You may have heard before about the affordable cost of healthcare in Thailand. But is it truly affordable?
When researching online, you may hear some people complaining about the expensive treatment costs in Thai hospitals. Some may even need to create a GoFundMe page because they don’t have enough money to pay for the treatment.
In fact, the cost of healthcare in Thailand varies. It all depends on where you go, which doctor you see, what treatment you get, and what kind of service you want. In this article, we are going to break down all of the costs of healthcare in Thailand.
While it’s impossible to list out all of the costs, at the very least, you will have some good ideas about how much to pay for healthcare here.
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Contents
(And How It’s Costing Them)
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Medications
The cost of medications in Thailand is pretty affordable. They are also widely available throughout the country.
In general, here’s what you can expect to pay for medications in Thailand:
- Basic medications: (e.g., paracetamol, first aid kit, antihistamine, diarrhea pills): less than 50 THB
- Common antibiotics: THB100 – THB500
- Ozempic: THB10,000 per month
There are two points you should keep in mind that heavily affect prices:
- Local brands can be at least 2-3 times cheaper than international brands.
- Private hospitals generally charge at least 2-3 times more than pharmacies.
If you need basic medications, you can buy them from convenience stores. For non-restricted medications, you should be able to buy them from pharmacies. Prescriptions are normally not required.
In the case of restricted medications, you need to get them from a hospital only.
Find out more: How to Buy Over-the-Counter Pills in Thailand
Hospital Visit
The cost of hospital visits in Thailand significantly depends on which hospital you go to. There are various types of hospitals in Thailand, including:
- Public hospitals
- Private hospitals
- Premium private hospitals
Public Hospital
Public hospitals in Thailand are very affordable.
A single visit for outpatient treatment should cost you only around THB300 – THB800.
However, it can be more expensive if you need additional check-ups such as an X-ray or MRI scan. If that’s the case, you should expect to pay an additional THB1,000 – THB10,000.
Hospitalization normally costs you THB3,000 – THB10,000 per day.
Please note that while public hospitals are affordable, they can be crowded. You may need to visit a hospital early in the morning just to get a queue. In addition, hospitalization options might not be available all the time because of limited beds, especially in popular hospitals.
Private Hospital
Private hospitals in Thailand generally charge around THB1,200 – THB2,500 for a single doctor visit. The costs include the doctor’s fee, medications, and the hospital’s fee.
In the case of hospitalization, you should expect to pay around THB20,000 to THB30,000 per night.
Surgery will cost you around THB50,000 to THB200,000 depending on how complex it is.
Premium Private Hospital
In addition to standard private hospitals, there are many premium hospitals in Thailand, such as Bumrungrad Hospital, Bangkok Hospital, and Samitivej Hospital.
These hospitals are fancier than normal hospitals and tend to have more experienced doctors and better facilities. As a result, it’s also more expensive to get treatment here.
A single doctor’s visit will cost around THB2,000 to THB4,000. In the case of hospitalization, you should expect to pay at least THB30,000 per day. They may also have VIP room options that can cost more than THB100,000 a day.
Find out more:
- Thailand Hospitals: What to Do When You Need Medical Treatment
- Private Hospitals in Bangkok: The Top and Most Affordable Centers
- How to Pick the Best Hospital for Medical Tourism in Thailand
Health Insurance
While the cost of healthcare in Thailand is generally affordable, a majority of expats in Thailand decide to get health insurance to prevent breaking the bank.
As you can see from the cost of hospitalization in the section above, you should expect to pay at least THB20,000 per night even at a normal hospital. We have heard many stories of people paying more than a million baht to the hospital when undergoing major surgery or being hospitalized for many days.
There are three choices of insurance available to expats in Thailand:
- Social Security, available only to those who work in a Thai company, costs only THB750 a month
- Local insurance, which costs around THB20,000 to THB40,000 a year
- International insurance, costing THB30,000 to THB60,000 a year
While international insurance is the most expensive option, it’s the most popular choice because of much higher coverage and coverage limits. It’s also more worthwhile in terms of price per coverage. Please note that the older you are, the more expensive your health insurance premium is going to be. You can read our guide to health insurance in Thailand to find out more.
Clinic
Visiting a clinic is often an overlooked choice of healthcare in Thailand among expats. Actually, it’s a convenient option where you can meet a doctor without having to wait in a long queue at a hospital. It’s also cheaper than a private hospital.
In most cases, experienced doctors working in large public or private hospitals often operate their own clinics as an extra source of income.
The cost of visiting a clinic is normally between THB500 – THB800 per visit for seeing a general practitioner. If you want to see a specialist doctor at a clinic, you should expect to pay around THB1,000 to THB1,500 per visit.
Please note that due to the limitations of facilities, you can normally get a doctor’s consultation and medications only. If an additional scan, such as an X-ray or MRI, is required, you may need to visit a hospital instead.
Dental
In addition to being affordable, the quality of dental treatment in Thailand is among the best in the world. There are many clinics throughout the country that meet international standards. This means the quality of dentists and treatment you receive here can be on a similar level or even better than in your home country.
Here’s how much you should expect to pay for a dentist in Thailand in general:
- Initial check-up: Free
- Cleaning: THB1,000 to THB1,500
- Filling: THB1,000 to THB2,000
- Tooth Removal: THB1,000 to THB3,000
- Whitening: THB10,000
- Root Canals: THB20,000 to THB40,000
- Single Implant: THB40,000 to THB70,000
To find out more, check out the articles below:
- How to Find the Best Dentist in Bangkok: Clinics, Prices, and More
- A Guide to Finding the Best Dentist in Chiang Mai
- A Guide to Finding the Best Dentist and Dental Clinic in Phuket
- The Complete Guide to Getting Dental Implants in Thailand
- Braces in Bangkok: Dental Centers, Treatments, and Costs
- Cosmetic Dentistry in Thailand: Overview, Types of Treatments, & Costs
Health Checkup
Many people come to Thailand mainly to get a health checkup. I once met a young American guy who lived in South Korea. He said he flew to Thailand every year primarily to get a health checkup for two reasons:
- Great facilities
- Affordable prices
Although he went to a premium private hospital, the cost of a health checkup was still a few times less expensive than what he needed to pay back home or in South Korea.
Here’s what you should expect to pay for a health checkup in Thailand:
- Basic health checkup package: THB2,000 to THB5,000
- Advanced package that includes ALP and EKG: THB10,000
- Comprehensive checkup that includes most things you need: THB20,000 – THB40,000
You can find out more in our guide to health checkups in Thailand.
Alternative Treatments
Acupuncture, physical therapy, and traditional Thai therapies are becoming more popular, especially for those who have office syndrome or muscle pain. You can find these clinics throughout Thailand.
A session for these alternative treatments normally costs around THB1,000 to THB1,500. Depending on your condition, you should expect to take around 6-8 sessions until you are healed.
Gym, Muay Thai Training, and Personal Trainer
While the cost of healthcare in Thailand is generally affordable, this doesn’t apply to gyms. A gym membership in Thailand can be higher than in your home country.
On average, a gym membership costs around THB2,000 to THB3,000 per month, which doesn’t include a personal trainer. When you are a gym member, you can take free classes, which normally include aerobics, Muay Thai, yoga, and more.
If you need a personal trainer, you should expect to pay an additional THB1,200 to THB2,000 per hour to find an English-speaking trainer.
Find out more: An In-Depth Guide to Fitness in Bangkok: Activities, Locations, and Prices
Fertility Treatment
If you need fertility treatment, there are many good IVF clinics in Bangkok. The cost of IVF treatment in Thailand is around THB250,000 to THB400,000.
Elderly Home
Since Thailand is a very popular location among retirees, there is an increasing number of elderly homes in Thailand that include in-house activities and nursing services. You should expect to pay around THB20,000 to THB50,000 per person per month to stay in these elderly homes, depending on how fancy they are.
Elderly homes can mainly be found in popular cities for retirees, including Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, and Phuket.
Find out more: How to Choose the Right Retirement Home in Thailand
Now, on to You
While it’s impossible to list all of the costs of healthcare in Thailand due to the number of options, we hope this article gives you some idea of how much you might need to pay when seeking care in Thailand.
It’s also important to note that your personal cost of healthcare may differ from the numbers provided in this article, as many factors are involved, including choices of treatments, medications, doctors, and hospitals.
If you’re considering health insurance to protect yourself from expensive healthcare costs, you can start by checking options on our expat health insurance comparison page.
