Thailand Medical Insurance
If you’re a Thai citizen then you don’t need to worry about medical insurance in Thailand since it’s provided by the Thai government. However, if you’re an expat in Thailand or thinking of moving to Thailand then medical insurance may be something you’ve thought of, but are unsure where or how to get it.
I know this post may not apply to everyone. Let’s face it, medical costs in Thailand are pretty darn cheap. I’ve been to the emergency room at BNH hospital for less than $75 (including 3 prescriptions). I’ve had a cavity filled at Yanhee Hospital for something like $35. Basic needs are not that big a deal and if you’re young you could easily forgo medical insurance in Thailand without risking too much.
Those working in Thailand on expat packages with international companies won’t need to worry about medical coverage since it will be included as part of their compensation. Even the lowly English teacher in Thailand will often get some basic form of insurance coverage from their employer.
So who is this aimed at? Mostly people like Golf and myself I suppose. Thai-Farang couples, especially those with children, will more than likely want to find some level of decent medical insurance if they are prudent and want to sleep well at night. Let’s face it, after adequate housing and a good Thailand International school for your kids, taking care of their health is probably next on your mind.
I’ve found 4 companies offering health insurance in Thailand (there may be more) for what I consider a reasonable price. Coverage is quite similar between the 4 with some mostly small differences. Below you’ll find an outline of each companies coverage as well as links to the company website and coverage brochure in case you want to take a closer look.
BUPA
The BUPA coverage is the least expensive option of the 4 and provides adequate protection at a reasonable price. You’ll find the standard 1/2/5 million baht coverage limits, coverage for surgical fees and room and board in case of hospitalization, US$1 million in evacuation and repatriation coverage as well as optional maternity and outpatient coverage. Not bad coverage at all and BUPA has been quite popular amongst Thailand expats.
BUPA Coverage Brochure
BUPA Premium Table
BUPA Thailand Website
LMG Pacific Healthcare
The LMG plan is a bit more expensive than the BUPA plan, but has much broader and comprehensive coverage limits. They define two types of plans the “Maxi-Care” plan which has a 5 million baht lifetime benefit and the “Ultra-Care” plan which has a 20 million baht lifetime limit. The LMG plan is also a family plan meaning it covers the entire family of the policy holder, making it ideal for those with children. It covers all the basics and also provides up to 2 million baht of coverage when you’re outside Thailand. Optional benefits also include dental and vision and there are options for discounts as well. 20% discount when you waive the outpatient coverage and various discounts for accepting a deductible on the coverage. In my opinion the LMG plans provides the most bang for your buck if you’re covering a family of 3 or more and is quite likely what Golf and I will be using when we move to Thailand.
LMG Coverage Brochure & Costs
LMG Website
AXA Smartcare Optimum
The AXA Smartcare Option also looked good to me. It provides very comprehensive coverage including a broad range of inpatient and surgery fees as well as covering international travel. Limits for in country coverage are 1.5/2.5/5 million baht lifetime and there is optional outpatient coverage available if you wish. There is a 5% discount when insuring 2-3 people and a 10% discount for 4 or more insured. Aside from the fact that the AXA coverage is a bit more expensive than the LMG coverage I was also concerned with their eligibility requirements which read: “Thai citizens, Permanent resident of Thai, Employment Pass holders or Work Permit holders”. As I very likely won’t fall into any of those categories I can forsee some definite problems with the AXA people if a claim ever comes to pass. So, even though I will most likely not be using AXA as my insurer I still believe the coverage would be valuable to others with different circumstances than my own.
AXA Coverage Brochure & Costs
AXA Thailand Website
APRIL Mobilite Asia Expat
The APRIL Mobilite plan was the most expensive of the 4 plans I looked at, which didn’t immediately disqualify it for me, but there were other concerns I had with the plan. First off, the website explaining the coverage is all in French and that is also the site you are supposed to use when submitting claims. Fine if you read French, but I don’t. The customer service number is also French based and I just figure why take chances with the language barrier when I can get similar coverage from other companies for less cost. I included the brochure here to provide a complete review, but unless you are French or come from a French speaking country I can’t recommend the APRIL Mobilite plan.
APRIL Mobilite Coverage Brochure & Costs
APRIL Mobilite (site in French)
I hope you found the information about medical insurance in Thailand to be helpful. It took me a bit of digging to pull all this information together and I hope that by posting it all here in one place I can save others the trouble of finding it from various places.
Since I’m not in Thailand yet I could dig up more information or there could be changes in plans so I will keep this page updated as much as possible. Currently this is the first version and is correct as of May 18, 2010 to the best of my knowledge.
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If you are married to a Thai and planning on retiring to Thailand, you may, like me, wish to obtain a “yellow Tambien Baan” book in your own name from your local Ampeur (it’s very similar to the Thai family “blue book”). It gives you a 13 digit Thai ID number and entitles you to free treatment at the government hospitals. Out in the provinces they tend to share doctors with the local private hospitals and so the quality of advice can be quite good. The cost of having a private room at our (Provincial capital) government hospital is between 1,000 and 1,300 Baht, I believe, – depending on whether you are Thai or Farang. If it’s non-critical you may well have to take your turn on a waiting list or prefer to go private.
A friend of mine had a hernia successfully done at the government hospital and only paid for the private room.
I’ve just recently used it for a check-up and was, I believe, mistakenly charged the grand total of 50 Baht for the 1st visit, but wasn’t charged for a follow-up check with a specialist!
Links to brochures are broken.
I’ve had LMG’s Maxi-Care plan for the past four years living in Thailand… At age 51, full inpatient and outpatient coverage with no deductible and the 5M baht per episode and 20M baht lifetime cover is costing me about $1700 U.S. per year… LMG raised their prices quite a bit this past year, but I’ve been very satisfied with their claims handling.
It’s true that medical care in Thailand is less expensive than the west…. But there also is quite a range in cost and quality of medical care… And people may not always want to go with the cheapest or cheaper care providers. And without insurance, hospital stays at some of the farang oriented hospitals in BKK still can run $300 a day just for room, food and nursing care.
For a retiree, it may be OK to handle small routine medical expenses yourself. But I think most retirees want some kind of medical coverage to protect again large, asset draining medical expenses that can crop up unexpectedly, whether from disease or accident.
$1700 a year is excellent compared to prices here in the U.S. I pay close to double that and it’s my work insurance. Golf had a baby 6 months ago and the bills for that were over $10k and she was only in the hospital overnight. Compared with that $300 a day is pretty darn reasonable.
Steve, just to be clear, the $300 a day amount I mentioned is just the room/nursing and food rate at some private BKK hospitals… It doesn’t include medicines, medical services and doctors’ fees.
Obviously, there is a whole range of private hospitals and different room accommodations within those hospitals in BKK, ranging from multi person wards to VIP luxury single rooms. And the prices vary accordingly, from maybe $100 a night up to $500 a night… I was just trying to give an average example for a farang.
For that price, I would say you can get a good room, private or semi private, in one of the better farang oriented hospitals in BKK…
You can also pay less, as my wife works at one mid-tier private hospital in central BKK where the private rooms run around 4000-5000 baht ($130 to $170 or so) per night. Upscale places like Bumrungrad, BNH and Samtivej will tend to be on the higher end of the range, though it doesn’t automatically follow that their doctors are better, and in many cases they are not.
And that’s the hard part of seeking medical care here to discern…You can go to one of the fancy hospitals and pay higher fees, but not necessarily get a good, caring, communicating doctor. But you may also find such a doctor at one of the less expensive hospitals…. or you may not. It’s pretty much a doctor by doctor call… Price may, but not always, equate to quality.
And re LMG, to the best of my knowledge, their Maxi and Ultra Care policies include a certain level of maternity coverage… When I first took out the policy, I was a single guy, so I really didn’t want it or want to pay for it… But the maternity part comes with the policy, period, no discretion allowed.
> First off, the website explaining the coverage is all in French and that is also the site you are supposed to use when submitting claims.
Didn’t you see the “U.K. flag” in the right-upper part of each page ?
The whole APRIL site is available in English;
The claims forms are available in English;
Support by mail/web/phone is available in English and many other languages.
April is specialize in insurances for expatriates
of any country for about 35 years
It is now, however I assure you that when this post was written the claims page was not available in English. In any case, it is still the most expensive of the 4 options covered and doesn’t appear to offer any additional benefits.
Sorry i forgot the email contact for any insurance quote required..
franckphuket@hotmail.com
I m also broker in Hua Hin since 4 years and use to collaborate and work with April Insurance since 15 years now…
April provide one of the most competitive & cheap plan for expat cover
compare to all other providers…My French husband wich is consultant will be happy to inform you
Feel free to contact us for informations,
Inthuon
This is great information, Steve. Thanks! I had entertained the idea of insurance when I went to Thailand for the first time in 2009, but decided to pass. Now that I’m planning on being back every year it’s something I’ve been considering more seriously. This information will definitely help me. Much appreciated!
As one of the largest Insurance Brokers for the expat community in Thailand we have to take our hat off to a very well written and easy to understand explanation of the basic medical insurances.
There are a couple of other insurance companies who fit the bill – Pacific and William Russell – plus what you say about April is not quite true. We do a lot of business with April and everything is in English and is very good value for money.
As fully independent Brokers, if we can help in any way, please feel free to email me at : peter@aainsure.net or go to our web site : http://www.aainsure.net
Thank you
Peter Smith
This is great information, Steve. Thanks! I had entertained the idea of insurance when I went to Thailand for the first time in 2009, but decided to pass. Now that I’m planning on being back every year it’s something I’ve been considering more seriously. This information will definitely help me. Much appreciated!
You’re welcome Josh. I’ve never gotten insurance for my shorter stays, but now that we will be moving there permanently I thought it would be a good idea, especially since it’s no longer just my own well being that I have to worry about.