Car Insurance Goes With The Car In Thailand?

[Trevor]

Motor insurance has been compulsory in Thailand since 1993. And I believe it goes with the vehicle, not like in the West where drivers are strictly rated by age and experience.

We hear about farang drivers and riders always being 'in the wrong' when involved in accidents. We are easy targets for extortion, even though there may be no legal basis. So does motor insurance -- whether for motorbike or car -- absolve the farang driver from having to make ex-gratia payments, typically for hospital bills of the injured Thai party, even though the accident may have been their fault? Is the correct policy now -- as in the West -- to admit and pay nothing, and just let the insurance company handle it all?

Thanks.

[torrenova]

I understand that the insurance is on the car but I don't know how iit would be affected if say I sold my truck (no claims) to a guy with 20 claims in 6 months ?

A1 or First Class insurance (fully comprehensive in the UK) is supposed to cover all but my interpretation of it is that if you are at fault and the other guy is Thai and wants to sting you for some cash, it is easy to get the police involved. They would then stitch you up unless you gave him some cash of which they want their share.

[Trevor]

This really needs some impartial input from an insured Thai person as to what they do between themselves.

There must also be some kind of penalty system for 'accident-prone' owners in terms of raised premiums.

In a car you can just lock yourself in and wait for the insurance man to arrrive but on a motorbike one is open to threats and assault from the other party (and his Thai buddies). Whether the police are called or get involved probably depends on the seriousness of any injury of the Thai party, and the individual officer's susceptibility to extortion practices.

Best to let a Thai drive wherever possible, or at least have a Thai wife or friend present for support.

[qualtrough]

Oh for crying out loud, best to let a Thai drive or your wife? How old are you people? Farangs drive all over Thailand. If you think you are somehow safer sitting in a Taxi, in a bus, or on a motorbike you are deluded. If you drive at least you know you are not high on ya ba, drunk, not slept for 24 hours, loaded with Krating Dang or M 80, or have a death wish. You can't say that with any certainty with public transport here.

If you have an insurance policy you just wait for the motorbike rep to come and sort it out. I have been driving more than 9 years mostly in Bangkok and here is my experience:

• One somewhat serious accident, no injuries, my fault-sorted by ins. rep. with no issues.
  
• Someone hit me in the rear. Damage to their truck, none to mine. They apologized and I said my pen rai.
  
• I bumped a truck. Driver got out, looked at his truck where I struck it, could see that it was already in not too good a shape, said 'My Pen Rai.'
  

There is an urban myth that pops up here all the time that 'The Farang is always guilty', most recently yesterday. You can search the forum to see this shot down repeatedly. Will some people 'try it on'? Sure, just as you would find in many other countries, perhaps even your own. If you have more than the compulsory insurance your insurance company will handle everything, so just wait for him to come.

[richard_smith237]

Well Said.

I’ve been driving here for approximately 6 years.

Police do pull me over, only when I have broken a traffic law. I pay small tea money (which I am happy to simply out of convenience). Or, they just let me go after attempting to explain what I did wrong as its often not so clear cut due to the rules being different at different junctions and from area to area. I’ve never felt unjustly treated.

I’ve had a crash, which I claimed it was the other drivers fault. He claimed it was my fault. I only had a UK license at the time and was not required to show an international permit. Insurance dealt with the costs without issue. After discussion at the police station it was agreed that we were responsible for our own vehicles. Although I still maintain it was the other driver who was at fault, it wasn’t clear cut. The Police were very fair, polite and daftly I still value the experience as it has given me confidence in the fairness of the system. It turned out that the other driver had no insurance and that I went against the normal flow of normal behavior by refusing to accept blame, the police agreed that I was well within my rights. They even chastised the other driver for changing his story to much and trying to manipulate the situation to his advantage (which is primarily why I was so determined not to accept fault after learning that normally when a driver has no insurance the one with insurance will accept blame).

In my experience and those of my friends, westerners driving around Thailand (Bangkok anyway) are dealt with as any other driver would be.

I have no experience either first or second hand of unfair treatment and as such can only assume that comments suggesting otherwise on this thread are incorrect fears of those who enjoy harboring negative views. It would be interesting to read of first hand accounts identifying otherwise.

As I understand it, if in the event of a crash.

Call the insurance and wait for the police, be polite. Both turn up quite quickly. The police spray the road with white paint. If possible, take photo’s to assist with any discussion of blame.

In the event of injury, there are bigger worries than financial. Although this does become a grey area when the greater good of someone’s health; regardless of who is at fault, becomes compromised by their capacity to cover the costs of medical treatment. Theoretically 1st class insurance covers the medical treatment of all occupants of the Vehicle however I’m not sure how this relates to third parties say on a motorbike for example.

My worry is (as has nearly happened on many occasions) that if a motorbike driver completely at fault drives into me. To keep this question black and white, say for example I was stationary at traffic lights. If the motorbike driver was injured and if his bike was damaged, would I be expected to cover his medical and repair costs ? I believe this is where things become quite ‘grey’…

[Trevor]

As I have grown older (52 now), I have felt less and less inclined to drive or ride myself in Thailand. Farang are an easy target, especially in poor rural areas, but YMMV. The fact is if you drive by the (Western) book there you are more likely to have an accident than driving in local style. Thai drivers may not be so proficient or careful but at least they must take the rap. Buckle-up, tell them there's no hurry, and avoid the stress of self-drive is my motto.

Re. motorbike driving too close & slamming into your car when you have to brake hard ... this happened to me. Unlike in the West, there is an expectation that the bigger vehicle / richer party will contribute something towards medical costs or damage even though the 2-wheeler was 100% in the wrong according to Western perceptions. I just remained in my car, doors locked and awaited the insurance man. Fortunately the rider was just a bit bruised and cleared off after an expectant scowl at me. The police box opposite was totally disinterested. Perhaps it made the rider think about riding 2 metres behind cars doing 60 kph in future, possibly not.

[torrenova]

Unlike in the West, there is an expectation that the bigger vehicle / richer party will contribute something towards medical costs or damage even though the 2-wheeler was 100% in the wrong according to Western perceptions.

I have heard this and it disgusts me as does the charge that if only one person has insurance, then he accepts the blame. It is wrong, illegal and unethical.

[Mosha]

A friends ex husband pulled out on a motorbike. It was pitch black and the bike had no lights, the motor bike rider was killed, the guy ended up with the usual Thai buyout 100,000 to the police and anothe 100,000 to the family. I told my wife I would call such action suicide. '

Locally is a windy hill, knowing how the Thais like to cut corners, I am practically driving on the horn, and at late night full beam. My wife no longer questions what I do behind the wheel. She now tells all her friends I'm a good driver, I just think I'm average, but don't want a stupid accident esp in the middle of nowhere.

[Thaiboxer]

That incident sounds all too familiar. I've heard many stories just like it; often the driver of the bigger vehicle is expected to cough up money for damages regardless of who's at fault. I think the bikers know this and that's one of the reasons they ride as if they have a deathwish.

[snowflake]

I have had three cars so far in Thailand, I have never crashed but I have claimed several times. The insurance goes with the car/pickup...

One time my GF reversed into a Taxi (Song Tow) and dented the whole thing. My car was not even scratched but still the insurance guy was called... My GF called me and I arrived way before the man from the insurance company...

I offered the Thai driver 500 B which he did not accept. He wanted 1500B... It was my GF fault and I knew that but the other driver looked at me and said that I have a nice numberplate (666 paid much money for that) and I had 22 inch wheels so I can pay 1500 baht... I told him NO...

When the insurance guy came 40 minutes later he waied me (yes he knew me) and then he took one picture of my car and one picture of the other car.. He then asked the Thai driver if he wanted 1000 Baht. The taxi driver didn't take the offer so the insurance guy got angry and wrote a note to him so he could go to a garage and get the bonnet fixed... HEHE the taxi driver was not very happy and said that he wanted 1000Baht... Insurance guy said NO and he told me to leave... I left and didn't pay anything...

I got a letter in the mail from the insurance company later stating that the taxi driver had fixed his car for 2500Baht??? and that it was taken care of... I just laugh and are very happy with the insurance...

Keep a few hundred in the car and if you hit... Offer some money or wait for the insurance guy... if you have 1st class insurance you are covered... You dont have to pay anything..

Ps, my friend killed a thai guy when they were driving a pickup at night... I went to the police station with a thai friend (connected one). She was told by her embassy to leave thailand becuase it would be lots of problem(so she asked me for help). It took 5 minutes for me and my friend and all she had to pay was 5000 Baht for the Thai family... The policeman told us that we didnt have to pay anything but it would be nice...

All that counts here in this country is who you know, not what you know...

Edited November 26, 2007 by snowflake

[Moonfruit]

Bottom line is, through personal experience in 2 accidents, both none fault, both quite serious but not fatal that I have been dealt with by the police very very fairly. And the insurance has been exemplarary.