Prudential Thailand reaffirms the role of life insurance in building long-term societal resilience amid increasingly interconnected and complex climate, health and financial risks. The company aspires to be more than a provider of financial compensation when losses occur, positioning itself instead as a proactive partner that helps people anticipate, prepare for and manage risks before they materialise. With a strong focus on making protection more accessible to all, particularly those serving society, such as Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and public hospital workers, Prudential Thailand's approach aligns with the broader direction of Prudential plc. Through its long-term investment capabilities, risk management expertise and public-private partnerships, the Group supports climate adaptation across Asia while leveraging its role as a financial planning partner to help Thai people prepare for the future and navigate emerging risks with greater confidence.

Mr. Bundit Jiamanukoonkit, Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Thailand said, "Climate change is not merely an environmental challenge; it directly affects people's health, income and financial security, particularly among vulnerable groups. Today's risks, including rising temperatures, air pollution, healthcare expenses and economic uncertainty, are becoming increasingly interconnected. The life insurance industry must therefore move beyond paying benefits when adverse events occur. It must also help people build awareness, prepare for potential risks and manage them before losses happen."

From Risk Protection to Confident Future Planning

Climate-related risks affect people's lives in multiple ways simultaneously, from health problems caused by heat and pollution to income losses and rising living expenses. These challenges further widen the protection gap among economically disadvantaged groups. The life insurance industry must therefore evolve from a model focused primarily on compensating for losses to one that helps people assess, prevent and mitigate risks at an early stage, while ensuring they have appropriate financial plans and protection in place to face the future.

At the 2026 Institute of International Finance (IIF) Annual Membership Meeting, Prudential plc highlighted that in 2025, Asia accounted for approximately 30% of global economic losses caused by natural disasters, yet only around 5% of those losses were insured. In response, the Group established its Financing the Transition framework, with a target of providing US$6 billion in financing by 2030. Since 2024, the Group has already provided US$1.5 billion to support initiatives spanning renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, water management, and health and ecosystem adaptation. The Group also emphasised that public-private partnerships, improved risk assessment data and effective risk-sharing mechanisms are essential to unlocking long-term investment and strengthening resilience.

Advancing Climate and Health Initiatives Through Research and Evidence-Based Insights

In Thailand, Prudential is translating these principles into action through collaborations with academic institutions, government agencies and civil society organisations, including:

  • Research collaboration with Mahidol University: A systematic study of the impacts of climate change on the health of Thai people, aimed at establishing an academic evidence base for risk assessment, examining protection gaps and informing the development of future policies and protection solutions. The research is currently underway.
  • Climate Care project: Examining how climate-related risks affect the health, income and coping behaviours of vulnerable populations, with the aim of developing a better understanding of their challenges and needs.
  • Collaboration with Urban Studies Lab (USL): Connecting community-level data with practical approaches to risk preparedness and prevention, helping communities better understand and respond to the risks they face.

Bridging the Protection Gap Through Financial Literacy and Access to Insurance

  • Cha-Ching: A financial literacy programme for children aged 7–12, developed by Prudence Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Prudential plc, in collaboration with Prudential Thailand. Since 2018, the programme has introduced children to four fundamental financial concepts: earning, saving, spending and donating. It has reached more than 290,000 students across Thailand and trained over 20,000 teachers.
  • Levela: An online financial learning platform designed to help younger generations develop essential financial skills, including budgeting, saving, debt management, insurance, financial planning and protection against financial fraud.
  • Give the Future: Now in its fourth consecutive year, the initiative provides personal accident insurance policies to 80,000 Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and public hospital workers, with total sum insured of THB 8 billion. Over the four years of the program, more than 200,000 insurance policies have been provided to vulnerable groups, helping extend financial protection to those who play an important role in serving society.

Mr. Bundit concluded, "Sustainability is not simply about carrying out corporate social responsibility activities. It is about helping people prepare for the risks they may face throughout their lives, whether related to health, finances or the increasingly immediate impacts of climate change. Prudential Thailand therefore brings together its expertise in risk management and financial planning with the capabilities of partners across sectors to expand access to knowledge, prevention and protection for as many Thai people as possible. We believe that true security does not begin when an adverse event occurs; it begins with the preparations we make today."