• 
• 

Published on November 3, 2007

Natee Teerarojjanapongs, president of the Gay Political Group of Thailand, said he had tried to buy a policy from AIA sales agent Pachara Pipatwong on Sunday. However, after Pachara called to consult an AIA official who liaises with the company's agents, Natee was told he could not do so because he was gay.

"AIA is violating the 2007 Constitution, as it is restricting my rights. [Pachara] told me the official said AIA policy stated that it did not give homosexuals insurance," Natee said after speaking to the council, which met to monitor how the new Constitution was being implemented.

"I'm willing to let them give me a full health check if they think that I'm in a high-risk group. There's no reason to deny me and other gays or transvestites life insurance. We are educated like others in society. Not all of us engage in risky behaviour," he said.

Pachara said he felt personally that Natee should be able to buy a life-insurance policy and did not understand why he had been told to deny him one.

Natee said he already had life-insurance policies from Muang Thai Insurance and ING Insurance, for two and eight years respectively.

"All nine members of the council agreed with me that AIA is violating the Constitution. They also suggested I make a complaint to the Insurance Department on the issue, and I will certainly do so on Monday," Natee said, adding that he would file a case in the Administrative Court if the department did not help.

A senior AIA executive said yesterday that the company did not deny insurance to any group of people but considered each application individually.

"We consider [the application] by comparing the majority of people's risk with the individual's risk. We refuse life insurance only in cases such as when the person is over 65 or has a serious illness or a high-risk career," Sutti Rajitrangson, AIA senior vice president for administration, told The Nation.

High-risk applicants outside these categories are offered other options, like a higher premium, he said.

Wannapa Phetdee

 The Nation