Thailand visa application No. 133/20: COVID-19 insurance
Questioner: Fred
As a legal husband, I have been separated from my Thai wife for almost half a year now. I now read that people who are married to a Thai could return to Thailand. Our domicile is in Belgium, but we stay in Thailand for about 8 months a year, where we have a house. My wife is currently taking care of her sick father and the children. We are married in Belgium since 2016.
Now I see that the embassy requires insurance that specifically covers against Covid-19. I have a continuous travel insurance with AXA, which covers up to 3 million euros repatriation and all other necessities in case of medical problems. At that company itself I get answers from sure we will cover you if you get sick until normally yes. But that is of course not specifically mentioned anywhere, only illness and medical costs. Which diseases? Urgent medical help they tell me. Flat feet or floppy ears are not part of that to keep it funny…..you can wait with that.
Which insurance is going to specifically state that it also covers for Covid-19 up to USD 100.000? Do you have any knowledge about that required document?
Reaction RonnyLatYa
Normally all diseases that you can catch are included in your travel insurance I thought, so also COVID-19. The problem is that this is not explicitly stated. And that's just what people want to see, of course
You also have to be careful with travel insurance whether it is stated anywhere that the travel insurance is invalid in the event of a negative travel advice. At least when departing for a country with negative travel advice. If you're already there, it's a different story of course.
https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/Diensten/Op_reis_in_het_buitenland/reisadviezen/thailand
I also have/had the Excellence of AXA. That travel insurance is valid for one year, but the travel duration is a maximum of 6 or 9 months, but you can possibly extend it to 12 months for an additional payment.
I always received a letter before each departure in case I was admitted. In addition to the covered period, that letter also stated the country and the amount (indeed 3 euros). That amount is sufficient, of course. Try to obtain such a letter from AXA (with a reference to the info at the Thai Embassy) and whether they want to explicitly state that this does indeed also cover COVID-000.
And otherwise see if you can't take out insurance in Thailand that also covers the amount and has a mention of COVID-19.
Perhaps there are also readers who know of travel insurance for the requested amount and who also explicitly state that COVID-19 is covered.
Please bear in mind that this concerns a Belgian here, who lives in Belgium and that he is not helped much with health insurance or similar in the Netherlands.
Regards,
RonnyLatYa
Those who are affiliated with mutuality De Voorzorg have free insurance including covid19. Have your departure and return date noted in the Precaution. Then you will receive a certificate. You can also get approval for Mutas through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels. So completely free. As I understand, the other mutuality CM no longer participates. My son did it that way, without any problems and quickly helped by the health insurance fund.
Dear Fred, I still use the “Mutas” travel insurance with the Bond Moyson health insurance fund, each time before departure of 3 months. I have been married to my Thai wife since 2004, but due to health problems I cannot live permanently in Thailand, so my domicile is still in Belgium.
I was unable to leave for Thailand at the end of June because my flight was cancelled. If I want to leave again, I will therefore also have to prove that my travel insurance is also covered for Corona contamination.
From Monday I will be in touch with Bond Moyson.
I have one more question for you personally.
"How can you, as a Belgian" stay in Thailand for 8 months per calendar year?
I am obliged to inform the municipal council if I want to stay in Thailand for longer than 3 months. Longer than 6 months per calendar year is also possible, but can only very exceptionally be extended to a year. You can only receive permission for this once, after which you have to decide where you want to establish your permanent address.
If you fail to do so, you will be automatically removed from the population register.
I experienced that in 2014, when I left for Thailand with my wife and 2013 children when I received my pension in September 2.
After 6 months I found out that I no longer had an address in Belgium because my pension was no longer paid after I contacted the pension service!
In the Netherlands it is allowed to stay in Thailand for 8 months per calendar year, I have already read that on the Forum.
If possible, please reply to my email address. [email protected].
Thanks in advance.
Rewin Louis Buyl.
The following also plays a role in the situation in the Netherlands. Normally live in Thailand and had health insurance there. Now that I am back in the Netherlands, I fall under the Dutch health insurance system and you are insured worldwide (up to the costs of the Dutch level). I am trying to figure out what to arrange before my return and one of the things is taking out travel insurance, for additional medical costs and emergency admissions and other matters. Now I read that with FBTO you are only insured with (continuous) travel insurance if you necessarily go to Thailand, in this case, and Thailand falls under the orange and red codes of the Dutch government. So necessary. In another, CZ, I read that you are not allowed to go to an area that is not recommended because then you are not covered by travel insurance. It seems that many cannot use travel insurance if you go to Thailand.
In my case I can rely on CZ's travel insurance because I need to be present for the necessary care of my children. But something to take into account because, as mentioned, there is no coverage as long as the Dutch government does not change the travel advice for Thailand. And then you can have and pay for travel insurance, but not be allowed to rely on it.
Dear Fred,
Because I am also looking for suitable (travel) insurance, I think it might also be interesting to take a look at:
1) Long-term travel insurance from Europe Assistance
2) VAB annual insurance
Please note that the basic insurance offered only covers 3 months, you must then continue on the website and possibly have a “conversation” with the “virtual assistant”. For example, the insurance from Europe Assistance amounts to approximately 1400 Euro/year... The insurance with VAB is a lot cheaper. Policies can only be taken out when you are staying in Belgium (not possible from Thailand).
Success with it…
Yan
Dear Fred, how can you as a Belgian stay in Thailand for 8 months per calendar year, if your domicile is still in Belgium? Or is your permanent address in Thailand and are you registered with the Belgian Embassy? Please reply to my email address if possible. Thanks in advance.
Dear Winlouis,
you are making a mistake by mixing the Belgian rules with the Dutch ones. As a Belgian you can easily stay abroad for 8 months per calendar year. The only thing the legislation says about this is:
-in case of an uninterrupted absence of 6 months you only have a 'reporting obligation'. This reporting obligation can easily be done at the town hall.
-in case of an absence of 1 year you are obliged to deregister in the municipality but NOT obliged to register in an embassy.
With regard to health insurance coverage, things are completely different. If you stay abroad for more than 3 months, you are no longer considered a 'tourist' and it is best to take out additional insurance. There have already been serious discussions about this.
@Lung addie
Dear , correct ! but for let me say 99.99% (Wink) , and ws. correctly meant in answer , but the maximum 1 year temporary absence , should actually have been "in case of an absence of 1 year + " you have to change your address or unsubscribe in such a case.
I know this for sure because I spent 2 years commuting between Belgium and Thailand before final deregistration. And I was told that a maximum of 1 year was possible. (However, nothing prevents you from leaving again a few days after your return, personally, after +/- 3 weeks I was back after having obtained my new “triple entry” from the Thai consulate in Antwerp!
Also the very first poster about this is incomplete, as it is not an indulgence of the municipal council that decides whether you are allowed, and for how long, it is simply a right that you have as a Belgian, and all municipal authorities in Belgium apply it, and if an official otherwise stated, just call a superior, success guaranteed. Some do not know everything correctly.
In Antwerp you have been able to do this online for several years now, including declaration and return. Before 2013, I could only do this in person at the municipal council, stating my foreign address, and not having to do anything upon return, but at my request, indicate return? I received an answer from the counter lady that I knew when I would be back (?)
The only comment from the local quarters agent that I also informed was that I had to continue paying rent, because otherwise that period would not be legal, unless I am the owner of a home... of course this is an issue, as no rent payment starts a whole procedure. move that proves that your domicile is becoming questionable
Dear David, how come I was already ex officio deleted from the population register, after I stayed in Thailand for less than 6 months!? When I asked for information, I received the answer that I had to inform the municipal council that I would stay in Thailand for more than 3 months.!!
Dear Lung Addie, thank you for the correction that it is possible to stay in Thailand for 2 × 4 months per calendar year as a Belgian. It is indeed only from the moment you stay abroad for more than 6 months that you have to report it to the municipal authorities. You are indeed not obliged to register with the Belgian Embassy with your residence address in Thailand. But you get a lot of benefit from it. Via the Embassy you can then obtain everything that you can also obtain from a Belgian town hall. Such as Certificates, new ID card, registration and translation of death certificate and much more.
For me, the maximum that I can stay in Thailand per calendar year is 6 or 2×3 months.
Because I receive a disability benefit, I am obliged to obtain permission from the FPS if I want to stay abroad for longer than 90 days.
I do not have to apply for anything for the first 89 days, for the 2nd 90 days I do have to apply for permission and receive approval from the competent Minister.
I can also obtain permission for 180 days per calendar year, but not a day longer.
If I don't, I will lose my disability benefits.!
So I cannot stay in Thailand for 8 months per calendar year, although my family stays in Thailand!
Retirees over 65 years old can receive an IGO allowance if they have a low pension income per month, they may not own property and have savings or other assets, even 10 years are looked back for sold real estate and inheritances.
Those pensioners may even only stay abroad for 26 days per calendar year, otherwise they will lose their IGO compensation.!
It is not enough that we, as pensioners, after working for 45 years, pay taxes and pay contributions to the health insurance fund, that they also take that away from us.!!
I forgot to mention my email address. [email protected]. With thanks.
I think you can get such a Corvid insurance through AA Insurance Brokers in Thailand. However, I don't know if there is an age limit to take out this insurance...
Dear Fred
would you also let me know how you do 8 months stay in thailand.
I am also Belgian and I have a house in Udonthani
would you please let me know
Regards
[email protected]
Dear Lung Addie
I asked the Christian health insurance fund in Belgium whether I was covered for medical costs in Thailand and I was informed that they no longer pay medical costs in Thailand. I think always take a travel insurance that pays the costs. I always take out an annual family insurance policy (2 people) as I travel to Asia for about 80 days. I normally also do mini trips in Europe and it works out cheaper with an annual insurance policy.
Kidney
Rene, DE Voorzorg still represents the Mutas insurance, including Covid19, everything free. But valid for 3 months. CM has been moving away from this advantage and other advantages for some time now.
Dear Rene, I therefore changed health insurance in 2017, the CM had informed me that they no longer used the Mutas travel insurance policy and I had to take out another travel insurance policy. I have joined the Bond Moyson health insurance fund and I still use Mutas as travel insurance. It's still possible with them.!!