Compulsory motor insurance and voluntary car cover

The Protection for Motor Vehicle Accident Victims Act B.E. 2535 requires every vehicle owner to maintain cover. Victims receive initial compensation set by the ministerial regulation in force without waiting for fault to be proved, and the balance once liability is established. Those sums are revised periodically, so verify current figures with the OIC at oic.or.th. This cover addresses death and bodily injury, not vehicle repair.

Class 1 covers damage to your own vehicle even with no other party involved, and includes theft and fire on the stated terms. Class 2+ covers your own vehicle only in a collision with an identified land vehicle and usually includes theft and fire. Class 3+ likewise covers collision with a land vehicle but excludes theft and fire. All classes provide third-party liability up to the sums in the schedule.

The police daily record identifying the parties and circumstances, the surveyor's claim slip, photographs of the scene and damage, medical receipts with a medical certificate, and copies of the driving licence and vehicle registration. If the other party is a foreigner or you settle privately, put the settlement in writing in both languages to prevent later disputes.

Compulsory insurance under the 1992 Protection for Motor Vehicle Accident Victims Act covers bodily injury to victims up to statutory limits and is required for annual tax renewal. Voluntary cover (classes 1-3) covers property and own-vehicle damage per the policy. They are complementary, not alternatives.

Compulsory insurance under the Road Accident Victims Protection Act covers death and bodily injury of accident victims only, never the vehicle. Voluntary class 1 covers the insured's own vehicle even at fault and includes theft and fire. Class 2+ covers own damage only in a collision with an identified land vehicle. Class 3 covers third-party liability only. The right choice depends on the value of the vehicle and the risk the owner can absorb.

The common ones are notifying the insurer without delay as the policy requires, submitting claim documents within each policy's deadline, the insurer's right to avoid the contract within one month of learning the ground and no later than five years from inception, and the two-year limitation period for suing on an insurance contract from the date of loss. Claims for initial compensation under the Road Accident Victims Protection Act have their own separate deadline. Record the incident date and every filing date.

Compulsory insurance under the Protection for Motor Vehicle Accident Victims Act covers only bodily injury within limited sums and never the vehicle. Voluntary cover must list the actual drivers; if a driver holds a foreign licence that is not recognised under the applicable convention, the insurer may refuse the claim. Translate and certify the licence or convert it to a Thai licence first.