Insurance For Tuk Tuk Passengers

[steelepulse]

Does anyone know if tuk tuks have full and comprehensive insurance for passengers if the driver gets in an accident and passengers get hurt? With this new quality system they're trying to introduce in Kata and Karon, I would sure hope they have full coverage for passengers before they get their " safety sticker". I'll go out on a limb here and say that most if not all tuk tuk drivers don't have sufficient insurance for their passengers.

[ScubaBuddha]

Good question. Might be a good question to ask in the Phuket Gazette Issues and Answers section.

[ikis]

i'm 95% sure that the answer is no.

but there is a guarantee that you will get beat up by a gang of mobsters if you don't do what they say.

i wouldn't recommend especially in phuket.

drive your own rental car or motorbike.

[LivinginKata]

At the very best the compulsory gov vehicle insurance should cover passenger's medical costs up to a max of something like 50,000 baht/person.

[steelepulse]

Let's hope then that all people in tuk tuks involved in accidents have travel insurance. Don't most semi civilized countries require decent mandatory insurance to those providing transportation to the public? No insurance no license and permit kind of thing.

[LivinginKata]

Let's hope then that all people in tuk tuks involved in accidents have travel insurance. Don't most semi civilized countries require decent mandatory insurance to those providing transportation to the public? No insurance no license and permit kind of thing.

Thinking about this .... I think the airport taxis & meter taxis have passenger insurance. 'black' taxis don't have passenger insurance as they are not licensed. Tuk tuks seem to be a law unto themselves, so who knows. If you politely asked them you know how that would go down. Let's hope KBB responds as he seems to be the guy that would know for sure.

[petercallen]

Let's hope then that all people in tuk tuks involved in accidents have travel insurance. Don't most semi civilized countries require decent mandatory insurance to those providing transportation to the public? No insurance no license and permit kind of thing.

I do not know about other countries but in Australia taxis must have expensive comprehensive insurance

and a expensive third party insurance, called compulsory insurance here

It covers everything and the cover is unlimited

Private cars do not have to have comprehensive insurance but most do, they must have the

compulsory third party insurance its included in the registration fee and is unlimited to

There have been payouts of millions of dollars

[snamos]

I think your travel insurance would be null and void because there isnt any seatbelts in tuk tuks, I also think that if the driver was full of crystal meth and whiskey that would void any claim too.

[barka]

These Tuk tuks are converted pick ups used for carrying goods not poeple,they are dangerous and the SWL is half a ton[10CWT] THEY WOULD NEVER PASS A CURRENT MOT TEST.....no insurance company would ever insure them for carrying pasengers even in Thailand.....they should be scrapped,they are past there sell by date and are dangerous,most ot them are over 20 yesrs old..

[stevenl]

I think your travel insurance would be null and void because there isnt any seatbelts in tuk tuks, I also think that if the driver was full of crystal meth and whiskey that would void any claim too.

In general that would not be of any influence at all on your travel insurance (home car insurance is a different matter).

[BangTaoBoy]

Let's hope then that all people in tuk tuks involved in accidents have travel insurance. Don't most semi civilized countries require decent mandatory insurance to those providing transportation to the public? No insurance no license and permit kind of thing.

If you go on holiday to a developing country without adequate insurance, then there can be nobody to blame but yourself if you get in to an accident. When you get on an airoplane and leave the West, thankfully you leave behind the blame game and the mental sue culture. Time to take responsibility for yourself for once.

Coming to Phuket and complaining that the tuk tuks aren't insured, is a bit like going to India and complaining when you get delhi belly.

[BangTaoBoy]

These Tuk tuks are converted pick ups used for carrying goods not poeple,they are dangerous and the SWL is half a ton[10CWT] THEY WOULD NEVER PASS A CURRENT MOT TEST.....no insurance company would ever insure them for carrying pasengers even in Thailand.....they should be scrapped,they are past there sell by date and are dangerous,most ot them are over 20 yesrs old..

And the wooden busses here would sail through an MOT would they? Or is it OK for cheap transport to be dangerous?

You're principles are bias. If the old death trap busses were running between Patong and Karon all day and night, no one would even think to mention an MOT.

Edited August 31, 2011 by BangTaoBoy

[NamKangMan]

Let's hope then that all people in tuk tuks involved in accidents have travel insurance. Don't most semi civilized countries require decent mandatory insurance to those providing transportation to the public? No insurance no license and permit kind of thing.

If you go on holiday to a developing country without adequate insurance, then there can be nobody to blame but yourself if you get in to an accident. When you get on an airoplane and leave the West, thankfully you leave behind the blame game and the mental sue culture. Time to take responsibility for yourself for once.

Coming to Phuket and complaining that the tuk tuks aren't insured, is a bit like going to India and complaining when you get delhi belly.

"Delhi Belly" is covered by travel insurance. However, being a passenger in a vehicle that is a commonly accepted mode of transport, BUT, is not a legal mode of transport, according to that country's laws, may null and void your insurance contract and you are in financial/physical trouble if injured in an accident. If you jump in the back of a pickup truck, and it has an accident, you probably wouldn't be covered.

I have no problem with accepting the consequences for my actions. I don't catch tuk-tuks, so, it's not an issue for me. The real question is, "Are tuk-tuks a legal passenger vehicle in Thailand, by Thai law?" If they are not, there is a nice little loop hole for an insurance company to deny a claim.

It's an important question for tourist.

[BangTaoBoy]

It's an important question for tourist.

Perhaps. But the OP is a long term resident that pretty much acknowledged he already knew the answer. I would say the OP was making more of a statement than asking a question on behalf of tourists.

I personally am more than happy to accept when I climb in to a tuk tuk, that I'm 100% financially responsible for taking care of myself if I were to be in an accident. And that's just the way I like it.

Edited August 31, 2011 by BangTaoBoy

[stevenl]

"Delhi Belly" is covered by travel insurance. However, being a passenger in a vehicle that is a commonly accepted mode of transport, BUT, is not a legal mode of transport, according to that country's laws, may null and void your insurance contract and you are in financial/physical trouble if injured in an accident.

Tuktuks are a legal mode of transport, so even according to your reasoning covered by travel insurance.

[steelepulse]

But do they actually have insurance that would cover their passengers in case of a major accident? Good for BTB/happyinkathu/Logician to be comfortable rolling the dice when getting in one of these vehicles. Personally I am not comfortable having any family or friends riding in one of these without proper insurance.

[barka]

These Tuk tuks are converted pick ups used for carrying goods not poeple,they are dangerous and the SWL is half a ton[10CWT] THEY WOULD NEVER PASS A CURRENT MOT TEST.....no insurance company would ever insure them for carrying pasengers even in Thailand.....they should be scrapped,they are past there sell by date and are dangerous,most ot them are over 20 yesrs old..

And the wooden busses here would sail through an MOT would they? Or is it OK for cheap transport to be dangerous?

You're principles are bias. If the old death trap busses were running between Patong and Karon all day and night, no one would even think to mention an MOT.

SO you know Thai motor laws do you? do you know all 5 year old vehicles including motor bikes have to pass a test [MOT] at the TRANSPORT DEPT or at a delegated testing centre[privatly run], there is one not far from the testing station in Phuket town

my principles are not bias.. but after 20 years of this tuk tuk transport of unsafe vehicles which cost around 1 million baht to put on the road in Phuket,it would be more sensible to buy and run a new car for Taxi services, and mini buses instead of old buse, they are cheaper to run,most of them run on LPG gas[they are even insured for carrying passengers] i am sorry this is 2011 not 1990 we have to move on wether we like it or not..

[NamKangMan]

"Delhi Belly" is covered by travel insurance. However, being a passenger in a vehicle that is a commonly accepted mode of transport, BUT, is not a legal mode of transport, according to that country's laws, may null and void your insurance contract and you are in financial/physical trouble if injured in an accident.

Tuktuks are a legal mode of transport, so even according to your reasoning covered by travel insurance.

Just to clarify - I know the vehicle itself - the physical steel, plastic and rubber, is a legal form of transport here.

What I meant, and I know I didn't explain it clearly, is "the vehcile's legal status at the time." What I mean by "legal" is, not the vehicle itself, BUT, is the vehicle registered, has road tax/insurance paid for the year, has it been deemed a roadworthy vehicle under Thai law and is the driver licenced and is not under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of any accident?

What I don't know, is, if you are injured, and there's a problem with any of the above mentioned, would a tourist's travel insurance deny the claim and you would be left trying to make a civil claim against a Thai individual, or a Thai Company, in which case, you can forget about it..

[stevenl]

Just to clarify - I know the vehicle itself - the physical steel, plastic and rubber, is a legal form of transport here.

What I meant, and I know I didn't explain it clearly, is "the vehcile's legal status at the time." What I mean by "legal" is, not the vehicle itself, BUT, is the vehicle registered, has road tax/insurance paid for the year, has it been deemed a roadworthy vehicle under Thai law and is the driver licenced and is not under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of any accident?

What I don't know, is, if you are injured, and there's a problem with any of the above mentioned, would a tourist's travel insurance deny the claim and you would be left trying to make a civil claim against a Thai individual, or a Thai Company, in which case, you can forget about it..

See my first answer. No, of course a travel insurance would not deny the claim if the driver is under the influence of something or anything else of the mentioned things. No one can expect a passenger to check things like that, no where in the world.

[steelepulse]

I'm still waiting to hear from the defender of the tuk tuks on this matter. Surely if they have decent insurance he would have piped in saying how they all have comprehensive insurance to cover any accident the passengers would incur in case. If he knows that all passengers in the back of tuk tuks are happy, he undoubtedly knows the insurance situation.

I wonder if all those happy smiling passengers would be happy and smiling if they knew there was nil to (perhaps) very limited insurance coverage?

[stevenl]

I wonder if all those happy smiling passengers would be happy and smiling if they knew there was nil to (perhaps) very limited insurance coverage?

This is (in nearly all cases) not true. The passengers will nearly always have their own travel and health insurance coverage. So what you probably mean to say is: 'I wonder if all those happy smiling passengers would be happy and smiling if they knew there was nil to (perhaps) very limited car insurance coverage?'. You could also write the 'perhaps' before the 'nil' but that would change the tendency of your writing.

I don't think there is any car insurance, but I don't know, so can't say anything about it

[petercallen]

A lot of people do not have travel insurance, even though its recommended by travel agents

and governments in there home countries

Accident insurance which will cover you up to 1M baht per accident here is not expensive

but a lot off people do not even have that

I think Tuk Tuks insurance policies if they have them would only cover there passengers for a small amount

[steelepulse]

I highly doubt a majority of the Russian, Chinese and Indian tourists have travel and health insurance that would cover them in a tuk tuk accident. As far as the rest of the tourists, what does their social insurance cover when traveling abroad? In my dealings with many tourists over a number of years, I ask them if they have travel insurance due to many of them riding motorbikes and the majority say they do not have it.

[stevenl]

I highly doubt a majority of the Russian, Chinese and Indian tourists have travel and health insurance that would cover them in a tuk tuk accident. As far as the rest of the tourists, what does their social insurance cover when traveling abroad? In my dealings with many tourists over a number of years, I ask them if they have travel insurance due to many of them riding motorbikes and the majority say they do not have it.

Sorry, but sounds to me you know zilch of insurance.

Quite a few insurance policies will exclude driving motorbikes, especially when the driver has no license, as is quite often the case here. That would be another reason to improve the public transport system on Phuket IMO.

[steelepulse]

So what you're telling me is the majority of Russians, Chinese and Indians do have travel and health insurance and everyone I talk to has been lying to me? Yeah you're right, I know zilch about insurance.

[stevenl]

So what you're telling me is the majority of Russians, Chinese and Indians do have travel and health insurance and everyone I talk to has been lying to me? Yeah you're right, I know zilch about insurance.

No, that is not what I am saying. I am saying nearly all of them will have health insurance, so they will have coverage while being passenger in a tuktuk. I don't know about the percentage of Russians/Indians that come here and have travel insurance.

[grumpyoldman]

Nice OP ! You've given me a business idea.

At the airport I need to set up a booth and sell "Tuk-Tuk beat down insurance".

Be sure you're covered in case you are set upon by a pack of cowardly dog/scumbags.

I'm still amazed at the pack that beat that elderly German guy, actually I take that back, I'm not amazed, but just very embarrassed for Phuket.

[Jimi007]

So what you're telling me is the majority of Russians, Chinese and Indians do have travel and health insurance and everyone I talk to has been lying to me? Yeah you're right, I know zilch about insurance.

No, that is not what I am saying. I am saying nearly all of them will have health insurance, so they will have coverage while being passenger in a tuktuk. I don't know about the percentage of Russians/Indians that come here and have travel insurance.

Hum. My US health insurance would only cover emergency room treatment. It would not cover in patient care, not alone ICU!

[stevenl]

So what you're telling me is the majority of Russians, Chinese and Indians do have travel and health insurance and everyone I talk to has been lying to me? Yeah you're right, I know zilch about insurance.

No, that is not what I am saying. I am saying nearly all of them will have health insurance, so they will have coverage while being passenger in a tuktuk. I don't know about the percentage of Russians/Indians that come here and have travel insurance.

Hum. My US health insurance would only cover emergency room treatment. It would not cover in patient care, not alone ICU!

True, in general US health insurance does not cover abroad, and also Medicare will (of course) not cover abroad. I forgot about the US, sorry, but health insurance policies issued in nearly all other countries do cover abroad.

Edited September 3, 2011 by stevenl

[NamKangMan]

True, in general US health insurance does not cover abroad, and also Medicare will (of course) not cover abroad. I forgot about the US, sorry, but health insurance policies issued in nearly all other countries do cover abroad.

I can 100% guarantee that private health insurance policies in Australia do not cover you whilst abroad. That's why many of these companies also sell travel insurance policies.