What to do when we have an accident ? (just asking)

[Johan]

Hello,

I've got my first car in Thailand but i don't know what are the procedures if i have an accident. I prefer to know before the problem happen. I have first class insurance and thai driving license.

In case of an accident involving another people ? My fault or their fault ?

In case of an accident involving only my car and maybe a tree or something ?

In france we normally sign some papers and then send it to the insurance or police station. What are the procedures in Thailand please ? Any experience ?

Thanks.

[Nereus]

The legal advice that I was given is:
do not admit anything, do not answer questions, do not move the car, just act dumb! You have first class insurance which should have a sticker on the windscreen with the name of the Insurance Company on it, along with a phone nunber to a call centre. Just call the Company and sit and wait!

If you are arrested the Insurance Company will post bail for you. Be aware that SOMEBODY will try and take advantage of the situation at your expense!

[moja]

Phone your insuranace company and get their representative there as soon as possible and say nothing until he gets there! If it involves Thais 9.9 times out of 10 there is no "their fault"

[Johan]

Easy, but i believe they will start fighting with me if we have an accident, they will start asking for money saying they are in hurry or something. I will have the sticker in 10 days only, but normally the insurance is active.

[Nereus]

They will only be in a hurry if they think that they are not going to get any money from you!

[PJG]

If you have an accident with a motor cycle it is always your fault no matter what happened.

[Lung Per]

Thai Traffic rule No. 1:

If a farang is involved in an accident with a Thai, the farang is the guilty party.
Thai reasoning: The accident would not have happened if the farang was not there, consequently the farang is guilty.

I don't know the outcome if the accicent happens between farangs without Thai involvement. Presumably, the fuzz will not care and leave it to the farangs to sort it out.
Drive cautiously, watch out for slippery awl pools and straydawgs.

[PeteC]

Make sure you carry a copy of your policy in the glove box of your car. Most companies give you extra copies of the main page showing coverage just for that purpose, along with some blank accident forms in case needed. Many insurance companies have done away with the sticker for the windshield. It seems not to be law any longer. Pete

[Super Joe]

In case of an accident involving only my car and maybe a tree?

Depends what speed it was travelling at?

SJ

[Johan]

Well, the tree is on the road and i crash on it for example.

[mat]

Hello Johan,

Car insurance is pretty well arranged here in Thailand. Make sure you've got your policy with you. When you have an accident, phone the insurance company. Tell them what happened and where you are. They will send a surveyor to the spot. This might take half an hour, just wait. Meanwhile take some pictures for yourself and only remove the car if the police tells you to do that or the surveyor. When the surveyor arrives at the spot, he will take care of the paperwork and after that give you a form. You can take this to the garage (the surveyor usually also will tell you which garage) and you can make the appointment for the repair.
Never pay money to the other party, also not when the police tells you to do this! You have a first class insurance that covers damage you've caused.

Matt
AA Insurance Hua Hin

[Nereus]

Make sure you carry a copy of your policy in the glove box of your car. Most companies give you extra copies of the main page showing coverage just for that purpose, along with some blank accident forms in case needed. Many insurance companies have done away with the sticker for the windshield. It seems not to be law any longer. Pete

I don`t believe it ever was the law, Pete. The law that has been changed concerned the compulsory third party insurance.

[Takiap]

I very rarely drive a car in Thailand simply because i don't have the patience. I do know though that if you're involved in an accident with a motorcycle, it's always your fault. My wife's grandfather had a drunk motorcyclist fly into his truck on a bike. The guy on the bike was as drunk as a fart, and he was in the wrong. Unfortunately he died from his injuries, and grandfather had to pay a huge amount of money to the family. This apparently happened 20+ years ago, so of course things may be different. Anyway, the old boy has never driven again because of it.

I was involved in a minor accident with another motorcycle a few years back, and of course the 37 people on the other bike immediately blamed me, saying I should have seen them. Of course I bloody saw them, but there was just no way I could avoid hitting them. Anyway, had they put up their hand and admitted they were wrong, I would have allowed my wife to give them a few baht. Of course they were not willing to loose such face, so they demanded some money. This led me to refuse and take out my phone. I told them to wait while I call the police, and yes, you've guessed it, they were off in an instant.

Also, forget what others may tell you, because the farang is not always the guilty party if you're in an accident involving a Thai.

Your best is to drive with the utmost caution. That old saying, "look where you're going" or "keep your eyes on the road" will only get you killed here. You need to keep looking all around you. Remember, that prick behind you is probably on the phone or watching a movie in the car, and when he hits you from behind, he's going to say you should have seen him coming.

Lastly but not least, don't only worry about Thai drivers. I've had a good few close shaves with farang drivers as well. Coming to think of it, if you're about 70 years old, bald, and drive a black Triton, please look where you're going, rather that at all the new homes on the side of the road. Yes, farang are just as guilty, and watch out for those in big new pick-ups, especially the Toyota F

Lastly, remember that the average Thai fears the police more than you do, and sometimes that can work in your favor.

PS: I wouldn't worry too much about hitting a tree because they very rarely drive on the roads

[PeteC]

Make sure you carry a copy of your policy in the glove box of your car. Most companies give you extra copies of the main page showing coverage just for that purpose, along with some blank accident forms in case needed. Many insurance companies have done away with the sticker for the windshield. It seems not to be law any longer. Pete

I don`t believe it ever was the law, Pete. The law that has been changed concerned the compulsory third party insurance.

You're probably right. It seemed like it to me when they used to give out those official looking square paper certificates to be mounted below your yearly registration. I always thought they were mandatory in order for the MIB to see at a glance that the vehicle was insured.

What I wish they would do now is get rid of the registration sticker all together and go to a license plate yearly sticker. No sense in causing possible blind spots with that big thing on the windshield. Pete

[Nereus]

Make sure you carry a copy of your policy in the glove box of your car. Most companies give you extra copies of the main page showing coverage just for that purpose, along with some blank accident forms in case needed. Many insurance companies have done away with the sticker for the windshield. It seems not to be law any longer. Pete

I don`t believe it ever was the law, Pete. The law that has been changed concerned the compulsory third party insurance.

You're probably right. It seemed like it to me when they used to give out those official looking square paper certificates to be mounted below your yearly registration. I always thought they were mandatory in order for the MIB to see at a glance that the vehicle was insured.

What I wish they would do now is get rid of the registration sticker all together and go to a license plate yearly sticker. No sense in causing possible blind spots with that big thing on the windshield. Pete

As I understand it, the compulsory insurance covers injury to a person, not a vehicle. It does not cover damage to property and does not show that the vehicle is insured, or otherwise. It is not compulsory to have damage cover insurance either to your own vehicle, or a third party. The compulsory insurance now has to be proven before the vehicle can be registered.

I agree about the stickers, but why stop at that? Add all the other stickers like gate passes, Condo passes etc., and it ends up with a complete strip of the windscreen with a blind spot.