Can I cancel my holiday to Thailand free of charge?
Many tourists are shocked by the coup in Thailand. TV images show armed soldiers in the streets of Bangkok. Some therefore want to cancel an already booked holiday, but is that possible?
The editors asked the specialists of Reisverzekeringblog.nl and the answer is clear: No. As long as the Calamity Fund does not issue a limitation of coverage, you cannot cancel free of charge for a package holiday. If you have only booked a flight ticket, cancellation is also not possible. You can of course decide not to go, but then you will lose your money.
The Consuwijzer website contains some useful information for tourists:
Can you cancel a trip to Thailand because you fear for your safety?
You can always cancel. But you will not get your money back just like that. Below you can read what your rights are with a package holiday and with a separate flight ticket. And what you can do right now.
Have you booked a package holiday to Thailand?
A package holiday is a flight with accommodation or a flight with a round trip. The following applies to a package holiday:
Please contact your travel organization. They decide whether to travel to Thailand. Perhaps the travel organization changes your trip or offers you another trip. Discuss this with your travel organization.
Another trip must be equivalent to your booking. Otherwise, you can ask for part of your money back or cancel at no cost.
Will your booked trip to Thailand continue? And you don't want to go?
Then you can only cancel free of charge if it is too unsafe for everyone to travel in the area where you are going. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides information about security in all countries. Or the Calamity Fund determines a (imminent) calamity. That can help you to show that the situation is really too unsafe.
Has the Calamity Fund set a coverage limit for your holiday area? And is your travel organization affiliated? And you leave within 30 days? Then you can always cancel without costs.
Have you bought a separate flight ticket to Thailand?
You can try to cancel or change your ticket. Do you want to know what that costs? Then look in the conditions of the airline. The airline is only obliged to reimburse your ticket if your flight is cancelled.
Additional information
Calamity fund
When the Calamity Fund issues a coverage limitation (also known colloquially as negative travel advice), travelers can cancel their trip free of charge from 30 days before departure. The travel organization must then be affiliated with the Calamity Fund.
Cancellation
You can only use the cancellation insurance under one of the cancellation conditions. The cancellation conditions concern personal circumstances, such as illness of yourself or a family member. The situation in Thailand is not covered by the cancellation insurance, so there is no solution in this case.
Source: www. Consuwijzer.nl and www.reisverzekeringblog.nl
Small addition for those who have booked a ticket through KLM and leave before June 19; between 22 and 29 May you can rebook the ticket (1x outward + 1x return) to another destination for free if the airport of arrival/departure is BKK (Bangkok).
A refund is only possible if KLM cancels the flight or if there is a delay of more than 3 hours and you do not fly.
More deets: http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_nl/prepare_for_travel/up_to_date/flight_update/index.htm
Disclaimer; This is how I understand the rules. Don't hold me responsible for this. Read it yourself and check with the appropriate authorities for any confirmation.
I am going to Thailand with my Thai wife in October.
Will be visiting family in particular.
Vacation is recorded and paid for.
Not knowing what the situation is, I assume
that we don't get in trouble.
So far I have no reservations about not going.
My girlfriend and I are leaving the day after tomorrow (Thurs 29th May). We booked 2 hotel nights in Bangkok and then stayed in Pattaya for 4 nights. (Hotel overnight also already booked and paid for). After that we have another 2 weeks to orient ourselves where we want to go next. 1st option is if the curfew is lifted we stay in Thailand and our 2nd option is if the curfew is not lifted we want to travel to Cambodia. So it remains for us to wait and see what will happen. We are now coming to Thailand for the 2nd time, but we are very excited about what is to come.