Healthcare in Thailand: insurance from AED 3,500 and a full check-up in two hours

Health insurance for an adult in Thailand costs AED 3,500–4,500 a year, and a full preventive check-up costs AED 2,500–3,000 and takes 2–2.5 hours. International hospitals see patients without an appointment and provide an interpreter. For many property buyers this is one of the main arguments for the country.

How much does health insurance cost?

For an adult, AED 3,500–4,500 a year. The price depends on age: cheaper for children, dearer for older people.

Consultations and procedures in international hospitals cost roughly what they do in Dubai. The difference lies in speed and in how much gets done in a single visit.

How quickly are you seen in a Thai hospital?

You can walk into an international hospital without an appointment. The tests (bloods, ultrasound, a CT scan) are done on the spot, and an hour to an hour and a half later a doctor sees the patient with the results.

A practitioner who has lived in Thailand for 14 years compared this with Dubai, where a blood test result took three days and an ultrasound appointment for a child took two weeks.

How much does a full check-up cost?

AED 2,500–3,000. A nurse walks the patient through every room: blood tests, ultrasound, ECG and the rest take about two hours.

After 2–2.5 hours a doctor goes through the results in a consultation. The practitioner's advice was to set aside a couple of hours for this on any trip.

Do hospitals have Russian-speaking staff?

Staff at international hospitals speak English. In addition, there are interpreters on the payroll: Russian, German, French and Arabic, two or three people per language.

The interpreter goes in to see the doctor with the patient and accompanies them through the tests. One of the large hospital chains operates in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

What people come to Thailand for

• diagnostics on modern equipment;
• dentistry;
• plastic surgery;
• reproductive medicine;
• rehabilitation programmes for athletes and older people.

There is one caveat: this standard applies to international hospitals, not to every clinic in the country.

What this has to do with property

A buyer over 50 is choosing not just a flat but the hospital next to it. The retirement visa is available from the age of 50; it is covered in our breakdown of Thai visas.

For everyday expenses, see our piece on the cost of living in Thailand.

Frequently asked questions

How much does insurance cost for an adult in Thailand?

AED 3,500–4,500 a year, depending on age.

How long does a full check-up take?

About two hours for the tests and up to half an hour more for the doctor's consultation with the results. The cost is AED 2,500–3,000.

Do you need an appointment at an international hospital?

No. Patients are seen on the day they come in, and test results are ready within an hour to an hour and a half.