Health / Travel Insurance When Working In Thailand

[RandolphGB]

 I have a Thai work permit and business visa - but no insurance! Where do I start?

 

Medical insurance, travel insurance, possessions, anything else....

 

Thanks

[ianezy0]

You should ask your employer for advice on insurance.

But if you have your own business, you can contact one of the large international companies. Pacific Cross would be a good start.

Best of luck ????????

[khunPer]

A travel insurance might not cover when you work, you need to read to conditions (fine print). Travel insurance is also limited in period, often with maximum of three or six month.

 

If you are employed by a Thai company – which you should be for obtaining a Work Permit – check if you're paying Social Security. That will normally cover health in public hospitals, also for foreign workers.

 

A PA (Personal Accident) insurance is always good to have (many banks offers it), also as supplement to SS. Be aware if you are driving motorbike that the mandatory insurance covers next-to-nothing, and many PA insurances have limited cover for motorbike accidents. Even better is to have a private Health Insurance, which normally include some level of PA, with access to a variety of private hospitals (depending of the covered sum). The latter is a must, if you don't have SS, or a well padded bank account for emergencies.

 

3rd party responsibility, fire insurance, home insurance etc. you can find in some of the major banks (not all might accept a foreigner, but having a WP could help), or directly by insurance companies like Viriyah Insurance and others, or you can use an agent to give you quotes.

[Sheryl]

Where will you be working?As unless it is a private school or you are director of your own company then you should be enrolled in Thai Social Security which will cover you 100% for all in and outpatient medical care though only at 1 specific hospital which you can nominate from a list of ones open to new enrollment.

 

It takes about a month to kick in and there will be (modest) monthly payroll deductions for it. For that intervening month travel insurance would be wise.

 

Be sure to get the list of hospitals yourself and post here for advice, since you have to get all care t that one hospital the choice is important. Some company HR staff will just nominate a place for you without even asking and not always for benevolent reasons.

 

If you are going to be working at a private school then that's a problem. They are exempt under the SS law. While many of them offer some type of private insurance it is usually of such low value as to be useless. In that case you need to get your own policy. There have been countless threads discussing expat insurance, do a search in google <site:thaivisa.com health insurance> and also "expat insurance".

[RandolphGB]

8 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Where will you be working?As unless it is a private school or you are director of your own company then you should be enrolled in Thai Social Security which will cover you 100% for all in and outpatient medical care though only at 1 specific hospital which you can nominate from a list of ones open to new enrollment.

 

Yes, director of own company. 

 

So I think private medical insurance and cover for accidents would be best. 

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, RandolphGB said:

Yes, director of own company. 

 

So I think private medical insurance and cover for accidents would be best. 

 

9 hours ago, Sheryl said:

As unless it is a private school or you are director of your own company then you should be enrolled in Thai Social Security

Can a director not be in SS?

 

"Own company", OP cannot own more than 49% percent of a company, unless he is American (USA) and the company is established under the amity treaty.

 

The employed director of the company that I'm major shareholder in (i.e. "my company") pays SS, which is based on a percentage of the salary – at the moment 10 percent – normally shared with half paid by the employer, and half paid by the employee. The maximum monthly fee is 1,500 baht (if not raised recently).

 

I think to remember that it also has been mentioned in the forum here that foreign school teachers voluntary can pay into SS, and thereby be covered by SS, even their schools are not obliged to pay SS.

 

Quote

All those working are eligible for medical cover if they have a work permit and are making contributions to the social security system. All those who are not in the system should have private medical insurance to cover them. If you have a work permit and are working then contributions are compulsory, no matter what your nationality.

Source and read more at Expat Focus: "Thailand - Social Security and Welfare".

 

There are more information from a law firm about "Thailand Social Security Fund" saying that »Foreigners legally working in Thailand must also register to the social security office. Registered foreigners will have the same benefits as insured Thai nationals.« 

 

US Social Security Administration as a very detailed information about Thai Social Security here.

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