Medical Care in Thailand
- By letgothailandexpatdemo
Medical Care in Thailand is provided through public and private hospitals. If you are coming from the West, you likely either had employer provided or national healthcare. In Thailand, you are eligible for National Healthcare services when you have a Work Permit. However, the wait times and quality of care may vary depending on which hospital and where in the Country you are.
It is highly recommended to get Private Medical Insurance, so you can pick your own hospital and have coverage which is superior not only to the National Healthcare, but also many Western health systems. Private Hospitals in Bangkok are renowned internationally, and people travel from all of the world to have procedures or treatments performed here.
Below are some of the most respected and best overall hospitals in Bangkok are (in no particular order), gathered from research and feedback on user experience:
AXA is recommended insurers for health insurance in Thailand. You can contact them both directly to discuss your own needs, pricing, and any other concerns you may have. Both company’s representatives speak English.
A few things to note:
- Not all policies cover you when you travel abroad.
- Pricing will be very similar, within 10% in most cases. However, pay attention to coverage limits by category, inpatient coverage, outpatient coverage, prescription coverage, etc. Be sure to ask about deductible policy pricing discounts. A 20,000 THB deductible can save you significantly on your annual policy. Also be sure to ask about adding coverage for Dental and Eyesight.
- You may not need outpatient coverage. Outpatient services are cheap in Thailand, whether it be at a Hospital or Clinic. Also, pharmacies sell many prescription drugs over the counter that in some countries require a prescription (antibiotics, for example), and are generally cheap (a 10-day supply of Allopurinol 100mg is only 30 THB, for example). Foregoing this coverage will save you money on your annual policy.
Bangkok in particular is known as an international destination for cosmetic procedures; not only do they have experience with a wide variety of clientele, services are measurably cheaper than in Western countries. Specifically, laser skin treatments are particularly popular, and while there are dozens upon dozens of clinics throughout the City, many stand out on Google Maps as 4.9 or 5.0 star. Be sure to ask around and read the reviews thoroughly, as many of these reviews are deliberately inflated by users to obtain a free service session for leaving the business a good review.
One dermatology clinic that can be recommended is ProDerma in the Ari neighborhood of Bangkok. This clinic has many of the latest laser systems, used to target problem areas of your skin, including Morpheus8, ThermageFLX, and CoolScupting. Whatever your concern may be, they should be able to help you. Prices vary according to the services or number of visits, but they also offer packages if your treatment includes several different tools. Additionally, they can provide an annual skin check-up in case a pesky mole shows up when you’re finished sunning on one of Thailand’s beautiful beaches. Roll up here around 5:00pm during the week, and watch the parking lot fill up with nice cars, with some of Bangkok’s wealthier stopping in for a treatment after work.