Insurance for training in Thailand

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 who 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

  • Training, sparring, other friendly fights and self-defence explicitly covered

  • Professional sport excluded (regular salary, sponsorship or other payment)

  • You can buy it once you are already in Thailand (14-day emergency-only wait if you had no prior cover)

  • Monthly subscription for stays of 1–12 months

  • Start age 69 or under

  • Deductible typically €50 per claim on current Traveler wording

  • Accident-related dental care up to €1,000 per case (routine dental excluded)

  • Six prescribed physiotherapy sessions per case (broader rehab excluded)

  • All normal driving covered on any vehicle — see scooter notes below

Genki Native is lifelong international health cover if you live here rather than visit. Minimum one-year contract. Applicant must be 55 or under at the start date. Basic and Premium variants, with a deductible of none, €500 or €1,000.

What “training” actually means to an insurer

Insurers do not treat every session the same way. In practice there are four levels:

  1. Pads, bags and technical work — no real partner contact.

  2. Sparring / contact training — this is where a lot of holiday policies stop. Genki Traveler covers it.

  3. Unpaid gym shows and festival fights — on Genki these generally read as friendly fights and are covered.

  4. Professional sport — regular compensation. Not covered. A one-off paid bout is a grey area: check with Genki before you agree a date.

Scooters

Engine size and speed do not decide whether riding is covered. All normal driving is covered, on any vehicle.

What those figures decide is whether you need a licence:

  • Driver of a motorcycle must wear a helmet. Passengers are covered without one.

  • Driver needs a valid licence where the law requires one.

  • Exception: covered without a licence on a light motorcycle — 110 km/h or less and 125cc or less (or electric 11 kW or less). Both must be true.

  • Racing, race training and unsupervised off-road are out. Supervised recreational use and go-karting are in.

A 300cc bike with a valid licence is fully covered for normal riding.

Do not drink and ride. That is gym safety advice, not a Genki policy term.

What Genki is — and is not

It is cover for unexpected medical costs while you train, travel, spar, and take unpaid friendly fights.

It is not cover for professional sport, and we are not appointed to place a policy for you. You apply in your own name through the link. A one-off paid bout still needs a check with Genki first. We cannot backdate a fight onto a travel policy.

Save the policy PDF and the emergency number offline.

How the link works

  1. Decide pads / sparring / an unpaid show / a paid date.

  2. Open Genki Traveler (or Native if you live here).

  3. Complete the application in your own name. Genki underwrites the policy.

  4. Keep the policy number with your passport. If something happens in training, tell us so we can help with clinic details and a simple account of the session.

A short checklist

  • Traveler: start age 69 or under. Native: 55 or under at start.

  • Note the waiting period if you buy after landing.

  • Helmet on if you are the driver. Licence unless you are on a qualifying light motorcycle.

  • Keep receipts, clinic notes and your trainer’s name if you ever need to claim.