You do not need a policy to walk into the gym. Trainers will look after you, and a normal week of pads, bags and fitness work is not a hospital visit waiting to happen.
It is still worth having cover before you start. Private hospitals in Thailand are excellent and usually far cheaper than at home — they are not free. A rolled ankle, a cut that needs stitches, or a hand that is not quite right can still add up once you add scans, a night in a ward, or a transfer to a larger hospital.
This is a short, practical note for people coming to train. It is not personal insurance advice. Always read the live policy for your age, nationality and trip dates.
Partner: Genki
We have partnered with Genki and can arrange cover for students who want it.
Genki Traveler is travel health insurance built for people who are actually moving around. For training trips, the useful parts are usually:
Medical cover up to €1,000,000 for unexpected injury and illness
Martial arts and combat sports listed among covered leisure activities (professional sport is excluded)
You can buy it once you are already in Thailand (watch the waiting period if you had no prior cover)
Monthly subscription for stays of 1–12 months
A low deductible (typically €50 per claim on current Traveler wording)
Light scooter use is commonly included under their conditions (helmet as driver, engine/speed limits, no alcohol)
Genki Native is their longer-term international health product if you live here rather than visit. Ask us if that is the better fit.
What “training” actually means to an insurer
Insurers do not treat every session the same way. In practice there are three levels:
Pads, bags and technical work — no real partner contact. Many travel policies will cover this if martial arts or training is listed at all.
Sparring / contact training — this is where a lot of holiday policies stop. “Training” in the brochure often means pads, not partner work.
A bout — gym shows, festival fights or anything with a purse sit in a different box. Ordinary travel cover almost never includes professional fights.
Be honest with yourself about the week ahead before you buy. If you only want pads, say so. If you hope to spar, say that too — and get it in writing if the wording is fuzzy.
What Genki is — and is not
It is a practical way to cover unexpected medical costs while you train, travel and (if the wording allows) spar as a leisure activity.
It is not a licence to fight for money. Professional sport is excluded. If a trainer mentions a paid bout, pause and check the current terms — or look at specialist combat-sports accident cover — before you agree a date. We cannot backdate a fight onto a travel policy.
Cover also depends on you: pre-existing injuries, how the incident is described in the hospital notes, helmet and licence rules if you ride, and whether you buy after you have already started the trip. Save the policy PDF and the emergency number offline.
A short checklist
Decide pads vs sparring before you pay.
Search the policy for martial arts, combat sports, sparring and professional sport.
If you will ride a scooter, read the helmet and engine-size lines as well.
Note any waiting period if you buy after landing.
Keep receipts, clinic notes and your trainer’s name if you ever need to claim.
Tell your trainer if you are not covered for sparring. Good trainers will work with that.
