I am a EU national living and working in Thailand. Assuming that, within Thailand, I will rely on my social security office coverage (and possibly pay out of pocket), what are my best options for international coverage? 
I frequently have 1-2 week trips to EU, US, and other developed countries, where I would want to be covered should I get ill or have an accident. 
Should I go with a Thai provider or are there international providers with better plans? 

I think that the maximum travel medical benefit on offer from insurers based in Thailand is around 4 or 5 million baht. AXA Thailand tops out at 4 million baht and AIG at 5. I would prefer the local operations of multinational companies as opposed to purely Thai insurers.

 

Higher limits may be on offer from EU, UK, or US-based insurers. Policies from non-Thai insurers may be broader in coverage as well and you may have access to better consumer protection and regulatory regimes. 

 

If you are looking for higher limits and potentially broader coverage, then reputable EU/UK/US insurers are probably the way to go. I recommend finding a good insurance broker outside of Thailand to help you.

 

Also, whether you use a broker or go direct to an insurer, make sure the insurer has a good financial strength rating from Standard and Poor or AM Best. There are some entities offering insurance coverage to expatriates that are of questionable financial strength and which may or may not adhere to standard industry practices.

 

 

Thank you for the detailed reply!

On 11/19/2024 at 12:43 PM, triplez said:

I frequently have 1-2 week trips to EU, US, and other developed countries, where I would want to be covered should I get ill or have an accident. 

I get travel insurance when I use my Credit Card for ticket.

I never had a claim, yet. So I don't know how well they pay back if needed but I feel OK.

They are well known companies, many based in Switzerland where laws are the best.