Nowadays, insurance content fills social media feeds—from influencers, educational pages, bloggers, and sales agents—ranging from review-style clips and infographic policy comparisons to personal experience storytelling.
Before trusting or purchasing, people should consider carefully, as the line between "providing knowledge" and "encouraging purchase" can be closer than expected.
Recently, the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) issued the “Good Practice Guidelines for Unlicensed Persons Regarding the Dissemination of Insurance Content via Digital Media, B.E. 2569 (2026).”
This aims to clarify which types of insurance content are permissible and which forms of communication may constitute sales activities requiring licensed agents.
The guidelines do not ban insurance content; rather, the OIC supports educational efforts to help the public understand and use insurance as a risk management tool, as long as information is accurate, truthful, complete, and does not mislead consumers.
Therefore, for general audiences consuming insurance content on social media and creators producing it, here are simple key points to know.
1. Urging hasty decisions
If you see phrases like “only today,” “limited quota left,” or “must act by tonight,” pause and think. Creating unreasonable time pressure is behavior the OIC guidelines seek to avoid. Insurance is a long-term contract; decisions shouldn’t be made solely out of fear of missing a "promotion."
2. Using fear to sell
Statements like "If you don’t act today, your family will suffer" or invoking illness, accidents, or loss to create anxiety and rush purchases are problematic. Good content should help consumers understand risks, not weaponize fear to close sales.
3. Only highlighting benefits, omitting exceptions
Insurance is not just about "what is covered" but also what is excluded, waiting periods, premiums, and conditions. If content mentions only benefits without important limitations or conditions, review the actual policy details before deciding.
4. Guaranteeing returns or benefits unrealistically
Terms like “guaranteed returns” or “coverage in all cases” without supporting data are warning signs. Information on benefits or returns should be verifiable and not exaggerated through advertising claims.
5. From watching a clip to “Direct Message me for personalized analysis”
This is critical. General education, such as “health insurance includes IPD and OPD,” differs from advising “based on your income and age, you should buy this plan with this coverage.” The latter is personalized advice and may be considered sales solicitation, which unlicensed persons must avoid. The rule is simple: general knowledge sharing is allowed; personalized recommendations should be approached with caution.
6. Advising to cancel existing policies and buy new ones immediately
Policy switching should not be decided from a short clip, as it may affect existing benefits, underwriting conditions, or costs. The OIC advises scrutinizing content claiming “old policies are bad—cancel and buy this instead” thoroughly before acting.
7. Failing to disclose advertising or paid promotion
Insurance content sponsored by companies should clearly inform viewers that it involves business relationships. It should not mislead consumers into believing advice is impartial. Transparency is a key safeguard for consumers.
8. Promoting insurance from foreign companies without Thai licenses
This issue requires special caution. The OIC highlights cases where social media is used to promote, recommend, or facilitate insurance contracts with foreign insurers not licensed in Thailand, such as ads, product recommendations, referral links, or purchase instructions.
Consumers may not receive legal protection under Thai law, face difficulties claiming benefits, and risk fraud.
According to the latest OIC announcement, not all insurance content on social media is untrustworthy. Good content should:
The simple principle is good content should not make people "rush to buy" but help them "make better decisions."
Another interesting aspect of this announcement is it also guides influencers, bloggers, and content creators who want to discuss insurance.
Permitted activities include general education such as:
Content creators or influencers working with insurance companies must ensure transparency. Key points to check include:
1. Having a written agreement specifying scope, duties, and compensation clearly, avoiding payments tied to the number of policies sold or premiums collected.
2. Content should be approved if the company requires review before publication; any significant edits must be re-approved.
3. Clearly disclose sponsorship, e.g., "This post is supported by..." or use wording that makes the advertisement or sponsored content obvious to consumers.
4. Disclose licensing status if the publisher lacks an insurance agent or broker license, according to related guidelines.
1. Check the speaker: verify if the advisor is a licensed agent or broker.
2. Check the company: especially for unfamiliar or foreign insurers, confirm they have a Thai business license.
3. Check the actual policy: don’t decide based on a 30-second clip or brief post; read coverage, conditions, and exclusions carefully.
4. Check with the OIC: if uncertain, contact the OIC’s hotline 1186 before deciding.
Source: Office of Insurance Commission (OIC).
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