What to Do After a Motorcycle or Scooter Accident in Chiang Mai

Quick Summary

Public ER Cost: My ER visit took about 40 minutes and cost 337.5 THB in total (including wound cleaning, medication, and a tetanus shot).

Wound Care: After the initial hospital cleaning, I highly recommend "wet wound healing" at home. It's much faster than letting scabs form. Nearby pharmacies usually do NOT offer dressing change services.

CT Scans: A CT scan at a private hospital (Sriphat) cost me about 6,000 THB. You get the CD the same day and a doctor calls the next day. Public hospitals are cheaper but can have a waitlist of over half a month.

Grab Insurance: Grab rides include AIG accident insurance, but Grab will NOT process the claim for you. Getting a Medical Report (around 300 THB) on the day of your visit saves a lot of time later. You can claim insurance even without a police report.

Nimman Hospital Area: Public and private hospitals are mixed together here. It's easy to get lost on your first visit. Nighttime ER is usually much faster than daytime.

If you crash a scooter or motorcycle in Chiang Mai: get to the nearest ER immediately (a public ER visit cost me 337.5 THB), have the wound professionally cleaned, then switch to wet wound healing at home. If you were on a Grab ride, save your booking ID and contact AIG directly — Grab will not file the insurance claim for you.

Below is my full story from a real accident in May 2026: the ER visit, wound care, a private CT scan, and the exact steps I took to get reimbursed.

Scooter Crash & Public ER Visit (Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital)

I was riding as a passenger on a Grab scooter. After going over a bump, the bike jolted violently, and I lost my balance. The issue was that the driver's food delivery box was placed too far forward, leaving me with almost nothing to hold onto. When I lost my balance, the driver couldn't stabilize the bike—she was quite small, and the scooter was too large for her. We both went down on the road.

After the fall, I decided to head to the Emergency Room (ER) at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. I live near Nimman, and there is a massive hospital district nearby where public hospitals, private wings, and specialist clinics are all crammed into the same area. If it's your first time and it's dark, it is incredibly easy to get lost.

Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital (Suandok) Info

If you decide to go to the public system, here are the details for the exact hospital I visited:

• Local Name: Widely known among locals as Suandok Hospital.
• Address: 110 Intavaroros Rd, Sri Phum Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District.
• Phone: +66 53 920 000.

Friends had warned me that public hospital ERs require at least an hour's wait. However, I arrived at 10:30 PM, and surprisingly, it wasn't crowded. I only waited about 15 minutes to be seen.

The process went roughly like this:

1. A doctor assessed my injuries.
2. Nurses cleaned and dressed the wounds.
3. I went to the cashier window to pay.
4. I picked up my medication at the pharmacy.
5. Since I hadn't had a tetanus shot in the last five to ten years, the doctor prescribed one. I went back to the injection room to get it, and then I was free to leave.

My condition: I had extensive road rash on the right side of my body—my entire right arm was essentially one big scrape—but luckily, no broken bones. But I also hit my head.

The entire visit took about 40 minutes. Because it was a public hospital, the total bill was only 337.5 THB. I am still amazed that this price included the tetanus vaccine.

If you go to a public ER during the daytime, the experience is entirely different: it is packed, and the wait is usually over an hour. This directly influenced my next steps—I decided not to go back to the hospital for my follow-up dressing changes.

Wound Care & Private CT Scan (Sriphat Medical Center)

I asked around Nimman, and almost no clinics offer dressing change services. Pharmacy staff will simply tell you to "go to the hospital." But since the public hospital was too slow during the day, I chose to change my dressings myself at home. I bought supplies from nearby pharmacies or ordered them via Grab delivery.

The scraped area was large, but I used wet wound healing. Combined with a healthy diet and good sleep, I was mostly healed by day six, leaving only four or five small spots still closing up. I had another motorcycle accident ten years ago, and the wounds weren't even half this size, but I used the traditional "let it scab" method, and it took three full weeks to heal.

Especially after a nurse has professionally cleaned the wound at the hospital, the area is clean. From your very first at-home dressing change, you can switch entirely to wet healing. No waiting for scabs, no painful peeling. Anyone who has experienced both methods will tell you the difference in recovery speed is night and day.

About two weeks later, I was still worried about the impact my head took, so I went to Sriphat Medical Center OPD for a head CT scan.

Sriphat is the private wing of Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital (Suan Dok)—the main campus is still a public hospital; only this building is brand new and offers private-hospital-level service. The experience was quite good: at registration, a front-desk English translator was friendly, fluent, and helped me check whether my insurance would cover the visit.

From what I researched, getting a CT scan at the public hospital is very cheap, but the waitlist is at least half a month. The private wing is much more expensive—my head CT cost 6,000 THB. But the benefits are obvious:

• Almost no wait time for the CT itself; you just wait for the doctor to call your name, and you go straight in.
• You pay immediately afterward.
• Radiology hands you the CT scan CD the same day.
• The doctor calls you the next day with the results.

If you suspect delayed head trauma and don't want to wait in the public system, this is a realistic compromise—expensive, but fast.

Other Private Chiang Mai Hospitals for Foreigners

While Sriphat is an excellent premium wing for imaging or specialized care, if you are looking for a fully private Chiang Mai hospital for foreigners for general admission, many expats go to Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai or Rajavej Chiang Mai Hospital. They offer English services and often handle international insurance directly, though they are significantly more expensive.

How to Claim Grab's AIG Accident Insurance

Because I was on a Grab scooter, the ride automatically included accident insurance under AIG.

About an hour after the crash, Grab called me two or three times—the driver likely reported the accident. I missed the calls, so they sent an email stating I was covered under their default insurance and provided the accidend ID. That was it.

However, Grab will NOT process any claims for you. To actually get reimbursed, you must contact AIG yourself, gather the materials on their checklist, fill out the forms, and mail them.(Yes, mail, not email as the request the original files)

Here is a crucial detail: It is highly recommended to request a Medical Report on the day of your hospital visit.

• Getting it on the same day costs about 300 THB and is much faster.
• Going back to the Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital's admin office later to request one takes about three days.

I didn't start the claim process until after my CT scan at the private wing. Based on my experience:

• Covered: Direct medical expenses related to the accident (I submitted original receipts).
• Not Covered: Out-of-pocket expenses, like buying supplies at a pharmacy later.
• No Police Report? I specifically asked about this—it does not affect your ability to claim.

The final documents I submitted were:

• Original receipts from the hospital
• A copy of the Medical Report
• A copy of my bank statement
• A copy of my passport
• And the application form

If they need anything else, they will request it separately via email based on your application form. The process isn't overly complicated. About two weeks later, the funds were wired to my Wise account.

Emergency Checklist: What to Do If You Just Crashed

I've condensed the most useful takeaways into a quick checklist for when you're in a panic:

Immediately: Go to the nearest ER for an assessment. Have large scrapes professionally cleaned; don't tough it out.

Choosing a Hospital: In the Nimman area, public and private facilities share the same campus—check the entrance carefully so you know which one you are walking into. Nighttime public ERs are usually faster; daytime visits require patience.

Expected Costs (Subject to Change): Public ER cleaning + meds + tetanus shot cost me 337.5 THB; a Medical Report is about 300 THB; a head CT at Sriphat Medical Center OPD cost 6,000 THB.

Aftercare: After the initial hospital cleaning, strongly consider wet wound healing at home. Do not waste time looking for a pharmacy to change your dressings; most in this area do not offer the service.

Insurance: If you were on a Grab, check your email/missed calls, save the accident ID, and contact AIG yourself. Request a Medical Report on the day of your visit, and keep all original hospital receipts.

A Final Note: Getting Health Insurance

Spending 6,000 THB on a CT scan at Sriphat was a wake-up call about how expensive unexpected medical care can be in Chiang Mai. After all, you won't always be in a Grab when an accident happens, and not every mishap comes with free default insurance.

Once my wounds healed, I immediately researched and purchased health and accident insurance tailored for long-term stayers. For details on how to navigate the insurance landscape here, check out my next guide: A Guide to Buying Health and Accident Insurance in Chiang Mai (Coming Soon).

FAQ

Which is the best Chiang Mai hospital for foreigners?

For premium, English-speaking care, private facilities like Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai, Rajavej Chiang Mai Hospital, and Sriphat Medical Center are common choices where many expats go. However, for minor injuries on a budget, the public Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital is highly efficient at night.

Can I claim Grab's insurance if I didn't file a police report after a motorcycle or scooter accident in Chiang Mai?

Yes. Based on my experience, as long as the accident happened during an active Grab ride and you can provide the original hospital receipts and a Medical Report, the lack of a police report does not affect your AIG claim.

How much does the ER cost at a public hospital in Chiang Mai?

Using Suan Dok Hospital as an example, wound cleaning for minor road rash, medication, and a tetanus vaccine can cost under 400 THB (mine was 337.5 THB). However, expect wait times of over an hour if you go during the day.

How do I claim insurance after a Grab scooter crash in Thailand?

Grab will not process the claim on your behalf. After the accident, they will likely call or email you with your booking ID and insurance confirmation. You must save this booking ID, keep all original hospital receipts and your Medical Report, and contact AIG directly to submit your documents for reimbursement.