Warning about Thai Health Insurance for Expats / Travel Insurance for Motorcycle accident coverage.

[lostinsiam]

I have been looking over the Thai health insurance plans and the Thai travel insurance plans being promoted to expats and tourists. 

What I noticed in most of the small prints and policy wording was things like this:

Additional Exclusions:

13. Injury occurred while the insured driving or take a motorcycle.

These exclusions make it essentially useless if you are driving or a passenger on a moto. Its almost all local Thai insurance plans that exclude motorcycle accidents in the small print.

I recommend you buy your insurance offshore from someone like CignaGlobal in Dubai or AllianzCare from outside of Thailand, NOT from the local offices they have because the locally sold plans have the same exclusions. 

Search gofundme for motorcycle Thailand and you will see 100s of foreigners begging for help with medical bills….

Very sad yet avoidable.

[rayzor]

But the motorbike/scouter accident rate is so high in Thailand - and since people don't wear helmets the injuries are so severe (and fatalities are so frequent) - the insurance companies need that clause.

[lostinsiam]

1 minute ago, rayzor said:

But the motorbike/scouter accident rate is so high in Thailand - and since people don't wear helmets the injuries are so severe (and fatalities are so frequent) - the insurance companies need that clause.

Yea the Thai insurance companies know the risk is high, which is why they exclude it, and exactly why people especially need it.

[Chubby]

That's a fairly standard clause for health insurance tbh. Even travel/health insurance bought abroad will often exclude motorcycle events. Thai companies like AIA etc. sell seperate accident cover, costs 2000 - 3000 baht for year.

[lostinsiam]

1 minute ago, Chubby said:

That's a fairly standard clause for health insurance tbh. Even travel/health insurance bought abroad will often exclude motorcycle events. Thai companies like AIA etc. sell seperate accident cover, costs 2000 - 3000 baht for year.

Standard in Thailand but not in other countries, I listed two major insurers that provide global cover inc motorcycle accidents. Thai personal accident cover usually has low limits of 1MB, it’s not going to cover the air ambulance or the critical care to keep you alive.

[Chubby]

@lostinsiam Don't think we have air ambulaces in Chanthaburi. The accident cover card gets you scooped up, delivered, and admitted to a hospital. Most Thais keep the card with their driving license & rescue first responders often look for it.

[lostinsiam]

Air ambulances are air lifting people daily from Phuket, Samui etc… my post was more targeted towards foreigners not Thais.

[Chubby]

I live in Chanthaburi m8. Thing with overseas insurance

1) The cover may not be familiar with a hospital here So they may well not treat you until proof of funds is shown.

2) Most policies cover maximum 6 months stay in 1 country

3) First responders will not know you are covered.

[lostinsiam]

CignaGlobal and AllianzCare the ones I recommended are global plans designed for 1 year+

They have the biggest hospital networks in the world. They will settle the bills directly with hospitals.

First responders are another thing, not hospital bills of millions of bhat.

[Vick1]

Most of them also exclude injuries while being drunk or doing what they call dangerous sports. So if you walk home from a dinner out and a car hits you, you won't be insured.

[lostinsiam]

Well that’s less likely and more ambiguous, nevertheless not good. Motorcycle accidents are too common and too many people end up finding out they are not covered until it’s already too late.

[Kory69]

Very hard and close to impossible to get health insurance if you are over 75 anyway.