How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance for Your Thailand Trip in 2025

Every time I travel to Thailand, I always get travel insurance. While Thailand is known for affordable healthcare, if something happens, I do not want to pay those hefty hospital bills.

Without travel insurance, well, let’s just say that your dream vacation can become a nightmare—I’ve seen it happen regularly on the news.

Travel insurance only costs me a few extra dollars a day but gives me full peace of mind during my Thailand vacation. I know that if I suddenly get sick or have an accident, my insurance will pay for my hospital bill. So, I can fully enjoy my trip here.

In this article, let’s take a look at key information to help you make an informed decision when buying travel insurance.

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Should I Get Travel Insurance When Traveling to Thailand?

Although Thailand is a safe place to travel in – physical attacks and other crimes are rare – you still need to keep your wits about you.

In my option, these are some of the reasons why I get travel insurance.

• Medical coverage: If I suddenly become ill or have an accident during your travel, I can visit any clinic or hospital, keep the receipt, and make a claim with travel insurance later. In cases of major expenses, it is possible that the travel insurance can pay the hospital directly.
• Outdoor Adventure: If I try risky activities like mountain biking, zip lining, scuba diving, or Muay Thai, accident can happen all the time. And safety is sometimes an afterthought.
• Traffic accidents: Traffic accidents happen regularly in Thailand. It’s not just about driving; as a pedestrian, you don’t have the right of way. And when riding on motorbikes, you increase your chances of getting injured. You should note that you need to have a Thai Driving License or International Driver’s License while riding a motorcycle or driving a car. Otherwise, travel insurance might not pay you.
• Preventing bankruptcy: While medical care in Thailand is generally affordable, costs can rise quickly if you are hospitalized. We have seen many people without travel insurance create a page on GoFundMe because they cannot pay for hospital bills in Thailand.
• Peace of mind: Many unexpected situations can occur while traveling, from getting sick or having an accident to a delayed flight or delayed luggage. Knowing in advance that your travel insurance will cover these situations can provide peace of mind and allow me to fully explore Thailand without worry.

For these reasons, I always get travel insurance. It costs just a few dollars a day and can be a lifesaver when something unexpected happens.

Do You Already Have Travel Insurance?

Before you buy travel insurance, check your health insurance plan and your credit card company to see if you’re already covered.

Existing Health Insurance

Sometimes, your health insurance covers you for international travel. If you have health insurance that comes with international coverage like expat health insurance, call them up and see if you’re covered for travel.

They may exclude coverage for some travel scenarios. Or they might offer basic coverage. Or they may cover everything in full.

Credit Card

What about your credit card? Will it offer you travel insurance while you’re in Thailand? The answer depends on your credit card.

You might be able to get some coverage if you paid for the trip with your card.

For example, Standard Chartered Bank offers you Travel Accident Insurance Coverage when you pay in full for your airline tickets.

If your credit card offers travel insurance, call one month before your trip and give them the trip details. They may also cover you for flight delay and lost or stolen bags.

Sometimes your credit card covers you for medical expenses while on vacation.

You should note that this insurance also lacks liability coverage, which covers you if you hurt someone or damage their property.

It’s worth finding out what your specific credit card covers you for. But keep in mind that credit card coverage is a step-down from full travel insurance.

When Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

Buy travel insurance before you get to Thailand. Only some travel insurance companies insure you after you start your journey. World Nomads is one of them.

Start researching travel insurance ahead of time and buy it at least two days minimum before you leave.

For most travel insurance policies, you can book up to a year from your trip. But you can hold off until you’re close to leaving.

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If you want your travel insurance that covers you for cancelled flights, you should take it out the same time you buy your tickets.

Best Travel Insurance Companies for Thailand Trips

If you’re wondering what the best travel insurance for Thailand is, there are three main factors you should consider including:

• Coverage: If a travel insurance plan comes with a high coverage limit and covers many things, it will be more expensive than a plan with basic coverage.
• Your nationality: Certain travel insurance options are available to specific nationalities only. Also, if you are from a country with high medical care costs, your travel insurance may be more expensive than others.
• Travel duration: If you travel to Thailand for a few weeks, you can opt for an affordable plan with basic coverage. For long-term travel, it’s an excellent idea to look for travel insurance that offers more health care coverage for an extended period. If you plan to travel for several months to a year, you should look for long term backpacker travel insurance designed for trips of this length.

The section below includes some good travel insurance policies for Thailand.

Keep in mind that the prices below are based on sample dates I entered for a traveler from America. You may get different prices depending on your travel dates, age, and home country.

Alternatively, you can use Safe and Not Sorry, our travel medical insurance comparison tool, to compare different travel insurance plans at once. If you prefer a local plan from Thailand, you can use CheckDi.

If you want an affordable option and comes with good medical coverage, we recommend ACS Globe Traveller by ACS.

World Nomads

World Nomads is my personal favorite travel insurance. They are designed for travelers and covers over 250 adventure sports. So, it’s a good option if you plan to do extreme sports like scuba diving or hiking.

When I checked the website, one month of coverage was $166.69 for the Standard Plan which includes US$125,000 emergency medical expenses, trip cancellation, trip delay, and more.

In my opinion, while World Nomads can be more expensive than other insurance providers, it comes with more coverage that you need while traveling. It also includes various water activities such as scuba diving, kayaking, and more.

Claiming is also easy. ExpatDen’s founder, Karsten Aichholz, once had a skiing accident in Canada, and World Nomads paid for his medical expenses in full. After I heard this, I always get a plan from World Nomads and have been happy with it so far.

You can get your personal quotes and find out more about their coverage directly on their website.

Luma Health

Luma Health is an insurance company from Thailand. They offer Asia Pass travel insurance that covers most countries in Asia, including Thailand.

One of the great things about the Asia Pass is the unlimited coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation. Their two highest plans also come with unlimited coverage for medical expenses.

This is a great perk that can’t be easily found in other travel insurance plans.

Their lowest plan comes with medical expense coverage of $200,000 for both inpatient and outpatient treatment. It costs $131 for one month of coverage.

Overall, Luma is slightly cheaper than World Nomads but has better area coverage and medical coverage. However, World Nomads has better coverage when it comes to travel benefits such as baggage loss, baggage delay, and more.

ACS

ACS Globe Traveller by ACS offers three options of coverage limits: 150,000 EUR, 300,000 EUR, and 500,000 EUR.

All of their plans come with worldwide coverage, including Thailand. You also get emergency coverage when you go back to your home country on holidays.

It’s a budget option that a one-month trip costs just around US$52.

The lowest coverage amount comes with 150,000 EUR (~$180,000) in medical coverage, which should be sufficient for Thailand. They also offer 300 EUR ($362) in emergency dental treatment and 4,500,000 EUR ($5,500,000) in personal injury cased to someone else.

ACS also covers your luggage and personal belongings if they are damaged, lost, or stolen. You get 2,000 EUR ($2,500) coverage in this case.

Trip cancellation, extreme sports, and sports equipment coverage are available as add-on.

Since Thailand is one of the main targeted countries of ACS, they always keep their plan up-to-date with the Thai government’s latest regulations. This means you can use it to travel to Thailand and will be covered for COVID-19.

Genki Traveler

Genki Traveler is another good travel insurance plan that focuses on medical coverage, with a coverage limit as high as EUR 1,000,000 and covered sport activities such as Muay Thai training, hiking, and diving.

In addition to that, the plan also covers you even if you have a motorcycle accident without a license (though I don’t recommend it).

It’s a monthly plan, though. But the cost is quite affordable at just EUR 65/month.

So, it’s one of the best value plans in terms of medical coverage. You can compare it with ACS here.

SafetyWing

SafetyWing is a budget choice for travel insurance in Thailand who plan to travel in Thailand for many months.

Their plan starts at $56.59 every 4 weeks for those who are younger than 39 years old, and it comes with a $250,000 overall limit. 

In addition, you are covered for every country, not just Thailand, except your originating country and the United States. 

If you want to be covered for the United States, then it’s going to cost you two times their standard price. 

However, it is important to note that all of their plans come with a $250 deductible for medical expenses per certificate period. 

They also have a lifetime maximum on emergency medical evacuation ($100,000). 

Overall, SafetyWing is a budget choice if you are okay with paying a deductible and haven’t made a claim for the emergency medical evacuation with them yet.

Allianz Travel Insurance

Allianz Travel’s One Trip Prime Plan gets you $1,000 in coverage for lost or damaged bags, $50,000 for medical emergencies, and $500,000 for medical evacuation.

One good thing about Allianz is that they offer add-ons for pre-existing conditions. Unfortunately, a US resident cannot have it.

So if you have a chronic injury or disease, you can get coverage for it in case something happens in Thailand.

Also, Allianz covers kids under 17 for free if they travel with a parent or grandparent.

AXA

AXA has a SmartTraveller insurance plan that offers a lot of the same coverage as the insurance companies already mentioned.

But AXA doesn’t specifically say how much coverage you get on their website or the PDF version of their policy.

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So if you’re interested in getting coverage through AXA, you have to call one of their reps.

Travel Insurance Plans Explained

When you buy travel insurance there a few things you must consider, such as:

• Restrictions
• Coverage
• Exclusions
• Conditions
• Add-ons

Let’s look at each one a bit closer.

Restrictions

The requirements for travel insurance are usually based on age and location.

• Age: Most companies do not offer plans if you are older than 70 years old.
• Location: If you come from a certain country, travel insurance companies may deny you coverage.

When buying travel insurance, it’s best to check with the insurance company about their age and location requirements.

Coverage

The most important part of the policy is the medical coverage. But you should consider coverage for other things as well.

For example, if you have valuables or you plan to take part in adventurous sports, you need to buy insurance that covers those things.

Let’s look at what a typical travel insurance policy covers you for.

Medical Coverage

This is the first coverage you should check. Travel insurance should cover medical emergencies and injuries.

A decent travel insurance company offers at least $100,000 in medical coverage (THB3,500,000), and this is the minimum amount I consider.

If you have a more comprehensive policy, like one with over $500,000 in coverage, you’ll be covered for more, although it might be excessive.

Please note that travel insurance may not cover chronic diseases like cancer. In such cases, you should consider health insurance with international coverage instead.

Medical Evacuation and Repatriation

In the larger cities of Thailand, especially in Bangkok, medical care is on par with Western cities.

Once you travel out to the rural areas of Thailand and find yourself in small villages, these changes and hospitals can be lacking.

Find out whether your travel insurance policy covers airlift services if you are injured in a remote location. They should provide coverage of at least $300,000. You want to make sure you’re covered for airlifts to a hospital in Thailand for emergency treatment.

Also, check if they cover evacuation from a hospital in Thailand back to your home country. It should include coverage of up to $300,000 for emergency medical evacuation.

Sickness

Your travel insurance covers you for unexpected illnesses or injuries that are life threatening or that need to be treated at once.

Delayed Flights

While taking an airplane can be very safe, flight can get delayed, and it can become a huge pain and can add up to some unexpected costs, such as having to stay more nights in a hotel.

So, make sure your Thailand travel insurance covers you for flight delays because your airline may deny responsibility.

Usually, single-trip insurance protects you on your way back from your trip to Thailand.

Multi-trip insurance protects you from delays occurring within any of the trips you take while covered by that policy.

Before you can get reimbursed, your flight must be delayed for a minimum number of hours.

The fine print of your travel policy tells the length of time. But it’s around six to 12 hours, sometimes shorter.

When you make a delayed flight claim, make sure you gather all flight details and ask the airline for a report that confirms the fight delay and the cause.

You can then contact your travel insurance company to start filing your claim.

Property Damage

It’s important to also choose a travel policy that covers you in the event of any damage that occurs to your property while you’re in Thailand.

Airlines can mishandle your bags and break something, or a tour guide can drop your backpack and crack your camera lens.

Most travel insurance covers your personal effects up to a limit such as $375.

This is enough to cover your small camera or phone. But it may be insufficient to cover the loss of your laptop or more expensive electronics.

Some plans may come with loss of travel documents coverage. This could come in handy if you lose your passport and must pay to get an emergency passport at your embassy in Thailand.

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Stolen Bags

I never worry much about stolen bags in Thailand. I have been to the country more than five times and never once had my bag stolen. However, if you are concerned about your bag getting stolen, you might want to consider this coverage.

Once you have it, if someone steals your bags during your travels in Thailand, travel insurance usually protects you.

But if you leave your bag unattended at a bus station while you go to the toilet and someone steals it, your insurer might deny you coverage.

When it comes to making a claim, you need to hand in the paperwork for proof of purchase and a police report if someone steals your phone or wallet.

You should notify Thai police and get a written report within 24 hours of the theft.

Make sure you ask how the travel insurance company reimburses you for your lost or stolen bags.

Will they cover the depreciated value of the personal items? The full value of your things? or will they replace your stolen or lost items?

Many travel insurance companies put a limit on the payout for valuable items like laptops and cameras.

For example, you might get a $660 single item limit and a $660 valuables limit.

For most people this is adequate coverage. But if you’re carrying something of high value in your luggage this may be inadequate.

If you have an item of high value, you need to insure it by adding an extra to your policy.

Lastly, think about what your things are worth before getting insurance add-ons.

If you travel with a high-end camera that would be expensive to replace, it’s worth paying extra for theft coverage.

But if you’re a minimalist backpacker carrying a few clothes, you may find the cost of replacing your things cheaper than the cost of the insurance.

Exclusions

Insurance companies won’t cover you for everything during your trip in Thailand. It works the same as private health insurance in Thailand.

Here are some of the things they exclude:

Motorcycles, Motorbikes, and Scooters

Some travel insurance companies may refuse to cover you if you get injured while driving a motorcycle, motorbike, or scooter.

Even if you get a motorcycle license in Thailand you may not be covered since it may also depend on motorcycle engine size, what license you need to have, and do you follow traffic rules or not.

With most travel insurance plans, if you get into an accident on your motorbike while you’re drunk, does not wear a helmet, or does not have a legit driving license, you must pay for hospital bills yourself.

Drugs and Alcohol

On the party islands of Thailand, you can buy cheap buckets of mixed alcohol and energy drinks and dance on the beach until the sun comes up.

But if you drink a lot of alcohol, you increase the chances of getting hurt or making poor decisions about your safety.

Many travel insurance companies deny you coverage if you hurt yourself while drunk.

Also, drugs are easy to find in Thailand. But buying drugs in Thailand can get you into trouble with the police and the Thai legal system.

If anything happens while you’re under the influence of drugs, your travel insurance is void.

Plus, Thai authorities have strict laws for people they catch having or selling illegal drugs. You could face the death penalty.

Have fun while in Thailand but be smart about it. Avoid heavy drinking and drugs—your safety comes first.

Sports

If you plan to take part in risky activities in Thailand, like scuba diving, Muay Thai, bungee jumping, and jet skiing, you might find it hard to get coverage.

Usually the underwriter sees them as dangerous activities. But in some policies, you can add these activities on as extras. u get a stainless-steel dog tag with your name and policy number, so you can leave your paperwork in your room.

Decide which activities you want to take part in while you’re in Thailand and then search for a policy that covers them.

Only a few policies cover sports activities at the moment. A few of them includes Genki Traveler.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Many travel insurance companies refuse to cover you if you get a sexually transmitted disease in Thailand.

So have fun. But make sure you always bring condoms with you—and use them.

But travel insurance does cover damages to you and your things if you are a victim of a crime. So, if someone rapes you and you get an STD, you’re covered.

For the insurance company to consider this claim valid, you must report the crime to the Thai police.

In some cases, your travel insurance plan may cover you for any legal fees you incur as the victim too.

Terrorism

Many travel insurance companies exclude terrorism.

But after the August 2015 Bangkok bombings some travel insurance companies covered their clients if they were injured from the bombing.

They also covered them if they had to cancel their trip at the last minute and failed to get a refund from airlines and hotels.

But this can vary depending on the travel insurance plan.

So, make sure you read the fine print, contact your insurer, and listen to government warnings.

If you travel to Thailand when official government warnings urge against it, insurance companies may refuse to cover you if you get sick or injured.

Conditions

When it comes to buying travel insurance, scrutinize the conditions on the policy. Below are three of the most common conditions you might come across.

Cancellations and Non-Extensions

Your travel insurance may reimburse 100% of your prepaid travel costs if you cancel your trip due to unforeseen events.

This could include weather issues, natural disasters, injury or illness, court summonses, traffic accidents, property damage, terrorism, and more.

But travel insurance companies may refuse to cover you in some cases.

For example, they won’t cover you if you cancel because your trip gets too expensive or because you think the weather is uncomfortable.

Some policies may let you cancel your trip for any reason though.

Pre-Existing Conditions

Travel insurance companies generally refuse to cover pre-existing conditions.

This means if you need medical treatment while in Thailand for a pre-existing condition, you’ll have to pay out of pocket.

If you suffer a heart attack because a tuk-tuk hits you, you’re covered because the tuk-tuk caused the heart attack.

But if you have a history of heart disease and have a heart attack and fall in the path of the oncoming tuk-tuk and get injured, you have to pay out of pocket.

Some travel insurance covers your medical costs related to pre-existing conditions by offering a waiver to the exclusion.

Also, you can get special travel insurance plans designed for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Add-ons

A typical travel insurance plan covers most of the basics. But there are certain add-ons you might want to get within your plan.

For example, if you plan on driving in Thailand you may want to buy an add-on which covers any damages that may occur to the rental car.

You can also add on third-party liability insurance which would cover the other people involved if you got into an accident.

How to Make a Claim

What happens when something goes wrong, and you need to make a claim on your travel insurance?

You need to visit the website of the travel insurance company and download the necessary forms.

You also need to send over evidence of your expenses, such as receipts, and medical forms.

If you file a claim for theft, you need to send in a copy of the police report from when you reported your stolen things.

When it comes to baggage delays, you must get a letter from the airline that confirms the flight number, the reason for the delay, and the delay period.

Read Fine Print

It’s important to read the fine print on your travel insurance policy to make sure you’re covered for what you think you’re covered for.

If you just skim through your policy, you could have an unwanted surprise when it comes to making your claim.

Save Important Info

Make sure you save all paperwork for any medical treatment you receive in Thailand.

This includes receipts from the pharmacy for any prescriptions and printouts of medical results.

You need to show the insurance company what you were treated for you and how much you paid.

It’s better to gather more evidence than may be necessary than to have enough insufficient paperwork.

So ask the hospital to print any information, receipts, and other details about your visit.

Get Prior Authorization

What does it mean when your travel insurance policy says you need prior authorization?

This means your insurance company must agree to cover medical procedures or prescribed medications. This is to prevent any unnecessary procedures or expensive prescriptions when generic ones are available.

If your travel insurance company must authorize medical treatment before you get it, and you forget to ask them, they may consider your claim void. So, make sure you know if you need prior authorization. And always call the travel insurance company before you see a doctor in Thailand.

Collect Reimbursement

It may take quite some time for travel insurance companies to reimburse you because they need to process the claim and see if it’s valid.

Once they’ve approved everything and have decided to reimburse you, they mail you a check. But they can also reimburse you through direct deposit.

Emergency Contact List

Emergency Contact	Phone Number
Tourist Police	1155
Police	191
Ambulance and Rescue	1669
Fire	199
Crime	191
Australian Embassy in Bangkok	+66 2 344 6300
Canadian Embassy in Bangkok	+66 2 646 4300
American Embassy in Bangkok	+66 2 205 4000

Watch Out for Fake Travel Insurance

Whenever or wherever you buy travel insurance, know that travel insurance scams exist.

While on a scuba diving vacation in the south of Thailand, Karsten, ExpatDen’s founder, was offered insurance by the dive trip operator.

Karsten asked to look over the insurance policy, and while thumbing through the fine print, found out the policy excluded diving-related accidents or expenses. Upon further reading, he discovered the travel insurance was downloaded from the internet.

While on another trip to Chiang Mai, Karsten rented a motorbike and took out a 100-baht-a-day insurance.

The motorbike he rented wound up breaking down, and when he called for help, a one-man team showed up to pick up the bike.

But when the man tried and failed to load the bike onto the back of the truck himself, Karsten had to help him.

Travel insurance packages offered by dive shops and motorbike rental shops can be handy for breakdowns of their own equipment.

But when it comes to medical and emergency care, nothing replaces real travel insurance bought from a real insurance company.

Which Travel Insurance Is Right for Me?

There are many travel insurance plans available. You should read carefully on their fine prints and coverage to make sure that you get the right plan on the right price.

If you are still not sure which one to choose, just check out Safe and Not Sorry. It’s our side project that lets you quickly compare and purchase travel insurance.