He continued by saying this should be done some time this month and then it would be put out to tender. The governor added that the SRT hoped to start providing passengers with insurance from November onwards.
As a footnote, Mr Kalyanamitra claimed the SRT would cover the cost of the insurance and not tack it on to the cost of tickets. He further noted a mooted increase in the cost of third-class fares had nothing to do with insurance and was just an economic necessity as the tickets cost the same as they had in the 1980s.
SRT director Panthop Malakul Na Ayutthaya explained that the new insurance would cover every passenger travelling on one of its trains. He said payouts would be fixed at THB30,000 for an injury and THB300,000 for loss of life.
The SRT currently pays compensation from its own funds in cases of claims from accident victims. Previous claimants say the process is long-winded and should become easier if private insurance companies are dealing with claims.
Thai rail company to introduce travel insurance for passengers
News in Asia
Thailand’s national train operator has announced it will start insuring passengers later this year. Wuthichart Kalyanamitra is the governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and he says the exact terms of the project are presently being drawn up.