Thailand’s Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC) has published two parallel sets of draft regulatory amendments for public hearing—one governing non-life insurance and the other governing life insurance. The proposed amendments would significantly revise the rules for issuing, offering, and selling insurance policies, as well as the conduct of agents, brokers, and banks. Stakeholders may submit comments until April 25, 2026.

The key proposed changes are summarized below.

Electronic Policy Delivery by Default

Under both draft amendments, electronic delivery would become the default method for delivering insurance policies. A printed copy would be required only if the policyholder expressly opts out, and any such printed copy would be treated as a substitute for the electronic original. For life insurance, this requirement would also extend to coverage summaries and to exclusion documents. The OIC would also retain authority to approve alternative delivery methods for specific types of policies.

Misuse of Licenses

Both amendments would introduce an explicit prohibition against sales representatives using another person’s name or license, or allowing another person to use their name or license, in connection with the offering of insurance or in sales documentation and policies.

Premium Collection Reforms

Both amendments would introduce the premium collection reforms outlined below.

Premium receipt accounts

Insurers must ensure that sales representatives inform customers of the available payment channels, which are limited to channels that remit premiums into the insurer’s account.

If a customer pays an insurance premium to an insurer’s employee, an insurance broker, or any other person, and the company acknowledges the payment by issuing an insurance policy or other documentary evidence of insurance coverage, the insurer would be deemed to have received the insurance premium.

Written premium collection and refund guidelines

Insurers would be required to prepare written internal guidelines covering premium collection and refund policies, risk management associated with premiums, premium receipt channels, and customer notification methods. Check payments would be restricted to cashier’s checks or checks made payable to the insurer by name.

Premium collection timelines and motor insurance rules (non-life only)

The draft consolidates rules from prior OIC notifications on general premium collection and on premium collection for motor insurance, as follows:

• Annual, short-term, or single-premium policies: Premiums must be collected within 60 days from the start of coverage.
• Installment-based policies: First installment within 60 days from coverage start; subsequent installments within 60 days from each due date.
• Motor insurance: Retains the “cash before cover” principle—full premium must be received before the policy takes effect.

Insurance arrangements entered into with government agencies, state enterprises, and international organizations, as well as marine insurance, compulsory motor insurance, and reinsurance, are exempt from the 60-day collection timeline. If premiums remain unpaid while a policy is still in force, the insurer must issue a written cancellation notice in accordance with the policy’s terms and conditions.

Overhauled Advertising and Marketing Framework

The most extensive proposed changes relate to advertising governance and would apply identically to both life and non-life insurance. Key requirements would include the following:

• Accuracy and clarity. Advertisements must be accurate, complete, and not misleading, and must prominently display a consumer warning to study policy details before purchasing.
• Preapproval and monitoring. Companies must establish prepublication review systems with written approval records, as well as ongoing monitoring with prompt correction of noncompliant content.
• Outsourced advertising. Companies would remain fully liable for the actions of third-party advertisers. Written agreements would be required, and advertiser compensation must not be tied to policy volume or value. Advertisers must be vetted and must disclose paid relationships and licensing status.
• Digital advertising. Companies must adopt policies governing the selection of appropriate digital media channels for each product type.
• OIC enforcement. The OIC would be empowered to order corrections to content, require additional disclosures, or suspend noncompliant advertisements or sales activities.

Next Steps

If finalized in their current form, these draft amendments would affect insurance companies, agents, brokers, banks, third-party advertisers, and consumers across Thailand’s insurance market. Stakeholders should review the proposed rules during the public hearing period and assess the potential impact on their operations, compliance programs, and distribution arrangements.