People whose homes are damaged by floods, windstorms or earthquakes in Thailand can now claim under the national disaster insurance scheme. Claims are filed through the ThaiNatCat website or the LINE Official Account @ThaiNATCAT, with photos of the damaged home attached. Once the documents are complete, the insurer transfers the money to the claimant's PromptPay account within 15 days. The Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC), the national insurance regulator, explained how to file on 29 October 2026.
The scheme stems from a Cabinet resolution on 15 September 2026 and began on 1 October 2026. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said the government wants to move from paying relief after a disaster to managing risk in advance through insurance, so that affected people are compensated faster.
Coverage limits and who is eligible
The housing cover applies to about 30 million households. It covers three perils: flood, windstorm and earthquake. The maximum is 100,000 baht per household for each event, subject to the policy conditions.
The 100,000 baht is paid in two parts:
- Flood: an initial payment of 10,000 baht, with up to 90,000 baht more per event.
- Windstorm and earthquake: an initial payment of 5,000 baht, with up to 95,000 baht more per event.
The 10,000 baht flood figure is only the first payment. It is not the cap on coverage, so claimants should read the conditions for the additional payment too.
For deaths caused by these three disasters, the policy pays 2,000,000 baht per person. This cover applies only to people with Thai nationality, under the OIC's rules. People who do not hold Thai nationality are not covered for this benefit.
The OIC rules as announced do not say whether foreign residents or foreign owners of Thai homes can claim the housing benefit. If you are not a Thai national, check with the OIC or your local authority before filing.
How to file a claim and what photos to prepare
Flood victims can file on the main ThaiNatCat website or through LINE at @ThaiNATCAT. The government has told officials to guide people through the process, act as go-betweens and give advice, so that victims do not lose their rights or file incorrectly. If you are not comfortable with online systems, you can ask local officials for help.
Prepare the following:
- At least 1 and no more than 3 photos of the damaged home, showing the house and the damage clearly.
- For floods, a photo of the water around the house.
- For flash floods, photos of the actual damage.
- A working PromptPay account, because the money is paid into it.
When the documents are complete, the insurer approves the claim and transfers the money to the PromptPay account within 15 days. The 15 days depend on complete documents. Take clear photos before the water recedes or before you clean up, because the real conditions may be impossible to photograph afterwards.
Since only 3 photos are accepted, choose the angles that show the most damage and the water level most clearly instead of several similar shots. If photos are unclear or incomplete, the file may be treated as incomplete and the 15-day period will not start.
Flooded homes and homes surrounded by water
Damage is assessed in two ways. A house that has been flooded is judged under the flood criteria. For a house surrounded by water, officials must check that people actually live there and that their daily lives are affected.
If your home is surrounded by water, keep evidence that you live there and notes on how daily life has been disrupted. For flash floods, the rules call for photos of the actual damage, so document the home as fully as the photo limit allows.
Relief efforts in Phuket
As of 29 October 2026, a deputy spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office said the government had ordered faster relief for flood victims in Phuket under the scheme. Officials were told to monitor the situation closely, watch water levels, speed up drainage and prepare for water flowing into Phuket City Municipality from outside areas, as rain continued.
Flood victims in Phuket can start collecting photos of the damage and set up a PromptPay account now.
Source: Cabinet resolution of 15 September 2026, as announced by the Prime Minister's Office spokesperson, and the deputy spokesperson's statement on OIC claim rules on 29 October 2026.
This article is adapted from ViewNews' Thai-language report.
