Thailand Holiday Compensation Guide

Making a claim for an accident or illness in Thailand

Unfortunately, not all holidays to Thailand end with fantastic photographs and fond memories. Some tourists are involved in accidents and sustain injuries while in the Far East, and many fall ill as a result of contamination and poor health and safety regulations.

If you fell ill or were injured during a holiday to Thailand, our expert team of solicitors can help you make a compensation claim. We’ll support you throughout the claims process, offering practical, easy to understand advice and guidance.

We know how stressful a holiday accident or illness can be at the time and the huge effect it can have on one’s finances, whether that’s covering medical bills or making up for lost income while they recover. That’s why we offer a no-win, no-fee guarantee - you won’t pay us a penny unless we’re successful in winning your case.

Bangkok skyline at sunset, Thailand

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Our expert team will call you...

Our holiday illness team have years of experience pursuing claims on behalf of disappointed holidaymakers.

Our Thailand holiday claims expert team. We deal with claims arising from holidays in Thailand.

At Your Legal Friend, our experienced holiday sickness solicitors will review your case for holiday illness compensation and take you step by step through the process of pursuing your holiday sickness claim.

If you’d like advice as to whether you might be able to pursue a holiday illness claim, either call our freephone number or submit your details through the form on this page and we’ll be in touch to schedule a phone call at a time that’s convenient for you. If you decide that you’d like to start a claim, one of our lawyers will be able to tell you whether you can enter into a No Win, No Fee agreement*. A ‘No Win, No Fee’ agreement means that in the event your claim is unsuccessful, and you have co-operated fully with us throughout, you won’t have to pay any legal costs, so there’s no financial risk to you.

Talk to us today

For an informal, confidential chat with one of our specialist medical negligence solicitors, call us now on 0151 550 5228(calls free from landlines and mobiles). Or just complete the 'Start a new claim’ option on the right and we'll call you straight back.

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There are many people injured in accidents each year through no fault of their own and the circumstances will be different in each instance. Our team has extensive experience of successfully managing a wide range of personal injury claims, so we can help you secure the maximum compensation you deserve.

Alison Saul

Director of Personal Injury

What our customers say

“I found the staff to be friendly, helpful, courteous and they kept me well informed on a regular basis”

Mrs. Vora,
Loughborough

“They acted in a sympathetic and professional manner and resolved my case very efficiently”

Mr Dowse
Leeds

For a confidential chat, call one of our experts today 0151 550 5228

10 simple steps to claim

Step
1

Obtaining a full description of your accident or illness

Step
2

Obtaining your medical records

Step
3

Contacting the company responsible for your accident or illness

Step
4

Arranging your medical assessment

Step
5

Collating details of your financial loss

Step
86

Negotiating the maximum settlement possibleProviding you with our valuation of your losses

Step
7

Sending your valuation to the other party's insurer

Step
68

Providing you with our valuation of your lossesNegotiating the maximum settlement possible

Step
9

Issuing Court proceedings

Step
10

Sending you your compensation payment

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Your questions... answered

What are some of the most common illnesses and injuries that affect tourists in Thailand? What can you claim for? Is there a time limit on making a claim? How do I get started in claiming compensation? How much compensation will I receive?

What are some of the most common illnesses and injuries that affect tourists in Thailand?

The temptation to eat as the locals do from food stalls and market stands is understandably too much for some. The food may taste great but lack of proper sanitation and contaminated water can lead to more than just a plate of Pad Thai. Legionnaires, Dysentery, E-Coli, Food Poisoning and even diseases such as Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Diphtheria can take hold.

Mosquito Spread Illness

Mosquitoes are not man’s friend at the best of times and in Asian countries like Thailand, the pose the threat of Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and Dengue fever among others. While some cases can be quite mild, other tourists can suffer severely and most will require hospitalisation.

Trips, slips and falls

Hotels, beachside resorts and even self-catering apartments are not without their dangers. Trips and falls from wet floors not marked with caution signs are more of a common occurrence than you might expect. Unmarked glass doors, temple steps and tour coach steps are other issues that visitors may face leading to all range of injuries.

Rabies

Rabies is still rife in Thailand especially among the bat community. Close contact with infected animals can be lethal for humans and those travelling to more rural areas are more likely to be exposed to the virus.

Watersport Accidents

Many beachfront hotels offer watersports of some sort from scuba diving and snorkelling to catamaran outings, sailing, fishing trips and boat rides through some of Thailand’s stunning waterways. Whether the cause is negligence by other tourists, tour operators, the hotel or personal, accidents do and can happen.

Sunburn, dehydration and altitude sickness

Due to the soaring temperatures, incredible humidity and the height of some of the mountainous regions, too much sun exposure and altitude sickness are very real possibilities.

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What can you claim for?

Compensation for accidents and illnesses abroad can only be claimed for package holidays, most of which are covered by the Package Travel Regulations 1992. Under Regulation 2(1), hotel owners and tour operators have a ‘duty of care’ towards the health and safety of you, your family and anyone else in your party.

This Regulation states that a package must include the pre-arranged combination of at least two of the following components:

Transport
Accommodation
Other tourist services that are additional to transport or accommodation, and which account for a significant proportion of the package. This can include pre-booked excursions.

If you are harmed while using any facilities promoted or controlled by your tour operator as part of your package, you could have grounds to make a claim for compensation.

Your package holiday organiser can be held responsible if you suffered an injury caused by an accident or illness that happened anywhere on hotel property. They can also be held responsible if an accident takes place or your illness is caused either:

On a pre-booked excursion bought in the UK, or
During a holiday service provided as part of your package bought in the UK.

However, your package holiday organiser is unlikely to be held responsible if:

Your accident or illness happened during an excursion booked at the hotel or resort, which was not included in your pre-booked package, bought in the UK.
An accident happened away from your hotel – unless it was during an excursion you bought in the UK as part of your package.
You tripped on a badly maintained pavement in the local town centre.
The accident was your fault, i.e. you broke the safety rules
Your illness was caused by eating at a local restaurant that was not included as part of your package holiday.

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Is there a time limit on making a claim?

The Package Travel Regulations 1992 allow you 3 years to make a claim from the date when the illness or accident occurred. However if your illness or accident happened on a cruise, this would be governed by the Athens Convention which are a different set of regulations that only allow 2 years in which to make a claim.

How do I get started in claiming compensation?

If you’ve had a holiday ruined by an accident that wasn’t your fault, or an illness you’ve picked up as a result of someone else’s negligence, Your Legal Friend could help. We’ll support you in making a compensation claim for the pain and stress caused to you while you were abroad, as well as covering additional travel costs and any future medical treatments that might be required throughout your recovery.

First of all, we need to understand what happened to you and why you believe the accident or illness was not your fault. We’ll take statements from you and any witnesses obtain incident reports, and search for medical reports to get a better idea of what happened, how you were affected, what treatment you were given, and whether you are still suffering from your injury or illness.

Then we’ll launch a thorough investigation, with the aim of identifying who was at fault for your injury or illness. Once we’ve discovered whose negligence caused this, can then assess how likely your claim is to succeed and how much compensation we can secure for you.

If you then agree to go ahead, we’ll send your claim to whoever is responsible for your injuries or illness. They can either accept the claim or seek to negotiate a settlement with you – this is often the preferred choice of many larger firms looking to protect their reputation – or they can reject the claim in which case we take the case to Court. In this instance, we’ll manage the process of preparing your claim to go to Court and support you every step of the way.

Read less

How much compensation will I receive?

If your claim is successful, you’ll be awarded compensation. How much you’ll be awarded depends on various criteria:

The severity of the injury or illness. A broken bone or amputation is likely to be classed as far more serious than a muscle strain or stomach bug.
How your life has been affected. Some unfortunate holidaymakers experience life-changing injuries or illnesses while abroad – the compensation awarded will reflect this.
Whether you’ve been left out of pocket. Medical bills and additional travel expenses can wreak havoc on a family’s finances. This part of the compensation sees that you’re adequately compensated for your losses.
Whether you’ll need extra support in the future. If your injury or illness will lead to loss of income, or if you’ll need ongoing treatment and care to deal with the injury, this will be taken into account.

The temptation to eat as the locals do from food stalls and market stands is understandably too much for some. The food may taste great but lack of proper sanitation and contaminated water can lead to more than just a plate of Pad Thai. Legionnaires, Dysentery, E-Coli, Food Poisoning and even diseases such as Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Diphtheria can take hold.

Mosquito Spread Illness

Mosquitoes are not man’s friend at the best of times and in Asian countries like Thailand, the pose the threat of Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and Dengue fever among others. While some cases can be quite mild, other tourists can suffer severely and most will require hospitalisation.

Trips, slips and falls

Hotels, beachside resorts and even self-catering apartments are not without their dangers. Trips and falls from wet floors not marked with caution signs are more of a common occurrence than you might expect. Unmarked glass doors, temple steps and tour coach steps are other issues that visitors may face leading to all range of injuries.

Rabies

Rabies is still rife in Thailand especially among the bat community. Close contact with infected animals can be lethal for humans and those travelling to more rural areas are more likely to be exposed to the virus.

Watersport Accidents

Many beachfront hotels offer watersports of some sort from scuba diving and snorkelling to catamaran outings, sailing, fishing trips and boat rides through some of Thailand’s stunning waterways. Whether the cause is negligence by other tourists, tour operators, the hotel or personal, accidents do and can happen.

Sunburn, dehydration and altitude sickness

Due to the soaring temperatures, incredible humidity and the height of some of the mountainous regions, too much sun exposure and altitude sickness are very real possibilities.

Read less

Compensation for accidents and illnesses abroad can only be claimed for package holidays, most of which are covered by the Package Travel Regulations 1992. Under Regulation 2(1), hotel owners and tour operators have a ‘duty of care’ towards the health and safety of you, your family and anyone else in your party.

This Regulation states that a package must include the pre-arranged combination of at least two of the following components:

Transport
Accommodation
Other tourist services that are additional to transport or accommodation, and which account for a significant proportion of the package. This can include pre-booked excursions.

If you are harmed while using any facilities promoted or controlled by your tour operator as part of your package, you could have grounds to make a claim for compensation.

Your package holiday organiser can be held responsible if you suffered an injury caused by an accident or illness that happened anywhere on hotel property. They can also be held responsible if an accident takes place or your illness is caused either:

On a pre-booked excursion bought in the UK, or
During a holiday service provided as part of your package bought in the UK.

However, your package holiday organiser is unlikely to be held responsible if:

Your accident or illness happened during an excursion booked at the hotel or resort, which was not included in your pre-booked package, bought in the UK.
An accident happened away from your hotel – unless it was during an excursion you bought in the UK as part of your package.
You tripped on a badly maintained pavement in the local town centre.
The accident was your fault, i.e. you broke the safety rules
Your illness was caused by eating at a local restaurant that was not included as part of your package holiday.

Read less

The Package Travel Regulations 1992 allow you 3 years to make a claim from the date when the illness or accident occurred. However if your illness or accident happened on a cruise, this would be governed by the Athens Convention which are a different set of regulations that only allow 2 years in which to make a claim.

If you’ve had a holiday ruined by an accident that wasn’t your fault, or an illness you’ve picked up as a result of someone else’s negligence, Your Legal Friend could help. We’ll support you in making a compensation claim for the pain and stress caused to you while you were abroad, as well as covering additional travel costs and any future medical treatments that might be required throughout your recovery.

First of all, we need to understand what happened to you and why you believe the accident or illness was not your fault. We’ll take statements from you and any witnesses obtain incident reports, and search for medical reports to get a better idea of what happened, how you were affected, what treatment you were given, and whether you are still suffering from your injury or illness.

Then we’ll launch a thorough investigation, with the aim of identifying who was at fault for your injury or illness. Once we’ve discovered whose negligence caused this, can then assess how likely your claim is to succeed and how much compensation we can secure for you.

If you then agree to go ahead, we’ll send your claim to whoever is responsible for your injuries or illness. They can either accept the claim or seek to negotiate a settlement with you – this is often the preferred choice of many larger firms looking to protect their reputation – or they can reject the claim in which case we take the case to Court. In this instance, we’ll manage the process of preparing your claim to go to Court and support you every step of the way.

Read less

If your claim is successful, you’ll be awarded compensation. How much you’ll be awarded depends on various criteria:

The severity of the injury or illness. A broken bone or amputation is likely to be classed as far more serious than a muscle strain or stomach bug.
How your life has been affected. Some unfortunate holidaymakers experience life-changing injuries or illnesses while abroad – the compensation awarded will reflect this.
Whether you’ve been left out of pocket. Medical bills and additional travel expenses can wreak havoc on a family’s finances. This part of the compensation sees that you’re adequately compensated for your losses.
Whether you’ll need extra support in the future. If your injury or illness will lead to loss of income, or if you’ll need ongoing treatment and care to deal with the injury, this will be taken into account.