The best travel insurance for your holiday in Thailand

Travelling to Thailand soon? You’ll need a good travel insurance policy! In this post I will introduce a few good companies, which I use and which offer travel insurance for a short or long holiday in Thailand.

I always make sure that I have travel insurance when I travel outside of the EU. From my experience, accidents happen. Plus, it makes me feel better if I have a policy with me. I know then that I will be looked after and I won’t have to spend thousands of Euros on medical care.

Thailand might seem like a cheap country at first, but if you need to go to a hospital, then you might end up with a huge bill, which will be hard to pay off. In this post you’ll find the best travel insurance for travelling to Thailand and some general advice on how to choose the best policy and what to look out for.

Your plan for your first trip to Thailand

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Why do you need a travel insurance for Thailand?

The first time I went to Thailand, I scratched my leg. I don’t know how it happened. It was just a little scratch. Later on, we had severe rainfall on Koh Phangan and the streets were flooded.

I thought I was very cool by walking barefoot through big puddles of water. Little did I know….A day after my leg was infected and I needed medical care. It wasn’t a big deal, really. I got an IV, some meds and was told to rest. The bill for this, however, was around 2,000 THB.

Imagine now being in a major accident or getting really sick. How much would it cost you to stay in a hospital?

Thailand is a great country, but accidents and sicknesses happen all the time. The country has different climate. You might get food poisoning or a sun stroke, you might be in a car accident. Bills for medical care in these instances might be really high.

Additionally, Thailand requires all travellers to have insurance. No matter if you go on a visa exemption, or a long-term visa, by law, you must have a policy.

If you go on holiday to Thailand, you need a tourist insurance, which includes at least medical care. The worth of your policy depends on the type of entry visa you want to get.

Types of travel insurance coverage to consider

Medical coverage

Medical coverage is required in all circumstances, no matter if you go on a visa exemption, or a long-term visa.

The higher the medical cover, the better. This policy should include emergency care, care in case of a sudden sickness, hospital stay, ambulance transportation, necessary medical tests, medical transport back to your country.

Trip cancellation/trip interruption

Many travel insurance policies include this and I think it’s always helpful to have it.

It’s particularly useful when your flight gets cancelled or something happens and you are not able to catch a flight. There are of course some rules you should remember about – for example, you might not be eligible for any financial support or compensation if the flight is cancelled due to the weather.

Thailand is also quite unstable politically. Some strikes and protests happen and they usually don’t disturb tourist industry, but it’s useful to have good travel insurance in Thailand in case another coup happens.

Lost or stole luggage

If you arrive at your destination and it turns out the airline lost your luggage, then you will be able to use your travel insurance and buy new things. Each policy should have a list of items you can buy, or they have a budget for you to use. This is normally a good amount, so you will be able to replace things you need.

Not all insurance policies include electronics theft. This is more specific to nomad insurance. I normally travel with my laptop and always buy insurance that includes this type of policy. Check out Safetywing, which offers this in their standard policies.

Adventure sports coverage

If you are a surfer, you love rock climbing or zip lining, it’s good to think about buying an extra coverage. This will insure you in case of any accidents.

Remember that it’s worth paying extra if you are doing a diving course in Thailand.

Things to consider when buying your travel insurance

Length of stay

This is especially important if you are going to travel a bit longer. Some policies have strict limits for the time you are allowed to stay abroad. Check this before you travel and if you are planning to stay in Thailand for a few months, choose the insurance for nomads.

Coverage limits

There are always financial limits for each policy.

You can pay a bit more and then enjoy a higher policy limit. For example, you might be covered up to 500,000 USD in case of emergency medical care. Sometimes this limit is even higher. After you go over that amount, you will have to pay for everything by yourself.

When I was younger and felt a bit more immortal, I chose lower amounts and cheaper insurance policies. Now, I go for something more complex and expensive, so the coverage is high, too.

Deductibles

This is the amount you must cover yourself. If your bills are higher, then anything above that amount is covered by your insurance.

Normally, you choose the amount of deductible. Sometimes, it’s set up front by the company. The higher the deductible, the lower the cost of your policy. You can also choose 0 deductible, in which case the insurance will cover everything, but the price of your policy will be more expensive.

How does it work?

For example: you chose a policy with 100 USD deductible. While in Thailand you get sick and go to the doctor. Your bill is 200 USD. 100 USD is paid by you and the rest by the insurance.

Pre-existing medical conditions

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, your insurance will cost more and might have some special conditions.

This all depends on how sick you are, what care you need and what are some possible situations that might happen when you travel. Sometimes, if you are seriously sick, it will be harder for you to find a company that will want to cover you.

Your age

Younger, healthy people will pay less for travel insurance. The older you get, you will have to pay more. Normally, travel insurance companies don’t check your overall health, so it doesn’t matter how much you drink or whether you smoke, or not.

I also heard that people over 70 have hard time to find good insurance as companies in general don’t want to cover people that age. Personally, I don’t know much about it, so I can’t advise you here.

Remember about exclusions and certain conditions

Each policy will have exclusions, so read the small print and ask the insurance advisor for details.

One of the things I get asked about is driving a scooter. Here you also need to be careful. You must have a driving licence cat A1 or A1+ and an international driving licence. Otherwise, if you are in an accident, you won’t be covered.

The best travel insurance policies for your holiday in Thailand

There are so many insurance on the market that it’s always hard to choose the best option. I hope this list will help you to make the right decision.

Quotes given below are estimated based on a 40-year old healthy female traveller, travelling to Thailand for 2 weeks.

Safetywing

Insurance for long-term travellers and digital nomads. You renew your policy monthly and if you no longer need it, you can cancel anytime.

How much is it?
It’s about 50 USD per month and more.

What does it insure you for?
Most things, like cancelled flights, lost luggage, accidents abroad, acts of terrorism, natural disasters. They also insure electronics.

How much does it insure you for?
Minimum is 50,000 USD in case of sickness and accidents.

Does it cover Covid related hospital stays and bills?
Yes.

Why is it good?
I find SafetyWing very reliable and responsive. They are extremely helpful. I always choose them when I go to Thailand, or somewhere outside of the EU.

Genki

Genki is also insurance for long-term travellers. They are slightly cheaper than Safetywing. I have used them recently and was very happy.

How much is it?
From 40 USD per month.

What does it insure you for?
Temporary health cover, medical treatment, hospitalization, medical transport.

How much does it insure you for?
Up to 20,000 USD.

Why is it good?
Genki has direct billing. This means that you don’t need to pay anything by yourself and the insurance deals with the hospital or the doctor’s clinic. They are great if you need something flexible and long-term.

Get your quote here.

AXA Travel Insurance

For short-term travellers. AXA is an internationally recognised company, which offers travel insurance policies to various countries.

How much is it?
The price depends on your country of residence and where you’re going.

What does it insure you for?
Most things, like cancelled flights, lost luggage, accidents abroad, acts of terrorism, natural disasters.

How much does it insure you for?
You indicate the sum. For Thailand, your minimum should be 50,000 USD.

Does it cover Covid?
Yes.

Why is it good?
AXA is a big, international company. It’s recognised everywhere, by all hospitals. You won’t have a problem with claiming your money back.

Get your quote here.

Planet Earth

Planet Earth Travel Insurance Services Ltd is a specialist company providing travel insurance online, anytime 24 hours a day.

How much is it?
Around 50 USD for a 2-week trip, no excess.

What does it insure you for?
Lost luggage, accidents, medical bills, cancelled and delayed flights.

How much does it insure you for?
10 mln USD in case of accidents and sickness.

Does it cover Covid?
Yes.

Why is it good?
I haven’t used it personally, so can’t vouch for them, but they seem to offer reasonably priced insurance.

Get your quote here.

How to choose the best travel insurance policy for your trip to Thailand?

The amount covered

Each company will give you a few quotes. The most important is the part with the information how much they will be able to pay in case of an accident or sickness. It can be anything from a few thousand dollars to millions. The larger this amount, the more expensive your cover.

Remember that during the pandemic Thailand requires you to have a medical cover of a minimum of 50,000 USD.

Other things you might be worried about

Most travel insurance policies cover the same things – lost luggage, cancelled flights etc. There are things, however, that you might be worried about specifically, like your gadgets. Some companies have an extra cover in case your laptop or camera is stolen.

Your excess

This is a minimum amount that you will be asked to cover when claiming your money back. The higher this amount, the cheaper your policy.

Sports and activities

If you are planning to dive, climb or do any risky activities, it’s best to insure yourself extra. Most companies have this additional option.

Be aware of the rules

Read terms and conditions carefully. Remember that if you drive a scooter in Thailand and have no proper driving licence, and have an accident, you will not be covered. The same goes to any accidents and sickness that was caused by alcohol or drugs.

After you buy your insurance

It’s crucial that you know what to do in a case of emergency. There are a few important factors to remember about.

Find out how to claim

Make sure that you know how to claim money back and who to contact in case of an emergency. Your company should have a number, or a chat, where you can talk to an advisor.

Write down the list of documents they might need from you. Normally, they need any bills and confirmation from police, airline or hospital about the situation you were part of.

Safe your insurance policy and send a copy to someone

The insurance company will send you an electronic copy of your policy. Save it somewhere on your computer. I would advise saving it on Google Drive, so you can always access it.

Send the copy of the insurance, along with your policy number, to a family member, who is staying at home. They should be your next of kin in case of an accident.

Make a copy of your passport with emergency numbers

In Thailand it’s the law to always have your ID with you. I never do that because I’m afraid I would lose it, but I copy the page with my details, write down emergency numbers on it and always carry it in my wallet.

Emergency numbers include: your next of kin, your insurance company, your embassy.

Choosing a good travel insurance policy for your trip to Thailand should be on top of your list. This is an absolute must to make sure that you have safe and worry-free holiday. Remember that you are going to be far away from home. With good travel insurance policy it will be easier to find a doctor, a hospital and do deal with all the paperwork.

If you have never chosen insurance for yourself, spend some time researching the best options. Once you find something that suits you, it will be more a quicker decision also for the future.

I hope that this post has helped you with choosing the best policy.