Travel Insurance

[dawsey]

Just a quick query for UK travellers especially those with families.Do you bother with travel insurance for Phuket and if so have you any recommended companies to buy from. Thanks
Dawsey

[butterflyblonde]

Originally Posted by dawsey

Just a quick query for UK travellers especially those with families.Do you bother with travel insurance for Phuket and if so have you any recommended companies to buy from. Thanks
Dawsey

To be honest Dawsey i wasnt aware people travel without insurance , if you have an accident in any country without it , your up the creek without a paddle , i always use the same comany i book the flights with
(www.airline-network.co.uk) , not the cheapest at £42 for 3 weeks cover but i am well and truly covered in the event of something bad happening.
As its your 1st time in LOS , just want to give you a very important safety tip regarding traffic , you would not believe the amount of people i see who are busy taking everything in (especially on patong's beach rd) and cross the roads without looking , motorbikes usually corner like a bat out of hell and its not uncommon to get horns beeping at you regularly , make sure you girls understand they must have a good look around before crossing as motorbike accidents are very common indeed , safe journey mate

[Coolhand]

Originally Posted by dawsey

Just a quick query for UK travellers especially those with families.Do you bother with travel insurance for Phuket and if so have you any recommended companies to buy from. Thanks
Dawsey

Definitely - you never know, just read this forum to hear about diabetic comas, sun burn, traffic accidents, etc.- oh as well as theft from the airport. Not trying to put a downer on your trip. I have being going to Phuket regularly for four years and never made a claim, but every year I take out annual worldwide travel cover.
There are loads of policies out there from Tesco's to travel companies, all I can suggest is shop arround - oh and check your credit card company or bank they may be able to offer good deal.

[Mac]

You may well find that your household insurance policy will add on an annual travel policy - worldwide- for a premium. Thailand is outside the EU and so most travel agents charge more for insurance to the Kingdom and an annual premium may well work out less expensive if you travel more than once a year. I know that MBNA do quite a good one for abpout £130 pa.

A word of caution though. I was with Direct Line and when my Camera was stolen by the Police at a border checkpoint in the Sudan they refused to pay because I had not I had not reported the theft to the Police or the British Embassy within 24 hours. My complaint that the British Embassy had been burned down and the Police stole the thing in the first place fell on deaf ears!

I am now with Chubb. When my friend was ill in Thailand they reimbursed me all my hotel expenses and £140 per day "reasonable living expenses". Luckily they did not ask me too much about what I spent the money on!

[eric-the-viking]

Originally Posted by Mac

You may well find that your household insurance policy will add on an annual travel policy - worldwide- for a premium. Thailand is outside the EU and so most travel agents charge more for insurance to the Kingdom and an annual premium may well work out less expensive if you travel more than once a year. I know that MBNA do quite a good one for abpout £130 pa.

A word of caution though. I was with Direct Line and when my Camera was stolen by the Police at a border checkpoint in the Sudan they refused to pay because I had not I had not reported the theft to the Police or the British Embassy within 24 hours. My complaint that the British Embassy had been burned down and the Police stole the thing in the first place fell on deaf ears!

I am now with Chubb. When my friend was ill in Thailand they reimbursed me all my hotel expenses and £140 per day "reasonable living expenses". Luckily they did not ask me too much about what I spent the money on!

do you have the contact details for chubb ?
how much was the policy ?

[Nicke]

Interesting to see how this is done in other countries.

In Sweden a 90 day insurance is included in the household insurance, if you want to stay longer you have to pay for additional months.

Report theft to police and a paper from the doctor for hospital charges is standard everywhere I think.

I have been looking into multinational insurance companies in Thailand and I prefer Swedish ones if possible, there are so many excemptions and rules, e.g. dangerous sports and STDs among other things is not covered. Swedish insurances are usually more easygoing without many pages with exceptions and rules.

[Mac]

The chubb Worldwide insurance is £125pa standard and a little more if you go for the extras. But it is added to the household insurance policy. I sound like a salesman... but key features are:

90 Day limit on continuous travel.
You can't be over 75
50K if you die
£10 million Medical
£250 if your baggage is delayed more than 6 hours
£15K "rearrangement" expenses for unscheduled travel changes.
There is no limit on baggage loss because this is insured under household anyway.

The fun bit is the extras:
£500 per day if you are hijacked or kidnapped
£1000 per day so that someone else can do your business for you while you are kidnapped/hijacked, ill or otherwise detained on holiday....
Up to £25K "necessary expenses" for a friend to "take care" of you while you are ill on holiday. - Needs a Doctors certificate to say it is necessary though!
Up to £15K "rearrangement" expenses if your flight is delayed 24 hours.
£1000 per day for each family member if you miss your departure due to not being able to make it to the airport because Tuk Tuk broke down. (not kidding).
£140 per week for 2 years if you fall into a deep coma. (but you have to be unconcious for a week Eric before it cuts in).
I have read the policy carefully but do not see any public liability insurance under the travel section. There is £2 million under the household cover. There is £100K legal under the household but only £25K legal under the Travel.

Chubb operate through agents. Their main competitor is Hiscox.

Mac

[Bafana]

I normally don't travel with insurance - Medical but that comes with my International Medical cover anyway...

I paid once when I went to Korea back in the early 90's and since then can't remember doing it since. Had soem stuff stolen on a QF out of Joburg to Sydany but Qantas forked up the readdies for that otherwise I don't really travel with anyhting that is worth insuring...