After an accident, how do you claim on compulsory motor insurance (CMI)? 5 steps to know
- Published: 7 September 2026
- Category: Insurance guides
After an accident, how do you claim on compulsory motor insurance (CMI)? 5 steps to know
After a car crash or a motorcycle fall, many people worry not only about their injuries but also: “Do I have to pay for treatment myself, and where do I claim on the compulsory motor insurance (CMI)?”
Start by getting treatment, tell the hospital you are using your CMI entitlement, prepare the documents and file with the insurer, or let the hospital do it for you if it offers this service. Medical costs under “preliminary compensation” are paid at actual cost up to THB 30,000 per person, without waiting to establish who was at fault.
CMI is compulsory insurance that covers death, bodily injury or harm to health caused by a vehicle. It covers road accident victims, including drivers, passengers and pedestrians, subject to its conditions. Car repairs are not part of this cover. Reference: Road accident victims protection policy, Road Accident Victims Protection Company (RVP)
5 steps to claim on CMI after an accident
1. Get treatment first; don't lose time waiting for documents
In an emergency, call 1669 for help, then tell the hospital you were injured in a road accident. Finding the policy or getting documents together should happen alongside treatment and should never delay getting help. Emergency channels as provided by the National Institute for Emergency Medicine
2. Tell the hospital you want to use your CMI entitlement
Give the vehicle's registration number and the insurer's name if you know it, say whether the injured person was the driver, a passenger or a pedestrian, and ask whether the hospital can bill the insurer directly.
A participating hospital may file the claim on your behalf, so you don't have to pay upfront for the part your entitlement covers. This depends on the entitlement check, the documents and the limit. If you do have to pay, keep the original receipts and ask for a medical certificate. Example procedure from Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai
3. Prepare the right documents for your case
To claim medical costs under preliminary compensation, the main evidence is:
- Proof of the victim's identity, such as a copy of their ID card, passport or another official document that confirms who they are
- Original medical receipts if you file yourself, or the invoice if the hospital is authorised to file on your behalf
For dismemberment or disability, you will also need medical evidence and proof that it was caused by a vehicle. In the case of death, use the death certificate and evidence that the death was caused by a vehicle, such as the police daily record of the case, and check the documents showing the entitlement of the heir who is claiming.
Have the vehicle and policy details ready to help check entitlements, and ask about a power of attorney if someone else will handle the claim for you. A police report is not a core document required in every case when claiming preliminary medical costs. For details, see the OIC (Office of Insurance Commission) policy interpretation guide, section 5
4. File with the insurer that issued the CMI
Report the accident to the insurer promptly, and choose whether to file yourself or let the hospital do it. If vehicles collide, the people in each vehicle claim preliminary compensation from the insurer of the vehicle they were in. Victims outside a vehicle should give the details of the vehicles involved so the responsible insurer can be contacted.
After filing, keep copies of the documents, the reference number and the name of your contact so you can follow up. If you don't know which insurer issued the vehicle's CMI, you can ask RVP on 1791, according to the RVP policy and contact channels
5. Check the filing deadline and follow up on payment
- Claim preliminary compensation within 180 days of the date the loss occurred. The count may start on different dates for injury, death or disability, so file as soon as you can.
- The insurer must pay preliminary compensation within 7 days of receiving the request, provided the required evidence is submitted, with no need to wait for liability to be established.
- For any claim amount above preliminary compensation, payment is due within 7 days of the insurer receiving complete documents and the claim amount being agreed.
So don't assume that “once you report an accident, you always get the full amount within 7 days”. Reference: OIC policy interpretation guide on payment periods and exercising your rights
How much can you claim from CMI?
The limits per victim, summarised from Bangkok Insurance's CMI coverage table and the policy conditions, are as follows:
| Case | Preliminary compensation (no need to establish liability) | Cover based on liability and policy conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | Actual medical costs, up to THB 30,000 | Actual medical costs and claimable damages, up to THB 80,000 in total |
| Death | THB 35,000 | THB 500,000 |
| Dismemberment or disability, as defined in the conditions | THB 35,000 | THB 200,000–500,000, depending on the nature of the loss |
| Inpatient stay | Not included in preliminary compensation | THB 200 per day, up to 20 days |
The THB 80,000 limit already includes the THB 30,000 preliminary medical costs; it does not add up to THB 110,000. Likewise, the THB 500,000 for death already includes preliminary compensation, and the limits for different cases cannot all be added together.
If an injury later leads to dismemberment, disability or death as defined in the conditions, preliminary compensation is capped at THB 65,000 in total, based on the actual loss. Details in CMI conditions of cover, clauses 3–4
Frequently asked questions
Can you claim if you were the driver at fault, or fell off your motorcycle on your own?
You can still claim preliminary compensation from the CMI of the insured vehicle, subject to the conditions. For the driver, the policy of the vehicle they were driving pays no more than preliminary compensation. If another party is liable, you may be able to claim the rest from that party's insurer. So not every driver can claim THB 80,000 in medical costs from their own vehicle's CMI, under driver cover conditions, clause 3.1.7
Hit and run and you don't know the registration number: is there still help available?
You may be entitled to claim preliminary compensation from the Victims Compensation Fund. The facts and legal conditions have to be checked first; payment is not automatic in every case. See the information from the OIC on the Victims Compensation Fund
Read more: New compulsory motor insurance (CMI) rules from 1 September 2026: match your cover dates to your vehicle tax and What is the difference between compulsory motor insurance (CMI) and annual vehicle tax?
Not sure where to file? Start by messaging us
Type “CMI claim” in the Prakanthai.com LINE chat with the date of the accident and whether you were the driver, a passenger or a pedestrian, and our team will guide you through the steps, the documents and how to contact the insurer.
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