Some insurances have an agreement with certain hospitals so that their customers don't have to pay a deposit if admitted. 

It's useful to check this in advance with your favorite hospital, as it's not always the case. 

 

In an emergency,  paying a deposit has become difficult. 

Scanning has become  a bit unreliable,  if it works (and you have money in your account) it's easy - but if you want to ruin your evening read the threads about forcibly decreased limits and blocked apps.

CC is easy.  If you live in Bangkok,  Pattaya or Phuket, and want to use the big international hospitals,  make sure your limit is not less than 20,000 USD or at least 500,000 THB. You will be asked for this kind of deposit if you need ICU care.

Without insurance best to avoid Bangkok Pattaya Hospital as based on stories I've read it gets very expensive very quickly , head to a govt hospital.

 

With insurance you just need to find the big deposit fast most likely

I never understand why poor foreigners go to the expensive private hospitals?

 

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I never understand why poor foreigners go to the expensive private hospitals?

 

the default is they take you there if unconscious 

16 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

the default is they take you there if unconscious 

They took me to government hospital when I was unconscious.

My dear Mrs just diagnosed Cervical C, stage not known yet. IF she needs life saving treatment, it will cost her (ME) Bht 30 per day. 

Last year I had my Gall Bladder out at the local University Hospital. Full job, 1 night in bed, all meds and a successful outcome, with check-up later.= Bht 40,000

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

They took me to government hospital when I was unconscious.

 Not in Pattaya, ambulance crew apparently get more money if they take to BPH

12 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Without insurance best to avoid Bangkok Pattaya Hospital as based on stories I've read it gets very expensive very quickly , head to a govt hospital.

 

With insurance you just need to find the big deposit fast most likely

 

BPH Deposit is 20k.... well it was for me anyways.

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

BPH Deposit is 20k.... well it was for me anyways.

Depisit will drpend on estimated treatment cost. So quite variable. 

4 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

BPH Deposit is 20k.... well it was for me anyways.

Just now had chat with friend who was in Thailand earlier this year. 

Tourist from Oz with medical insurance cover specifically for visit. 

Was required to pay (I actually paid) 

100k to be admitted. (Private hospital) 

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Just now had chat with friend who was in Thailand earlier this year. 

Tourist from Oz with medical insurance cover specifically for visit. 

Was required to pay (I actually paid) 

100k to be admitted. (Private hospital) 

Good example. 

BTW 100,000 is quite humane.

I was asked for 600,000, last week. Almost identical situation. 

I could have paid it, but my insurance has an agreement with the hospital,  so I didn't have to pay any deposit.

40 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Just now had chat with friend who was in Thailand earlier this year. 

Tourist from Oz with medical insurance cover specifically for visit. 

Was required to pay (I actually paid) 

100k to be admitted. (Private hospital) 

 

Yeah as sheryl mention... different deposits for different ailments.

 

Mine was 20k... Double pnuemonia.

I was transfered to my SS hospital a couple of days later though... when my insurance declined (the Bill was 180k payable upon check out.).

What would happen if you were unconscious or unable to remember your ATM pin #?

You might have lots of money available in your bank but what would the hospital do if you were physically unable to access your bank card money? 

21 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Without insurance best to avoid Bangkok Pattaya Hospital as based on stories I've read it gets very expensive very quickly , head to a govt hospital.

 

With insurance you just need to find the big deposit fast most likely

 

Funny, when I lived in Pattaya 25 years ago it had that reputation as well. Bangkok is a very good but notoriously expensive hospital. No surprise it spread to Pattaya. 

7 minutes ago, how241 said:

What would happen if you were unconscious or unable to remember your ATM pin #?

You might have lots of money available in your bank but what would the hospital do if you were physically unable to access your bank card money? 

 

How utterly random. Ok, what how have you planned for that ??

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

They took me to government hospital when I was unconscious.

That's what they should do, IMO. 

If you are seriously injured or unconscious or both they should take you to a major trauma ER. Not some fancy digs private joint - regardless of whether they have an ER. True story: a relative was here visiting 10 years back and he developed a very bad earache the evening before he was to fly to Mexico from BKK. So, around 9 or 10 pm, we went to the ER of the most famous/expensive international hospital (in Sukhumvit). The ER was dark with only half the lights turned on - and no one else there. No patients, no staff. So I looked around and eventually some guy (staff) came out. We explained the ear pain issue, and he said we'd have to come back the next day when there was an ENT doctor available. No one check him at all. So he flew with the earache and had it tended to at a clinic in Mexico. Personally, I've been admitted voluntarily through ER in a midsized private hospital in Bangkok (food poisoning) on a weekend evening. There was one doctor on duty (or maybe an internist). But there was only one other patient there aside from me.

45 minutes ago, how241 said:

What would happen if you were unconscious or unable to remember your ATM pin #?

You might have lots of money available in your bank but what would the hospital do if you were physically unable to access your bank card money? 

I heard of someone who had a stoke , unconscious, couldn't pay for treatment obviously, so was transferred to a govt hospital, didn't turn out good

6 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Depisit will drpend on estimated treatment cost. So quite variable. 

I guess, though, if you have global insurance and the card is in your wallet (like Cigna or Allianz, etc), the hospital would simply call the emergency hotline, give them your policy number and name, and the hospital would proceed on that basis with a green light from the insurer?

1 hour ago, how241 said:

What would happen if you were unconscious or unable to remember your ATM pin #?

You might have lots of money available in your bank but what would the hospital do if you were physically unable to access your bank card money? 

 

30 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I heard of someone who had a stoke , unconscious, couldn't pay for treatment obviously, so was transferred to a govt hospital, didn't turn out good

 

23 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

I guess, though, if you have global insurance and the card is in your wallet (like Cigna or Allianz, etc), the hospital would simply call the emergency hotline, give them your policy number and name, and the hospital would proceed on that basis with a green light from the insurer?

The decision what to do is made by low-level administrative staff,  usually the cashier. Often,  they are not the brightest people. 

 

A well known example (long time ago):

a rich farang was brought, unconsciously,  to one of the expensive international hospitals.  He didn't wear a suit and tie, but shorts and flip-flops. The ER took good care of him,  including CT scan,  but then sent him to the government hospital.  He didn't even survive the trip.

Shortly afterwards, your stereotypical Euro pensioner showed up. Dirt poor, waving his European social security card as if this were of any value here.

The girl in charge couldn't stomach to send a second one away. 

He was admitted,  on the basis of his European social security card. 

Whether the hospital ever got paid, I don't know (certainly not by some European social security).

 

9 minutes ago, Lorry said:

a rich farang was brought, unconsciously,  to one of the expensive international hospitals.  He didn't wear a suit and tie, but shorts and flip-flops. The ER took good care of him,  including CT scan,  but then sent him to the government hospital.  He didn't even survive the trip.

A doctor must make the call whether the patient is suitable for transfer though, not a cashier.

4 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

A doctor must make the call whether the patient is suitable for transfer though, not a cashier.

Sorry, we are not in Kansas anymore.

So when in Thailand, given some of the examples above, it's always important to carry your self-insurance card.

The last 15 years I was never asked to pay deposit in BHP. I pay myself, not by insurance.

On 8/11/2025 at 6:50 PM, KannikaP said:

My dear Mrs just diagnosed Cervical C, stage not known yet. IF she needs life saving treatment, it will cost her (ME) Bht 30 per day. 

Last year I had my Gall Bladder out at the local University Hospital. Full job, 1 night in bed, all meds and a successful outcome, with check-up later.= Bht 40,000

What shall that tell us?😳

On 8/12/2025 at 8:55 AM, Sheryl said:

Depisit will drpend on estimated treatment cost. So quite variable. 

 

Correct. Recently, an elderly foreigner, with no insurance, going for a CT angiogram at Queen Sirikit in Khon Kaen had to deposit 100k. The procedure, that didn't require further intervention, finally cost under 30k. The balance was refunded before he checked out. The higher deposit being held would have enabled them to proceed immediately if the angiogram indicated the need for stenting.

21 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

So when in Thailand, given some of the examples above, it's always important to carry your self-insurance card.

Self Insurance card = Black Amex !

I have had Tghai insurance for the last 20 years and have never had to pay any deposits. Sure my insurance may not cover a few things, but that's when I am leaving. Insurance does seem to be getting stricter about payouts, but you just have to fight them.  My friend has no insurance and had a stroke. I took him to the hospital and had to put a 30,000 baht deposit down. Ended up in BPH for 5 days and the bill was around 350,000 baht. I guess it all depends on the situation.  I do fight with the payment girl that shows up while he is in the ER and tell her to get out and I'll deal with it later.  His health comes first.  Then I will pay a deposit away from the ER.  It is ridiculous to be putting a credit card machine on the chest of a patient while they are suffering a stroke, or any trauma. Hopefully you have someone with you that can be tough with the staff.

29 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Self Insurance card = Black Amex !

I have AmEx as well. But you have to pay them back.

20 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

43 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Self Insurance card = Black Amex !

I have AmEx as well. But you have to pay them back.

 

Although Amex say they are back in business in Thailand, in my experience their acceptance here as a payment option is still scarcer than hens teeth.

https://www.americanexpress.com/content/dam/amex/th/assets/campaign/PDF/Health_Care_PFC_PDF_Web.pdf  This is for a promotion but --