Healthcare in Thailand for expats in 2026

According to the Global Relocate rating for 2025, Thailand ranked 9th among the countries with the best healthcare system, receiving 140.5 points. This rating takes into account such factors as the quality of medical care, accessibility of medical services, financing of healthcare, and the use of modern technologies. Thailand also ranks 1st in the top 10 most popular countries to visit for medical tourism.

Citizens of the country receive free medical care in public hospitals. Employed expats contribute to the Social Security Fund and receive cover through a participating public or private hospital. For all other foreigners, medical services are provided on a paid basis. The insurance covers the treatment in part or in full.

Clinics and healthcare services in Thailand

There are about 1,000 public and 500 private clinics in Thailand. Private hospitals meet the best international standards and employ local doctors trained abroad. 59 of these hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is more than in Italy, Japan, and Israel.

Foreign doctors can practise in Thailand with special permission from the Medical Council, including as consultants or specialists in government medical projects.

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More than half of the JCI-certified clinics are located in Bangkok; some are in Pattaya, Chiang Mai, as well as on the islands of Phuket and Samui. Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Asia’s largest international hospital, has the best reputation in the country. It was the first hospital in the region to receive the JCI certificate. Up to 500,000 foreign patients are treated here annually. Also popular among foreigners are the Bangkok Hospital and Medical Centre, the Bangkok International Hospital, and the multidisciplinary Bangkok Nursing Home Hospital (BNH).

Medical tourists often come to Thailand for plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures, as well as dentistry, cardiac surgery and joint replacement.

Thailand clinics specialising in cosmetology and plastic surgery:

• Siriraj Hospital;
• Phuket Plastic Surgery Institute (PPSI);
• Bumrungrad International Hospital;
• Yanhee Hospital.

Thailand clinics specialising in cardiology:

• Bumrungrad International Hospital;
• Samitivej Hospital;
• Bangkok Heart Hospital;
• Vejthani Cardiac Centre.

Thailand clinics specialising in dentistry:

• Yanhee Hospital;
• Bangkok Hospital Phuket.

In Thailand, you can buy essential medicines without a doctor’s prescription, even antibiotics. The registration and availability of a medicine depend on its active ingredient and brand; specific products can be checked in the Thai FDA drug register. Some medicines can only be purchased at the hospital after consulting a doctor, such as heart rhythm and anticancer medicines as well as insulin.

Healthcare in Phuket

Some private hospitals in Phuket are part of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services (BDMS). These hospitals offer services to international patients.

The level of medical services provided in hospitals is so high that in many cases it takes just one day to run a complete diagnostic and get results. Such package services are called Health Check-up packages: on the same day you agree on the necessary list of diagnostic procedures (any tests, ultrasound, etc.), go through all the tests and get your results. Moreover, the packages are designed for different needs of different patients and are cheaper as clinics provide package cuts. Foreigners come to Phuket specifically for these Check-up packages; you can often meet Australians here, because a complete diagnosis in their home country can take up to 6 months.

The most popular JCI-accredited private hospitals in Phuket are the Siriroj Hospital and the Phuket branch of the Bangkok Hospital.

Cost of healthcare in Thailand for foreigners

Foreigners covered by Thailand’s Social Security scheme can receive services included in the scheme without an additional charge at their assigned participating public or private hospital.

Treatment costs depend on the hospital and what the package includes. At Bangkok Hospital, a 2026 heart-valve repair or replacement package for overseas patients costs about 29,000–36,000 US dollars and includes eight inpatient nights. A one-hip replacement package costs about 12,600 US dollars for four nights, excluding the implant and additional tests. Doctors’ consultations in private hospitals cost between 45 and 90 US dollars per session, and a follow-up consultation may be charged separately. An ultrasound costs 73–150 US dollars.

Many foreigners highly appreciate the level of dental services in Thailand, while the prices for such services here are much lower than in Western countries. For example, an implant insertion in Thailand costs about 2,000 US dollars, a one-surface filling at Bangkok’s Thantakit clinic — about 45 US dollars

For example, at Bumrungrad International Hospital, a Single or Deluxe room costs about 440–550 US dollars per night under its 2026 rates, including meals and nursing care. Diagnostic tests and treatment are charged separately, so this is not a ceiling on daily costs.

In public clinics, treatment is several times cheaper than in private ones, but visiting a public medical institution for foreigners can be complicated by a language barrier as knowledge of English is quite rare among staff and doctors. In private clinics, doctors are able to consult in English, and if the patient speaks another language, an interpreter will be provided.

In order to be treated in the best private clinics in Thailand at affordable prices or even get full cost coverage, you need to take out insurance.

Health insurance in Thailand for foreigners

Foreigners who live in Thailand but do not work there, or visit frequently, can buy private health insurance. According to the OECD’s 2025 review, Thailand’s insurance market had 70 companies across all lines: 22 life and 48 non-life insurers. The former Thai business of Bupa International is now part of Allianz Ayudhya.

The insurance policy’s cost varies depending on the patient’s age and general health condition. A basic programme for a person aged 30–35, including consultations with a therapist and specialty doctors, and, if necessary, inpatient treatment, can cost up to 1,500 US dollars per year.

Extended insurance programmes, which include expensive examinations and treatments, regular check-ups and screenings, as well as dental care, can cost more than 5,000 US dollars per year.

For short trips, it is better to purchase insurance in advance, before arriving in Thailand. In some countries, you can choose and buy an insurance policy online on the websites of those insurance companies that work with Thai ones.

Insurance pays for treatment within the policy’s cover. A hospital may ask for a deposit while it waits for the insurer’s payment guarantee. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya says it usually receives that guarantee within 24 hours for covered cases, although delays are possible; a deposit is returned after the final payment is agreed.

If you need treatment or hospitalisation, you first need to call your insurance company (the telephone number will be on your policy) and ask which clinic you should go to. In general, your insurance company will quickly direct you to the right hospital based on your location and the nature of your illness or injury.

Emergency and house calls in Thailand

In Thailand, it is not customary to conduct medical consultations and examinations at home. Patients who are able to move independently should come to the hospital, where they are examined and, if necessary, hospitalised.

Public emergency transport is free; private hospitals may charge for their ambulances. The ambulance service does not make subsequent hospital treatment free.

Disease prevention and health resort treatment

In Thailand, there are thousands of sanatoriums and resorts offering a variety of services: from traditional Thai massage, herbal medicine, and aromatherapy to Ayurvedic treatments. The best spa resorts in Thailand are located in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Pattaya, as well as on the islands of Samui and Phuket: for example, Amatara Wellness Resort and The Lifeco Phuket.

Such sanatoriums most often offer various stress relief, detox, and weight loss programmes as well as yoga, pilates, and spa treatments. However, comprehensive medical rehabilitation programmes are rare here. A week of accommodation with a wellness programme at one of these resorts costs from 900 US dollars.