A List of Popular Insurance Companies in Thailand

A List of Popular Insurance Companies in Thailand

There are many insurance companies in Thailand.

According to data from the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), in Thailand, there are 24 insurance companies that offer life insurance products and 62 insurance companies that provide non-life insurance, including health insurance and motor insurance.

Many of these are local insurance companies that only conduct business in Thailand, while some are well-known international companies with operations in Thailand.

In this article, we will guide you through some of the most popular insurance companies in Thailand for expats.

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International Insurance Companies

There are many well-known international insurance companies that conduct business and have offices in Thailand.

We know of many expats who choose to buy health insurance from international insurance companies rather than local ones.

This isn’t because international insurance companies have better products than local companies. Rather, it’s because expats are more familiar with these companies and may already be familiar with them even before they moved to Thailand.

Remember that insurance is a business of trust. You want to choose an insurance provider that is reputable and credible.

Another reason that international insurance is more popular is that many local insurance companies are more focused on motor insurance, which takes up over 50% of the market share, while health insurance takes up only 4%.

One major advantage of choosing an international insurance company in Thailand is that these companies have a direct billing system with many hospitals and clinics throughout the country, which you’ll have access to even if what you have is an international insurance plan.

These international insurance companies usually offer two types of health insurance plans: local and international plans. 

Local plans mainly cover your health condition in Thailand and have benefit limits, while an international plan comes with international coverage and overall limit.

If you don’t know what that means, read our guide to health insurance in Thailand for expats for more information. 

Many international insurance companies in Thailand provide health insurance only. 

To offer other types of insurance, they will partner up with financial institutions in Thailand such as AXA and Krungthai Bank, and Allianz and Bank of Ayudhya. 

Cigna

Cigna is an insurance company based in Connecticut, United States. They are one of the biggest insurance companies in the world and have been providing health insurance worldwide for decades. 

They have offices in Ploenchit, Bangkok.

Cigna offers a wide range of health insurance products for expats in Thailand, including chronic disease insurance, personal accident insurance, and travel insurance, as well as comprehensive healthcare plans.

One of the most popular plans for Thailand expats is the Thailand Specialized health plan, a comprehensive international health insurance plan provided by Cigna Global that caters specifically to expats in Thailand.

Aetna 

Previously, Bupa was one of the biggest health insurance providers in Thailand until it was taken over by Aetna, another leading international insurance company from Connecticut, in 2017.

aetna logo

Like Cigna, Aetna offers a wide range of health insurance plans.

Most of their health insurance plans for expats come with worldwide coverage excluding the United States.

They also offer insurance plans for retirement visas.

AXA 

Another popular international insurance company in Thailand is AXA. 

This French insurance company has been providing insurance services in Thailand since 1998. They are one of the few international insurance companies that provide insurance products other than health and travel insurance.

AXA

With AXA, you can get motor insurance and property insurance. 

They also partnered with Krungthai Bank to provide life insurance products called KrungThai-AXA.

AXA has also been actively providing new insurance products to comply with the Thai government.

AIA

AIA is the biggest life insurance company in Asia Pacific. 

They are also the biggest life insurance company in Thailand with a market share of over 21% in the life insurance market. Many Thais also get health coverage from AIA, usually as a medical coverage add-on to their life insurance plan.

AIA

Although life insurance is their main product, you can still get a standalone health insurance from them. 

However, buying insurance from AIA works quite differently from other insurance companies. Instead of buying directly from the company or brokerage companies, a majority of people get it from licensed freelance brokers.

So make sure to pick your broker well before purchasing a plan.

Allianz 

Allianz, a leading insurance company from Germany, also conducts business in Thailand.

They partnered with Bank of Ayudhya (Krungsri Bank) under the name of Allianz Ayudhya to provide various types of local insurance in Thailand, including life insurance, health insurance, motor insurance, travel insurance, and personal accident insurance. 

Allianz 

In addition to these, Allianz also underwrites certain international insurance, which is largely considered an affordable plan for expats in Southeast Asia.

Local Insurance Companies 

Local insurance companies used to be known mainly for motor insurance, but now they offer all types of insurance products.

Local insurance companies have started to provide specific health insurance plans a few years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before, their health coverage was only offered as an add-on to their life insurance plans.

Despite that, their health insurance plans are still not as popular as that of international insurance companies.

Virijah 

Virijah is the biggest local insurance company in Thailand. 

They have been in the insurance market for more than 70 years and their motor insurance plans are known to be one of the best and also the most expensive.

One of the most popular health insurance plans provided by Virijah is their Virijah healthcare plan by BDMS. It’s a partnership between Virijah and BDMS, the biggest hospital network in Thailand. 

Many leading Thailand private hospitals, including Bangkok Hospital and Samitivej Hospital, also belong to this network. 

With this plan, you can visit any hospital under the BDMS network and have your insurance cover it without having to pay out of your pocket, as long as the treatment is included under your plan coverage. 

Dhipaya 

Dhipaya is the second biggest local insurance company in Thailand. 

You are likely not familiar with this company if you are new in Thailand and/or do not have a car. 

Dhipaya is actually well-known for their motor insurance products, which are widely recognized as affordable.

They also have inexpensive health insurance plans priced at only 15,000 baht per year, which even those who are over 60 years old and less than 70 years old can get.

Dhipaya 

However, you should always carefully read the fine print. Although the plan comes with a maximum yearly limit of 600,000 baht, there’s a sublimit of 120,000 baht per sickness.

This means that if you get sick, the maximum amount they will pay for its treatment is 120,000 baht.

Bangkok Insurance 

Bangkok Insurance is another leading insurance company in Thailand that’s especially popular for motor insurance.

Their motor insurance is widely recognized as excellent but also one of the most expensive plans out there.

Bangkok Insurance 

In addition to motor insurance, you can get literally all types of insurance from them except life insurance, which is usually not offered to expats in Thailand anyway.

Bangkok Insurance has been in the insurance business for over 70 years and has the same founder as Bangkok Bank.  

Muang Thai Insurance

Unlike other local insurance companies that focus on motor insurance, Muang Thai Insurance is known for their life insurance product. 

It is the third biggest insurance company in Thailand. 

Their health insurance has been previously available as an add-on to their life insurance. 

Muang Thai Insurance

You can buy health insurance plans from them, which works similar to international health plans. Their health insurance comes with much lower coverage but it is also cheaper compared to other plans.

With Muang Thai Insurance, you can also buy motor insurance, personal accident insurance, travel insurance, and so on. 

Muang Thai Insurance CEO Mrs. Nualphan Lamsam is a highly recognizable figure who’s currently the manager of Thailand’s women’s national football team. She is also referred to as Madame Pang. 

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You may not have heard about Navakij Insurance before. 

But actually, many plans from Luma, including the Asia Care Plus, OA Long Stay Visa, and Thailand Travel Pass plan, are being underwritten by Navakij. 

Navakij Insurance

You can also get local health insurance plans directly from Navakij. Like in other local insurance companies, the limit on their plans can be lower than in plans provided by international insurance companies.

Navakij is also known for their affordable motor insurance plans.

Others

Note that these are not the only insurance companies in Thailand. There are over 80 local insurance companies that are registered with the Thailand Office of Insurance Commission.

In addition to local insurance companies or international insurance companies that are registered in Thailand, you can also get insurance from international insurance or brokerage companies, such as William Russell, ACS, and April International.

What is the Best Insurance Company?  

The short answer is that there is none because each insurance company has different products and plans with different coverage and pricing. 

All insurance companies are legit and won’t scam you. 

There’s one important point to remember, though: before you purchase any plan, you need to make sure that you understand the terms well, especially regarding what is and isn’t covered. 

We have an expat health insurance comparison page to give you a good overview of popular plans for expats.

You can buy directly from a broker or through an insurance company. But you need to make sure that the person you deal with is knowledgeable.

Also, not all brokers are the same. Many brokers may have a license, but they may not know all kinds of plans well enough. And watch out for brokers who will recommend to you only the plans for which they get the most commissions.

Read our insurance brokers in Thailand guide to find out more information. 

Now, on to You

There’s plenty to learn when it comes to the insurance industry in Thailand. A good rule of thumb is that if you want to buy motor insurance, you should buy from local insurance companies.

On the other hand, when it comes to health insurance, international companies are more popular among expats. But this might change soon as local insurance companies continue to offer more health plans.

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Saran Lhawpongwad is a Bangkokian by birth. He loves to share what he learns based on his insights living and running business in Thailand. While not at his desk, he likes to be outdoors exploring the world with his family. You can connect with him on his LinkedIn.

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