Health Insurance in Thailand: Why It’s Essential and How to Choose Your Cover

Health Insurance in Thailand

A hot climate, friendly people and astonishing natural beauty have given Thailand a longstanding reputation as one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

Every year, more than 30 million people make the trip to Southeast Asia to visit the kingdom, and around four million foreigners live there permanently.

Even though many choose to live or retire in Thailand, no country is a perfect paradise, even if some parts of it might look like one.

Dangerous animals, road traffic accidents, and unsanitary food practices are more common there than in many other countries and can lead to injury or poor health.

This means that residents must have good health insurance.

This guide will explore the benefits of private health insurance for expats in the country and provide some tips on how to choose a good provider and package.

The Benefits of Private Health Insurance

Private health insurance does more than just cover medical emergencies.

It helps make sure you get the care you need in many different situations. Below, we explore the advantages of health insurance in more detail.

It covers a broad range of treatment

Thailand does have a public health insurance program that, until the end of 2024, covers foreigners in the country.

However, it only offers a very basic level of care and excludes things such as dental surgeries, which private insurance can include.

Public insurance also runs out quickly if you need to stay in the hospital for more than a couple of nights.

However, you can usually stay for days or even weeks without worrying about the cost if you have good private health insurance and pre existing conditions that you may have will also be taken care of.

Access to private hospitals

Thailand has an international reputation as a leader in private healthcare, and it’s often far more affordable there than in other countries.

Health insurance typically allows you to be treated at private hospitals in the country.

You can usually expect them to have the latest technologies and treatments, as well as highly-qualified staff.

Shorter waiting times for treatment

There are about 66 million people in Thailand, but their public health service is smaller and does not receive the same level of funding as those in countries with a similar population size, such as the UK.

This means waiting times can be an issue.

Private hospitals and clinics deal with far fewer patients and are therefore able to offer consultations and even surgeries in short order.

English-speaking staff

Private hospitals in Thailand deal with foreign visitors on a daily basis and are therefore better prepared to communicate in other languages.

While many public hospital doctors can speak English, communicating with other members of staff may be a challenge.

At private hospitals, you can expect that most staff speak fluent English and there are usually some staff around who speak other languages too.

Cover extends overseas

Public health insurance won’t cover you if you leave the country providing it, even if you intend to return. With private health insurance, you can travel abroad and keep your cover, which is useful if you are a frequent traveller.

How to Choose the Right Health Insurance Cover

There are several different providers of private health insurance in Thailand, and each offers different packages to choose from. Here are some of the things you should consider in order to find the one that best fits your requirements.

1. Choose the right category

There are three main categories of health insurance: essential, comprehensive, and comprehensive with benefits.

Essential cover, also known as basic cover, usually only pays for you while you are in hospital. It will pay for your room, the cost of seeing the doctor, and the tests or treatments you need.

A comprehensive plan goes a bit further and covers those things plus consultations, tests, and medicines that you need when you are not in hospital. A comprehensive with benefits package will cover things like checkups, dentistry, and eyecare too.

2. Make sure your hobbies and lifestyle are covered

All insurance cover excludes particular activities. Make sure these are not things you plan on doing. For example, if a motorcycle is your main form of transport in Thailand, or you plan on doing Thai boxing, make sure your health insurance covers injuries incurred while doing them. Not all do.

3. Consider your budget

The more extensive and generous your cover is, the more you will have to pay, so make sure that it suits your budget. Remember that you will have both premiums and a deductible to pay, so make sure that you can comfortably afford both even if you hope you’ll never have to pay the latter.

4. Watch the waiting period

Many insurance packages kick in after a waiting period, which could be as long as a month. Ideally, time it so that your new insurance kicks in as your old one expires. If not, avoid any high-risk activities during the waiting period.

Conclusion

Thailand is a top provider of private healthcare, and getting good private health insurance will ensure you benefit from it if anything goes wrong during your time abroad.

Take time to research providers and insurance policies carefully to find one that suits your lifestyle and budget.