Public Hospitals in Thailand for Foreigners: Fees, Social Security, Who Qualifies
An employee with a work permit is registered under Social Security Section 33. The contribution base runs to THB 17,500 a month from 1 January 2026, and illness benefit needs 3 months of contributions within 15. A tourist at a ministry hospital pays up to 2.0 times the Thai rate.
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Employees with a work permit are covered by Social Security, with contributions calculated on a wage of THB 1,650 to THB 17,500 a month from 1 January 2026. Without that cover, a tourist at a Ministry of Public Health hospital pays up to 2.0 times the Thai rate under the 2019 rate book.
Find your status in the table, then read that section.
Who can use Thai public healthcare
| Status | Public route | Cost basis |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist | Foreign patient at a ministry hospital | Up to 2.0 times the Thai rate |
| Employee with a work permit | Social Security, Section 33 | No charge at your assigned hospital |
| Former employee | Continue under Section 39 | Two shares of the per-party rate |
| DTV holder or retiree with no Thai job | Section 33 is for employees; Section 40 is open to other persons | Royal Decree sets who qualifies |
| Gold card (national health security) | Thai nationality is the first qualification | Not applicable |
Employees of foreign governments or international organisations are outside the Social Security Act.
Social Security for employees with a work permit
An employee whose age is not below fifteen years and not over sixty is an insured person under Section 33. Your employer handles the paperwork, and you pay a share of each salary.
How you are registered
Employees are registered as insured persons within 30 days of starting work. For a foreign employee the SSO asks for a copy of the work permit plus one of these:
- a copy of your passport
- a copy of your alien certificate
- a copy of the pink ID card, for a person without Thai nationality
The employer deducts your share on every pay day and remits an equal employer share. The Government, the employer and you each remit an equal share, at rates set by Ministerial Regulation.
The contribution base
Contributions are calculated on a wage of at least THB 1,650 and at most THB 17,500 a month, from 1 January 2026. The Labour Minister has stated that foreign workers insured under Section 33 have the same medical treatment rights as Thai people.
The 3-in-15-months rule
Illness benefit needs contributions paid for at least 3 months within the 15 months before treatment. A new hire who has paid for less than 3 months has not met the condition. Keep travel insurance for local treatment until you have.
What Social Security pays
At the hospital where the SSO assigns your right, you pay no charge. If a doctor orders time off work, you receive 50 percent of your wage, up to 90 days each time and 180 days a year.
Emergencies under Social Security
| Case | What the SSO pays |
|---|---|
| Emergency, outpatient at a state hospital | Actual necessary cost |
| Emergency, inpatient at a state hospital | Actual necessary cost within 72 hours, public holidays not counted; room and food up to THB 700 a day |
| Emergency, outpatient at a private hospital | Actual cost, up to THB 1,000 |
| Critical emergency illness | No upfront payment; the SSO pays the private hospital until you are out of the crisis, within 72 hours counting public holidays |
Keeping cover after you leave a job
A person who was insured as an employee, paid contributions for not less than twelve months and lost insured status may ask to continue under Section 39. Tell the SSO within six months of the end of insured status.
On continued cover the Government remits one share and you remit two shares of the per-party rate. A person who is not an employee under the main scheme may apply under Section 40. Qualifications are set by Royal Decree, so ask the SSO whether you qualify.
Public hospitals as a non-Thai patient
The ministry rate book
The Ministry of Public Health rate book of 2019 sorts foreign patients into three groups.
| Group | Who | Multiplier of the Thai rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Migrant workers; persons with status and rights problems | 1.0 times |
| 2 | Foreigners lawfully working or studying, not in group 1 | Up to 1.5 times |
| 3 | Tourists and others entering temporarily | Up to 2.0 times |
In the 2019 table, group 3 pays up to 2 times on items under THB 10,000. From THB 10,000 to 50,000 the limit is 1.5 times. Over THB 50,000 it is 1.25 times.
To estimate a ministry hospital bill, multiply the Thai-rate price of each item by your group’s multiplier. This is the 2019 edition, so ask the cashier for the current rate before treatment.
Ramathibodi: the Thai-rate privilege
Ramathibodi Hospital publishes criteria for giving non-Thai patients its health privilege. An approved outpatient privilege is a cash, Thai-rate privilege that needs no monthly or yearly renewal. The listed documents include:
- the original marriage certificate, if married to a Thai spouse inside Thailand
- registration in the original House Registration Book, blue version only
- evidence of tax payment in Thailand
- Social Security, health insurance, or a civil servant spouse’s health rights
A patient whose Social Security is registered at another hospital needs a referral letter from that hospital. Every decision is checked against a valid ID such as a passport. The list rests on ties to Thailand: marriage, a house book and Thai tax records.
Siriraj and Chulalongkorn
Siriraj Hospital’s One Stop Service is available only for foreign residents and fellows under its Postgraduate Education Division. It is not a walk-in desk for visitors. Siriraj also publishes an announcement on how it calculates medical charges for foreign patients, dated 2018. Ask Siriraj for the current amounts.
Inpatient admission at Chulalongkorn Hospital needs identification that includes a passport. Cash payment is one of its payment categories. For foreign patients treated for a long period, it helps coordinate with the Department of Consular Affairs.
UK government advice is that public hospitals and clinics do not always meet UK standards, particularly outside Bangkok. It also advises that all hospitals require a guarantee of payment before treating patients.
Emergencies: 1669 and UCEP
Call 1669 for a medical emergency. The line serves only critical emergency patients outside a medical facility. See Thailand emergency numbers for what to say on the call.
UCEP is a state-policy right for critical emergency patients. They are treated at the nearest hospital without charge until out of the crisis, for no more than 72 hours. After calling 1669 for a critical emergency there is no need to pay upfront.
Six symptoms qualify as critical emergency illness, starting with loss of consciousness and including sudden severe chest pain. If the case does not meet the critical-emergency criteria, further treatment is at your own cost.
Where you hold motor-accident or life insurance protection, that right is used first. After the crisis, the hospital considers transfer to the hospital where you have entitlement or a treatment history.
Public or private: the cost comparison
| Point | Ministry hospital | Private (Bumrungrad) |
|---|---|---|
| Price basis | Multiples of the Thai rate by group | One pricing system for all nationalities |
| Published example | Tourist, 2019 rate book: up to 2.0 times the Thai rate | Single room THB 14,700 a night; shared room THB 10,600 |
| Money up front | Guarantee of payment before treatment | Full deposit for all procedures |
| Standard | Not always UK standard outside Bangkok | High standard, can be expensive |
Bumrungrad’s room rates are effective as of 1 January 2026. Prices for rooms and check-ups are on hospital costs in Thailand, and hospital choices in the capital are in English-speaking hospitals in Bangkok.
Insurance next to the public route
Retirees on an O-A visa need health insurance of at least USD 100,000 or THB 3,000,000, on the embassy list of 18 March 2024. The LTR visa accepts evidence of social security benefits covering medical expenses in Thailand in place of a USD 50,000 policy, under the BOI announcement of 4 February 2025.
Travel insurance for local treatment is the advice for a trip. Read expat health insurance in Thailand and travel insurance for Thailand. Employer duties are in Thailand work permit, and the retiree route is in the retirement guide. More on this topic is in the health section.
Not confirmed: Whether UCEP free emergency care covers a foreigner without Social Security: the NHSO description of the right does not say, so ask the emergency operator or the treating hospital. The 2019 rate book is the latest ministry multiplier table found.
Common questions
Do foreigners pay more at Thai public hospitals?
At Ministry of Public Health hospitals the 2019 rate book sets tourists at up to 2.0 times the Thai rate. Foreigners working or studying lawfully are set at up to 1.5 times.
Can a foreign employee join Thai Social Security?
An employee whose age is not below fifteen years and not over sixty is an insured person under Section 33. For a foreign employee the SSO asks for a copy of the work permit and of the passport.
How long before Social Security pays for illness?
You need contributions paid for at least 3 months within the 15 months before the month of treatment.
What wage is used for Social Security contributions?
The base is at least THB 1,650 and at most THB 17,500 a month, from 1 January 2026.
Do I pay at my Social Security hospital?
You pay no charge when treated at the hospital where the SSO has assigned your right.
What if I leave my job?
A former insured employee with at least twelve months of contributions may ask to continue under Section 39. Tell the SSO within six months of the end of insured status.
Does Social Security pay for a private hospital in an emergency?
An outpatient is reimbursed the actual cost up to THB 1,000. For critical emergency illness you do not pay upfront, and the SSO pays the private hospital within 72 hours.
What is UCEP?
UCEP is a state-policy right for critical emergency patients, with treatment at the nearest hospital without charge for no more than 72 hours. After calling 1669 there is no need to pay upfront.
Can a foreigner use the gold card scheme?
The first qualification for the national health security right is Thai nationality.
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