Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help anyone?

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thebears
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Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help anyone?

Post by thebears »

Hi. I need to renew my compulsory motor insurance, which costs 645.-- per year. The policy is with Thai Development Insurance, but I want to renew it at a local shop - my Thai is not good enough to deal over the phone. Can anyone suggest a place please? Where should I go to?

Also, the expiry date of the current year's policy is 28-May-12, but my vehicle tax expires a few days before. This may sound like a stupid question, but should it be possible to get the next year's policy to start on 29-May-12? The tear-off slip is needed in order to re-tax the vehicle a few days before.

Last year when someone renewed the policy for me, the new policy didn't follow-on from the old, so I wasted a couple of weeks. Thanks and sorry for the ignorance, but nothing seems logical here.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by mat »

There is an office in Cha-Am where you can buy the compulsory and pay the roadtax, people that live in Cha-Am can tell you where it is exactly. Premium for compulsory is the same everywhere. Or just go to a motorbike dealer, almost all can take care for compulsories and the roadtax (for a small fee).
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

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mat wrote:There is an office in Cha-Am where you can buy the compulsory.
Ah, I see - many thanks. Are you referring to the Land Transport Office? I always go to the Land Transport Office, just north of the town, in order to renew the road tax. I didn't realise it was possible to also renew the insurance there. Is that where you are referring to? Thanks.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by VincentD »

The company that does your standard insurance should be able to do it for you. I get mine posted to me once they're done. Note that once your car passes the seven-year mark, you'll have to pass the Thai version of the MOT before you'll even qualify to get the compulsory insurance (aka Por Ror Bor).
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by Nereus »

thebears wrote:
mat wrote:There is an office in Cha-Am where you can buy the compulsory.
Ah, I see - many thanks. Are you referring to the Land Transport Office? I always go to the Land Transport Office, just north of the town, in order to renew the road tax. I didn't realise it was possible to also renew the insurance there. Is that where you are referring to? Thanks.
Yes, the same place. :cheers:
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by mat »

What Vincent writes is correct. I presumed you did not have a voluntary insurance. But if you have a 1st, 2nd or 3rd class extra insurance, it is much better to obtain the compulsory at the same company. If you have an accident where a third party is injured, the first part of the hospital costs will be paid by the compulsory, if that amount is not sufficient, your voluntary insurance kicks in. When these are 2 different companies, the situation can become complicated.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

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mat wrote:What Vincent writes is correct. I presumed you did not have a voluntary insurance
Thanks for your replies, both of you. Yes, that's correct. I have only the compulsory insurance. I have been to Cha-Am Land Transport Office and the whole process was easy. I saw the lady at the insurance desk and gave her a copy of last year's compulsory insurance document, simply by way of reference. I also gave her the tabien-rot book. She then sorted out the next year's and handed it over the desk for the cashier to sort out. After twenty minutes or so, the tax sticker was ready and I paid each of them separately.

However - the insurance does not follow-on from the remainder of this year's. This year's ends on 28th but the new policy starts today 10th. The same thing happened last year.

Why is this? It seems somewhat illogical that one cannot renew the tax sticker, without having the tear-off slip at the bottom of the insurance document. But when I renewed the tax last year, the tear-off slip from this year's policy was used then. It's bizarre. But never mind - it's only a week or so lost.

May I ask another question? Is it possible to purchase a better level of cover from the same person (Thai Development Insurance) at that desk in the Land Transport Office?

Essentially, what I'd like is a policy which covers damage to another person's property, either themselves or their vehicle, in the event of an accident.

I do not want a ridiculously expensive policy that covers my own car. Previously I was paying 20,000 THB per year cover. This is more than double the price I was paying in UK for a similar policy.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by VincentD »

20,000 baht for first party insurance is about the market standard. The local insurance companies refuse to continue with this after the car is 15 years old (the reason I sold my Saab turbo). You can get what is called '2+' for about half the price, it covers a bit more than third party but conditions apply.

As a non-Thai person driving in this country, I would strongly advise going for the best that you can afford as most locals look on the non-Thais as walking ATMs. This is especially so when there has been an accident. I've seen some of them demanding exorbitant amounts where there is no insurance coverage, even between locals. Doesn't matter whether it's your fault or not, you (as a non-local) are expected to have the insurance policy that will cover all the repairs.

Note that insurance coverage here is taken as a licence to get repairs for free; I know at least one person in the office who, when noting that the first party insurance was going to expire, called up the insurance company demanding a full body paint job. She got what she asked for.

Oh, and don't compare anything here to what you had in the UK. They don't read the same rule book.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

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Another point that people should be aware of: the maximum cover to a 3rd party vehicle under any class of insurance is 1 Million Baht by default. This can very cheaply be increased for about 100 Baht / Million on request. Write off a 3rd party 5 Million Baht BMW / Benz or whatever in an accident, regardless of you not being at fault, and you could find yourself up for a large liability. :cheers:
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by dtaai-maai »

^^A good tip that I hadn't considered - thanks. :cheers:
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by thebears »

Thanks for the replies to my question. Originally Mat mentioned 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, in addition to compulsory cover. It would be helpful for future reference, if someone could list the possible types of policy, by name or class, including the compulsory policy, because some of this information provided is very subjective.

The replies do not for instance make it clear if it is possible to obtain a third-party-only cover, or if that "2+" policy already mentioned is a third-party-only cover. Please avoid any personal opinions on whether it is advisable or not to deploy a certain cover - a list would be more helpful.

Thanks.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by mat »

@thebears: Okay, here we go:

Compulsory: Every registered motor vehicle in Thailand must have the CTPL (compulsory third party liability). The premium for and coverage of a compulsory is the same with every company. For a 4 door car this is 645.21 baht. You have to show a valid compulsory when you pay the road tax (that's how it is checked). The compulsory only covers for bodily injury/death and not for very high amounts.

Besides the compulsory you can choose to take out a voluntary insurance.
All the voluntary insurances below normally also provide coverage for personal accident/medical expenses for driver and passengers of the own car and bailbond. Besides that they cover for:

3rd class:
Bodily injury/death of a third party + third party property damage.
2nd class:
Same as third class + fire and theft of the own car
1st class:
Same as 2nd class + damage to the own car
2 + 1:
Same as 2nd class but also damage to the own car is covered (up to the insured sum), but only in case of an accident with another motor-vehicle and if the identity of the other party is known. The big differences with 1st class: If you drive into a tree with 2 + 1 the damage to your car will not be covered. If somebody drives against your car and runs of so you don't have the identity, it will not be covered. The last 2 examples would be covered with a 1st class. 2 + 1 is usually a good alternative for cars that can not be insured 1st class anymore because of the age, of course it is cheaper then 1st class.
3 + 1:
Same as 2 + 1, only fire and theft are not covered.

Hopefully this gives you an idea.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by VincentD »

thebears wrote:...Please avoid any personal opinions on whether it is advisable or not to deploy a certain cover - a list would be more helpful.
Thanks.
That advice was given in good faith, seeing as you do not seem to have been here very long and don't seem to understand the underlying culture ripples when you actually have to deal with locals on their terms. If you look at Mat's list he goes on to say the compulsory insurance is limited at best.

Nereus sums it up best:
Nereus wrote:Another point that people should be aware of: the maximum cover to a 3rd party vehicle under any class of insurance is 1 Million Baht by default. This can very cheaply be increased for about 100 Baht / Million on request. Write off a 3rd party 5 Million Baht BMW / Benz or whatever in an accident, regardless of you not being at fault, and you could find yourself up for a large liability. :cheers:
Have a nice day.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

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mat wrote:Hopefully this gives you an idea.
Perfect, that's very helpful. Thanks indeed for this and to the others too for responding.
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Re: Renewal of compulsory car insurance in Cha-Am - help any

Post by thebears »

VincentD wrote: That advice was given in good faith...
My apologies Vincent, it was my mistake.
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