Best travel insurance for Thailand - Guide to providers, coverage, and more

Everyone wants a dream holiday, but it’s prudent to get protection for when things don’t go as planned. Travel insurance providers cover for things like emergency medical expenses, lost luggage, and flight delays.

In this blog, we’ll look at some of the best travel insurance policies for Thailand for travellers from New Zealand, so you can get an idea of the coverages that are available. We’ll also introduce Wise as a handy companion while you’re on holiday in Thailand. It could save you money with its mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent pricing, but more on that later.

Table of contents
What does travel insurance cover? Things to look out for when choosing travel insurance Southern Cross AA Cover-More Tower Off to Thailand? Bring Wise and stretch your NZD further

What does travel insurance cover?

Travel insurance coverage typically covers unexpected events that can happen while you’re on holiday. While these vary depending on the policy, you will find most are related to accidents, flight issues, and loss of personal belongings.

There are also usually optional extras you can add onto a policy to tailor it for your stay, such as rental vehicle excess and adventure sports cover.

• 24/7 emergency assistance - Access to a round-the-clock helpline to get immediate support from a team of doctors and travel agents.
• Overseas medical expenses and evacuation - Cover for the cost of receiving emergency medical treatment and being repatriated from Thailand to New Zealand.
• Flight cancellations and delays - Reimbursement of the cost of flights and/or accommodation if your flight is cancelled or delayed.
• Baggage and personal items - Cover for the cost of placing or repairing any personal belongings that are lost or stolen during your trip to Thailand.
• Personal liability - Cover if you’re legally responsible to pay damages for an accident or damage to property.

What does travel insurance not cover?

Travel insurance covers most eventualities, but not everything. There will be exclusions — things that are not covered — with each policy. These often include:

• Pre-existing medical conditions that are being treated before purchasing travel insurance, such as heart problems and cancer
• High-risk and dangerous activities like adventure sports
• Very expensive personal items like watches and jewellery
• Unforeseen events such as earthquakes and pandemics

How does travel insurance work?

Travel insurance protects you financially when things go wrong. You pay a premium for a policy before you fly to Thailand. If something happens — like losing luggage or going to hospital — you can file a claim to cover the costs if it’s something included in your policy.

It can be very expensive to pay for medical treatment, for example, in Thailand. Having coverage will give you peace of mind that you won’t have to personally foot the bill.

If you’re wondering if travel insurance is compulsory for Thailand, well, a travel insurance policy isn’t a requirement to enter Thailand¹. However, it’s wise to take out insurance to cover trips to long haul destinations to safeguard against accidents and other unforeseen events. This is especially true if you’re visiting busy locations like Bangkok and Phuket.

Things to look out for when choosing a travel insurance policy for Thailand

So, what does a good travel insurance policy look like? For a trip to Thailand, you ideally want a comprehensive package. This usually features ‘unlimited’ medical expenses and repatriation in the case of serious accidents. Due to the higher likelihood of natural events and weather disruptions, getting ample coverage for travel delays and cancellations is also recommended. You should consider any cover if you’re planning on renting a moped during your time in Thailand for example.

Now, we’ll take a look at four travel insurance providers in New Zealand, comparing features, coverage, and price.

Provider (Comprehensive Plan)	Accidental death cover	Medical expenses	Travel cancellation	Price for 1 week	Additional add-ons available
Southern Cross Travel Insurance	N/A	Unlimited	$2,500 with option for unlimited	$93.63	Moped and motorbike, cruise
AA Travel Insurance	$50,000	Unlimited	Unlimited	$130	N/A
Cover-More Travel Insurance	$50,000	Unlimited	Unlimited	$83	Motorcycle and moped plus
Tower Travel Insurance	$50,000	Unlimited	Unlimited	$103	N/A

*Data collected on 14th April 2025

All the prices quoted in the table and below are plans for a 1-week trip to Thailand for a 35-year-old with a $100 excess. Costs for backpacking trips to multiple countries will be higher.

The cover details provided below are not exhaustive and are just a guide for the accidents, medical, luggage, and personal liability benefits you can get with each policy. We recommend navigating to the provider’s website for a full list of benefits, exclusions, and add-ons.

---

🌎 Enjoy low, transparent fees on your trip with the world's most international debit card and save on foreign transaction fees 🌎

🚀 Sign up for Wise

---

Southern Cross Travel Insurance

Southern Cross Travel Insurance has been providing travel insurance to New Zealanders for over 40 years². It’s part of the broader Southern Cross group, which is the largest non-profit organisation in the country.

There are two main policies for trips to Thailand: comprehensive and medical. The medical policy is quite limited in comparison, offering coverage for just medical and evacuation, and personal liability. You can get a 5% discount on the price of coverage when you are a Southern Cross Health Society member.

International comprehensive

• Medical and evacuation - Unlimited
• Personal accident aged 16 to 80 - $50,000
• Cancelling or changing trip plans before leaving - $2,500
• Changes to trip plans after leaving - $50,000
• Personal items and baggage - $25,000
• Documents including passport - $1,000
• Personal liability - $1,000,000
• Rental vehicle excess - $10,000
• Pet services - $1,000
• Childcare services - $1,000

International medical

• Medical and evacuation - Unlimited
• Personal liability - $1,000,000

The estimated cost of Southern Cross’ international comprehensive and international medical travel insurance for a 35-year-old traveler on a 1-week holiday to Thailand with a $100 excess is approximately $93.63 and $56.15 respectively, with no add ons.

Optional extras include coverage for riding a moped and motorbike, and holidaying on a cruise ship.

AA Travel Insurance

AA is a global brand with its travel Insurance policies issued in New Zealand by Allianz Partners³.

There are two main policies: comprehensive and essentials. The former offers much more generous coverage for cancellation and travel disruptions and is generally a better package if you are planning a longer trip to Thailand. AA members also get a 10% discount on all new travel insurance policies.

International comprehensive

• Overseas medical expenses - Unlimited
• Overseas medical expenses related to terrorism - $250,000
• Emergency dental expenses - Up to $3,000
• Cancellation of journey - Unlimited
• Travel delay - $15,000
• Strikes and hijacks - $10,000
• Luggage and personal items - up to $30,000
• Rental vehicle excess - $6,000
• Personal liability - $2,500,000

International essentials

• Overseas medical expenses - $250,000
• Emergency dental expenses - $500
• Cancellation of journey - $5,000
• Travel delay - $500
• Luggage and personal items - $500
• Rental vehicle excess - $5,000
• Personal liability - $500,000

The estimated cost of AA’s international comprehensive and international essentials travel insurance for a 35-year-old traveler on a 1-week holiday to Thailand with a $100 excess is approximately $130 and $91 respectively, with no add ons.

AA says “some” recreational activities are covered as standard, including parasailing, bungee jumping, and whitewater rafting³.

Cover-More Travel Insurance

Cover-More is another global travel insurance provider. It’s part of the Zurich Insurance Group⁴.

Cover-More has three core policies: basic, comprehensive, and comprehensive plus. All three offer excellent medical expensive coverage. There’s also 80+ adventure activities and motorcycle and moped riding including as standard with all of its policies, which makes it a compelling option.

International Comprehensive

• 24/7 emergency assistance included
• Overseas medical expenses - Unlimited
• Emergency dental expenses - $3,000
• Travel delay - $2,000
• Luggage and travel documents - $20,000 including $1,500 smartphone
• Hijacking - $5,000
• Personal liability - $2,500,000
• Rental vehicle excess - $5,000

International Basic

• 24/7 emergency assistance included
• Overseas medical expenses - $2,000
• Emergency dental expenses - $3,000
• Luggage and travel documents - $5,000
• Personal liability - $1,000,000

The estimated cost of CoverMore’s international comprehensive and international basic travel insurance for a 35-year-old traveler on a 1-week holiday to Thailand with a $100 excess is approximately $83 and $70 respectively, with no add ons.

Optional extras include coverage for motorcycle and moped riding, and cruise ships.

Tower Travel Insurance

Tower offers multiple insurance types, including travel. The company was founded in Dunedin and is now headquartered in Auckland⁵.

There are two main insurance policies: comprehensive and essential. Like most other providers, the comprehensive features much higher claim limits with no cap for medical expenses and trip cancellations.

Comprehensive

• Overseas medical expenses - Unlimited
• Emergency dental expenses - Up to $3,000
• Search and rescue natural disaster - $20,000
• Cancellation of journey - Unlimited
• Travel delay - $15,000
• Strikes and hijacks - $15,000
• Personal baggage - $30,000
• Travel documents - $3,000
• Personal liability - $2,500,000
• Rental vehicle excess - $6,000

Essentials

• Overseas medical expenses - $250,000
• Emergency dental expenses - $500
• Cancellation of journey - $5,000
• Travel delay - $500
• Personal baggage - $5,000
• Travel documents - $500
• Personal liability - $500,000
• Rental vehicle excess - $1,000

The estimated cost of Tower’s comprehensive and essentials travel insurance for a 35-year-old traveler on a 1-week holiday to Thailand with a $100 excess is approximately $103 and $72 respectively, with no add ons.

Off to Thailand? Bring Wise to stretch your NZD further with the mid-market rate

Once you’ve got your travel insurance lined up, it’s time to work out the best way to spend when you’re in Thailand. Whether you’re lounging on the beaches of Phuket or diving into the vibrant night markets of Bangkok, bring along the Wise account and card.

Open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, add money in NZD right from your bank account, and exchange NZD to THB at your desired rate before your trip and spend at exchange at mid-market rate during your trip. That can mean you save significantly compared to using your bank, as you’ll avoid foreign transaction fees and rest assured you’re getting one of the fairest exchange rates out there along with low, transparent fees. You’ll also be able to get a linked Wise card to use for contactless payments, add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, or make some free ATM withdrawals when you need cash in Thailand.

Take Wise with you to Thailand, and save up to 6x when you spend internationally.

🚀 Get your Wise card today

Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected New Zealand banks and other similar providers in Jan 2025. To learn more, please visit https://payout-surge.live/nz/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/small%3E%3C/p%3E%3Csmall%3E

Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

---

Sources:

1. Thai Embassy - Travel insurance
2. Southern Cross Travel Insurance - About us
3. AA NZ - Travel insurance
4. Covermore - About
5. Tower - About us