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The Ultimate Guide to Health Insurance in Thailand

 

 

Living in Thailand is a dream come true - until it isn’t. When everything’s going right, its beautiful white-sand beaches, one of the world’s tastiest cuisines, charmingly welcoming people and a fascinating culture, not to mention a very low cost of living without having to live in a place that’s practically pre-industrial revolution. But what happens when you get sick or injured?

 

Well, you will be delighted to hear that Thailand has one of the world’s best private medical services. In fact, it’s one of the top destinations for medical tourism. However, as with all private medical services, it is not free and, while it costs less than the equivalent in the US or Western Europe, it’s still not cheap. Unless you have a lot of disposable income to spare, you are going to need medical insurance.

 

There are always the government hospitals, of course. They cost a fraction of the price but provide a fraction of the service. In fact, if you get regular meals, you are doing well. Unsurprisingly, a good percentage of expatriates prefer to have some means on paying for a better quality of treatment without depending on the contents of their bank account, making good health insurance a must. This guide will give you a rundown of what you need to know when shopping for it.

 

Is there a version of Social Security in Thailand?

 

If you are in Thailand as a working expat, you will see that a small percentage of your salary gets deducted to pay for “Social Security Insurance”. You will also receive a social security number, just like you do in most western countries. The purpose of this insurance is exactly the same as it is in those countries - to pay for publicly funded healthcare. As you are paying for it, you are naturally allowed to use it.

 

For plenty of expatriates, the comprehensive personal health insurance they get through the Social Security Program is enough. You get to select the hospital you would prefer to be your primary care provider, but which you are actually assigned depends on which of the hospitals near you has space on their books. You might not get your first pick in Bangkok because the top hospitals get picked by so many people that they can’t take any more. On the other hand, Chiang Mai has only a few hospitals are on the program, so you might end up with no choice at all. When you go for treatment, you will need to show your passport and quote your Social Security number to receive treatment.

 

The program covers most minor ailments - anything you would ordinarily see a general practitioner for. If they determine that you need to be passed on to a specialist, that is also covered, as are drug prescriptions, blood tests, x-rays, MRI scans and various other minor procedures. By just providing your passport and Social Security number to the staff at the payment counter, you will not need to pay a single satang from your own pocket.

 

On the downside, dental coverage is extremely limited. At just 900 baht, you have barely enough allowance to cover check-ups every six months. If you need any further treatment like fillings or surgery, you’re on your own. A more significant downside is that the hospitals that medical tourists come for are rarely the ones on the program. You are using a program equivalent to the UK’s National Health Service, so you have to expect a similar sort of treatment - ie. overcrowded hospitals, long waiting times, over-worked doctors and limited access to the latest medications or medical tech.

 

What are the benefits of private health insurance in Thailand?

 

If you are retiring in Thailand or even if you are working in Thailand but want a standard of treatment better than what Social Security Insurance will pay for, you will need to get private health insurance. Fortunately, as healthcare in Thailand is considerably cheaper than it is in the US and Europe, the cost of medical insurance is also significantly lower, making it accessible even to those who don’t measure their personal wealth in millions.

 

The provisions of Thai private health insurance are largely similar to those you would expect anywhere in the world. Those above the age of 60 will have significantly reduced choices when it comes to getting covered and those over 80 will generally have no options at all as most companies set this as their upper age limit. Additionally, pre-existing conditions are usually not included in the coverage and the insurance company may go as far as investigating your past if they believe you lied on your application to conceal such a condition.

 

There are a couple of extra minor provisions to consider, too - namely, that your coverage only starts 30 days after you join a policy (so try not to get sick for a month or you will be paying for it from your own pocket) and plans are only available for those who are officially resident in Thailand. If you are in the country on a tourist visa, you will not be able to get private medical insurance in Thailand.

 

Those provisos aside, private medical insurance in Thailand gives you access to some of the finest hospitals, equipment, medication and practitioners available. At most private hospitals, you will receive a degree of care comparable to what you would get in any western country. In some of them, the level of care is beyond comparison.

Furthermore, the coverage will include a lot more treatments than Social Security covers. Depending on your plan, you could have a significantly greater allowance for both dental and optical care, as well as emergency treatment and specialist care. The hospitals themselves are nicer than some of the country’s finest hotels, with first-class service and food to match.

 

What options are available for private health insurance in Thailand?

 

If you are in Thailand as an employee of even quite a small company, the chances are that medical insurance will be a part of your employment package. In which case, you will be added to their group insurance and you will receive whatever benefits they decided were necessary. You will likely not have much option to customise the package to your own requirements, so you just have to hope that your employer picked a good one - most do. As a general rule, however, bigger companies will offer better coverage.

 

When it comes to getting coverage for yourself, your options are:

 

-     local insurance

 

-     offshore insurance

 

-     travel insurance

 

 

This post is an excerpt of a longer article from DeeMoney, Thailand’s payment provider. Exchange and send money to 35 countries, register via our app, website or in store. 

 

DeeMoney serves as a hybrid solution that’s similar to both Transferwise and Western Union, yet distinguishable from both. Whilst TransferWise offers only digital transfers and only to Thailand, but not from Thailand, and WesternUnion mainly cash transfers, DeeMoney is Thailand’s only service to provide both means of transferring money from Thailand to the world.