Thread: Motorbike Travel Insurance Cover?

Hello hello, My name is LP and I am 21 from Sydney, Australia and I am planning on travelling to Bangkok on Oct 8 and then moving up to Chiang Mai with my uncle in the hopes of finding an English teaching job with my TEFL certification.

I would like to know, in terms of travel insurance, how can I be medically covered in the event of a motorbike accident? It seems that most travel insurance companies would like you to have your full motorbike licence from your home country, otherwise they will simply not cover you, and most companies say the same thing in regards to this. I do not have even my Learner permit for a motorbike here in Australia, but I know how to ride a motorbike, and will be with my uncle who is quite proficient in riding and plans to teach me how to drive defensively. I know it is a big risk, but one that I think I might have to take. Do I simply have to risk not being medically and finacially insured for an accident?

Thanks,

LP

Fer christsake how long does it take to get a motorbike license in Australia? You have at least two more weeks till your trip . . .

If that is what it takes to get the insurance that you need then it seems pretty obvious that you need to get the license or do without the cover that you want.

I know this is a bit of a fluke, but I was very lucky in this regard. First time I came over here, just for a holiday, I had some pretty standard travel insurance. I hadn't even looked into what I was covered for and was only even vaguely aware that I had insurance at all.

A few weeks into my holiday I was in Chiang Mai, and a group of us were going off to do the bunjee jump. When I went to rent a bike, and saw the heading "licence number" on the form and had no idea what to put (I didn't even know if it would actually be a number, or letters, or what).

Anyway, I got the bike no problems but then had a particularly nasty bike accident. I was shitting it a bit because the costs were really adding up (7 seperate opperations, 6 weeks in Nakornping hospital, a nurse to travel back with me to UK and 9 seats on a Thai airways flight (they took the seats out and attached the stretcher to it).

Insurance companies naturally don't like to pay out if they don't have to, and the fact that I had no licence, and had lied to rent the bike, should have made it all invalid, but somehow they paid out, all together (all medical costs, repatriation and even compensation) to at least 200'000 pound.

Sorry, that's not really helped anything. I would be very surprised if ANY insurance company in the world would knowingly insure someone against an activity they are not qualified to do. If you are really concerned then see above and get a licence. Other than that I can't see how you could get officially covered.

Wow, that sounds pretty lucky to me. That's the thing about riding a bike in SE Asia, its just a really high risk, especially if you are not that experienced.
The deal is, the insurance companies will only insure you if you have your FULL licence from the home country you are from. I do not even have my learner licence (it goes learner, P1, P2 then full licence), and it would take a long time to get this (a few years, I have only 2 weeks).
I am just trying to work out what my options are- the way I see it, I could lie to the insurance company about the nature of the accident (risky, and if it fails could ruin everything for me), I could drive a car instead (which I might be insured for, because I am on my P2 licence), just get a bus, tuk tuk or whatever, or just have to take the risk occasionally, and drive really defensively.

Yeah there are a lot of horror stories. Is there any way I could get cover if I get a Thai riders licence? Maybe even from a Thai insurance company?
In Australia they are really strict on the laws, and you could get in a lot of trouble. And besides in Australia all you have to do is an easy 2 day course to get your Learner licence, and then you can simply go anywhere you like anyway.
Maybe I could just ride a bicycle, or get a tuk tuk or bus to the places I need to get to.

If you are in Bangkok - Taxi it everywhere
If you are in Chiang Mai - Tuk tuk it everywhere
If you are on an island - Song taew it everywhere
Inbetween these places just judge for yourself. There are very few places where a motorbike is really needed (a couple of island it helps, and off the track villages

So I found a travel insurance company called 'Covermore' insurance that quote the following in their PDS:

Motorcycle / Moped Riding
If You wish to be covered for riding a motorcycle (including a moped)
as the driver or pillion passenger during Your journey, You must pay an
extra premium. Please ask the Providing Entity for a quote.
Even if You pay the extra premium You will only be covered if:
• the engine capacity is 200cc or less;
• You are wearing a helmet;
• You are not participating in a professional capacity;
• You are not racing; and
• whilst in control of a motorcycle, You hold a licence valid in the
relevant country.
Note: No cover will apply under Section 16 Personal Liability.

So it looks like all I would have to do is get myself a Thai motorbike licence. Which shouldn't be too hard- I heard you just turn up and pay them some money.

However, does anyone know the process it takes to get a valid Thai motorbike licence?

---Update---

And yes, I am planning on minimising my risk in terms of frequency of motorcycle riding.

Just out of interest as well, how much would the costs of transport for all the different types be, for say a 10km journey on a bus, tuk tuk and all the other forms available

In Chiang Mai, a tuk-tuk costs (or used to cost) less than 60 bht pretty much anywhere in the city.

Getting a motorbike licence here is fairly easy, but I think you need some documents from your embassy, unless you have a work permit.

---Update---

In Bangkok... bus - somewhere between free and about 20bht, taxi - the 14km to work costs me 75bht, Van - depends on distance. The 14km to my work would be 15bht. Motorbike - I'd figure at about 15bht per km. ish. Depends on the roads (it might not be far to drop you off, but they may need to go miles to U-turn and get back to point A). Songtaew - I've never been on one. I guess 10 - 20 bht for anywhere on their route???

Wow that is cheap! I am planning on getting a work permit anyway so that shouldn't be a problem. I just hope that they don't require me to have an Australian motorbike licence in order to get my Thai one (although I doubt it). What documents do you think they might require?

Also, that public transport is amazingly cheap. Thats about $1-2 Australian dollars, maybe not even worth riding a bike anyway!

So I have pretty much worked it out with the insurance company and with the help of some helpful people in this forum, and it looks as though it is quite easy to get myself a Thai riders licence, and insurance cover!