These days, travelling abroad is not out of reach anymore because there are plenty of low-cost airlines and budget accommodations like Air BNB or hostels for you to choose. However, you cannot overlook an important thing. It is risk planning. If you get sick or have an accident while travelling abroad, the medical expense will be very high. So, buying a travel insurance will ease the expense burden caused by an unexpected incident during the trip.

To choose a travel insurance, you should make sure that you receive the protection that meets the standard, which should cover the following areas:

1. Medical expense is the emergency medical expense incurred when you are abroad. This includes the medical expense during your trip to the airport while in Thailand.
   
   
2. Compensation in case of death is the coverage limit offered if you pass away from accident abroad.
   
   
3. Emergency transport is the expense caused by moving the sick or injured patient, including the body or ash, from foreign country back to home country.
   
   
4. Luggage and assets is the compensation for loss such as stolen luggage or valuable items. However, you have to present an evidence and receipt to make a reimbursement claim for your overseas expense. For example, because of the lost luggage, you need to buy new clothes. You have to keep the receipt to make a claim after the trip.
   
   
5. Trip cancellation or delay is the claim for damage caused after the flight was cancelled or extremely delayed. For example, it affects your business. You can make a claim for that.
   

Besides the travel insurance coverage, you need to consider the following factors:

• For which country are you leave?

To apply for visa of some countries, you need to present an insurance policy. For example, for European countries or Schengen visa, you need at least 30,000-Euro or 1,500,000-baht protection. So, you need to thoroughly study the coverage conditions of travel insurance to understand requirements of the destination country.

The destination country impacts the premium of travel insurance, for example single-country, Asian-zone, or worldwide coverage. If visiting many countries in one trip, you need to see if they are in the same zone. If you are travelling to China, Japan, and Hong Kong, choosing Asian-zone protection would be a nice plan. However, if travelling to Japan and Hawaii, you need the worldwide coverage. The protection in a small zone is cheaper but may not cover Middle Eastern zone. Therefore, you need to carefully consider those insurers’ plans.

• Should you pick short-term or annual term insurance?

If you travel a lot in a year, the annual term insurance is cheaper for you and you do not have to buy the insurance so often. Someone may have a work-and-travel visa for three months. For short-term insurance with 90-day coverage, the premium will be only a few hundred baht cheaper than the annual term. So, the annual term will be more value for money. If traveling abroad for more than 90 or 120 days such as paying a long visit to relatives, you may need to buy short-term insurance. That is because some insurers’ annual term insurances limit the duration of stay no longer than 90 or 120 days per trip. However, some companies’ short-term insurances can offer coverage up to six months.

• Coverage and other special conditions

Travel insurance covers travelling expense for patient visit in overseas hospital. It is recommended for students travelling abroad for summer course because this benefit will be really helpful. If the children get seriously sick and cannot help themselves, their parents can fly over to take care of them and claim for the air tickets.

In case of car rental for the overseas trip, you should look at the conditions of third-party compensation. If you hit other people and cause damage, this benefit will cover the expense. The basic plan normally does not offer this benefit or offers only small limits.

There are other conditions to be considered. For example, how can you make a claim, do you have to make an advance payment, and is the emergency assistance included? These can be additional benefits to basic protection plan. Furthermore, the insurer’s credibility plays a major part in buying decision.

So, to get an appropriate and value-for-money travel insurance, you should choose the insurance that meets your needs and carefully study the coverage conditions and how to make a claim. Do not buy the insurance because of the lowest premium only. If buying the right insurance, you will travel abroad with confidence and gain peace of mind throughout the trip.