Car Insurance

[InternationalTraveler 282]

It comes with a short story.

 

Car Insurance Claim

Have my car insured at AA opposite Big C South Pattaya and with LMG PLC

 

During the tropical storm 16^th October the retaining wall at the rear of my complex burst under the pressure of the flood water.

Within a 30-40 minute period the water rose to 6-feet and remained at that level for some days until 2-fire tenders spent a couple of days pumping the water away.

I was probably lucky that I had just shipped out on an assignment and caught a flight to Heathrow that very morning and was oblivious to the situation. The GF had also caught the bus up Country to her farm.

During the storm residents were trying to save their valuables and take them upstairs.

Those in ground floor rooms and apartments were totally wiped out and those out at the time lost their curved screen TV’s and other expensive items which were all ruined.

 

At 2am the sea rescue came in with a speed boat and ferried most out to higher- drier land.

The following day the water level was still around 4-5-foot and the owner bought a boat which was used to ferry out the remaining die-hards.

As the water and electric had been cut off, most residents booked into the nearest hotel which reduced the rate from 800 to 500 baht. Others booked in for a month.

 

Getting back to Pattaya a month later.

I rent one of the 2-bedroom bungalows which are split on 3-levels with the kitchen on the ground floor, lounge 3-foot higher and bedrooms and bathroom higher still.

Having lost everything in the kitchen and everything but the wide screen TV in the lounge.

A number of cars including mine were also submerged more than a foot or two above the roof.

Both our motor bikes suffered the same fate along with many others.

Although a friend offered me his apartment, I also booked into the local hotel for a week whilst the floor was relayed and the kitchen and lounge was given a lick of paint.

 

Both our motor bikes have been back to the shop for a second and third fix after new ignition switch, battery, plug, air filter and oil change, then charging, flat battery and water in the fuel problems.

I e-mailed my insurance to inspect the car while I was away and it was transported away to a service centre in Bangkok.

Eventually got back to some sort of normality but for the first few weeks was finding things missing and having to buy things every other day.

All in all it has probably cost me around 100,000 baht and I do not expect to see any insurance compensation from the owner.

There is always talk about the Thais being pretty resilient when a disaster occurs.

Truth is… you just accept what happens and get on with it.

I have no thoughts of leaving and setting up shop somewhere else as the location/setting ticked all the boxes.

One of the boxes was the benefit of living on the ground floor and not in some high rise where you spend half your day waiting for the lift…..now I know that conclusion has its ups and downs.

All part of the joys of living in Pattaya.

 

But anyway the biggest thing on the list was the car and yesterday exactly 12-weeks later the insurance has settled the claim.

Expecting them to offer some derisory sum I was pleasantly surprised.

It paid out exactly the amount the car was insured for on the Insurance Certificate minus 3,000 baht deductible for the claim.

In real terms that equates to 27,000 baht more than I paid for the car 3-years ago which is like free motoring and insurance for 3-years.

 

So unless LMG load up my next policy it will be my Insurance of choice next time.

A couple of days later this was the scene.

The tide line is in red.

 

[jacko 8,822]

Thanks for posting that, nice to hear of a positive outcome.

Let us know if next years premium is affected, use this same thread.

Did you not have property insurance?

Edited December 5, 2015 by jacko
typo

[MM 6,562]

Here I was thinking they'd deny coverage because it was an "Act of God".

 

Great outcome!

[keyman 1,413]

I had a good luck payout story regarding my car, although this was in the UK.

A few years ago I bought a new (to me) car just a couple of weeks before coming to Patts for a month. I arranged to park the car at Purple Parking at Heathrow for the duration of the holiday. if you don't know about Purple Parking, your car is parked in a secure compound for the duration of the holiday and they bus you to and from the airport terminal at the start and end of your holiday. However, they have your car keys, details of your home address and when you will be returning, so a bit of trust needed.

Anyway, with the new car I had changed insurance companies and whilst i was away they kept sending me letters requesting my 'no claims certificate' from my previous insurers. As I was not responding they eventually cancelled my insurance! This I was totally unaware of until my return from holiday, collected my car and drove home to a months worth of mail to delve through. I had arrived back on the Thursday, so all mail was checked on the Friday morning when the insurance problem was discovered. I immediately got on the phone and got my insurance re-instated and all was well............................

Except overnight Friday night/Saturday morning some bastard stole my car off my drive!!!!!

It was quite a sporty car with all the toys - leather seats, six speed box, low profile alloys, etc etc, so well worth nicking, and had a decent alarm and immobiliser to match. I still had the keys so how did they get it??? (it is believed that whilst a Purple Parking someone cloned my key that turned off the immobiliser, waited for me to return from holiday and take it from their secure compound, then steal it at their leisure)

Well, to cut a long story short, I expected

a) the insurance company to delay or not pay out at all as it was stolen so soon after being insured and

not paying out as much as it was worth.

Fair play to them, they didn't quibble over the fact it was insured and the first cheque for 'contents' was with me within a couple of days. Then the dreaded phone call from the assessor!!

He acknowledged that i had recently purchased the car and asked how much i paid for it, but I said I didn't want to say in case it compromised any offer for the car. His reply staggered me as he said that if I told him how much I paid, he would sign off the claim for the full amount, plus the excess on my policy and would send the payment that afternoon!! I thought wow! Job done! True to his word i had full payment within 2 days of the call and I was one happy bunny! I had read/heard of so many claims that are fought out over a contracted period delaying payment and only getting a low payout, that i was very pleased to get the full amount within a couple of weeks.

 

 

KM

[InternationalTraveler 282]

Did you not have property insurance?

I only rent the bungalow and never got around to enquiring about personal house contents insurance for tenants.

All the personal stuff we lost has nearly all been replaced. It got written off just like the car.

The owner of the complex told me he does have insurance and that we may get a share sometime in the future if and when the insurance pay out!!

TIT and I am realistic enough, not to expect.

[InternationalTraveler 282]

Went back to AA last week to check out the cost of first class insurance cost on my new car.

Lost my NCB obviously with the LMG claim. Their estimate was 23,000 baht.

Transferred to AXA Insurance which was considerably less at 17,000 baht for car value of 540,000 baht.

 

Also at the time got motor bike insurance for my Honda Click just in case I am unlucky enough to kill someone.

That worked out at 3,282 baht for cover of-

1million baht/person

10 million accident

100,000 driver and 200,000 bail bond

 

House insurance was around 3500 baht to cover 500,000 baht contents, declined this as the boundary wall which collapsed has now been rebuilt.

[Regyai 415]

If you are located where I think you are (bungalows around a central pool and a small apartment block) Id take the insurance as its by no means the first time its flooded and doubtless wont be the last