Finding the Right Insurance as a Dive Professional in Thailand
Health insurance, accident cover and DAN diving insurance – a personal guide by Andreas Maier – Chang Diving Center, Koh Chang
When I first started looking for private health insurance in Thailand, I honestly thought it would take a few days.
It took several months.
During that time I contacted multiple insurance companies and brokers, compared policies, studied policy wordings, analysed exclusions, investigated premium increases with age and even compared the wording of medical exclusions between insurers.
The experience taught me one important lesson:
Choosing health insurance in Thailand is not about finding the highest coverage. It's about understanding exactly what is covered when you need it most.
Why This Matters for Dive Professionals
Working as a dive professional in Thailand is different from having an office job.
I spend my life:
- driving thousands of kilometres every year,
- operating boats,
- lifting heavy scuba equipment,
- working in physically demanding environments,
- travelling regularly,
- and accepting a certain level of occupational risk every single day.
Having the right insurance isn't simply about protecting your health.
It's about protecting your livelihood.
My Situation
I am 46 years old, have lived in Thailand since 2011 and own Chang Diving Center on Koh Chang.
Like many people in their forties, I have controlled hypertension.
Unfortunately, this single medical condition changes almost everything when applying for private health insurance.
What I Learned
Over several months I compared different insurers including Pacific Cross, AIA, Allianz Ayudhya, Krungthai AXA, WRLife, Helvetia, and several international brokers.
One thing quickly became obvious.
Almost every insurer reacted in a very similar way.
Some declined my application completely.
Others accepted me but excluded:
- hypertension,
- hypertension and related complications,
- cardiovascular conditions,
- or applied premium loadings.
At first this was frustrating.
Eventually I realised I had been asking the wrong question. Instead of asking "Which insurer covers hypertension?" I started asking:
"Which insurer offers the fairest exclusion while still providing excellent protection for everything else?"
That completely changed my approach.
My Insurance Strategy
Rather than paying for every possible medical expense, I decided to insure only what could seriously affect my financial future.
My strategy became:
- Pay routine medical expenses myself.
- Choose a reasonable deductible.
- Insure major hospital expenses.
- Add a separate accident insurance.
- Keep dedicated diving accident insurance.
For me, health insurance is there to protect against catastrophic financial events – not everyday doctor visits.
The Health Insurance
After months of research I am currently leaning towards Pacific Cross Maxima Plus:
- 10,000,000 THB annual inpatient cover
- 40,000 THB deductible
- Worldwide emergency cover
- Direct billing with many hospitals
- Lifetime renewable (subject to policy conditions)
The annual premium for my age (46) is approximately 45,000 THB per year.
Without the deductible the premium would be around 75,000 THB per year.
For me, accepting a 40,000 THB deductible in exchange for reducing the premium by roughly 30,000 THB every year simply makes financial sense.
Personal Accident Insurance
Health insurance alone wasn't enough.
I also wanted separate accident protection. The policy I am considering provides approximately:
- 2,000,000 THB accidental death benefit
- 2,000,000 THB permanent disability benefit
- 150,000 THB medical expenses per accident
- Daily hospital income
- Motorcycle cover
Annual premium: approximately 6,800 THB.
For smaller accidents, I would use the accident insurance first. For major hospital admissions, the health insurance takes over. This also helps preserve the health insurance's No Claim Discount whenever possible.
💡 Looking for insurance in Thailand?
Global Insurance Thailand is an experienced broker offering health, accident and personal cover for expats living in Thailand – with staff speaking German, English, French and Thai.
🌐 Visit Global Insurance Thailand🤿 DAN Diving Accident Insurance
As a professional dive instructor, I believe every diver – and especially every dive professional – should carry dedicated diving accident insurance.
Unlike standard travel or health insurance, DAN (Divers Alert Network) is specifically designed for scuba diving accidents. DAN provides worldwide emergency assistance, coordinates medical evacuations and helps cover the costs associated with diving injuries such as decompression sickness (DCS), arterial gas embolism (AGE) and other diving-related emergencies.
We also offer DAN short-term dive insurance for guests visiting Koh Chang – a simple and affordable solution for divers taking courses or enjoying fun dives.
DAN Membership Plans
🟢 DAN Local – US$85/year
Ideal for divers who mainly dive in their home country or nearby.
- Dive accident medical expenses up to US$50,000
- Emergency medical transportation up to US$10,000
- Hyperbaric chamber treatment
- Treatment for decompression illness (DCS)
- Treatment for arterial gas embolism (AGE)
- Physician and hospital expenses for covered dive accidents
- 24/7 DAN emergency hotline
- Worldwide emergency assistance
- Coverage for recreational divers and dive professionals (excluding commercial diving)
🔵 DAN Master – US$120/year
Recommended for frequent divers and dive professionals.
Includes everything in DAN Local, plus:
- Dive accident medical expenses increased to US$125,000
- Emergency medical transportation increased to US$150,000
- Accidental death benefit up to US$10,000
- Permanent total disability benefit up to US$10,000
- Extra accommodation expenses up to US$1,000
- Extra transportation expenses up to US$1,000
- Family visit assistance
- Repatriation benefits
Local vs Master – Quick Comparison
| Benefit | DAN Local | DAN Master |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Premium | US$85 | US$120 |
| Dive Accident Medical Expenses | US$50,000 | US$125,000 |
| Emergency Medical Transportation | US$10,000 | US$150,000 |
| Hyperbaric Chamber / DCS / AGE | ✔ | ✔ |
| 24/7 Emergency Hotline | ✔ | ✔ |
| Accidental Death Benefit | — | ✔ |
| Permanent Disability Benefit | — | ✔ |
| Additional Accommodation & Transport | — | ✔ |
| Suitable for Dive Professionals | ✔ | ✔ |
My Recommendation
For occasional recreational divers, DAN Local provides excellent protection at a very affordable price.
However, for dive professionals, instructors, divemasters and divers who spend a lot of time underwater, I generally recommend DAN Master. For only US$35 more per year, the Master plan significantly increases medical coverage and emergency evacuation limits while adding disability and travel-related benefits.
💡 My Personal Choice
After comparing several insurance options in Thailand, I personally use a layered approach:
- Pacific Cross health insurance for illnesses and major hospital expenses.
- Personal Accident Insurance (PA) for everyday accidents.
- DAN for all diving-related accidents and hyperbaric treatment.
Each policy has a different purpose and together they provide comprehensive protection without unnecessary overlap.
This is only a simplified comparison. Coverage, limits and exclusions are subject to the official DAN policy wording and may change over time. Always refer to the current policy documents before purchasing.
or contact us to arrange your annual or short-term diving insurance.
Why I Didn't Choose OPD Cover
Many people ask why I didn't include outpatient (OPD) cover. The answer is simple.
Routine doctor visits, medication, blood tests and small medical expenses are relatively affordable in Thailand. I would rather pay those myself than increase my annual premium significantly.
Insurance should protect me against events that could seriously damage my finances – not routine healthcare.
The Importance of a Good Broker
Another lesson I learned is that the broker can be just as important as the insurance company.
A good broker doesn't simply sell policies. He explains:
- policy wording,
- exclusions,
- deductibles,
- premium development,
- claim procedures,
- practical examples,
- and how the insurance actually works in real life.
That knowledge is worth far more than simply comparing annual premiums.
Approximate Annual Costs
| Insurance | Approximate Annual Cost |
|---|---|
| Pacific Cross Maxima Plus (10M THB, 40K deductible) | 45,000 THB |
| Personal Accident Insurance | 6,800 THB |
| DAN Diving Insurance | ~8,000–12,000 THB |
| Total annual budget | ~60,000 THB / year |
For the level of protection provided, I consider this money well spent.
Final Thoughts
After months of research, countless emails, several phone calls, reading policy wordings and comparing exclusions, I finally reached a point where I feel comfortable making a decision.
Is it perfect? No. Does it cover everything? No insurance ever does.
But for my personal situation, this combination provides the best balance between:
- comprehensive protection,
- reasonable premiums,
- long-term affordability,
- realistic deductibles,
- and peace of mind.
If this article helps just one dive professional ask better questions before buying health insurance in Thailand, then all those months of research were worth it.
Interested in becoming a dive professional? Read more about our professional diving courses or check our day trip insurance options for guests visiting Koh Chang.
