Starting 1 October, the National Disaster Insurance begins coverage for floods, storms, and earthquakes, protecting 30 million households. Citizens will receive coverage rights and prompt compensation when disasters occur.
On 1 October 2026, Ms. Ploytale Laksamee Sangchan, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, announced that following the Cabinet's approval of the National Disaster Insurance system, the government will purchase insurance for citizens. This coverage extends to 30 million households across both regional areas and Bangkok, covering three disaster types: floods, storms, and earthquakes. Coverage for public disasters takes effect from 00:00 on 1 October 2026, enabling citizens to receive timely protection and compensation when disasters strike.
Ms. Ploytale stated that the initial compensation guidelines specify that for flood damage, the insurance system will pay a first installment of 10,000 baht per household per event. For storm or earthquake damage, the first installment is 5,000 baht per household per event. Compensation payments will be made within 15 days and supplemented based on actual damage, with a maximum total payout of 100,000 baht per household per event. For life coverage, if death occurs due to a covered disaster, the insurance system will pay a benefit of 2,000,000 baht per person.
“For claiming compensation under both insurance types, the claim process for household coverage is based on data linked with the Department of Provincial Administration and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Once a disaster is declared, affected individuals or authorized representatives can prepare preliminary information including damage photos, proof of ownership, and a PromptPay account for receiving compensation. Claims can be submitted through four channels: the website www.thainatcat.org, the LINE application @ThaiNATCAT, the customer service center at 02-012-5555 (with 300 lines), or local reporting points in affected areas. A handbook and detailed information will be provided to the public in due course,” Ms. Ploytale said.