Health insurance in Thailand
If you decide to live in Thailand for the long term, health insurance is one of the most important items that you simply must have for a smooth life. Ensuring quality healthcare is a key part of life, and a health insurance plan is designed to provide financial protection and a “shield” in times when a person needs healthcare abroad. This plan offers different levels of coverage to suit different needs and lifestyles.
Why is local insurance necessary for a long-term stay?
When planning a long-term stay or moving to Thailand, it is essential to have comprehensive health insurance designed for residents. Standard travel insurance is intended for short-term trips only and mainly covers acute emergencies (e.g. accidents or sudden illnesses). Travel insurance usually has a limited validity period (e.g. 90 days) and in most cases does not cover preventive check-ups, treatment of pre-existing chronic diseases or non-acute procedures. Long-term health insurance, on the other hand, is designed for the local system and provides coverage for a wider range of medical needs, including planned hospitalization, treatment of critical illnesses and in some cases even routine outpatient care. Without adequate local insurance, the costs of treatment, especially in private hospitals, can reach extremely high amounts and cause serious financial difficulties.
Key features of health insurance
For the purpose of this article, we have selected one of the largest insurance companies in Thailand, AIA. This is only an overview of the current offer, which may change, and we also recommend contacting several companies to compare insurance plans.
The insurance plan offers several key factors to look out for:
- Maximum coverage: Plans are available with maximum annual coverage from 1 million THB (approx. 26,360 EUR) up to 25 million THB (approx. 659,000 EUR).
- Coverage of Actual Costs (As Charged): Many items, such as fees for medical services, diagnostics, treatments, or surgeries, are covered in full for the actual cost (within plan limits).
- Double Critical Illness Cover (Double CI): In the event of a first diagnosis of one of the specified critical illnesses, the maximum sum assured is doubled. This increased cover is valid for 4 consecutive policy years.
- Hospitalization Coverage: The plan covers daily hospital room and board charges for up to 365 days.
- Out-patient coverage: The highest plan (25 million THB / 659,000 EUR) also includes coverage for outpatient care that is not directly related to hospitalization.
Annual premium overview (in Baht / EUR)
Annual premiums vary depending on age, gender and plan chosen (maximum coverage level). Below are the price ranges for each age group based on the tables in the brochure. (Amounts in EUR are approximate and rounded according to the current exchange rate).
Age category 21-30 years
Age category 31-40 years
Age category 41-50 years
Age category 60 years and over (age 60-65)
*Premiums continue to increase significantly with age in the following categories (e.g. 66-70, 71-75, etc.) .
What is covered?
The AIA Health Happy plan is divided into several coverage groups:
- In-Patient coverage
- Room and board: Daily charges for hospital room, board and hospital services. Daily limit varies by plan (from 1,500 THB / approx. 40 EUR to 9,000 THB / approx. 237 EUR).
- ICU: Room charges in the Intensive Care Unit are paid "as charged" (at the actual amount).
- Limitation: Total coverage per room (both standard and ICU) is limited to 365 days.
- Medical Services
- It includes fees for diagnostics, treatment, blood services, nursing services, medications, intravenous nutrition, and medical supplies. These items are reimbursed “as billed.”
- Home Medication: Medication and medical supplies for home use are covered for a maximum of 7 days after discharge. The limit is either 20,000 THB (approx. 527 EUR) per hospitalization or “as charged”, depending on the plan.
- Physician Fees
- Covers fees for professional medical services (e.g. visits) during hospitalization, up to 365 days. The daily limit varies by plan (from 1,000 THB / approx. 26 EUR to 6,000 THB / approx. 158 EUR).
- Surgery and Procedures
- Coverage includes operating room costs, room medications and supplies, surgeon (and assistant) fees, and anesthesiologist fees. All of these items are paid “as billed.”
- Out-patient Benefits
- Before and after hospitalization: The plan covers diagnostics that are directly related to hospitalization, performed within 30 days before admission and after discharge.
- Follow-up care: Covers outpatient treatment within 30 days after discharge (maximum 2 times per hospitalization).
- General Outpatient Care: Only the 25M Baht Plan includes additional outpatient coverage (OPD) for non-hospitalization cases, with a limit of 2,000 THB (approx. 53 EUR) per visit, maximum 30 visits per year.
- Other coverages
- It also includes coverage for chronic kidney failure treatment (hemodialysis), cancer treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy) and ambulance services (all “as billed”).
What you need to know (Conditions, Exclusions and Waiting Periods)
Before taking out health insurance, you must know its terms and conditions:
- Age: You can take out the policy between the ages of 11 and 75. For long-term policyholders, it is renewable up to age 98 and provides coverage up to age 99.
- Duty to provide truthful information: The applicant has a legal duty to provide truthful information when applying for insurance. Concealment or false statements may cause the insurance company to cancel the contract or refuse to pay the insurance benefit.
- Waiting Periods:
- 30 days: For any common illnesses that occur within 30 days of the effective date of the contract.
- 120 days: For specific conditions such as: all types of hernias, pterygium or cataracts, tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy, and endometriosis.
- Partial Exclusions:
- The plan does not cover conditions caused by congenital anomalies, congenital organ defects, or genetic disorders.
- Cosmetic surgery or any treatment aimed at beautifying the skin.
- Pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, obstetric complications, infertility treatment, sterilization and contraception.
- Critical Illnesses (Double CI): Increased double coverage is activated upon the first diagnosis of one of 6 specified illnesses: acute heart attack, stroke, coronary artery bypass graft, invasive cancer, major organ or bone marrow transplant, and aortic surgery.
The cost of health insurance in Thailand can be a factor that is discouraging at first glance. However, it is important to realize that in our domestic conditions (e.g. in Slovakia) this cost is often "invisible" for employees, as health contributions are largely paid for by the employer. If we were used to paying for insurance directly and in full, like self-employed people, we would be able to compare the costs of both systems more objectively. The essential thing is that in Thailand you usually get a high standard of care for your money and exactly the coverage you paid for.
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