What to do in a car accident in Thailand?
A Thaivisa reader was involved in a car accident (with minor damage). In his experience, the settlement became rather complicated and he wondered what the correct procedure actually is? There were a number of reactions, two of which I found useful to translate and put this blog.
First comment: In the event of an accident with (minor) damage, all you have to do is call your insurance company. They will – like the counterparty's insurance – send someone to evaluate the case. These two insurance agents will carry out the necessary administrative actions.
If it is a serious accident (with injuries or deaths), the police will probably be the first to arrive, but in any case, call your insurance company.
Do not believe the fables that are told that the foreigner is always to blame. I myself have experienced two accidents, which were not my fault and my damage was properly paid.
Second response: This response starts with the tip to install a dash cam on both the windscreen and the rear window. It was also recommended to have First Class insurance, the telephone number of which you should always have ready.
In this response, too, the insurance company comes first, which you must call immediately. Stay in or near the car and take as many photos as possible, especially if you are not at fault in the accident. In case of serious accidents, do not move the car until the police give you permission to do so. If you or your fellow travelers do not speak Thai, please call someone who can assist you.
Remain calm and friendly, especially to the police, who will often take the path of least resistance to pinpoint the culprit. If you are convinced of your innocence, it is perfectly reasonable not to accept blame.
Our reader question: Do you have any good tips or special experiences with car accidents in Thailand?
The tip to install a dash cam on both the windscreen and the rear window. is, in my opinion, superfluous in terms of the rear window, because the person you drive from behind is always guilty….
Incorrect. In the Netherlands, if you brake abruptly/just like that and endanger traffic, you are certainly guilty.
And even faster you are guilty in such a situation in Thailand, one should also take into account following traffic in Thailand. Still a bit better organized than in the Netherlands. Really and truly.
@Ger, how do you get there, in the Netherlands you have to keep your distance and you are always guilty if you hit someone from behind. Got news for you, this also applies in Thailand. I was in a pile-up on the Expressway from Bangkok to BangNa, and 6 cars hit me from behind because I had to brake suddenly. All (with seven) to the police station in BangNa where everyone had the opportunity to call his/her insurance. When that was sorted out, I was the only one who was allowed to go home without any official report, because, here it is, I was not at fault.
Moderator: please don't chat.
It resembles the utopian world that insurance companies would like us to believe in. One phone call and 'everything has been taken care of'.
Without underestimating the importance of good insurance, I imagine that in the event of an accident in which a partner or child is injured, for example, you will be confronted with practical questions, such as: Can I call an ambulance, is that useful, or is there just transported in a pick-up bed? To which hospital will the injured person be taken and do I have any influence on that? Should I get involved at all or should I just see what happens?
Incidentally, these are of course questions that you can also come into contact with as a pedestrian.
And should I panic if I happen to not have the telephone number of my insurance company with me, or if the phone just runs out of power? Or if there is no 'range' at the scene of the accident?
Well, what can you imagine and to what extent should you prepare for everything imaginable?
And do we all want to think about that?
I am curious about experts by experience and in general I would say: Life is not without risks and many risks are greater in Thailand than in the Netherlands. If you don't want to accept that, then you have a problem. To a certain extent you can minimize the risks, but don't let it become an end in itself.
My experience with the insurance is just fine. Needed 2 times, they come by, draw up a report and everything else is just arranged. In the event of a collision, simply call immediately, they are often quickly on site.
Who is talking about being wrong or not here. The police man is a disaster. With my dash cam on my scooter, they saw how a car driver went to the right of the track, apparently to turn right. But no, it then came back left to its track section. I slammed into the brakes and skidded (very hot weather and asphalt mirror slippery) So I think the car driver made a maneuver (thai and turn signals are rare). I didn't hit the car and the driver drove calmly without looking at whether I was hurt or not. I go to the police with those images, not about guilt or innocence, but just to remind the driver that next time he has to stop and see if the person is hurt.
After the police had viewed the images of my dash-cam, which clearly show that the car driver first went right and then left on the track section, the answer I received was: “The driver has done nothing wrong” If only I had lightly touched the car hit then the gate of the dam was with the car driver and I would even be at fault.
So rest assured that as a foreigner you are at a big disadvantage and with a dash cam the police only see what they want or think they see. What can you say…. plaice
I think that after an accident, the Thai immediately considers which party is the most able to pay for the damage caused. Insurance fraud is not shunned.
A true accident:
At a quiet intersection in the village, a motorcycle collides with a truck.
The engine came from the right and should therefore have given way.
The motorcyclist bangs his head on the street.
He was not wearing a helmet and has serious head injuries.
On one of the corners of the intersection is the police station, so the police were there immediately.
The hospital concludes that surgery is necessary. Cost 50.000 Bath.
The patient is not insured (as usual) and the family does not have the money.
So there is consultation with the truck driver about the question of guilt. The driver is n.m. “WA” insured.
In the end, the driver takes the blame so that the loan of 50kBath can be repaid for the operation (thus committing insurance fraud).
The police are emphatically aloof from this.
The parties had to make a statement about this at the court in the provincial capital.
Some time later, the patient died anyway and that was probably for the best for him and the family, because the brain damage was so severe that he could no longer do anything.
Got hit and run over by a baht bus in Pattaya, opposite the Lotus and only had a broken glass of my left turn signal. A police officer arrived on his motorcycle and after looking at the damage, the baht bus was ordered to pay me 1000 Baht, which he did. It is important that you have a Thai, with me my wife who always rides with you, as everything is arranged in Thai. Mind you, I say a Thai, because even if you speak Thai fluently, you don't have the mentality and the BIB does not want to do business with a non-Thai. Always the first thing to do is call your insurance before the police come, even if there are injured people on the street. The official report and the interrogations are in Thai and you have to sign. If you are alone then you are screwed, the other Thai party is believed. Speaking Thai won't help, trust me. I have also been hit from behind several times and have always been reimbursed for the damage. Also this, if you see an accident, don't stop there, the police or anyone else will immediately assume that you are the culprit and then take them to the police station to find out.
If you drive your car in Thailand, then at least have good insurance with a well-known insurer, which is definitely recommended. In the event of an accident, the insurer also has its own interest.
Not a special experience I guess, but it is one.
I want to make a U-turn and sort very tight ahead, turn signal on. Despite that, a motorbike raced right through the far too small opening, no one would do that, but this one would.
It ends on the ground against the elevation that separates the two lanes. I don't see any damage to his motorbike, he has a hole in his pants on his knee, maybe he was already there, he is very nervous. Okay, we calm him down, he stays calm too, take the motorbike off the street, put the car away.
In order not to lose any further time with a discussion about who would be at fault, i.e. the motorbiker, and not to get into the spiral with the police and have to wait for that, I propose to give the man 1.000 Thb for a new pair of trousers and some sweets . Ah, the man smells money, asks for 2.000 Thb, I already took that into account and offer 1.500 Thb, stating that this is the maximum, otherwise insurers and police will be added. Offer was quickly accepted, done. Correct? Well, sometimes it's better not to go for your ego or right for practical reasons. No hassle, no half a day lost and no attempt with the police to put the blame on me and no hassle with pains in shoulders, back, etc., with all the misery that entails.
Nice day.
Nico B
By offering him money you are already admitting guilt. If you are so convinced that you are not to blame for his fall, I wonder why you would compensate him? It is not surprising that Thais react this way when they have an incident with a foreigner. They are ready with their wallets open in case of...
I assume that this article is aimed at the Dutch/Belgians, etc., who either live in Thailand or stay in Thailand several times a year and/or for a longer period of time. But what about if you are in Thailand for a short / long holiday and what about the insurance. It is also not obvious, as indicated in example 1, that you have to be able to summon someone who knows Thai in case of an accident. From what I understand it is almost impossible for a tourist to escape being found guilty and therefore responsible for (all) damage caused.
As a tourist you usually have rented a means of transport (car or motorbike). Make sure that the landlord has taken out good insurance.
Also make a note of his phone number so that you can call him/her for assistance in case of an emergency.
If that is your starting point in the event of an accident, tourist is always guilty, then you certainly will be, if you have the conviction that you are innocent, then you must propagate that point of view and maintain it, your insurer will assess that further for you, who knows the rules..
This article can also very well apply to short-term and long-term tourists.
How's the insurance going? Before you start driving a car, made available/owned/rented, first check the quality of the insurance.
In Thailand you can take out insurance policies in which only 1 named driver may drive the car, for a small additional premium, each person may drive the car.
If at all possible, having someone you know who speaks your language and Thai can certainly help.
As said before, your insurer also has a, sometimes major, direct interest in the accident, they prefer to let the other insurer pay for the damage.
Good luck and drive carefully.
Nico B
What is important is that you are the first to be authorized to drive a vehicle in a certain category.
So valid driver's license.
Make sure that your vehicle complies with the annual road tax and (any inspection after 5 years) and standard statutory annual insurance.
After this you will get the well-known square sticker.
Make sure your vehicle is technically in order.
Ride your bike make sure you wear a helmet during the accident.
Make sure your vehicle is insured with class 2 or class 1 is the best.
If an accident does happen , they can not attack you for a shortcoming .
Because if you miss one of the above, they will nail you here (the gendarmerie) as Farang for that reason alone.
I ride a motorcycle a lot and a camera on my helmet is always with me.
Have had one mounted on the back of the bike, and you don't know what you see what happens behind you.
Example with driving around 80 km / h on a provincial two lane road and having a bumper sticker behind you , pickup with kangaroo catch bracket and less than 3 meters away from my bike .
You will have to brake suddenly or something.
If you have a minor collision with limited damage and no personal injury to either party, it is better not to inform the gendarmerie yourself.
And why , because they would like to get a share of the accident .
Jan Beute.