Reports of monkey incidents in popular Asian destinations are contributing to a rise in travel insurance claims from Australian travellers, with insurers examining how concentrated wildlife risks sit within broader portfolios. While monkey‑related events remain a small subset of overall claims compared with more common causes such as illness, slips, and transport incidents, their growth rate is drawing closer scrutiny from underwriters and claims teams.
Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) chief executive Dean Long says Thai authorities have created a specific unit to address monkey‑related issues in tourism areas. “So big problem, and it’s a big problem since COVID, as their food source disappeared and they turned into gangs … there’s four rival gangs.’ They train each other to work out what’s the best way to pickpocket,” Long said, as reported by 3AW. For travel insurers, such incidents are appearing in claim files involving bites, scratches, and theft or damage to personal items, often in locations where monkeys are highly accustomed to human presence and feeding by visitors. In portfolio terms, these losses are typically low to mid‑severity on an individual basis but can cluster around specific sites and peak seasons, which is relevant for pricing and accumulation management.
A recent incident in Krabi, Thailand, involving a German beauty influencer has renewed discussion about how wildlife tourism relates to travel insurance coverage and assistance services. According to News.com.au, the influencer, known as Julia Beautx, was walking a beachside trail when a baby macaque reportedly jumped onto her head. Several adult monkeys then approached, with one clinging to her leg and biting her calf before retreating. She later sought treatment at a hospital, where she received vaccination and antibiotics. Her account, shared on a podcast and social media, has been widely reported by international and Australian outlets.
From an insurance perspective, such events can trigger emergency medical benefits, post‑exposure prophylaxis and, in some cases, medical evacuation or repatriation, depending on clinical assessment and policy terms. They also rely on assistance networks that direct travellers to facilities capable of managing potential rabies exposures and other infectious‑disease risks, which can materially increase costs when specialist treatment or transfers are required.
Public health guidance generally treats bites and scratches in rabies‑enzootic regions as time‑critical, with early assessment and prophylaxis considered a key factor in reducing the likelihood of severe outcomes. For non‑human primate exposures, medical advice can include antiviral medication and follow‑up, affecting both claim frequency and average claim cost and informing actuarial views of risk severity for these scenarios.
Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) has reported a 350% rise in monkey‑related claims and an 85% increase in influenza‑related claims among Australian customers over the past two years, according to its 2025 claims review. The insurer says most of this activity is concentrated in short‑haul destinations such as Indonesia and Thailand. SCTI has not disclosed absolute claim counts, but the percentage shifts indicate that animal‑related and respiratory illnesses are growing faster than some traditional claim categories. SCTI data indicates that about 78% of monkey‑related claims involve medical treatment for bites or scratches, with the remainder linked to property losses where monkeys interfered with personal items, including phones and eyewear.
Case examples released by the insurer include monkeys entering a Bali villa and taking a mobile phone, and multiple incidents in which sunglasses or prescription glasses were taken from travellers’ faces. In one case at Ubud Monkey Forest, a child was struck in the eye by a monkey and received two rabies injections and antiviral medication because of the potential exposure. For product teams, these patterns raise practical questions about sub‑limits, excess structures, and wording clarity around animal‑related incidents, including how policies treat situations where travellers feed or approach animals despite posted warnings. Intermediaries advising clients on trips that include wildlife encounters may also need to check that coverage conditions and exclusions are clearly explained at point of sale.
