Collision in Bangkok
For a long time I wanted to make an appointment with someone in Bangkok, which was postponed again and again due to circumstances.
Today it was finally hit, so on to the capital. When I go to Bangkok I usually take the comfortable regular bus (the bus station is a 5 minute walk for me) to Ekamai and from there by sky train.
Not this time, because my wife's brother offered to take me with the Isuzu Highlander and, to start with the conclusion, I shouldn't have.
I am a man of time, the appointment was at 11 am, so leave Pattaya on time, also take into account the possible heavy traffic on the way. Eight o'clock was the appointment with Kob, the brother, and he arrived at a quarter to nine, this is Thailand, not true!? Of course we left with an empty tank, so that after waiting in line for 5 minutes we had to fill up with petrol. Halfway through Bangkok another stop, because Kob had to go to the toilet. Anyway, on and on, but – and that was not wise of me – I had not taken into account that Kob did not know his way around Bangkok. He counted on me, because I had already been to the place of the appointment before. That was a misunderstanding, because I let myself be driven in Thailand and when I let myself be driven, I sleep in the back seat or I look outside, but rarely at the directions.
So it could happen that at a certain moment, it was already close to eleven, they were looking for the way to Ploenchit in Bangkapi. That turned out to be about 10 kilometers further south. So it could also happen that my driver was not paying attention for a moment and crashed into a vehicle in front at a traffic light. Well, it popped, it wasn't that bad. The passenger car in front of us, a Toyota Corolla Altis, had some damage to the body, uh sorry, plastic damage and our Highlander actually had nothing, just a somewhat bent protective grille at the front.
If something like this happens in the Netherlands now, the cars pull over, the drivers exchange a claim form for the insurance company and Kees is done. Neither the police nor the insurance companies are directly involved in such matters. At least I think so, I personally have no experience with it, because I have always driven damage-free.
No, here in Thailand it is as it may have happened in the Netherlands for decades. I suggested pulling over both cars to clear the road for other traffic, but that didn't happen. First we had to wait for the police and I decided to drink a cup of coffee at a stall first. After about half an hour two policemen arrived on a motorcycle, one directed the traffic and the other did what I had suggested, namely to pull the cars over.
Meanwhile, the first team of 2 insurance experts – from the passenger car – had also arrived, who diligently took photos of the accident, the street situation, the traffic lights and the damage to both cars. After that, everything was listed again on a damage form, including situation drawing, with of course also the data (ID and driver's license) of the drivers. The second team of 2 experts came after another 10 minutes, that of our car, and the whole procedure was repeated.
This simple collision, in which the damage will probably amount to only a few thousand Baht, took almost 2 full hours to deal with, after which we could continue our way.
The appointment was cancelled, but I think you understood that!
Oh, oh.
Gringo as the owner of the car you are not yet at the end of the story.
The insurance will assign you a workshop where the car can be repaired at their expense.
She doesn't care whether that is 30 km to the left or to the right, just take it away and see how you get home.
Whether it is a scratch that you can almost wait at your corner, you have to take it to the place designated by them.
In my case it was just some paint damage.
There you will be told that you will be called in 5 days whether it has been repaired.
In that time they have now used a new windscreen because it had a star in it.
(cost insurance) now I always look at the indelible text that it is a replaced window while driving.
To my great happiness they would bring him after 7 days while I really can't live without it.
Finally I had it in new condition again, at least that's what I thought in front of the door, but to my horror I saw when I drove in that a nice dent had been given to me on the other side.
Then you have to be strong to persuade them to repair that car at their expense because you have always done it for them.
By threatening to disclose the case to the insurance company, they decided to take on the costs.
All in all my car was gone for 12 days.
These days I couldn't come to my appointments.
Well, an accident is in a small corner.
And although my insurance company (Viriyah) also has its “own” workshop (probably owned by a family member of the local insurance office), I can also take my car to another workshop. But then I first had to pay the bill myself and then submit that bill and then I was properly reimbursed for that bill.
Please note, when Thai say "must" they often mean that it is the custom or that everyone does it, but it doesn't always have to be "must".
Just like in NL, you have to make sure that things that have been paid for by the insurance have actually been carried out.
Personally, I would just take my car to the dealer so that you at least have a better chance that parts to be replaced are original.
@Pim: as far as I know, in the Netherlands you also have to have your car repaired at a car repair company contracted by the insurance company.
If you need a car professionally, you can - depending of course on which insurance policy you have taken out - take out a rental car at the expense of the insurance company.
I also had a collision in Thailand (Khon Kaen); bus flew into the back and crushed 5 cars behind me. I myself had some paint damage at the rear and at the front because I was pushed on my predecessor. With me, within a poop and a fart, the insurance inspectors were assessing the damage. I was able to take my car to the designated paint shop the very next day. The damage was neatly repaired and I had my car back within 2 days.
Beautiful the way it goes here. In the Netherlands, most people take advantage of the situation to pad their own wallets: just apply for a profoma note and then have half the damage repaired by the local handyman and then we find it strange that the premiums go up every year. . Fortunately, that is not possible in Thailand. Here they understand how it works; just take your car to the designated garage and it will be repaired. Maybe it goes against the “Dutch commercial spirit”, after all we don't get anything out of it, but the damage has been repaired and that's what it's all about?!
For me it was a long time ago, then an expert came to you in NL and you finished a price.
The insurance company didn't care what you were going to do with that money.
If you approached that skillfully you could earn a lot of money with it.
I'm not going to accuse anyone of this, but I'm not going to tell you how they did it either.
I think they have learned from that in Thailand and without you knowing what the price is, it will just be arranged with the bodyshop.
If I had known this in advance, I would have paid 2000 Thb on the corner and thought about the rest.
I'm only bringing this up because it can happen to anyone and to make you aware of it.
I have the most expensive insurance but I'm not an expert in that area, I had the feeling that you don't get a rental car with such a small damage.
Ask Matthieu who knows for sure in Thailand.
Don't make it so complicated, call your insurance agent, in my case a Dutch office in Huahin and let them solve it.
Don't we do that in the Netherlands too?
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Frank
LOL.
Matthieu is your insurance agent in Hua hin, together with André they also have an office in Pattya.
They know that here in Thailand you have different rules than in NL.
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