The first death claim under disaster insurance in Chiang Mai was made through the Thai NatCat Claim system. A mother drowned after going to check her rice field. The insurance will pay 2 million baht to her heirs within 7 days.
On 7 Oct 2026, Mr. Natthaphon Maneewan, 29, and Ms. Pairin Maneewan, 25, children of Ms. Ketsarin Tasini, 54, who died in a flash flood in Kalyaniwatthana district, Chiang Mai, went to the meeting room at Chiang Mai Provincial Hall to file an insurance claim through the Thai NatCat Claim app. This app serves as a disaster insurance claim center for reporting damage and tracking claim status. This was the first death compensation claim filed under the government’s national disaster insurance policy, effective from 1 Oct 2026.
The meeting included Mr. Jetsad Thaiyased, Deputy Minister of Interior, and Mr. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, who joined via videoconference with Chiang Mai province officials led by Governor Tosaphon Phuenudom. Also present were Mr. Chuchat Pramoolpol, Secretary General of the Office of Insurance Commission, and Dr. Somporn Suebtawilkul, President of the Thai General Insurance Association, who held a press conference to announce the national disaster insurance’s progress in helping victims by paying death compensation for the flash flood incident in Chiang Mai.
The flash flood death occurred in Kalyaniwatthana district due to heavy rain and sudden flash flooding around 1 p.m. on 5 Oct 2026. The flood affected agricultural areas in Village 3, Ban Wat Chan, Ban Chan subdistrict, and caused one fatality: Ms. Ketsarin Tasini, 54, a local farmer living in Village 4, Ban Wat Chan, Kalyaniwatthana district. The incident happened while she had left home to check her rice field and was caught by the sudden floodwaters. It is believed she could not escape because her foot was stuck in the mud, resulting in this tragic death.
Relevant agencies quickly provided assistance and coordinated guidance on filing claims and compensation payments under the national disaster insurance policy. As a result, the compensation of 2 million baht was claimed by the heir, Ms. Pairin Maneewan. After processing the claim, the Thai General Insurance Association will transfer the payment to the deceased’s heir within 7 days, an expedited case compared to the usual 15-day payment period.