Car Insurance Annoyance.

[Richb2004v2]

We bought a second hand car today. It's only the second car I've had in Thailand. Anyway we knocked them down and got a good price. I felt good that we'd saved some money. That was until I realised that even though we only paid our car insurance 6 weeks ago we would have to pay again! Yes, in Thailand we can't just switch the insurance across we have to take out new insurance. So, it was 12k 6 weeks ago and now another 14k! Also we called to check the price and made the mistake of saying it was a 2008 car, when it was actually a 2007. Would you believe the price went up even though the car was older. It also seems that your car insurance only goes down year on year if you keep the same car. Once you get a different car your back to the beginning again! It seems it's all based on the value of the car, not your age or driving ability, or track record or loyalty. I should have known that things would not make sense in Thialand no matter what. So, really to be economical I should only change my car close to the time the insurance is due to expire! Another thing was that when we set up the new insurance the company came around to take pictures of the car. I don't really understand that either. No sense at all.

No wonder half the Thai probably don't bother.

[JAS21]

We bought a second hand car today. It's only the second car I've had in Thailand. Anyway we knocked them down and got a good price. I felt good that we'd saved some money. That was until I realised that even though we only paid our car insurance 6 weeks ago we would have to pay again! Yes, in Thailand we can't just switch the insurance across we have to take out new insurance. So, it was 12k 6 weeks ago and now another 14k! Also we called to check the price and made the mistake of saying it was a 2008 car, when it was actually a 2007. Would you believe the price went up even though the car was older. It also seems that your car insurance only goes down year on year if you keep the same car. Once you get a different car your back to the beginning again! It seems it's all based on the value of the car, not your age or driving ability, or track record or loyalty. I should have known that things would not make sense in Thialand no matter what. So, really to be economical I should only change my car close to the time the insurance is due to expire! Another thing was that when we set up the new insurance the company came around to take pictures of the car. I don't really understand that either. No sense at all.

No wonder half the Thai probably don't bother.

Quite correct you can't get a refund and you can't transfer the insurance from one car to another. Also change your car and any No Claims Bonus is also lost.

Now the pictures...it's easy to buy a car with some accident damage..then a few days/weeks later make a claim..saying maybe..this car hit me and then drove off without stopping...can you blame the insurance company.

There are differences between the way car insurance operates here and say in the UK...you just have to accept it and work around it...I find my wife invaluable for information like this.

edit..sorry she corrects me..again..you should be able to claim a refund..there should be a refund table and it should run to more than six weeks...maybe worth asking your insurance company. maybe not all insurance companies are the same.

[moe666]

Just changed Insurance companies here in the states and they sent out a inspector to take photos, measure, and he filled in a report as well. This has started in the last few years due to false claims. It is a changing world.

[jackr]

Quite correct you can't get a refund and you can't transfer the insurance from one car to another.

That's not true, or at least with AXA, who just refunded me the difference after I cancelled insurance a couple months before expiry.

Op, unless you've already paid, phone the insurance and ask to cancel and refund unused months on the old policy before taking out another. Doubtful they all do this, but morally they should as you'd be paying them for nothing.

[ignis]

Quite correct you can't get a refund and you can't transfer the insurance from one car to another. Also change your car and any No Claims Bonus is also lost.

Think you are with the wrong Insurance Company.

Unless this is something new ? in May 2008 replaced the 4 year old Pickup, received a cheque back for the months of unused Insurance [less 2,000 baht admin fees] The 'new' Insurance for the new pickup started at 40% discount..

September 2008 sold the 4 year old car, the new owner paid extra for the Insurance, Also got 40% start discount on the car I bought.... Both car and truck are back again to the max here in Thailand of 50% NCB.

Phoned a Thai friend.. They have bought 4 new car recently, they said is normal to start the next car on 40%...

Over the years there has been a number of Posts on here about restarting your NCB when buying another car, so believe some insurance Companies do and some don't....... Also could never work out why some people are so interested when changing there car/truck to get FREE Insurance in the deal

[ignis]

Richb2004v2 did the 'new' car have Insurance on it? my understanding is you can use the old owners Insurance, as it is the car that is Insured.

Most Thai Insurance Companies let you pay the Insurance over 5 months Interest FREE, if that is of any help.

Also like the UK phone around the price difference can be a few thousand. + yes is normal for the new insurance Company to take photos, if you do a deal over the phone then a man on a motorbike will arrive and take photos + chassis number etc + get you to sign the papers

[JAS21]

Quite correct you can't get a refund and you can't transfer the insurance from one car to another. Also change your car and any No Claims Bonus is also lost.

Think you are with the wrong Insurance Company.

Unless this is something new ? in May 2008 replaced the 4 year old Pickup, received a cheque back for the months of unused Insurance [less 2,000 baht admin fees] The 'new' Insurance for the new pickup started at 40% discount..

September 2008 sold the 4 year old car, the new owner paid extra for the Insurance, Also got 40% start discount on the car I bought.... Both car and truck are back again to the max here in Thailand of 50% NCB.

Phoned a Thai friend.. They have bought 4 new car recently, they said is normal to start the next car on 40%...

Over the years there has been a number of Posts on here about restarting your NCB when buying another car, so believe some insurance Companies do and some don't....... Also could never work out why some people are so interested when changing there car/truck to get FREE Insurance in the deal

Just out of interest....got the car back yesterday....a BMW dealer did the work....orange taxi stripe all the way down one side..even the wheel!.. (wife did it) and a little nudge in the front (me and motorbike!)...total repair cost was apparently 16500Baht so I suppose no NCB to worry about if we change the car!!! At least no excess to pay, like you have to in the UK.

[ignis]

Just out of interest....got the car back yesterday....a BMW dealer did the work....orange taxi stripe all the way down one side..even the wheel!.. (wife did it) and a little nudge in the front (me and motorbike!)...total repair cost was apparently 16500Baht so I suppose no NCB to worry about if we change the car!!! At least no excess to pay, like you have to in the UK.

From what I understand from a Thai friend.. if you have an accident then you will pay more at next renewal [loss of NCB] Different Insurance Companies do things differently, as the bill was only 16,500 on a BMW, and you did have say the max NCB of 50% you may only go down to 30 or 40%.

If you change the car then again phone around for the best deal, often a new Insurance Company will start you with 20% discount [NCB]

[Richb2004v2]

Richb2004v2 did the 'new' car have Insurance on it? my understanding is you can use the old owners Insurance, as it is the car that is Insured.

Most Thai Insurance Companies let you pay the Insurance over 5 months Interest FREE, if that is of any help.

Also like the UK phone around the price difference can be a few thousand. + yes is normal for the new insurance Company to take photos, if you do a deal over the phone then a man on a motorbike will arrive and take photos + chassis number etc + get you to sign the papers

We checked with the insurance company about continuing the insurance from the former owner. Apparentley it had only been insured with a very low level of insurance in the past.

We have called a few different companies and had similar quotes. The wife also requested a refund on the old policy but didn't get anything positive.

[JohnnyFeelIt]

Another thing was that when we set up the new insurance the company came around to take pictures of the car. I don't really understand that either. No sense at all.

err... maybe u should think about that again??

On a side note, be carefull with the insurance companies, or their sales people I should say. I went and paid my premium a month or 2 ago, then got a email and call 2x days later from the sales girl, she was happy to tell me that she had got an additional discount on my policy and wanted my bank account number to deposit the difference...

She deposited the difference and I waited for the offical policy to come through the mail, the one I got when paying the initial premium was only a cover policy.. Policy turns up, I had a look through it, and it seems this additional discount was because she had changed the policy to '1 named driver'.. At no point was I ever asked if I was the only person who drove the car and the previous years premium for for any licenced driver to drive it..