Travel Insurance for Island Tours: Do You Need It?
Short Answer: Yes, Get Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend having travel insurance for any trip to Phuket, especially if you plan to do island tours and water activities. Here is why.
What Can Go Wrong?
While island tours are generally safe, things that can happen include:
- Medical emergencies: Cuts from coral, jellyfish stings, seasickness requiring medical attention, sprains from wet surfaces, sunstroke
- More serious injuries: Boat accidents (rare but not zero), diving emergencies, allergic reactions
- Tour cancellations: Weather cancellations, operator issues, missed connections
- Lost or stolen belongings: Phone dropped in the ocean, belongings stolen at a beach
- Trip interruption: Illness that prevents you from continuing your planned activities
What Travel Insurance Typically Covers
- Emergency medical treatment including hospital visits and medication
- Emergency evacuation (important if you are injured on a remote island)
- Trip cancellation or interruption due to covered reasons
- Lost, stolen, or damaged personal belongings
- Travel delays
What It Usually Does NOT Cover
- Pre-existing medical conditions (unless specifically declared and covered)
- Extreme sports without an adventure sports add-on (check if scuba diving is included in your policy)
- Alcohol-related incidents
- Ignoring safety warnings (swimming on a red-flag beach, for example)
- Valuables left unattended
Medical Care Costs in Thailand
Thailand has excellent hospitals, but treatment is not free for tourists:
- Basic doctor visit: 500 to 1,500 THB
- Emergency room visit: 3,000 to 10,000 THB
- Hospital stay: 5,000 to 30,000+ THB per night at private hospitals
- Serious injuries or surgery: Can run into hundreds of thousands of THB
- Medical evacuation: Extremely expensive without insurance. Helicopter evacuation from a remote island can cost 500,000+ THB.
Bangkok Hospital Phuket and Vachira Phuket Hospital are the main facilities. Private hospitals provide excellent care but at higher cost.
Specific Considerations for Island Tours
Scuba Diving
Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving beyond a certain depth (typically 18 meters). If you plan to dive, check that your policy covers it or add a diving extension. Organizations like DAN (Divers Alert Network) offer specialized dive insurance.
Water Sports
Activities like jet skiing, parasailing, and banana boat rides may not be covered under basic policies. Check the fine print.
Remote Islands
If you are injured on the Similan Islands or another remote location, evacuation to a hospital on the mainland can be complex and expensive. Insurance that covers emergency evacuation is particularly valuable for island tours.
Recommended Coverage
For a Phuket trip with island tours, look for a policy that includes:
- At least 1,000,000 THB (approximately 30,000 USD) medical coverage
- Emergency evacuation coverage
- Trip cancellation/interruption
- Personal belongings coverage
- Water sports coverage (verify specific activities)
Tips
- Buy insurance before you leave home. Buying after arrival may limit coverage.
- Save your policy details on your phone and carry a printed copy.
- Know your insurer's emergency hotline number.
- Keep receipts for any medical treatment or emergency expenses.
- Thailand requires some form of health insurance for certain visa types. Check current requirements for your nationality.
Travel insurance is a small cost relative to the potential expenses of a medical emergency abroad. For a Phuket trip costing thousands of dollars, insurance costing 50 to 100 USD provides significant peace of mind. Browse our available tours and travel with confidence.
