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My Travel Insurance Recommendations: Low Excess, Comprehensive Cover

Traveling is an incredibly rewarding experience. It changes your perspective on the world, on life, on yourself.

It's exciting and, once you've booked, all that's on your mind is leaving home.

But while travelling is a largely positive experience, things can go wrong.

You're stepping into the world of the unknown, and with that comes an element of danger.

Whether you break your arm trekking, or have your camera stolen while enjoying a drink with friends in a bar, you need to protect yourself with reliable travel insurance.

I've travelled for over 11 years now, mostly throughout SE Asia. I've seen everything from motorbike accidents in Chiang Mai to baggage lost in Luang Prabang and travelers cheques stolen in Vietnam.

I've met numerous travelers whose plans were ruined because they didn't have adequate insurance. I don't want that to be you.

So to help you fully protect your travel plans, I'm going to tell you what you should look for in a Thailand travel insurance plan, and give you the low-down on best companies to book with.

best backpacker insurance

4 Key Considerations for Your Travel Insurance Quote

The temptation is to just go with the cheapest quote and think, “That'll do”!

After all, the odds of something bad happening are pretty slim. But why risk your health and belongings during the trip of a life time?

Peace of mind is everything when it comes to travel. These moments will be moments to remember, for the rest of your life.

I'll cover these policy aspects below, but as a quick top-level overview, consider the following:

  1. Personal Accident Cover: Sufficient medical is a given, but also consider personal accident cover.
  2. Expensive Items Cover: I always travel with an expensive Macbook. You, on the other hand, might have an expensive camera to document your travels. Make sure these items are covered – because items above a certain value might not be.
  3. Adventure Sports: Will you be partaking in any “risky” sporting activities like mountain climbing? You might need extra cover for these.
  4. *Return Date Policy: Another key policy point to look for is whether or not the insurance company requires a return date when taking out the policy.

*Not having a return flight date invalidates most policies.

This is because the majority of insurance companies create policies aimed at short-term holiday-makers with a set return date.

But you might not want to book a return date, as most travelers to South East Asia and beyond are adventurers looking for more than two weeks on one beach.

In addition, perhaps you have a return date in mind but might want to extend your trip and take out another policy while travelling.

Again, the problem is that the majority of companies do not insure people who are already travelling.

So with all this in mind, you need a travel insurance company that understands the flexible needs of backpackers and long-stay travellers.

And having been there, done it and bought the t-shirt, so to speak, I know the two best companies to use.

Thailand Travel Insurance Recommendations

I’m going to walk you through my two top recommendations, both of which cater for backpackers, long-stay and standard holiday travel, and both of which I have personally used through the years.

Note that the quotes below are in British Pounds (GBP) because that's my home country. To get a quote in your home country's currency, click through to the website (links are below).

Both example quotes are based on the following criteria:

  • Home country: UK
  • Travel duration: 3 months
  • Cover: Worldwide (excl. US & Canada)
  • Age: 40

Obviously your criteria will be different, but this will give you a good idea of the type of quote and level of cover to expect.

Option 1: World Nomads

My first recommendation is World Nomads.

World Nomads provide cover for everything from a basic trip to an adventure holiday and travel that has specific requirements.

World Nomads serves the UK, Europe, US, Canada, Australia and pretty much every other country.

Note that generally, the older you get the more expensive travel insurance becomes. But to be fair, in 11 years it's only gone up around £10 for me.

world-nomad-backpacker-insurance

world-nomad-long-stay--travel-insurance-cover

A bonus trip interruption cover on the Explorer Plan

The quote in the above example is with £75 ($99) excess. You want to get your excess as low as you can, but going for zero will obviously hike up the policy price.

If you're wondering what those quotes are in $USD: Standard Plan is $172, and Explorer Plan is $215.

Once you have made a choice between ‘Standard' and ‘Explorer', you will be taken to a page where you can select what activities you expect to do, and the electronic items you are taking on your trip.

The search engine will tell you whether these things are covered in the policy, or whether you will have to pay extra.

In the example below, I added my MacBook Pro at the maximum value of £750 ($989).

This put the policy up by £45 ($59). But the good news is that World Nomads guarantees that price (if I lose my Mac) with no depreciation. I'll take that.

high-value-electronics-travel-insurance-cover

If I lose my Mac, or have it stolen, they pay me £750 towards a new one.

I do like a kick about with a football, and in the past I have done white water rafting and high altitude trekking.

So I always need to make sure I'm covered if I pull one too many silky skills showing the locals how to play ball, or if I fall and sprain my knee somewhere along the foothills of the Himalayas.

sports-activities-backpacker-insurance

As you can see, bungee jumping is covered but unaccompanied diving isn't, nor is hiking 4,500 metres up a mountain.

I should also note that included in every WN policy is a small donation to a local charitable that seeks to change the lives of the disadvantaged.

We all love travelling to exotic places, and to be able to so easily give something back to the communities we visit is a really cool and necessary thing.

+ Click for World Nomads Quote

Making a Claim with World Nomads

So you had a fall and sprained your wrist. Luckily, you will be insured. But will the company pay out?

It's all well and good a policy being competitively priced, but what you really want to know is whether the company will cover you in the event of a claim.

Like True Traveller, WN has a very good reputation when it comes to claims.

Here's what a World Nomads customer had to say after making a claim after a bad fall:

I fell off a roof in Argentina and shattered my arm. Waking up in a local hospital after an operation was terrifying and World Nomads immediate help saved my arm, perhaps my life and got me home. I can’t imagine navigating that experience without World Nomads.

Both recommendations have a 24-hour emergency service number on the policy document, which you should ring as soon as possible if admitted to hospital. If you're unlucky enough not to be able to call yourself, the hospital can do this for you, or a friend.

Important note: You don't pay the hospital directly for a major incident like this. You will be liable for the excess stated on your insurance policy, but the hospital is dealt with and paid by the company, not you.

For more ordinary cases – think a bout of flu or food poisoning, or material stuff like repairs to your camera or adventure gear – report the issue to the insurance company as quickly as possible.

You will then pay upfront and keep hold of your receipts. You will then submit your claim and send off the receipts (usually when home) and they will reimburse you.

Recommendation 2: True Traveller

Next up is True Traveller.

True Traveller covers every country in Europe. If you are from the US, Canada, Australia or other, use World Nomads.

TT has streamlined its process over the years and keeps things really transparent and simple to understand.

True Traveller offers three policy types, with the ‘Traveller' option the most popular.

The excess for each policy is 125, 75, 35, respectively.

There's a handy feature that simply allows you to turn the excess down to zero and compare the two prices.

Let's start with the excess on:

true traveller backpacker insurance

With excess – cheap as chips

Now, here's what the prices look like with the excess at zero.

best-travel-insurance-cover

Without excess – still very good

Medical cover on the ‘Traveller' and ‘Plus' packages is more than adequate, as is personal liability.

You can exclude the baggage cover to make the quote even cheaper. I always keep that in as I think it's an important inclusion for any trip.

There is an additional option for trip delay coverage.

You also have a choice of 3 activity packs to include in your policy.

The ‘Traveller Pack', which covers 91 activities, is included as standard, but if you're doing outdoor pursuit courses you might need the ‘Adventure Pack'. Or if you're flying an airplane, you'll need the ‘Extreme Pack'!

Winter sports is an optional extra too.

Website tip: Hover over the ? sign to see all included activities in a given package.

best backpacker insurance

I'm sure you'll agree that this is great value. £137.57 ($181) on the ‘Traveller Plan'.

That works out at £1.52 ($2.00) a day!

Even with the ‘Extreme Pack' included, which most people won't need, the ‘Traveller Plan' comes in under £168 ($221).

Making a Claim with True Traveller

They pay out. Period. Have a look at this testimonial sent to me by a TheThailandLife.com reader (cheers Achim).

true-traveller-review

A real testimonial from one of my readers

To prove this isn't a one-off, I browsed their Trustpilot reviews and found so many other positive stories. One that caught my eye was this:

I was unfortunately hospitalised in Nepal with an undiagnosed tropical disease and TT paid out for everything I required at the time including hospital costs as an inpatient for eight days and hospital fees as an outpatient for three weeks after, enabling me to continue my trip.

This is an eventuality I hadn't considered. This chap came down with an unidentified tropical disease, and True Traveller paid for all the care so he could continue his trip.

There would be nothing more upsetting than having to pull out of a great adventure due to illness, and this story shows True Traveller go above and beyond with their customer service.

+ Click for True Traveller Quote

Which Company Should You Choose?

When comparing the two quotes the True Traveller ‘Traveller Plan' (with excess) is cheaper by £15 ($19) on the ‘Standard Plan' and by £20 ($26) on the ‘Explorer Plan'.

You can't really compare the two companies exactly side by side though, because the World Nomad's ‘Standard Plan' falls somewhere between the ‘Value' and ‘Traveller Plans' of True Traveller.

However, the ‘Plus Plan' and ‘Explorer Plan' are fairly comparable, and with excess turned on for True Traveller, the difference is about £20 cheaper in TT's favour.

That said, you do get Trip Interruption cover as standard on the World Nomads ‘Explorer Plan', which might be worth the extra £20 to you.

However, you need to consider whether you require any additional cover such as Winter Sports, Hiking, or cover for high-value electronic items.

Do get quotes from both.

Sure, True Traveller is probably cheaper on a standard trip to Thailand for anywhere between 14-90 days, but if you have additional requirements or want the highest possible cover for medical, personal liability, baggage, cancellations, etc., then get a quote from both as the prices will differ depending on your package.

And if you're reading this and panicking because you've already left home and forgotten to get insurance, or because you decided that going home sucked and you've opted to travel for longer, you're in luck.

Both of my recommendations will cover you while you are traveling in Thailand. True Traveller even has an ‘Already Travelling?' box to tick on the main quote page.

COVID-19 Insurance Requirement

There is currently a mandatory insurance requirement for COVID-19.

Your policy must cover medical expenses for outpatient care of not less than 40,000 Baht, and for inpatient of not less than 400,000 Baht.

For COVID-19 specifically, your policy must cover related medical expenses of no less than 100,000 USD for the whole period of your stay in Thailand.

If you have an existing policy or a preferred company in mind, make sure you check that your policy does meet the minimum requirement.

There are some other aspects of traveling to Thailand at this time that you need to be aware of, so I have written an FAQ post with further details for you, and provided a link where you can compare quotes from companies that provide this specific insurance.

+ Read the COVID insurance post here.

A Final Word

It's important not to skimp on insurance cover. Saving a dime here or there just isn't worth it, because this policy will protect you in the event of an accident, or luggage lost or a flight missed.

Save your haggling for the Thai street markets and give yourself peace of mind throughout your trip with a solid policy from a reputable provider.

We've all read the stories of foreigners without travel insurance having terrible accidents in Thailand (usually on a motorbike). They find themselves stuck in a government hospital, wracking up a massive bill that they can't pay and end up having to start a fund raising page to get home.

Don't let that be you. Policies are very affordable, especially when compared with the cost of your trip.

Safe travels.

+ Get a Quote from World Nomads

+ Get a Quote from True Traveller

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Comments Sort by : newest | oldest

  1. Leonard Levine says

    TAT now has a website which if I understand the phrase "within 15 days" means I'm dead in the water.
    Step 1: Registration for the Certificate of Entry (COE). Results for pre-approval may take three days.
    Step 2: Flight booking on either a repatriation flight or semi-commercial flight. Tickets must be purchased within 15 days after receiving the pre-approved COE.
    Step 3: Book and submit confirmation of the Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotel booking within 15 days after receiving the pre-approved COE. Any ASQ accommodation booked via the “Entry Thailand” system will automatically report the booking status to the COE system, or upload proof of confirmation in the “Entry Thailand” system.
    Step 4: Purchase and submit proof of a COVID-19 health insurance policy within 15 days after receiving the pre-approved COE. Any COVID-19 insurance policy booked via the “Entry Thailand” system will automatically report the booking status to the COE system, or upload documents in the “Entry Thailand” system.
    Step 5: Check the COE status and prepare additional documents before travelling.
    Step 6: Prepare for the journey by downloading and registering with the “Thailand Plus Application”, complete the Thailand Health Declaration, or T.8 Form, as well as prepare other relevant documents for entry into Thailand.
    Learn more about the “Entry Thailand” online platform at http://www.entrythailand.go.th/journey/1.
    According to Steps 2,3 and 4, you must book your travel ticket, book your ASQ hotel and get your health certificate within 15 days of getting your COE. I booked my RT flight on April 16th, booked my ASQ hotel in late March and will receive my COE in May. Does this mean I can't enter Thailand on June 16th?
    Reply

  2. JamesE says

    Leonard, I couldn't Reply directly to your post for some reason. Yes. That would work fine. The important thing is not the signatures, my coverage certificate has none as well, it's the stamp in the bottom middle of your example and the coverage limits for COVID-19. My agent issues a certificate that specifically states that coverage includes Thailand which he says helps. It also doesn't have to be a Thai company. I'm in the US but my coverage is through Hey Mondo, a Spanish company, and underwritten through AXA also in Spain. I had no problem getting my COE and entering Thailand back in January.
    Reply

  3. Leonard Levine says

    James E. Here is a sample health certificate letter on AXA letterhead. Notice that it has no signatures! Only the name of the policyholder. the policy number, the amount of coverage for any COVID-19 virus-connected medical problems.

    Link to letter.

    If such a letter were written on ____letterhead, with the same information, by an American health company.would Thai immigration accept it if the policyholder could show his membership card with the same policy name and ID?
    Reply

  4. DaveeB says

    I understand that to travel to Thailand the travel insurance policy must specifically state that it includes $100,000 treatment for Covid-19 should it be contracted whilst traveling. I've drawn a blank in finding such cover; are you aware of any insurance companies that so so?
    Reply

      • DaveeB says

        Many thanks for the feedback. I've found a broker in Thailand that has quoted £210 a month for a My Travel policy with April International that includes Covid-19 cover for up to $100,000. Cigna have quoted £250 for more general inpatient health insurance worldwide cover less USA that also includes cover for Covid-19 (verbally confirmed with a sales agent). Prudential Thailand quoted me £185 a month but for 3M Baht inpatient cover in Thailand only. I'll check out Safety Wing Remote insurance and continue the research!
        Thanks again ...
        Reply

  5. James E says

    So, here's my take on insurance: Never bet against the house. Most people are governed by fear - they see a news article or hear a story about something bad happening somewhere and immediately project themselves into that scenario. They want to be protected against eventualities which are so unlikely to happen that an organization - the insurance company - is willing to take a 100:1, or 1,000:1, or 10,000:1 bet that they won't. You're the one putting the money on the table but they're the one who always take it off. The reason is that they have the statistics and you don't. They know how many times luggage gets lost - it's down around 0.02%. They know how frequently people end up in the hospital. They know how often a reservation is denied or planes are canceled. They know all this and yet they are still willing to take the bet. Because, from a statistical point of view, they always win. If you have any doubts that this is true have a look at any publicly traded insurance company's financial statement. Sure bad things happen and they happen all the time but consider even statistically impossible things - like winning the lottery - do too (sadly never to me, but I'm dealing with it). Now, this is not to say you should never be protected. You might have a medical condition or a business need that dictates extra financial protection is needed. But this is because you *know* that, in your case, the statistics are not the same as for the typical traveler. But, absent those conditions, you will get much better protection for your money by getting a quote and paying yourself the premium. That way you'll be - statistically speaking - on the winning side of the bet. Now, this advice is not applicable if you are required by law or regulation to carry an extra insurance policy but that's a different subject.
    Reply

      • James E says

        Which was, indeed, first codified by the Lloyd's underwriters in the 1600s. And, under which they have been raking in the big bucks ever since. Insurance is one of the scams perpetrated upon us under the worst-case scenario effect of whatever gene expresses empathy. We see or hear of something bad happening and immediately put ourselves in their shoes while at the same time completely ignore the overwhelming weight of the good things that happen to everybody else. It could be argued that the global economy has been built of a foundation of fear. My two favorite examples are bicycle helmets and anti-bacterial hand soap. There is no evidence that the use of bicycle helmets reduce the total number of deaths and injuries sustained by bicyclists. However, bicyclists who fall and hit their heads *believe* that the helmet protected them. AND (in a study in NSW) bicycle helmet use actually increased other kinds of injuries, like broken arms. I've read that this could be attributed to kids not learning the true consequences of risky behavior early on and being even less able to assess risk as they age. The hand soap thing is a true Law of Unintended Consequences rearing its ugly head type thing. Antibacterial hand soap is better at killing bacteria than regular soap - in a laboratory setting. However, it is not better than regular soap at removing bacteria by washing your hands. Which, it can be stated without irony, is the purpose of washing your hands in the first place. The unintended side-effect is that antibacterial soap actually provides an environment that selects the strongest germs for survival and in short order leads to an increase in the bacteria population that is basically immune to its effects. People still buy it by the tanker-full because they believe it protects them. Similarly, insurance. People buy it because they think it protects them. But you are still going to get mugged and spend hours dealing with the police, your MacBook Pro is still going to vanish off the luggage cart, and your vacation is still going to be ruined when Mt. Pinatubo forces your return flight to be rerouted into Caracas. You still have to deal with that mess in exchange for a pittance of a check. But, since those bad things don't happen with any statistical certainty, NOT buying insurance will still net you more money to cover the bad things that MIGHT happen than the insurance company will pay out if you do buy into their scheme. Insurance companies know this but they're not going to tell you.
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Not convinced about helmets. Though controlled studies would be unethical to prove your theory. For me a broken arm is better than a fractured skull and potential brain damage. Children in particular are at great risk of head injuries from falling off scooters and bikes. Anyway, that aside... I agree that most people will never need to use insurance and I could probably buy two new MacBooks for all the insurance I've taken out. But I don't want to be that guy in a Chiang Mai hospital who can't leave because he owes thousands in medical bills after being hit by a drunk driver. I'd rather just pay the 100 odd quid travel insurance and know that if I fall ill after a dodgy curry, I will be well taken care of.
          Reply

  6. Daniel says

    I hear mixed stories on the need for insurance in Thailand. Some say medical care is so inexpensive that better to self insure (which I guess is another way of paying out of savings). Here in the US medical care is so unbelievably expensive - even a couple of days in a hospital can cost a fortune. Short of heart surgery can medical care in Thailand be that expensive?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Hi Daniel,It really depends on your requirements. If you are on a short or long stay holiday, or you stay in Thailand for the majority of the year but always return home once or twice a year, then travel insurance that covers long trips of more than hundred 180 days will probably suffice.However, if you are an expat who rarely returns home, then you will need medical insurance. You can get local medical insurance from a company like BUPA Thailand, for example. For around 5 to 20,000 Baht per month - depending on your age and any pre-existing conditions - you can get good cover that will enable you to access private hospitals.That said, some people want medical insurance that will cover them in Thailand, in other countries that they may visit on holiday, and cover them when they visit back home. It really depends On your requirements and your budget.If you want a rough idea of what proper medical insurance cover will cost you, fill out this quote generator here: It takes 2 minutes.
      Reply

  9. Jaro Kovaricek says

    Hello. Many thanks for your useful advice on many topics. In the "bad" old days I used to travel without fixed itinerary, just went as it suited me. However, nowadays I can't find a travel insurance offering this kind of freedom. They always ask for the fixed days of start and return with the air tickets booked accordingly. Do you know any insurance company being more liberal in this regard? Thank you.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      The majority of insurance companies require you to have a return or open ticket booked to take out a policy. Most people don't read the terms and conditions and take out the policy without the return ticket, which invalidates the policy.

      Both my recommendations do not require your return ticket to be pre-booked or booked to take out a policy. This is a primary reason I began using these companies, because I often just book one way. Another reason is that they will insure me while I'm travelling, should I extend my trip. Just enter your proposed start and return dates.
      Reply

  15. Lesley says

    So happy to have across this. I tossing up now between TT and WN, there's not much in the quotes so it's down to preference really. I don't have a return flight date and I'll be doing trekking and diving. I also just bought a new MAC so I want to make sure all this is covered. Thanks for your tips. I'll be back to read your blog when I hit Thailand in March.
    Reply

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