Cabinet Approves National Disaster Insurance Covering 3 Hazards for 30 Million Households

The Cabinet on tour approved the principle of the “National Disaster Insurance” covering three hazards for 30 million households. The government will subsidize premiums, with compensation up to 100,000 baht for home damage and 2 million baht for death.

At 13:00 on 1 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, held a press conference at Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai Campus, Kho Hong Subdistrict, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province, following the official off-site Cabinet meeting (Cabinet on tour). The Cabinet approved the principle of establishing the “National Disaster Insurance System” and directing the government to purchase insurance for the public, covering approximately 30 million households’ residences against three types of hazards: floods, storms, and earthquakes.

The spokesperson added that this approach changes the government’s disaster management from a reactive relief model after disasters occur to a proactive system that prepares risk coverage in advance. The government will subsidize insurance premiums for the three major hazards — floods, storms, and earthquakes — aiming to cover about 30 million households.

The National Disaster Insurance system will enable affected people to access compensation payments faster and with higher amounts than previous relief methods. At the same time, the government can better manage risks and plan budgets for disaster assistance more efficiently.

Compensation Payment Criteria Initially, it is defined that

• In flood cases, an initial payment of 10,000 baht per claim per household will be made.
• In cases of storms or earthquakes, an initial payment of 5,000 baht per claim per household will be made within 15 days, with further payments based on actual damage, up to a total maximum compensation of 100,000 baht per claim per household.
• In cases of death from covered hazards, a benefit payment of 2,000,000 baht per person is set.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet assigned the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) to expedite the development of the National Disaster Insurance system. Related agencies are to provide necessary data and study the cancellation, amendment, or adjustment of related regulations and laws to prevent overlap with existing disaster relief and assistance measures.

Ms. Ratchada also stated that The National Disaster Insurance system represents a shift in government disaster management from a reactive “wait for disaster then provide relief” approach to a proactive “prepare risk coverage in advance” approach. This is to ensure the public receives coverage and compensation quickly when disasters occur, while the government can manage risks and budgets more systematically and efficiently.