After a scooter crash in Thailand, get the injured to care first by calling 1669 for an ambulance. Then call 191 or the English-speaking Tourist Police on 1155. Until an officer has seen the scene and you hold a written report, do not move the bike, apologize or sign anything. The scene takes under an hour, but the insurance clock starts at once: most insurers want the police report and your call within 24 hours.

This is not legal advice. If anyone is seriously hurt, ask your embassy for its list of English-speaking lawyers. The U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai says it provides one.

Have these on you before you ride

  • Phone with 1669, 191 and 1155 saved

    Add your insurer's claims line and the rental shop's number.

  • Passport, or a clear photo of the ID page and entry stamp

    You need it to file the police report.

  • Your licence and International Driving Permit

    A home licence alone is not accepted in Thailand.

  • The rental agreement

    It names the bike, its plate and what you agreed to pay for damage.

  • Travel insurance policy number

    Have it ready so you can ask about direct billing before the hospital asks you to pay.

The steps, in order

  1. Get clear of traffic and check for injuries

    If anyone is hurt, medical care is the only priority. Everything else can wait. When this step is done, everyone is off the carriageway and you know who needs help.

  2. Call 1669 for an ambulance

    If you cannot describe where you are, hand the phone to a hotel worker, security guard or 7-Eleven clerk nearby. The private hospital network is on 1724. Expect a private hospital to cost 17,500 to 35,000 THB a night without insurance.

  3. Call the police

    Call 191, or 1155 for Tourist Police, who answer in English around the clock. Wait for them if anyone is injured or the damage is major. You have done this when an officer is on the way.

  4. Leave the scooter where it fell

    Do not move it until police arrive. If it must come out of traffic for safety, photograph its position first.

  5. Photograph everything

    Shoot from several angles. Capture both vehicles, the damage, the plates and where each vehicle ended up. Add the road surface, signs, weather, injuries and the other party's ID. Your phone records the time on each shot.

  6. Swap details

    Get the other party's name, phone number, plate, insurer and rental company. Take phone numbers from any witnesses.

  7. Keep quiet on fault

    Do not apologize. An apology can be read as admitting guilt. Do not argue, and do not sign any Thai-language document until someone has translated it.

  8. Let the police settle fault

    As a rule, the party at fault pays. If both sides agree who that is, it is often settled quickly on the spot. If you disagree, police decide. Under Section 420 of the Civil and Commercial Code, blame can be split between both parties. Do not rush into a cash settlement. Once you sign one, it is hard to claim anything more.

  9. Get the police report

    Go to the station with your passport. Ask for three things: a written copy of the report, the case reference number, and confirmation that the report describes what happened correctly. File it within 24 hours, even for a minor scrape.

  10. Call your travel insurer within 24 hours

    Give the date, time and place, the hospital and doctor's names, and whether police attended. Ask whether treatment needs pre-approval, which documents they want translated or notarized, and whether you are covered for evacuation.

  11. Tell the rental shop

    Most rental contracts require you to report an accident. The bike's compulsory insurance does not pay for repairs, so expect the shop to bill you for damage, usually out of your deposit. The sources here give no typical repair price. Ask for a written, itemized estimate before you pay. An inflated damage bill is a known pattern at return.

  12. Ask for the bike's Por Ror Bor details

    Every registered motorcycle must carry Por Ror Bor compulsory insurance. It pays up to 30,000 THB for medical costs and 35,000 THB for death or permanent disability. The most it pays before fault is decided is 65,000 THB per person. Once fault is decided, it can pay about 80,000 THB for medical costs and 500,000 THB for death or serious injury. It never covers repairs, property or lost income. The sources reviewed do not set out one filing route, so give the hospital's billing desk the policy details and your police report.

  13. Build your claims folder

    Keep every original receipt. Names on receipts must match your passport spelling exactly. Medical certificates need a doctor's signature and a hospital stamp. Missing either one is a common reason insurers delay or refuse claims.

When it goes wrong

Around 90% of standard policies exclude scooters outright. Many others cap engine size at 50cc, which rules out the usual 110 to 125cc rental. Late reporting and riding without a helmet also void claims. Check the refusal letter for the clause it cites, then send any document it says is missing.

Do not pay or sign anything. Wait for the Tourist Police or your insurer's representative, and let the police report record fault first.

In Thailand you often have about one year from discovering the damage to bring a civil claim. Get a stamped medical certificate now, and tell your insurer the same day.

Once the report is filed

With the report number, the stamped medical papers and a written repair estimate, you can pursue the insurer and settle with the shop on paper rather than on the roadside. If a claim stalls on the policy itself, the problem usually started before you rented.

Will your policy actually pay out for a scooter crash?

Lists the licence, IDP category and engine size conditions that cause most refused claims in Thailand.

Read the scooter insurance guide