Is It Worth Getting Travel Insurance When Visiting Thailand?
Getting travel insurance for a tourist trip to Thailand can be worth it if you can’t afford to lose the money you’ve already invested in the expenses, if you’re traveling to Thailand during the flood season, and if it’s likely you’ll need to delay, interrupt, or cancel your trip.
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Travel insurance in Thailand can reimburse you for expenses lost in each of these situations and more.
This article is for tourists leaning on the edge about whether or not it is worth the money to purchase travel insurance. We won’t push you one direction or the other. The decision is entirely up to you, and we respect that.
Instead, our intent is to give you information about possible reasons that would make it worth it, depending on your unique circumstance, and then you can decide what your situation needs.
You may also be interested in reading our articles about travel insurance for Thailand residents and the best travel insurance and Thailand.
Why Getting Travel Insurance When Touring Thailand Is Worth It
You may consider getting travel insurance for a tourism trip to Thailand worth it depending on factors such as how long you’ll be there, how much you’ve invested into the trip, and if it’s likely you’ll need to cancel. However, this is a subjective question only you can answer.
We’ll present to you several factors worth considering so that you can personally weigh whether or not travel insurance is worth it for any given tourist trip to Thailand.
Travel insurance to Thailand may be worth it for you if:
- You can’t afford to lose the money you’ve already invested
Trips usually come with non-refundable costs such as tours you’ve planned, housing accommodations, and even flight and travel expenses.
If the money you’ve spent on this trip would be a sufficiently significant loss that you can’t fathom the idea of watching every penny being flushed down the drain without you stepping foot on your first plane, it is well worth considering getting travel insurance coverage.
- You plan to spend a significant amount of time in Thailand’s remote areas.
Thailand’s remote areas like Nan, Koh Lanta, and Isan are usually under visited by tourists since they’re more rural. You may be planning to visit or possibly live in a smaller Thailand village for a relatively significant amount of time.
If this is true, it means you’ll have less access to well-equipped healthcare facilities, and you may not be anywhere near a hospital. In the event you have a serious health emergency, you may want travel insurance that covers emergency evacuation and repatriation so you can be transported to the nearest medical hospital for treatment.
Without emergency medical coverage, you’ll pay for everything out of pocket since your U.S. health insurance won’t cover anything out of your home country. Flight and care expenses could rack up faster than you think.
Learn about the best private hospitals in Thailand for expats and tourists and Pacific Prime’s Thailand health insurance plans here.
- It is likely you’ll need to change or cancel your trip plans.
You know your schedule and the surrounding factors that influence it best, such as your big business project coming up, the wedding of your sister in the spring, and your grandmother whose health is quickly declining. There are many reasons that a trip may need to be postponed, interrupted, or completely canceled.
When considering if it’s worth it to get travel insurance for this particular trip to Thailand, you should consider if it’s not very likely or instead incredibly likely this trip will need to be rescheduled. If your life situation leans toward it being more likely, travel insurance may be well worth it for you.
- You’re traveling to Thailand during a season more prone to natural disasters.
Thailand is vulnerable to floods, tsunamis, storms, droughts, landslides, forest fires, cyclones, and epidemics. Thailand’s greatest natural disaster threat, however, are droughts and floods. Every year the monsoon season is from June to October.
If you’re traveling to Thailand and one of these natural disasters have recently happened, are likely soon to happen, or happen while you’re on your trip, having travel insurance can help cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage and personal properties lost and damaged, lost passport, and more.
Read here about the best times and seasons to visit Thailand.
- You’re concerned about theft or lost property where you’re traveling.
You know your travel plans once in Thailand, and if you plan to spend your time in well-populated areas with large crowds, it is more likely there will be pick-pocketers waiting for a chance to swipe your wallet, IDs, and passport.
If this is a worry you have, travel insurance covers lost and damaged travel documents. Getting coverage for these may ease your concerns of being able to leave the country once your trip has come to an end.
- You have multiple flights, connections, train rides or other forms of transportation as you progress across your multiple destinations.
If you’re traveling to Thailand from the United States or another western country, it is very likely you’ll have multiple connecting flights to get there. If your itinerary is packed in tightly and you’re worried about missing possible connections, travel insurance can cover you.
If you miss a connection, you can be reimbursed for the costs of booking a new flight or another form of transportation that is included in your selected policy. Missed connections can also be covered if they are the result of a natural disaster, such as a Thailand flood.
In this scenario, you can also be covered for delayed baggage that may have missed your connection. Some policies will reimburse you for costs of purchasing new clothing and basic toiletries during the time before your baggage can be returned to you.
Learn about the most common transportation methods in Thailand.
If you’d like to learn about Pacific Prime’s travel insurance plans, visit our plan page to read more.
Why To Buy Travel Insurance Through A Brokerage
Brokerages are intermediaries that are hired by the insured to negotiate with insurance companies for policies and inclusions on the behalf of the insured. Buying travel insurance through a broker grants the insured access to compare multiple insurance companies and to receive unbiased advice.
When buying travel insurance, you can choose to purchase from insurance companies through an agent, or you can purchase from a brokerage who works in the middle to simplify the process for the insured.
Pacific Prime is an international brokerage who helps customers land phenomenal travel insurance and health insurance plans around the globe. Because we aren’t tied to any one insurer, we provide impartial advice about several different insurance routes you could pursue.
We want to make you happy, and as a brokerage, we have access to many top insurers that help us make it happen.
Some benefits to purchasing travel insurance through a brokerage like Pacific Prime are:
- We offer comprehensive advice about a wide array of insurance companies and policies for you to choose from
- We offer free insurance advice and planning that is unbiased and without any pressure to commit to anything
- We have over 20 years of relationships with the top insurers around the globe and can use these relationships for your benefit. This includes exclusive knowledge of the local providers in Thailand
- We go above and beyond just securing you a policy as we also provide assistance when you file claims and enter the renewal process
- We are familiar with a variety of insurance needs, including travel insurance, health insurance, corporate insurance needs, and more
If you have any questions about the differences between an insurance agent and an insurance broker and/or why working with us could serve you well, please reach out and give us a call.
We will answer your questions without any pressure to team with us. We sincerely want to help!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is travel insurance good for?
Travel insurance is good to have when you’re traveling internationally because it provides protection and financial reimbursement for situations such as medical emergencies, trip delays or cancellations, lost luggage and belongings, and personal liability for insurance claims filed against you.
Should I buy travel insurance through an insurance agent or broker?
If you buy travel insurance through an insurance agent, the agent’s financial advice will be biased to benefit the insurance company they work for. For this and other reasons, you should buy travel insurance through a broker who is hired by you and loyal to your needs over any one specific agency.
Conclusion: Try Our Free Insurance Quote Generator
Now that we’ve talked through a couple different scenarios that may make buying travel insurance worth it as a tourist heading to Thailand, perhaps you’re ready to learn how to buy travel insurance. If so, check out our linked article that’ll lay out those simple steps for you.
If you’re still unsure about whether or not travel insurance is worth it, we get it!
It’s a tough decision, and one you don’t want to make quickly and end up regretting later (either because you buy it and waste your money or because you don’t and then end up paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for emergency healthcare services halfway around the world).
If you’re still on the edge, we have another resource we know you’ll find helpful. It’s our free insurance quote generator!
All you have to do is select a travel insurance company, plug in some simple information about yourself, such as where you’re going, your age, what type of coverage you’re considering getting, and boom!
You’ve got several quotes from different companies with varying premiums costs and insurance coverage inclusions that you can sort through to get an idea of how much coverage might cost you.
If you have any questions at all after reading this article or doing more of your own research, please reach out to our travel insurance experts. If you send us a message, we are more than happy to give you sound, unbiased advice.
Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).
Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.
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What are the best options for long-term health insurance in Thailand for expats, especially for those with pre-existing conditions? Are there any specific local insurers that provide better coverage for expats than international providers?
For expats in Thailand with pre-existing conditions, international health insurers like Cigna, Bupa, or Allianz offer comprehensive coverage and may include pre-existing conditions after underwriting, though some plans impose waiting periods or premium loadings. Local providers, such as Luma Health or Pacific Cross, often provide tailored plans for expats, with competitive rates and access to top-tier Thai hospitals, but pre-existing conditions may be excluded or require additional riders.
To compare long-term insurance options that suit your needs and budget, use Pacific Prime’s free quote tool or connect with our advisors directly for expert guidance tailored to your situation.
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