Health insurance in Thailand is important. We saw this with Covid. When you retire in Thailand you need to ensure that you have proper medical aid cover or a valid credit card in the event of an accident. If you do not have either you are not going to be admitted to a hospital.
Health Insurance in Thailand
Note that the local government hospital might also not wish to carry the liability. For expats in Thailand healthcare is important and you will become ill with a change in pace in your life as well as a changed environment. Check with your local expat clubs for more information and assistance.
There are a number of insurance companies which offer healthcare insurance. These are are a few of the most popular companies in Thailand with expats:
- AIA – These are used mainly by those employed by the government
- Thai Health Insurance – Not heard of an expat using them as yet
- Bupa – The most common expat insurance in Thailand with loads of options
- ThaiLife – Depending on your age they will sell life cover with accident insurance included.
Most times you can contact your local expat club in Thailand and they would normally have negotiated a contract with a medical aid company. Many will do group insurance which lowers the monthly premium for its members. This is usually you best bet. As an example the expat club in Pattaya does this however it is limited to those under 59 ½ years of age or younger and does not cover anyone aged 65 or over. If you have a pre-existing condition then you need to list this. If it is accepted then you can always argue later about the coverage. Don’t hide any pre-existing conditions.
Medical fees vary in Thailand however the listing below are the average prices for dental care in Thailand. Medical care and hospital care also differ by location and procedure.
Typical Dental Costs:
Procedure | Typical price (Thai baht) |
Check up | Free |
Crown | 5,000 – 18,000 per tooth |
Dentures | 12,000 |
Filling | 300 – 600 |
Implants | 50,000 – 60,000 per tooth |
Root canal (incisor) | 3,000 |
Root canal (premolar) | 4,000 |
Root canal (molar) | 6,000 – 8,000 |
Scale and polish | 500 – 800 |
Scale with airflow | 1,000 – 1,200 |
Laser whitening | 5,000 |
X-ray | 100 |
Hospital Procedure Costs:
Procedure : | United States | India | Thailand | Singapore |
Coronary Angioplasty | 31,000-70,000 $ | 11,000 $ | 13,000 $ | 13,000 $ |
Heart Bypass | 66,000-150,000 $ | 10,000 $ | 12,000 $ | 20,000 $ |
Hip Replacement | 22,000-53,000 $ | 9,000 $ | 12,000 $ | 12,000 $ |
Gastric Bypass | 33,000-58,000 $ | 11,000 $ | 13,000 $ | 13,000 $ |
Note that many US and UK medical aids are only for use in your home country. It will not cover anything outside of your country. Also note that Thai hospitals most times you need to pay first then claim from the insurance. BUPA being the exception when I last used it. Always ensure that you have proper medical coverage when in Thailand as you never know when the next accident occurs as traffic accidents are very common.
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