Why reject my claim, since my situation was the same? That was what Mr Teng Chee Hiong wanted to know when he read The New Paper on 11 Dec.
That day, he discovered that insurers NTUC Income and American Insurance Group (AIG) had decided to compensate policyholders who were stranded in Bangkok because of the recent protests.
Mr Teng had been stranded in Phuket in August. A week after his return, Mr Teng submitted an insurance claim for an extra day's hotel stay.
But Income rejected his claim at first.
He said: 'Income said it could only compensate for delays caused by strikes or industrial action, adverse weather, and mechanical breakdown or structural defects of the transportation used. Since our delay was due to civil unrest, that was not an insured item.'
But Mr Teng appealed after reading reports that some of those affected in Bangkok had been successful in being compensated by their insurers.
On Saturday, Mr Teng received the good news that Income had decided to pay his claim on a goodwill basis.
Income told The New Paper earlier that it would assess the claims from policyholders stranded in Phuket on a case-by-case basis.
It said that although delays caused by civil unrest were usually not covered under most travel insurance policies, the Bangkok riots took many Singaporeans by surprise and Income made an exception as policyholders stranded there had experienced genuine difficulties through no fault of theirs.
Income said policyholders stranded in Phuket had called to ask for their claims to be re-considered, and each case would be assessed by the same guidelines used for those stranded in Bangkok.
Mr Teng, 30, a ground services officer at Changi Airport, had taken a travel insurance policy for him and his wife two days before their trip to Phuket.
Between 29 and 31 Aug, Thailand closed three airports at Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai after anti-government protesters stormed Phuket International Airport.
This was a spillover after thousands of activists besieged government offices in Bangkok, calling for then Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to resign.
Flights were delayed and cancelled, leaving many tourists stranded.
Mr Teng said: 'We were scheduled to return to Singapore on 30 Aug but protesters hit the streets on 29 Aug and I learned from the TV that the international airport was closed.'
They had to stay another day and he paid 2,700 baht ($112) for this.
The next day, Mr Teng and his wife went to the airport and saw a notice from SilkAir stating several of their flights had been cancelled since 29 Aug.
The couple were placed on the waiting list at first, but eventually left Phuket on a SilkAir flight around 11pm Thai time, and arrived here after midnight.
When Mr Teng read the article about Income's and AIG's decisions, he decided to re-open his case.
He said: 'I wondered why the passengers stranded in Bangkok had their claims settled while mine was not. My case arose from the same civil unrest, although what happened in Phuket was on not as large a scale as that in Bangkok.'
CASE BY CASE
AIG
Although AIG's travel insurance usually does not cover delays and cancellations caused by riots, it made exceptions for policyholders affected by the protests in Bangkok.
Asked if this would apply to those stranded in Phuket, AIG spokesman Lim Lay See said it preferred to answer directly to individual policyholders about travel claims so that they 'comfortably understood' the responses.
Tenet
Tenet Insurance Company said it had compensated policyholders stranded in Phuket and Bangkok during the civil unrest as long as they could show they had been stranded due to unforeseen circumstances.
Its spokesman, Ms Koh Yen Yen, said its policies cover trip cancellations or curtailments, delays and disruptions caused by unexpected outbreak of civil commotion.
