After a road accident in Thailand, get help for anyone injured first (1669 for an ambulance), then call the police on 191 and make sure an officer records the accident. That police record unlocks the compulsory insurance every Thai vehicle must carry, known as Por Ror Bor, which pays initial medical costs of up to 30,000 baht per injured person without waiting for anyone to be found at fault.
This page follows the order things usually happen in: the scene, the hospital, the police station and the insurance claims afterwards. It is general information from the Thai insurance regulator, the UK and Australian governments and hospital pages, checked in October 2026. It is not legal or insurance advice; for your own case, your insurer, your embassy or a Thai lawyer decides.
Road accident in Thailand: numbers and limits (October 2026)
- Ambulance
- 1669 (or 191 and ask for an ambulance)
- Police
- 191; Tourist Police 1155 for help in other languages
- Por Ror Bor, no-fault payment
- Medical costs up to 30,000 baht per person; 35,000 baht for death or permanent disability
- Por Ror Bor, maximum
- 500,000 baht for death or total permanent disability (since 1 April 2020)
- Deadline to claim
- 180 days from the accident
- Insurance regulator
- Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), hotline 1186
The first minutes: injuries, 1669 and 191
Check yourself and others for injuries, get out of the traffic if you can do so safely, and call 1669, Thailand's emergency medical number. The UK Foreign Office adds that you can also dial 191 and ask for an ambulance. If nobody speaks Thai, the Tourist Police on 1155 can help with language; our page of emergency numbers in Thailand explains what to say on each line.
A common worry is that a Thai hospital will refuse a badly injured foreigner who cannot pay. Under the emergency care rules known as UCEP, revised by the Thai Cabinet on 15 September 2026, hospitals must treat critical emergency patients immediately "without making treatment conditional on payment". That does not make the care free. The same rules say motor-accident insurance and other insurance must be used first, and Thailand's emergency medicine institute has said hospitals claim a foreign patient's costs from their life, health or travel insurance. Our page on whether Thai hospitals require a deposit explains where that line falls, and the guide to hospitals in Thailand covers private and public care.
The police and the daily record
Call 191 and ask for the police to come, even if the crash looks minor and the other side suggests settling on the spot. The written record the investigating officer makes, the daily record (bantuek prajam wan, บันทึกประจำวัน), is the document the insurance regulator lists for disability and death claims, and hospitals ask for it when they bill compulsory insurance.
Some websites say Thai law forbids moving vehicles before the police arrive. We could not find an official source for that rule, so we do not state it. Follow the officer's instructions when they come, and before anything is moved, if it is safe to do so, photograph:
- both vehicles and their number plates, from several angles;
- the position of the vehicles on the road, skid marks and any traffic signs;
- injuries, damaged helmets and clothing;
- the other driver's licence and the vehicle's insurance details, if they agree.
At the station your statement will be taken in Thai. Ask for an interpreter, ask for a copy of the record, and do not sign anything you do not understand. Our guide to the Tourist Police explains how they can help at this stage. If the police hold you after a serious crash, the rules in our page on being arrested in Thailand apply, and your embassy should be told.
Por Ror Bor: the compulsory insurance on every Thai vehicle
Every vehicle on Thai roads must carry compulsory motor insurance. Thais call it Por Ror Bor (พ.ร.บ.), the Thai abbreviation for "act", because the cover is set by law. It covers death and bodily injury, not damage to vehicles, and it works in two stages, according to the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), the Thai regulator.
| Stage | What it pays (per person) | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Initial damages | Medical costs up to ฿30,000; ฿35,000 for disability or loss of organs; ฿35,000 for funeral costs after a death; combined maximum ฿65,000 | Paid without proof of fault, within 7 days of the insurer receiving the claim |
| Further compensation | Medical costs up to ฿80,000; up to ฿500,000 for death or total permanent disability; ฿200 a day as an in-patient, up to 20 days | Only once the other side is found liable |
The death and disability maximum was raised from 300,000 to 500,000 baht from 1 April 2020, under a registrar order reported by the Thai General Insurance Association. The OIC's own explainer page, last updated in 2016, still shows the old 300,000 figure, which is why you will see both numbers online.
One rule surprises many riders. If you were driving the insured vehicle and you were at fault, or nobody else is liable to you, the insurer pays only the initial damages. The larger amounts are for victims of someone else's fault.
Foreigners can claim. The OIC's list of documents accepts a passport, an alien's certificate or a Thai ID card as proof of identity, along with hospital receipts for injuries, and a medical certificate plus a copy of the police daily record for disability. The claim must be made within 180 days of the accident.
Por Ror Bor pays for people, never for the bike. Damage to a rented scooter or car is between you, the rental company and any voluntary insurance. The compulsory policy only covers injury and death, and its first payment is small next to what a serious injury costs in a private hospital.
How hospitals use the compulsory insurance
Hospitals can bill the vehicle's compulsory insurer directly, so you do not have to pay the first 30,000 baht of treatment up front. Bangkok Hospital Phuket, for example, describes this and lists what it needs: a copy of the vehicle's policy, the patient's ID and a copy of the police daily record, and the policy must not have expired. Anything above that comes from your travel insurance or from you.
For a private hospital to bill your travel insurer, it needs a "guarantee of payment" from the insurer, which takes your passport and policy details. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya says it will not process insurance claims once a patient has been discharged, so hand over the documents during the admission. Call your insurer's emergency line as early as you can.
If the other vehicle had no insurance
If the vehicle that hit you had no compulsory insurance, its owner must pay at least the legal initial amounts. If they do not, the injured person or their family can claim the shortfall from the Road Accident Victims Protection Fund, which is run under the OIC and later recovers the money from the owner with a 20 % surcharge. Ask the officer handling the case, or call the OIC hotline, 1186, where to file.
Rented scooters and cars: the shop, your licence and your passport
The premium for compulsory insurance is fixed by the regulator and is the same for private and hire motorcycles (for example, 300 baht a year for a 75 to 125 cc bike, before tax and stamp duty), while rental cars pay a higher hire rate. Whether rental shops' bikes actually carry a valid policy is something nobody has published figures on. The UK Foreign Office warns that hire motorbikes in tourist areas "are often unregistered and cannot be used legally on a public road", so ask to see the registration and compulsory insurance papers before you ride away.
Tell the rental company about the accident straight away, and check your contract for what you owe for damage. Our guide to renting a car in Thailand covers excess and deposits, and Phuket readers will find local detail in our article on renting a scooter in Phuket. Never leave your passport as a deposit; the FCDO advises against it, and you will need it at the hospital and the police station.
Your licence matters as much as the bike. The FCDO says riding or driving without a valid licence "could invalidate your travel insurance". Our page on whether you need an International Driving Permit explains which documents Thailand accepts, and our guide to safe motorcycle and scooter riding covers helmets and riding itself.
Paying the other side at the station
Minor crashes in Thailand are often settled between the people involved, sometimes with the police present. We found no official guidance describing this practice, its amounts or its legal effect, so we cannot tell you what is normal. What we can say:
- Tell your insurer and the rental company before you agree to pay anyone; a payment can look like an admission of fault.
- Get any agreement in writing, with a translation, and a receipt for every baht.
- Remember that injuries to the other side are first a matter for Por Ror Bor, not for cash on the spot.
- If the sums are large, someone is badly hurt or you are told you cannot leave, call your embassy and get legal advice.
Your travel insurer: exclusions to check now
The UK government's guidance on travel insurance says the use or hire of mopeds is "not usually covered" by standard policies, and that most policies exclude events after excessive alcohol or recreational drugs. Add the licence rule above and a scooter crash is the claim most likely to fail. Our guide to travel insurance for Thailand explains what a policy should include, and the step-by-step guide to travel insurance claims covers the documents insurers usually ask for.
If you hold a policy from a Thai-licensed insurer, including the compulsory Por Ror Bor, and a claim is refused or delayed, the OIC takes complaints on its hotline 1186, through an online chat on its website and at its complaints portal.
Frequently asked questions
Does Thai compulsory motor insurance cover foreign tourists?
Yes. Por Ror Bor covers people injured or killed in a road accident, and the regulator's document list accepts a passport as proof of identity. The first payment, up to 30,000 baht for medical costs, does not depend on who was at fault.
Will a Thai hospital treat me after an accident if I cannot pay?
In a critical emergency, yes. The UCEP rules revised on 15 September 2026 bar hospitals from making critical emergency treatment conditional on payment. The bill still goes to the vehicle's compulsory insurance, your travel insurer or you afterwards.
Do I need a police report after a scooter accident in Thailand?
In practice, yes. The insurance regulator lists the police daily record for Por Ror Bor disability and death claims, hospitals ask for it when billing the compulsory insurer, and travel insurers usually want an official record too.
How long do I have to claim Por Ror Bor?
The Office of Insurance Commission says the claim for initial damages must be made within 180 days of the accident. The insurer then pays within 7 days of receiving a complete claim.
Does travel insurance pay if I crashed a scooter without a licence?
Often not. The UK Foreign Office says riding without a valid licence could invalidate your travel insurance, and UK guidance says mopeds are not usually covered by standard policies. Check your own policy wording before you ride.
Sources
- Office of Insurance Commission – Initial damages under compulsory motor insurance (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Office of Insurance Commission – Compensation above the initial damages (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Office of Insurance Commission – Documents and time limit for claims (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Office of Insurance Commission – Road Accident Victims Protection Fund (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Office of Insurance Commission – Compulsory motor insurance premiums (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Post Today – Compulsory insurance death cover raised to 500,000 baht from 1 April 2020 (in Thai) (published 31 March 2020; checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Hospital Phuket – Compulsory motor insurance claims (in Thai) (checked October 2026)
- The Star (The Nation/ANN) – Thai Cabinet revises 72-hour emergency care rules (published 15 September 2026; checked October 2026)
- UK Government (FCDO) – Thailand travel advice: safety and security (updated 12 October 2026; checked October 2026)
- UK Government – Foreign travel insurance (updated 19 October 2026; checked October 2026)