Condo Insurance Thailand for Foreign Owners: Empty Units

Updated: 16 October 2026
Compiled by PrakanThai.com

A foreign owner bought a beachside condo to spend the cool season in, four or five months a year. The rest of the time the unit is locked up while the owner is back home. One day the building manager emails photos: a pipe in the unit has leaked and water has seeped into the unit below. The neighbour wants the owner to pay for the ceiling and furniture.

Two questions follow. Does condo insurance cover this? And if the unit sits empty for months, is the policy still in force? This guide compares the conditions of two plans we arrange, so you can see what is covered and where to be careful.

What does condo insurance cover?

Short answer: Condo insurance for unit owners covers the contents of the unit, such as furniture, electrical appliances, decorations and fixtures, against fire, water damage, natural perils and burglary with signs of forced entry, plus liability to neighbours and other third parties. It does not cover the building structure or common property, and some plans don't cover a unit that has been unoccupied for longer than a set period.

How do the two plans for condo units differ?

Premiums as at 11–15 October 2026, including stamp duty and VAT. All figures are starting premiums. The actual premium depends on the plan, the type of building and the insurer's underwriting. Full details: Bangkok Insurance condominium insurance and Thaivivat home and condominium insurance.

Water leaks into the unit below: will insurance pay?

Both plans include third-party liability, which is the part that handles damage to your neighbour's property where you are legally liable. But there are excess amounts to know about first.

• Water damage to your own contents (Bangkok Insurance): excess of 10% of the loss or a minimum of THB 20,000, whichever is higher
• Water leak damage to a neighbour's property (Bangkok Insurance): excess of THB 3,000 per claim

Worked example: a pipe leaks, causing THB 60,000 of damage to your contents (Bangkok Insurance Plan 2)

• 10% of 60,000 = THB 6,000, which is below the THB 20,000 minimum, so the excess is THB 20,000
• The insurer considers paying 60,000 − 20,000 = THB 40,000
• If the water also causes THB 30,000 of damage to the unit below and you are liable, the liability cover deducts the THB 3,000 excess: 30,000 − 3,000 = THB 27,000

This example is for illustration only. Actual payment depends on the loss assessment and the policy terms. The simple rule: a small leak in your own unit often falls under the excess, but liability to your neighbour is where insurance helps most.

You're away for months and the unit is empty. Are you still covered?

It depends on the plan. Thaivivat's home and condo plan states that it does not cover a residence where no one has lived for more than 60 days in a row, such as a holiday home, a unit waiting to be sold, or a unit left empty. If no one stays in your unit for several months each year, this plan may not suit you.

Before you buy any plan, tell us how many months a year you stay, when the unit is empty, and whether someone checks on it, so we can confirm the conditions with the insurer against how you actually use the unit.

Can tenants buy condo insurance?

Bangkok Insurance's condo plan is for unit owners only, so tenants can't buy it. If you rent and want to cover your own belongings in the unit, tell us you are a tenant and we'll look for a plan the insurer will consider.

What doesn't an owner's condo insurance cover?

1. The building structure and common property. Bangkok Insurance's plan covers property inside the unit. For common property, ask the condominium juristic person.
2. Items missing with no sign of forced entry. This doesn't meet the burglary conditions of either plan.
3. Cash, gold, jewellery, wristwatches and collectibles. These are excluded in Thaivivat's plan. Bangkok Insurance's plan covers antiques or valuable art up to THB 30,000.
4. Floods in the first days. Thaivivat's plan has a 7-day waiting period for flood on a first policy.
5. Duplicate policies. Bangkok Insurance's plan allows no more than one policy per unit.

Which plan should a foreign condo owner choose?

• You live in the unit most of the year and worry about contents and neighbours: Bangkok Insurance condo plan, from THB 1,290.
• You want cover for the unit itself, with a higher sum insured: Thaivivat home and condo plan, THB 1–5 million, provided the unit isn't empty for more than 60 days.
• The unit is empty for several months a year: talk to us before you buy, so we can check the conditions against how you use the unit.

What do you need to send for a condo insurance quote?

Just 3 things

1. The condo project name and unit number
2. The approximate value of the contents
3. Whether you live there, rent it out, or leave it empty at certain times of year

We check the conditions with the insurer and send you a written quote within one working day, in English or Thai. If one plan is better value, we say so. If the conditions differ, we explain before you pay.

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

Frequently asked questions

My TV was damaged by a power surge. Can I claim?

Bangkok Insurance's plan covers damage to electrical appliances, with limits of THB 50,000–200,000 depending on the plan. Payment is subject to the policy terms.

Are claims paid at the old value or the replacement value?

Bangkok Insurance's plan pays based on the value of the property as new, at the time and place of the loss, up to the sum insured.

Can I buy cover for several years at once?

Thaivivat's plan offers 1, 3 or 5 years. For example, THB 1 million cover for a concrete building costs THB 3,500 for 3 years or THB 4,880 for 5 years.

If I buy now and there's a flood next week, am I covered?

Thaivivat's plan has a 7-day waiting period for flood on a first policy. Damage during that period is not covered.

Who approves claims: Prakanthai or the insurer?

The insurer decides whether to accept the policy and pays claims. Prakanthai, as a broker, coordinates and follows up for you.

Note
This article is based on product information for the condominium insurance of Bangkok Insurance Public Company Limited and THAIVY HOME PROTECT of Thaivivat Insurance Public Company Limited, as at 11–15 October 2026. It is general information, not part of any insurance contract. Premiums and conditions may change as announced by the insurers. Acceptance and claims payment are decided by the insurer. Prakanthai.com is a non-life insurance broker, not an insurer, licence no. 5104000004, serving customers since 2004. Read the policy and the quote in full before you decide.