O retirees who want basic inpatient cover at a known price.

Trade-offs

The page we checked still describes the plan by reference to the 2019 O-A rule. Its annual maximum of THB 440,000 to 660,000 falls well short of today's THB 3 million O-A minimum. Cover is Thailand only. Chronic conditions are excluded unless Chubb accepts them in writing.

Check before you commit

Don't buy this for an O-A without written confirmation from Chubb that immigration will accept the certificate.

5. Your existing international policy — best if you're already insured abroad

For a first O-A application, the Thai government accepts Thai or foreign policies, and even foreign social security cover. The cover must reach USD 100,000 / THB 3 million and include COVID-19 treatment. The foreign insurer must complete Thailand's Foreign Insurance Certificate. The Thaiger reports that the form needs signatures from two different authorized people, and that applications with only one are rejected. The MFA guideline also mentions certification by an embassy or a notary.

Who it suits

Anyone whose current international plan already has high limits, evacuation and cover for pre-existing conditions they've built up over years.

Trade-offs

When you extend in Thailand, immigration offices generally expect a Thai policy from the TGIA list. Acceptance of foreign certificates varies by office. Some retirees end up keeping their international plan and buying a cheap Thai visa policy alongside it.

Check before you commit

Ask your insurer whether it will sign the Thai form, and how long that takes.

What to check before you decide

• Your route: O-A (THB 3 million), O-X (40,000/400,000 at most embassies; the THB 3 million figure appears on some embassy checklists, such as Los Angeles), or Non-O extension (no general minimum).
• The certificate figure: the sum insured must appear on the official certificate and cover your whole permitted stay.
• Entry age and renewal age: they're different numbers. A plan you can join at 69 is no use if renewal stops at 75.
• Deductible versus savings: a THB 200,000 deductible means you pay the first THB 200,000 of each illness. Keep that in your budget.
• Pre-existing conditions and waiting periods: read the exclusions list in the policy wording, not the brochure.
• If you're refused cover: the MFA guideline allows a refusal letter plus at least THB 3 million in assets or deposits instead, on top of the visa's financial requirement.

FAQ

Do I need health insurance for a Thai retirement visa?

It depends on the route. The O-A requires at least THB 3 million / USD 100,000 of cover, including COVID-19, for the whole stay. Most embassies ask O-X applicants for THB 40,000 outpatient and THB 400,000 inpatient. A Non-O extended in Thailand on retirement grounds has no general insurance requirement, which Phuket Immigration confirmed in 2019 and which The Thaiger still reported in August 2026.

Is the old 40,000/400,000 baht rule still valid for the O-A?

Only for renewals of policies taken out before 1 September 2022, according to the TGIA. New O-A applications and later extensions need THB 3 million.

Can I use a foreign policy for my O-A?

Yes, for the visa application, with Thailand's Foreign Insurance Certificate completed by your insurer. At extension time, immigration offices usually expect a Thai policy from the TGIA long-stay list.

Can I get covered after 70?

Fewer insurers take new applicants over 70. AXA EasyCare Visa and Chubb Samaggi's Long Stay plan both accept entry up to 80. Luma Hi5 and Prime stop new applications after 70. Expect pre-existing conditions to be excluded on any new policy.

Does travel insurance count?

No. The Thaiger notes that travel insurance doesn't satisfy any Thai visa insurance requirement.

Related guides

• Thailand cost of living
• Expat health insurance explained
• Thailand retirement visa guide
• Best Thailand visas for long stays
• Best health insurance for retirees over 60
• Budget calculator

Sources

• TGIA long-stay portal: O-A guideline — USD 100,000 / THB 3M rule, age 50+, pre-1 September 2022 renewal exception, foreign certificate
• TGIA long-stay portal: participating O-A insurers — list of 14 insurers; AXA EasyCare Visa; Navakij–Luma partnership
• Thai MFA: Guideline on Non-Immigrant O-A visa (PDF) — 2019 and 2021 criteria, refusal alternative, certificate certification
• Royal Thai Embassy Madrid: O-A health insurance requirements — effective 1 October 2021, Thai or foreign policy accepted
• Royal Thai Embassy Moscow: Non-Immigrant O-A — policy plus insurer-signed certificate
• The Thaiger: Retirement visa health insurance (O-A and O-X) — O-X 40k/400k, Non-O no requirement, travel insurance not accepted, age loadings
• The Thaiger: Health insurance for the O-A visa — two-signature rule, extensions expect TGIA-listed Thai policies
• The Phuket News (2019): Non-Imm O holders exempt — Immigration confirmation on Non-O
• Pattaya Visa Help: Insurance required by visa type — O-X embassy variations (Los Angeles checklist)
• Chubb Samaggi: Long Stay Visa Health Plan — limits, deductibles, premium table, entry 80 / renewal 100
• Pacific Prime Thailand: AXA Thailand plans — EasyCare ages and deductibles, SwitchCare and International Exclusive limits
• Pacific Prime Thailand: Luma health insurance — Hi5 and Prime limits, ages, residency, evacuation
• Thailand Starter Kit: AXA EasyCare Visa review — Plan 1 vs O-A minimum, cancer cap, exclusions, waiting periods
• Thailand Starter Kit: Luma Long Stay Care review — Long Stay Care being wound down, limit, renewal age