What car insurance discounts are available in 2026? What percentage do you really save?

What car insurance discounts are available in 2026? Understand them properly before looking at “what percentage off”

When you buy or renew car insurance, you often see phrases like no-claims discount, driver discount, driving behaviour discount, or fit a dashcam and save 5–10% on your premium.

But these discounts are not the same type of discount, and you should not simply add the percentages together.

In 2026 in particular, the rules for car insurance policies for combustion-engine cars have been revised, which makes naming drivers and driving behaviour more important in calculating the premium.

So the question to ask before buying insurance is not just

“What percentage discount do I get?”

But rather

“After everything is calculated, what is the final premium, what is the sum insured, and what cover do I get?”

Why does naming drivers matter in 2026?

The new rules for car insurance policies for privately used combustion-engine cars require drivers to be named, and up to 5 drivers can be declared.

If there is more than 1 driver, the driving behaviour level is set using the driver with the highest risk level as the basis for the calculation under the rules.

So naming drivers should not be seen simply as an extra field on the policy, but as information that is linked to the risk assessment and the premium rate.

Does naming drivers get you a 40% discount straight away?

No.

This is the point consumers most need to understand clearly.

The phrase “up to 40% discount” refers to a discount linked to driving behaviour under the rules. It does not mean that just declaring a driver's name gets you a 40% discount straight away.

The OIC (Office of Insurance Commission) says the new rules allow a driving behaviour discount of up to 40% for drivers with a good driving record and no claims under the set criteria.

The discount you actually get therefore depends on each driver's information and the criteria. The phrase “up to 40%” should not be taken as a discount everyone will get.

How is the driving behaviour discount calculated?

The new rules give weight to your recent driving record.

If a driver has had an incident caused by their own negligence in the past 12 months, the insurer will take this into account when setting the driving behaviour level under the rules.

But some types of incident that are not caused by careless driving, such as damage from natural disasters, flooding or malicious damage, are not considered in the same way under the set conditions.

So let the insurer check the actual information before concluding how much discount a driver will get.

So is the 5–10% dashcam discount still available?

There are rules in place that provide for it.

Registrar's Order No. 8/2560 (2017) requires insurers to give a discount on voluntary motor insurance policies for cars fitted with a CCTV camera system or a dashcam, subject to conditions.

The discount rate is 5–10% of the net premium.

The insured must show photographic evidence of the camera installed in the insured car when the contract is made, and the camera must stay installed for the whole period of insurance.

A common misunderstanding

“5–10% off” does not always mean taking another 5–10% off the final amount you see on the quote.

Because the order sets the base as the net premium.

So before settling on a price, check with the insurer or broker whether the quote already includes the camera discount.

Are the dashcam discount and the driving behaviour discount the same thing?

No.

They should be kept apart as 2 separate things.

Dashcam
This is a discount under the rules for cars fitted with a camera that meets the conditions, at a rate of 5–10% of the net premium.

Driving behaviour
This uses the record and behaviour level of the named drivers in calculating the premium, and the new rules allow a discount of up to 40%, subject to conditions.

So do not use the figure 40% + 10% = 50% off to work out the price yourself.

The calculation base, the order of calculation and the conditions of each type of discount may differ.

Does the no-claims discount still matter?

Your claims history and driving behaviour are still important information in assessing risk and the premium.

But in 2026 consumers should get to know the new system better than before, because named drivers + driving record/behaviour + claims are linked in setting the premium under the new rules.

So don't rely on the question “what percentage off for a good record?” without checking which criteria your policy and driver details meet.

Why might the premium still be higher than elsewhere, even with several discounts?

Because the discount percentage is not the final price.

Car insurance premiums also depend on many factors, such as:

• Car make and model
• Vehicle age
• Sum insured
• Type of cover
• Dealer repair or garage repair
• Driver details
• Driving and claims history
• Excess (deductible)
• Each insurer's conditions and underwriting

So an offer showing a “higher percentage discount” may end up with a higher final premium than another insurer's offer.

Don't just look at “what percentage off”: compare these 7 things

Before deciding to buy car insurance, compare at least 7 things:

1. The final premium you pay
After all discounts and conditions have been applied

2. Sum insured
A cheaper price with a much lower sum insured may not be better value for you.

3. Cover for your own car
Especially when comparing Class 1, 2+ and 3+

4. Third-party liability
Check the cover for death, bodily injury and property

5. Dealer repair or garage repair
A similar price does not mean the same repair conditions.

6. Excess (deductible)
Check whether there is a Deductible or an Excess, and under what conditions it applies.

7. Exclusions and key conditions
Especially for offers whose price or cover is very different from the rest of the market

A simple example: cheaper does not mean better value for everyone

Suppose there are 2 offers.

Offer A
Final premium THB 18,500
Sum insured THB 600,000
Garage repair

Offer B
Final premium THB 19,500
Sum insured THB 750,000
Dealer repair

A is THB 1,000 cheaper.

But that does not automatically mean A is better than B, or that B is better than A.

If the customer wants dealer repair and values a higher sum insured, B may be more suitable.

But if the car is older, the owner does not need dealer repair, and a sum insured of THB 600,000 suits the car's value, A may be the better fit.

The right insurance means looking at both “the price” and “what you get for that price”.

The Prakanthai.com view: compare prices, but compare everything

Consumers today can check prices easily, and comparing prices before you buy is the right thing to do.

But the one extra question Prakanthai.com would like you to ask is

“What cover does this price give me?”

Instead of only asking

“How many more per cent can you take off?”

Because in the end, what really matters to the insured is

The premium you pay + sum insured + cover + repair conditions + excess (deductible) + policy conditions

This is the information you should compare before deciding.

Let Prakanthai.com check your quote before you decide

If you are renewing your car insurance and already have a quote, you can send the details to the Prakanthai.com team to help you compare.

We check the final premium, sum insured, cover, dealer/garage repair, excess (deductible) and key conditions so you can see the differences before you decide.

LINE Official: @prakanthai
Tel: +66 2 459 2223

Note: This article provides general information about car insurance. Premium rates, discounts and the benefits you actually receive depend on the policy type, vehicle details, drivers, driving/claims history and the rules in force when the insurance is taken out. Buyers should study the details, conditions and exclusions before deciding to buy insurance.

FAQ: car insurance discounts in 2026

How many drivers can you name in 2026?

Under the new rules, up to 5 drivers can be named, with the details of how the names are recorded following the policy form and the endorsements that apply.

Does naming drivers get you 40% off straight away?

No. The maximum of 40% is a driving behaviour discount under the rules, not an automatic discount just for naming drivers.

Can a front dashcam still lower your premium?

The rules set a discount of 5–10% of the net premium for cars fitted with a camera that meets the conditions, provided you show evidence and keep it installed for the whole period of insurance.

Can you simply add the camera discount and the good-driver discount together?

Don't add the percentages together yourself, because they are different types of discount and may have different bases and orders of calculation. Let the insurer calculate the final premium before you compare.

Why might insurance that advertises bigger discounts cost more?

Because the final premium still depends on the car, the sum insured, the cover, the drivers, the driving record, the repair conditions, the excess (deductible) and each insurer's underwriting criteria.