THAILAND · ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
Been in a Road Accident in Thailand? Here Is Exactly What to Do.
Thailand
A road accident is stressful anywhere, and doing it in a country whose systems you do not know makes it more so. The steps below are the well-established, straightforward process — most accidents in Thailand are resolved through it without drama.
The short answer
Get anyone injured medical help first, call the police to the scene, and do not move the vehicles or apologise before they arrive. Take thorough photos, exchange details with the other party, and if you need help communicating, the Tourist Police hotline (1155) exists specifically for this and answers in English 24 hours a day. Most insurance claims are handled from the police report as the starting document — file it promptly rather than delay. What you sign matters: do not sign anything in Thai you cannot read, and it is entirely reasonable to wait for translation help before you do.
Is this you?
See which of these is closest to your situation.
- You've just been in an accident — a car, a motorbike, or as a pedestrian — and aren't sure what to do right now.
- You're being pressured at the scene to sign something in Thai, or to agree to a settlement on the spot.
- Someone was injured, and you're worried about what happens next, legally.
- You need to file an insurance claim and aren't sure what the process actually requires.
- You've already left the scene and are wondering whether you should have done something differently.
If the accident just happened and anyone is injured, call 1669 for an ambulance before anything else on this page.
What to do, in order
Check for injuries and call for medical help
If anyone is injured, call 1669 for an ambulance immediately. Do not move an injured person unless leaving them in place creates an immediate further danger.
Call the police, and don't move the vehicles before they arrive
Call 191 for police. Turn on hazard lights. If the vehicles are drivable and genuinely blocking traffic, photograph everything first, then move them to the side — otherwise leave them where they are until police attend. Set up a warning triangle if you have one and the vehicles can't be moved.
Say very little at the scene
Do not apologise and do not accuse the other party — either can be treated as an admission or used against you later, regardless of who was actually at fault. State facts if asked; leave fault determination to the process, not the roadside conversation.
Document everything
Photos of all vehicles, damage, license plates, the road, traffic signs and signals, and the overall scene from multiple angles. Exchange names, phone numbers, license plate details and insurance information with the other driver.
Use the Tourist Police if you need help communicating
The Tourist Police hotline, 1155, exists specifically to help foreigners in situations like this and answers in English, 24 hours a day. If communication at the scene is difficult, this is a genuinely useful call to make.
Don't sign anything in Thai you can't read
If someone at the scene wants you to sign a document or agree to a settlement, it is entirely reasonable to say you need it translated first. A legitimate process will accommodate that; pressure to sign immediately, without translation, is itself a signal to slow down.
File the police report promptly and notify your insurer
The police report is generally the starting document your insurer will need. Most insurers expect it filed promptly — commonly cited as within 24 hours, though this is standard insurer practice rather than a legal deadline we've found stated in any official source, so confirm your own policy's specific requirement directly with your insurer.
If it's serious, get counsel involved
For a straightforward fender-bender, the insurance process usually runs its course without needing a lawyer. Where there's a significant injury, a dispute over fault, or a criminal element (as can arise in serious accidents), Thai counsel should be involved early — we brief them with your documentation already organised.
This describes the Thai process specifically. Reporting requirements, insurance norms and legal procedure differ between Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia — do not assume what applies here applies elsewhere.
What this costs — ours and Thailand's, separated
Most straightforward accidents don't involve any cost beyond your own insurance excess. Where counsel is genuinely needed, the costs are kept separate and shown to you before you commit.
| Connect Consult | Official / third-party charge | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing a police report | No fee — most accidents don't need us for this step | No official charge to file the report itself |
| Insurance excess / deductible, if a claim is made | Not applicable | Set by your own insurance policy, not by us |
| Thai counsel — only for serious injury, fault disputes, or a criminal element | Quoted per matter, in writing, before you instruct | Not a government fee — set by the instructed firm |
| Connect Consult coordination fee | USD 490 – 1,100* — published, fixed, the same for everyone | — |
* Indicative price range only. This service is a tailored solution, assembled after consulting a specialist and budgeted against your case's specific requirements, third-party costs, your goals and your personal circumstances. Figures are guidance, checked against official sources and dated on this page. Official amounts are set by the authority and can change without notice — before you commit to anything, we confirm the exact figures for your case in writing. We do not mark up official charges or counsel fees.
Doing it yourself vs doing it with us
Most road accidents in Thailand are genuinely handled without a broker. Here's the honest line on where that's true.
| On your own | With Connect Consult | |
|---|---|---|
| Minor accident, no injury, cooperative other party | Genuinely fine on your own — file the report, notify your insurer, done | Little to add, and we'll say so |
| Significant injury to anyone involved | Higher stakes, and the process gets more complex fast | Counsel engaged early, before anything is signed or agreed |
| Fault is disputed by the other party | Hard to navigate from outside the local system, especially under language pressure | Your documentation and account organised and presented properly |
| You're being pressured to sign or settle at the scene | Risky to agree to something you can't fully read or understand | We help you slow the process down until you actually understand what's being asked |
The honest version
A minor accident, no significant injury, a cooperative other party, and a standard insurance claim — that's a do-it-yourself situation, and we'll tell you so if you ask. A serious injury, a fault dispute, or any hint of a criminal element changes that, and that's where professional coordination is worth having.
Common questions
What number do I call after an accident in Thailand?
191 for police, 1669 for an ambulance if anyone is injured. The Tourist Police hotline, 1155, is specifically for foreigners and answers in English 24 hours a day — genuinely useful if communication at the scene is difficult.
Should I move my car after an accident?
Generally no, not before police arrive — unless it's genuinely blocking traffic, in which case photograph everything first, then move it. Leaving vehicles in place preserves the scene for the report.
Do I have to file a police report?
Filing one is the standard, well-established practice and is generally what your insurer will require as the starting document for a claim. Confirm your specific insurer's requirement and timeframe directly with them.
Someone wants me to sign something at the scene. Should I?
Not until you understand what it says. It's reasonable to ask to wait for translation help — a legitimate process will accommodate that, and pressure to sign immediately without it is itself worth being cautious about.
What if the other party wasn't cooperative or fault is disputed?
This is where having your documentation properly organised and Thai counsel involved makes a genuine difference — fault disputes are exactly the situation where navigating the process alone becomes harder.
Can you guarantee a specific insurance payout or outcome?
No — and be cautious of anyone who says they can. Outcomes depend on the facts, your insurance policy, and where relevant, the courts. What we can do is make sure your case is presented properly and that you have qualified help when the situation calls for it.
Are you a Thai law firm?
No. Connect Consult is a legal-services concierge. Where legal representation is needed, it's provided by counsel licensed to practise in Thailand, whom we brief and manage.
If you need help right now
Tell us what happened. We'll tell you what to do next.
A short description of the accident and where things stand right now — we'll tell you plainly whether this is something you can handle yourself or where getting help genuinely matters.
Connect Consult is a legal-services concierge for foreigners in South East Asia. We are not a Thai law firm and we do not hold a Thai legal practising licence. Where legal representation is needed following a road accident, it is provided by counsel licensed to practise in Thailand — instructed, briefed and managed by us, with their fee quoted to you before you instruct them. We never guarantee an outcome. Emergency and Tourist Police numbers on this page are verified against the Tourism Authority of Thailand's own published information (see resources below). The 24-hour police-report window commonly cited by insurers is described as standard practice, not a stated legal requirement — we found no official source confirming it as law, so we say so rather than assert it as one. Last reviewed August 2026.
Official sources
- Royal Thai Police — Tourist Police Bureau (official site) ↗The Tourist Police's own government site, which lists the 1155 hotline. We cite this rather than a tourism-board article because a police matter should be sourced to the police. Be aware it is published mainly in Thai — the English-language route below is easier if you are reading this in an emergency. Verified August 2026.
- UK Foreign Office — Thailand travel advice, safety and security ↗An English-language government source covering emergency and police contact in Thailand. Written for British nationals, but the practical contact guidance applies to any foreign visitor. Verified August 2026.