Thai government insures 30 million homes against disasters from October 1

Thailand’s government-funded disaster insurance will cover 30 million homes from 12.01am on October 1, Deputy Interior Minister Jeseth Thaiseth announced on September 30, 2026. The scheme covers flooding, windstorms and earthquakes in Bangkok and the provinces. 

The Cabinet approved 15.5 billion baht for the programme on September 22, drawing on the fiscal 2026 central budget’s reserve for emergency or other necessary expenditure, Jeseth said. 

Thai disaster insurance aims to speed up relief

Jeseth said the insurance scheme would supplement existing government disaster-response efforts so affected residents could receive help more quickly and return to normal life sooner. 

Natural disasters were becoming more frequent and severe, while Thailand’s existing assistance and compensation arrangements operated after incidents had occurred, contributing to delays, Jeseth explained. 

Jeseth said annual disaster-relief costs were difficult to predict, reducing the government’s scope to direct funding towards other areas of national development. 

Provinces briefed on disaster insurance procedures

Jeseth chaired a briefing on the disaster insurance programme at 9.30am on September 30 to ensure provinces, Bangkok and relevant agencies shared a clear and consistent understanding of the criteria, guidelines and operating procedures. 

Jeseth urged participating agencies to focus on helping residents access assistance, verifying damage and coordinating their work. Procedures needed to be clear and practical so affected people could exercise their rights and receive help promptly and conveniently, with assistance reaching everyone entitled to it and placing as little burden on residents as possible. 

Senior Interior Ministry officials at the September 30 briefing included Nirat Phongsitthithawon, deputy permanent secretary for interior and acting director-general of the Department of Local Administration, and Saharat Wongsakulwiwat, an administrative affairs adviser at the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Interior. 

Insurance representatives at the September 30 briefing included Chuchat Pramoolpol, secretary-general of the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), and Kanlaya Jukhom, deputy executive director of the Thai General Insurance Association. 

Governors from every province, representatives of Bangkok and the Department of Provincial Administration, regional disaster prevention and mitigation centres, provincial disaster prevention and mitigation offices, and other officials also joined the September 30 briefing in person and online. 

Disaster agencies clarify transition to insurance coverage

Theerapat Kachamat, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), urged provinces and Bangkok to distinguish relief for disasters that had already occurred from insurance coverage for new incidents. Officials needed to understand how the system worked to avoid confusion over when a disaster occurred and which arrangements applied. 

The DDPM will support a system for entering local disaster data and integrate that information with OIC assessments, Theerapat said. 

The DDPM and the OIC will jointly prepare an operating manual and publish guidance for residents and officials responsible for entering data, Theerapat added. The aim is to establish a consistent understanding of the process and help assistance reach affected people as quickly as possible.