If you will be traveling or living in Thailand longer than just a few weeks, you should consider getting health insurance. Even though getting medical treatment is dirt cheap in Thailand, health insurance is also cheap, compared to the United States.
Most Thai hospitals provide western-standard health care at inexpensive rates and, with health insurance, you really can afford the best. Many insurance companies in Thailand offer health insurance, but these three are considered the best.
Insurance Thais – Once called American International Assurance (AIA), Insurance Thais is a Hong Kong company and is considered one of the top insurance companies in Thailand. They offer most forms of insurance, but are particularly well known for their medical (health) insurance.
At Insurance Thais, you have a choice of a number of plans that cover lots of different options and with various deductibles. Don’t forget to check which pre-existing medical conditions are covered, if any, with each policy and also decide whether you want worldwide coverage (which makes it a lot more expensive).
I would recommend sticking to just health care coverage for Thailand and, if you are living in a country like the US that doesn’t provide socialized medicine, get your insurance coverage for that once you are back home.
Insurance Thais can be contacted at Tel: 02-637-9999 EXT. 2902 – from Monday thru Friday, or from their website (see link below).
BUPA – Probably the most popular health insurance company in Thailand, with many Thai companies and schools using them, BUPA is used by many expats as they offer a huge number of policies with all kinds of choices and at inexpensive prices.
At BUPA, they literally have health insurance policies beginning as low as 10 baht (33 cents) per day, for basic health care. They also offer Major Medical for anyone who succumbs to a major illness or accident.
Policies cover in patient and daily care expenses, surgical fees, physicians fees, room and board, medications, personal accident etc. You can also get Maternity health insurance, which is often an extra coverage not included on a regular health insurance policy with BUPA.
BUPA even offers something called “Sunshine” care, which is a health insurance policy for foreign nationals who will be spending up to six months at a time in Thailand, and their rates are extremely competitive.
Contact BUPA at their head office at Tel: 0 2234 7755 – or get more information on their website.
NZI Insurance Thailand – Formerly Royal And Sun Alliance Insurance Thailand, NZI Insurance offers health care plans that are easy to understand and adaptable to your individual needs.
At NZI Insurance Thailand, health insurance policies include medical check ups, full treatment both in-patient and out-patient, dental check ups and treatment, organ transplants, nursing at home, emergency evacuation and repatriation, and a lot more.
Pre-existing conditions aren’t usually covered, but if you’re with them for at least two years many of these do then become eligible for coverage, which is nice.
Get more information on your medical insurance policy options from NZI Insurance Thailand from their website, or send an email to Nuntarat.Thananant@iag.co.th
Of course, you can buy international health insurance in your own country before you arrive in Thailand but, as it will cost you many more times that of a Thai health insurance company, why not buy it in Thailand instead?
Get more info or a health insurance quote: