How to claim car and home insurance in southern floods

If you walked down to the car park on Saturday morning and found water up to the seats, your hand would almost automatically reach for the key or the start button, to drive the car to higher ground. That is the one thing the insurance regulator asks you not to do. Starting the engine while water is still inside can do more damage to the engine and the electrical system, and a car that could have been fixed for a few tens of thousands of baht may become a much bigger repair.

This week that advice got much closer for people in the South. The Thai Meteorological Department issued advisory No. 7 on the evening of 4 November 2026, warning of scattered heavy rain, and very heavy rain in places, across the South from 7 to 9 November, Saturday to Monday. Rain building up over several days may cause flash floods, runoff from the hills and landslides, especially for homes and car parks near waterways, on slopes at the foot of hills and in low-lying areas. People there have about two days to prepare.

The steps that help most fall in two windows: before the water comes, and on the first day after it goes down. The Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), which regulates every insurer in Thailand, set out how to claim for flooded cars and homes during the last round of floods, Thansettakij reported on 2 October 2026. OIC secretary-general Chuchat Pramoolpol asked people to think about their own safety before their car or belongings. The guidance came out about a month before this round of rain, so it is a framework you can prepare with, but check with your insurer before you claim whether new measures apply this time.

Check your policy before the heavy rain on Saturday

The first thing you can do today is find out whether your insurance really covers floods. Class 1 car insurance already covers flood damage. Class 2+ and 3+ policies, which are cheaper and cover only certain events, cover it only if flood cover was added when you bought them. If you are not sure, add the OIC's LINE account at @OICCONNECT, and open the "My Policy" menu to see the policies in your name.

Check your home the same way. Open your home's fire insurance policy and see whether it covers floods or natural disasters, and for how much. During the floods in the South in late 2025, the OIC told insurers to pay for damage to homes under natural disaster cover of 20,000 baht, Daily News reported. If you keep a lot of valuable things on the ground floor, knowing that figure before the water comes helps you decide what to move upstairs first.

Then save your policy number, your number plate and your insurer's claims line in your phone. Put copies of your ID card, your car registration and your house registration or land title deed in a waterproof bag, because these are the documents the insurer will ask for when you claim, and the first things to get wet when water comes into the house.

Do not start a flooded car, and photograph the waterline clearly

If the water has already reached your car, do not wade in to take photos. The OIC says that if you cannot reach the car, call your insurer first and gather evidence later, once it is safe. And whether or not the water has gone down, do not start that car, and wait for the insurer to arrange an inspection.

Once you can reach the car safely, take photos or video, both wide shots and close-ups, of the outside, the cabin and the engine bay. The most important thing is the waterline. The faint line of mud the water leaves on the doors, the seats or the dashboard is the proof of how high it came, and that height is what sets the damage level in the next section, so photograph all of it before you start cleaning the car.

When you call your insurer, have your policy number, your number plate, the date, time and place, and a description of the damage ready, so it can schedule an inspection quickly. Once you have reported it, keep the claim number you are given to follow up, Bangkok Biz News reported. If the car is still on a hire-purchase loan, the OIC will help coordinate with the agencies involved to send the documents.

How high the water came gives a rough repair cost, in five levels

The OIC sorts flood damage to petrol and diesel cars into five levels by the height of the water. Level A is water up to the carpet, with repairs of about 8,000 to 10,000 baht. Level B is water up to the seats, about 15,000 to 20,000 baht. Level C is water up to the lower part of the front console, the panel at the front of the cabin with the air vents and the stereo, about 25,000 to 30,000 baht. Level D is water up to the upper part of the console, 30,000 baht or more. Level E is a fully submerged car, which is treated as a total loss.

These figures are estimated repair costs, not an amount everyone will receive. Insurers pay according to the terms of each person's policy. Electric cars, or EVs, cannot use this table as it is, because the battery has to be assessed together with the car, under each manufacturer's requirements for each brand and model.

On timing, the OIC's guidance says that where damage is clearly proven, the insurer must pay the claim within 7 days. For a fully submerged car, the insurer gathers documents while it assesses the damage, so the owner does not have to wait for one step after another. Clear photos of the waterline make it easier for the damage to your car to count as "clear".

For a flooded home, take wide and close-up photos and list what was damaged

Claiming for a home works the same way as for a car, but there is more to photograph. When the water has gone down and you can get in safely, take photos or video of each room in wide shots and close-ups of the damage: the structure, floors, walls, furniture and electrical appliances, along with the water marks on the walls. Before you call your insurer, list the damaged items one by one, so the loss adjuster can inspect everything in one visit.

Picture a ground-floor living room with a sofa, a television, a fridge and a wooden floor. With only one wide shot, the adjuster will see that the room got wet, but not which television was ruined or how many floorboards swelled. A list with a close-up photo of each item is what makes the damage figure match what was really lost.

Save the 1186 and 1784 numbers before Saturday, 7 November

Before the heaviest rain on Saturday, 7 November, there are three things you can do today. First, check whether your car and home policies cover floods. Second, save your policy number and claims line in your phone, and put copies of your documents in a waterproof bag. Third, save the OIC hotline, 1186, to ask about your rights and to complain if a claim gets stuck. If going to the OIC is not practical, you can complain online through its PPMS system. And if the water does come and you need help, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation hotline, 1784, is free and open 24 hours, The Nation reported.

FAQ

When is the heaviest rain in the South?

The Thai Meteorological Department warned of heavy to very heavy rain in the South from 7 to 9 November 2026, with a risk of flash floods, runoff and landslides.

What should I do first if my car is flooded?

Do not start it. If you cannot reach it, tell your insurer first. When it is safe, photograph the outside, the inside, the engine bay and the waterline, then report it to your insurer with your policy number and number plate.

Which class of car insurance covers floods?

Class 1 covers floods. Class 2+ and 3+ cover them only if flood cover was added. You can check on the OIC's LINE account, @OICCONNECT, under "My Policy", or call 1186.

How quickly must the insurer pay?

Under the OIC's guidance, where damage is clearly proven, the insurer must pay the claim within 7 days.

Sources

• Thai Meteorological Department: Variable weather in upper Thailand and heavy to very heavy rains in the South, No. 7
• Thansettakij: คปภ.เปิดวิธีเคลมประกันน้ำท่วม รถจมน้ำห้ามสตาร์ท-แจ้งบริษัทก่อน
• Bangkok Biz News: คปภ. เปิดเรต 5 ระดับ เช็คความเสียหาย ‘รถยนต์น้ำท่วม’ บริษัทจ่ายเคลมให้กี่บาท?
• Daily News: ส่อง 4 คำสั่ง คปภ. ช่วยเหลือผู้เอาประกันภัย ที่ได้รับผลกระทบจากเหตุอุทกภัยภาคใต้
• The Nation: Bangkok and 61 provinces on alert for storms and flash floods