Best Insurance In Thailand, Who Actually Pay Out

[dmax]

i need insurance for my car and also wifes gold etc ( around 30 bahts worth ) also if i lose say my suitcase on way from airport, do insuarance companies here actually pay out as in west, saying that ive had a major problem in the uk with an insuarnce company around 6 yrs ago who dragged their heels on paying me out.

i had an accident in nong kai couple weeks ago , some clown in a tuk tuk went into the side of my new pickup, i drove off like as he started shouting with his friend it was my fault, it wasnt !! he went into side of me, cost me 8 k baht to fix side panel, the cops wouldnt have believed a farang, i had no insurance.

what is the usual senerio when a farang hits a thai,s car ? we all know that probably the thai,s story will be taken over the farangs, makes it difficult for the farang to plead his case against locals espesially when he cant speak fluent thai.

if i was robbed say on the beach rd at night, say of 50-000 baht in cash, would they pay out ? would police give me a report ? would i even need a report ?

just some questions i am curious about how they operate over here.

[aussiebebe]

Hi,

I don't know who does the best insurance, but insurance brokers who try to sell you insurance will give you the whole sales patter 'some companies don't pay out etc' to scare you into enlisting their help. Language is a real barrier, also, so just one potential accident more than covers the brokers fee when you consider the saved time and cost.

1) Car Insurance: yes, companies do pay out in Thailand. My sole experience was when my car was stolen in 2008; I got a police report and after 5 months, the insurance company, Thai Insurance, paid out exactly the sum insured (clearly stated on policy under fire and theft). Maybe if I'd used a broker they could have battled on my behalf for a swifter conclusion. Or suggested a different company in the first place. Who knows?

Insurance for gold? Never heard of it. Home/condo insurance policies specifically don't cover gold or valuables.

2) Your accident a few weeks ago? In the west you'd be prosecuted for driving without insurance - at least in Thailand you weren't, right?

3) The senario when you have a minor collision is to stop exactly where it happens, call your insurance company, they call the police if necessary, and arrive on the scene to conduct an examination. This practise usually causes tail-backs. Your insurance rep will facilitate communication with police, but crowds may turn hostile if you're at fault (as they would in any country).

4) If you were robbed of cash, I've never heard of any insurance that would cover this. There's personal accident insurance, but this doesn't cover valuables. If you were here on holiday, travel insurance may cover this, certainly travellers cheques. Yes, police are friendly to assist you; simply go to the police station and they'll write you a report.

[richard_smith237]

I use Sri-Muang Insurance for the Car.

They have paid out 3 times over the last 10 years. All accidents I consider the 'other' drivers fault but an onlooker may consider them 50/50 and as such my insurance paid for my damage but not the other vehicles.

No issues or problems with the Police believing a Thai over a Foreigner. That has occurred to neither myself or any of my friends who drive and have experienced the odd minor fender bender. I beleive this to be somewhat of an Urban Myth perpetuated by paranoid foreigners or those who have been weak enough to permit themselves to be taken advantage of. That said there have been one or two stories of a bad or lazy cop blaming the foreigners simply because he is foreign.

IMO: The police don't really care who's fault it is, they will just follow the path of least resistance, if the foreigner is a pushover and allows himself to be taken advantage of then people will take advantage of him.

The Correct Course of Action: Remain Polite, assertive and self assured. Do not accept blame if its not your fault, your insurance will (should) back you up unless the law clearly identifies that you are in the wrong (note that some of the laws are a little different).

For the home:

My Condo is insured for fire.

No contents insurance for valuables etc. The premiums were stupidly excessive and did not cover the most likely possible scenarios: i.e. Theft my maid, security guards etc...

No insurance that I'm aware of will pay out for stolen cash.

[yeesipha]

I use Sri-Muang Insurance for the Car.

They have paid out 3 times over the last 10 years. All accidents I consider the 'other' drivers fault but an onlooker may consider them 50/50 and as such my insurance paid for my damage but not the other vehicles.

No issues or problems with the Police believing a Thai over a Foreigner. That has occurred to neither myself or any of my friends who drive and have experienced the odd minor fender bender. I beleive this to be somewhat of an Urban Myth perpetuated by paranoid foreigners or those who have been weak enough to permit themselves to be taken advantage of. That said there have been one or two stories of a bad or lazy cop blaming the foreigners simply because he is foreign.

IMO: The police don't really care who's fault it is, they will just follow the path of least resistance, if the foreigner is a pushover and allows himself to be taken advantage of then people will take advantage of him.

The Correct Course of Action: Remain Polite, assertive and self assured. Do not accept blame if its not your fault, your insurance will (should) back you up unless the law clearly identifies that you are in the wrong (note that some of the laws are a little different).

For the home:

My Condo is insured for fire.

No contents insurance for valuables etc. The premiums were stupidly excessive and did not cover the most likely possible scenarios: i.e. Theft my maid, security guards etc...

No insurance that I'm aware of will pay out for stolen cash.

THEFT MY MAID,security guards,CORE you got some wonga aint cha fella ,big gunns .

[Gonsalviz]

As far as auto insurance all have paid for me and those that I know. The last one was my fault. 100% paid. No deductibles except 1 tire. 50% percent was paid for a damaged tire. Good if you have bald tires.

[howzat]

As far as auto insurance all have paid for me and those that I know. The last one was my fault. 100% paid. No deductibles except 1 tire. 50% percent was paid for a damaged tire. Good if you have bald tires.

[howzat]

I Use Falcon Insurance for car on N.Sathorn who pay without argument and AXA for Home but no insurance for valuables. Both pay out without argument (1 claim with each in 10 years) and use same Broker for both.

[katabeachbum]

Check with your local garage, if you have a Toyota check which insurancecompanies pay the repair bills to Toyota. You will see very few companies have a credit with your garage, which means you have to pay the bill to Toyota, and then see if insurance pay to you. happened to me 5 years back, renewing my car insurance tomorrow, but after visiting my Toyota garage to ensure the insurance company still has credit with them.

[rotary]

Stay away from: Viriyah Insurance

They cater for Farangs a bit and are ok for repairs in accidents but I had a friend who had his pick up stolen, they refused to pay, he sued them won in court, they still refused to pay, he took them back to court, won again and they still refuse to pay.....its still dragging on I think. Several years no. they are great for repairs but theft forget it with Viriyah Insurance

[NALAK]

i use AXA never made a claim but had to use freebreakdown cover this year and it worked a treat, took me and car to garage near home and it was sorted for 200 baht. went direct to AXA this time, broker wanted 3% cc surchage AXA were free. i used debit card so was not going to pay surcharge, plus it saved me 3%