Healthcare in Thailand

Before travelling to Thailand, think through health matters: insurance, your usual medicines, and how to seek care. For a holiday, choose travel insurance, and for a longer stay, compare the terms of health insurance for expats. Before buying a policy, find out how to seek care and which terms apply to your travel plans. If you need to consult a doctor or dentist, check in advance where you can go in the city where you will be staying.

When choosing a hospital start with the type of care you need and confirm the admission conditions with the clinic itself. Before your trip, discuss vaccinations and your medicines with a doctor, and prepare a travel medicine kit: decide what to bring and what you will look for locally. If you need dental care, separately confirm how to access it and the cost of treatment. Make medical decisions with a doctor, and check payment and insurance terms before a scheduled appointment.

By the sea, learn about currents and jellyfish in advance; when planning meals, consider food and water safety. If you plan to live in a region that gets smog, find out in advance about the smog season, masks, and air purifiers. Save information about emergency assistance in Thailand: services, phone numbers, and phrases to use when contacting them. If you need urgent help, use this information to contact the service; do not delay seeking help to try to diagnose yourself.