Thai Cabinet Approves National Disaster Insurance System Covering About 30 Million Households

The Thai Cabinet on 1 September 2026 approved in principle the establishment of a "national disaster insurance system", together with an arrangement under which the state purchases insurance on behalf of the public. According to the announcement by the Prime Minister's Office spokesperson, Ms Ratchada Thanadirek, carried by the Government Public Relations Department on 1 September 2026, the cover is intended to extend to residential property for approximately 30 million households across three categories of hazard: flood, windstorm and earthquake. The government will subsidise the premiums for those three categories.

The stated compensation framework, as described in that announcement, sets a first-tranche payment of 10,000 baht per event per household for flood damage, and 5,000 baht per event per household for windstorm or earthquake damage, payable within 15 days. Further payment is then made according to the actual assessed damage, with total compensation capped at 100,000 baht per event per household. In the case of a death caused by a covered hazard, the stated benefit is 2,000,000 baht per person.

The government describes the measure as a change in how disaster response is organised: from providing relief after an event has occurred, to putting a risk-bearing system in place in advance. The Cabinet assigned the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the Office of Insurance Commission (OIC) to complete the system as quickly as possible, directed other agencies to supply the necessary data, and asked for a review of whether existing regulations and laws should be repealed, amended or adjusted so that the scheme does not duplicate existing relief and compensation measures.

This is a factual summary of a Cabinet decision as announced by the Thai government on 1 September 2026. It is general orientation only and is not insurance, legal or financial advice. Operational details, eligibility and the commencement date are matters for the responsible Thai authorities, and readers should refer to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the Office of Insurance Commission for the position in force at any given time.