01.01.19
Focusing on enhancing correct insurance knowledge, updating events for the people, and developing various communication channels for wider accessibility and fair protection of the insured rights, Dr. Suttipol Taweechaikarn, Secretary-General of the Office of Insurance Commission (the OIC) mentioned that the OIC has been taken these in to account seriously and continuously as the insurance business has continuous growth direction and the development toward digital technology which allows easier reach to consumers with various insurance products met consumers’ needs. However, most consumers have been found lack of insurance knowledge and understanding which consequently results in many insurance contractual disputes. Therefore more hearing and suggestions from various sectors of government, business and public sector, allow the OIC to create insurance knowledge (Insurance Literacy), the preventive or upstream measure to increase immunity to the public, are the focusing points.
In 2017, the OIC has formed the Consumer Protection and Insurance Participation Committee selected from government, private agencies and public sector to have the participation process, information exchange, ideas hearing and brainstorming, and consequently improve the more effective consumer protection measures. The members includes persons from the OIC, Office of The Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), Department of Rights and Liberties Protection , Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Public Relations Department, Consumer Promotion and Protection Association, Federation of Consumer Protection of Bangkok, The Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities, Thai Journalist Association, Thai Life Assurance Association, Thai General Insurance Association, Thai Association of insurance and Financial Advisors, And the Thai Insurance Brokerage Association, etc. The Board of Directors of the first meeting on August 24, 2017 has set policy direction include 5 key measures which were: enhancing efficiency, knowledge and understanding of insurance for people, second is overseeing the over-stated insurance-related advertisement, third is the repeating complaints prevention, fourth is the disabled insurance protection, and last is the public communication for the insurance understand. In fact, the OIC has continuously implemented such policies with various concrete outputs.
The meeting of the Consumer Protection and Insurance Participation Committee on the recent December 2 has been reported on the OIC’s operations under the 5 key measures which was appreciated of its successful implementation with concrete outputs covering public insurance benefits protection of all dimensions, and should be continuously carried on, especially the public accessibility projects, such as the OIC for communities. This project should more improve the insurance benefit format to the insured coping with the new problem condition by exploring the people need, introducing health insurance products as the risk management immunity to the community. To concentrate more participants, it should be publicized the activity in advance through various media in the area for the utmost benefit of this project. On part of other publication, the meeting suggested also the various online information channels to the broader public with easy-to-understand forms, such as live broadcasting, short clips publishing on YouTube, or accelerating the modern technology development for public insurance benefits, such as compensation management or various information searching etc.
"The OIC will bring various recommendations from the committee to improve the guidelines for providing insurance knowledge to the public and the more efficient consumer insurance protection. In the year 2019, the OIC will continue to move forward in all dimensions to strengthen the public participation and right protection, the information system development to support the insurance benefits protection and increase the compensation management system efficiency, as well as promoting new insurance products to meet the all level people need, etc. “This is to allow access to the insurance system and receive insurance protection effectively and fairly of people. It will promote the entire Thai insurance industry to be reliable and an important pillar to drive the Thai economy consistently” the Secretary-General of the OIC finally mentioned.