KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians who wish to holiday in Thailand, especially those who choose to drive there, should consider getting full insurance coverage to reduce potential risks should they encounter incidents like traffic accidents.
A Malaysian activist living in Satun, Thailand, Abdul Halim Othman said the matter should not be taken lightly as procedures to resolve accident cases can be complex due to the communication barrier and the high cost of treatment in hospitals in the country.
According to him, most Malaysians have very little knowledge about getting full insurance coverage when they drive their vehicles in Thailand as some wish to save and thought they could resolve such issues easily.
“Actually, as soon as we step past the Malaysia-Thailand border, even for a short meal in Danok, we actually are subject to the regulations of the Thai authorities.
“Insurance will act as our ‘legal aid’ that will come to our rescue. If nothing happens, it’s okay, but if it does happen, it will be tough without full coverage. So you need to remember this before it really happens,” he told Bernama recently.
He said there were four types of mandatory insurance while driving in Thailand, Compulsory Insurance (CI), Travel Insurance (TI), Voluntary Insurance (VI) and Extension 101 Insurance (E101).
Insurance is a condition to enter Thailand and many Malaysians fail to realise the high costs involved for foreigners should they require medical treatment due to motor accidents. he added.
Additional insurance like TI is important, besides VI, which acts to cover compensation to parties involved in the accident, while E101 will cover the Malaysian vehicle involved in the accident.
Abdul Halim, who is also known as Cikgu Joe Satun, has helped scores of Malaysians involved in traffic accidents in Thailand since 2011 on a volunteer basis without seeking any form of payment.
“My wife is from Satun and can speak Thai and Malay, so she acts as the intermediary to deal with authorities or Thai parties involved in the accident.
“On my part, I will contact the Malaysians or the Malaysian ambassador here regarding the documentation needed, without one of us, things can’t be done,” the tourism-based business operator said.
Meanwhile, Azizan Ishak, 62, who was involved in a road accident while riding his motorcycle in Thailand in 2019 and suffered fractures to both his wrists, said that the incident was an eye-opener for him.
He had only gotten the basic CI insurance at the price of RM15 as coverage for his week-long motorcycling trip in Thailand.
“The accident happened while I was on my way from Krabi to Phuket. A four-wheel-drive vehicle entered the right lane suddenly, causing me to hit the vehicle, breaking both my wrists.
“Long story short, the costs involved, including medical fees, transport and compensation reached around RM8,000 in cash. Luckily with Cikgu Joe Satun’s (Abdul Halim) help, it was reduced to around RM3,000 only,” he shared. -Bernama
