Do I need insurance in Thailand? Can you really do without it?

When going on a trip to an exotic country of South-East Asia most tourists think that taking care of their life and health insurance in this case means adding an unnecessary trouble. But in fact, insurance in Thailand today is easy and fast, and its cost is no comparison with the money you can spend if something extraordinary happens. Today we’re going to tell you about whether you actually need an insurance policy and how much it will cost and what to look out for.

Save-or-not?

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The main reason for traveling to Thailand without insurance is the desire (understandable) to save money, because in our times of crisis you can’t economize much, the income is falling, prices are rising, and some people have credits as well. But let’s look at a few typical cases faced by almost every third tourist in this country. And assess how economically justified such a … pardon, stinginess.

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    • Heatstroke-and-sunburn

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      You go to a country with a tropical climate. Heat and scorching sun are as common there as slush and snow. Having sat for about half an hour on a beach outside the shadow zone, you are guaranteed to get a first-degree burn (quite often and II) of more than 50 percent of the whole body surface. If you forgot to wear a cap – and heat stroke in the load. And you can get overheated in Thailand, even in cloudy weather.

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    • food poisoning

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      Thai cuisine is unfamiliar to us, and dining at a street makashnitsa is fraught with real poisoning. You don’t know how long that rat stew (by the looks of it) has been marinating without a refrigerator.

    • Injury-cut, bruise

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      If you like outdoor activities, you can’t do without an adventure in Thailand. In the hot climate a cut or a splinter without treatment will fester in a few hours. And any surgical service in Thailand costs at least 3,000 baht.

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    • Cold or sore throat

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      It’s easy to catch a cold in the heat: after the excursion you get into the bus steaming hot and get under a stream of cold air from the air conditioner. Chilled drinks from the bar are just as effective for getting a sore throat.

    What’s the bottom line?

    These are the simplest and most common cases encountered by many Russian tourists. For most of them it turns out to be an unpleasant surprise that medical services in Thailand (even if it is a municipal clinic) are among the most expensive in the world. And certainly none of those who have fallen into the hands of private physicians, subsequently asked: “Do I need insurance in Thailand? If you still think that you can cope by yourself, add to the price the cost of interpreters, and the tests that are paid separately. Minimum bill for medical services is 3 thousand baht. More complicated cases are priced at 10,000 baht, and it is better not to mention catastrophes at all.

    Where to buy insurance?

    Everyone is free to decide for themselves whether they need insurance for a trip to Thailand. But if you have already dismissed this question, there is (probably) another: where to buy it? On the Internet today there are three insurance giants that are popular with the citizens of the CIS countries:

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    1. Cherehapa.ru – the largest service, there is a full list of types of insurance policies from leading insurance companies in Russia: Alpha Insurance, Ingosstrakh, Liberty, VSK Insurance House and many others. A single basic medical insurance for $35,000 costs from 900 to 4 thousand rubles. Full FAQ about this resource.
    2. Sravni.ru – a younger counterpart, but managed to take the lead in the market of insurance search after Cherehapa. It compares insurance policy prices among 15 companies (possibly more): Absolute, Alfa, VTB, Zetta, Ingosstrakh, Intach, Renaissance, Soglasie, Liberty, Rosgosstrakh and others.TripInsurance.ru – unlike the 2 listed above, this service searches the insurance policies in its database only, but cooperates with the serious assistance provider Mondial (now Allianz), the world leader in medical assistance abroad and renowned for its reliability and high prices. Read more about this site.

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