Thailand Travel insurance and Worldwide travel insurance

The travel insuarnce market place is a crowded one. It makes a lot of sense to look at the differences in policy details, in what is covered and what is not. It makes even more sense to read well beyond the marketing headlines and to review  that horrible small print - where the devil lurks. When we did an extensive comparison of top travel insurance policies for sale online, we were often amazed by what some insurers listed in their exclusions, and by the cost range among different travel insurance providers.

Many online travel insurance providers seem to make it easy to get a quote, but their policies are often restricted to nationals of a particular country travelling abroad. Some policies may only be valid if you are an American citizen travelling outside of your home country. Some may not be valid if purchased by UK nationals. Which is why it makes sense to choose travel insurance that takes this risk out of the shopping choice. Our most loved travel insurance provider offers cover to nationals from over 140 countries and makes buying a policy simple. Just click to tell them where you are going, select your country of permanent residence, tell them how long you will be away and you are good to go.

With so many travel insurance companies excluding all manner of sports or fun activities from what is covered, it is nice to find a policy that includes things such as skiing. You are unlikely to want ski cover in Thailand - but you may want to get insurance for a later trip to the Alps, to the adventure sports king of Queenstown in New Zealand, or the slopes of Sapporo...

Insurance for travel to Thailand or elsewhere is one of those annoying purchases. You know you should buy it, but hope you never have to use it. But should you ever need to make a claim, it is good to know that you can claim online.

We like the idea that when you buy your policy you can actually do good elsewhere in the world. What is known as a micro donation can be made to selected charities and organizations at the time of purchase. A couple of dollars may not mean the world to you, but a world of dollars collected from a million of travellers can - and has -  made a huge difference to lives around the world. Not only that, but you can select which programme you would like to assist.

Medical cover for illness and accidents

The first thing that comes to mind when making the decision to get a policy is ensuring that you can get good medical treatment abroad. Nobody wants to have an accident or fall sick on vacation, or to end up either in some ICU unit in Japan which will bleed you dry, or in some filthy clinic in a thrid world country because - whoops - they forgot to cover themselves.  Remember, check the small print.

But also much, much more...

We strongly encourage you to read through your travel insurance policy in detail. Not just because you need to know that your policy is right for you and the trip you plan, but also because it may well cover things that you had not even though about. 

 Put yourself in these situtations.

• I have planned a trip to Thailand and paid for my flights and hotels. But my mother has just died and I need to cancel my trip. Am I covered?
• I missed a connecting flight and the airline says it's my fault. I'm stuck at the airport and need to buy a new ticket. Am I covered?
•  My notebook was stoled from my hotel room. Am I covered?
• My travel agent has gone bankrupt and I and my family are stuck in Tunis. The hotel and airline companies want money from me. Am I covered?
• My son has developed a sudden fever and red spots on his skin. The clinic says he has dengue fever and needs to be hospitalized immediately. Is he covered?