Thailand Emergency Numbers: 1669, 191, 199, 1155

Call 1669 for an ambulance, 191 for police, 199 for fire, accidents and rescue and 1155 for the tourist police. 1669 serves critical emergency patients outside a medical facility. Inside a hospital, in principle the facility's own system takes over. The operator decides whether a team is sent.

By Vincent Nguyen and team

Dial 1669 for an ambulance. Dial 191 for police, 199 for fire and 1155 for the tourist police. Save those four numbers before you need them.

Which number to call

The Tourist Police Bureau publishes a list of related agencies on its home page. The Public Relations Department list agrees on the police and tourist police lines.

If you are unsure which line fits a crime, the tourist police on 1155 take crimes involving tourists. The police on 191 take incident reports.

Ambulance: how 1669 works

1669 is the number to call for a medical emergency. It serves critical emergency patients outside a medical facility.

When you call, an officer assesses whether the symptoms qualify as an emergency illness. A case assessed as critical gets a team, and the patient goes to the nearest hospital.

A team cannot always be sent. If the case is not a real emergency, the officer may advise other services.

If you are already in a hospital or clinic

An emergency that starts inside a medical facility is handled by that facility’s own system, in principle.

If you are insured

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad.

How 1669 sorts your call

Emergency cases are divided into 5 levels. The officer who takes your call places the case on one of them.

A red case gets a team and a ride to the nearest hospital. Treating the patient through the crisis is then that hospital’s job.

After the first hospital

Once the crisis has passed, the hospital then considers sending the patient on to the hospital where the patient has entitlement or a treatment history.

Why the officer asks questions

1669 is the hotline of life, so the caller must have a real emergency. Answer each question the officer asks.

What to say on the phone

These are the points the emergency medicine institute lists for callers, in order.

1. Stay calm and call 1669.
2. Say what happened and what kind of patients or injuries there are.
3. Give the scene location and the route to it clearly.
4. Give sex, age range, symptoms and number of patients or injured.
5. Say how conscious the patient is.
6. Say about any risk of a repeat, such as being in the middle of a road or a vehicle fitted with gas.
7. Give your name and a phone number that can be reached.
8. Give first aid as the officer instructs.
9. Wait for the rescue team to collect the patient for the hospital.

Do not make prank calls. They can take the chance of care from other emergency patients.

Police, fire and tourist police

191 is the number to report an incident to police officers. 199 is the line for fire, accidents and rescue.

1155 is the hotline for crimes involving tourists. The Tourist Police Bureau also has a mobile app for requesting immediate assistance, translation services and tourism information.

The app is available to tourists who do not have a Thai SIM card.

After a theft, assault or accident: step by step

These steps come from UK government advice for travellers abroad, matched to the Thai numbers above.

1. If you need immediate help or fear for your safety, contact the emergency services in the country you are in.
2. For a medical emergency, call 1669.
3. For a crime involving a tourist, call the tourist police on 1155. For an incident report, call 191.
4. In most countries you must report a crime to the police before you leave the country if you want it investigated.
5. Foreign police are under no obligation to open a case, particularly if the crime was not reported before you left the country.
6. If money, a passport or other valuables are lost or stolen, report it to the local police as soon as possible.
7. Ask the police for a statement about the loss or a crime report.
8. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible.

Lost or stolen passport

Report a lost or stolen passport immediately. A British passport holder can apply to the FCDO for an emergency travel document if a replacement will not come in time. In another country, contact the nearest British embassy or consulate.

Insurance paperwork

If items were stolen or you spent money because of the crime, contact your insurance company as soon as possible to make a claim. Keep receipts of anything you bought to replace what was stolen. Keep medical bills from hospitals or doctors.

Lawyer or translator

The FCDO can help British travellers find an English-speaking lawyer or a translator or interpreter. It cannot give you legal advice.

Online scams: call 1441

The Anti Online Scam Operation Center provides its services through the hotline 1441. It offers no contact through social media platforms or other channels.

On 1441, press 1 to report and request the suspension of suspicious accounts. If the case involves non-compliant online shopping, the centre recommends the 1212 hotline.

Even after an online report, victims are required by law to meet an investigator at the designated police station within 7 days.

Which number for which case

Other useful lines

The Public Relations Department list and the Tourist Police Bureau page carry these numbers. The four main lines above come first in a real emergency.

The 1555 line covers Bangkok. The 1193 line is for highways.

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Not confirmed: English at the 1669 desk, and a free call from a foreign SIM, are unconfirmed. Use the tourist police app for translation, or ask a Thai speaker nearby to call.

General health information checked against the sources listed above, not medical advice. Rules, vaccine schedules and prices change; see a doctor or the hospital before you act. See how guides are checked.

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