Don’t forget your travel insurance, a little precaution helps when travelling abroad.

A smile on my face, clothes scattered on the bed, I kept wondering what all I was going to do in Thailand. Well, there is more to the land than massages and shopping and that’s what my mind was on. My plan was to visit Bangkok and Pattaya.

While everyone kept telling me tales of Bangkok, I kept digging out pieces of history from Google. During the 15^th century, this city was just a small trading post of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which is so difficult to believe today. The bustling metro is a shopper’s paradise, but is also home to famous Buddhist temples—Wat Arun and Wat Pho—and the historic Grand Palace. Well, that looked like my cup of tea. These places were on my check list and things to do. Then there was theatre and culture and a vibrant nightlife. I needed to plan my days well to see the maximum sights in the minimum time! And my list was growing.

Now, Pattaya—this needed more time as it promised bliss. The resort city along the coast line was once a battleground. My mind was now wandering about the way history changes places. To cite from Wikipedia: “The name Pattaya evolved from the march of Phraya Tak (later King Taksin) and his army from Ayutthaya to Chanthaburi, which took place before the fall of the former capital to Burmese invaders in 1767.” But what was I going to find now? There were zoos, go-karting, water sports such as paragliding and scuba diving, cruises and more. Now, this sounded very adventurous and it surely needed some safety. Parasailing was a must-do according to my sister, who had enjoyed the activity the year before. It made the heart flutter but it was exciting.

My list of documents and packing list was long, until I realized that my travel insurance was missing, thanks to a phone call by a friend who was crying over missing a premium payment.

While to some, travel insurance might not seem important or just a mandate, to me it is important. I mean travelling abroad is an expensive process and a little precaution can help save a lot of trouble. I remember a trip in which my luggage was delayed and my heart was in my mouth till the suitcase arrived. I didn’t want to fall ill and not have help. These are common problems for a traveller and insurance prepares one for these. The browser opened many sites the moment I typed ‘travel insurance’. What caught my eye was the Reliance General Insurance which had an Asia-specific plan – the Asia Travel Insurance – which covered:

• Emergency medical expenses incurred by you whilst abroad, for any sudden illness, injury or death
• Accidental bodily injury during the trip (my plan for sports activities seemed safer now)
• Cost of obtaining a fresh or duplicate passport in case of a lost passport (this can literally happen to anyone!)
• Total loss of your checked-in baggage by a common carrier
• Facility to provide you emergency financial assistance in case you lose travel funds due to theft

There were more benefits and this plan suited my needs. It covered just about everything that I could go through. I mean I am a regular traveller and I have fallen ill during my stay abroad, fallen down and injured my hand and waited hours for a suitcase. I didn’t want to think of thefts and other major happenings—too morbid! But this safety measure was now noted on my list and I was flying in just two days. Besides, it offered online help and I need not run around for anything.

My research completed, my checklist all ticked off and my suitcase packed into the cargo compartment, I landed in Bangkok on a sunny day, ready for my week-long Thailand holiday. And trust me when I say, this was the one of the most peaceful and on-plan vacation I ever had!