Thailand With Kids: Where to Go, Car Seats, Health and Costs

A child aged 6 or under needs a child safety seat or another method of protection in a Thai car. Hire vehicles and public vehicles are exempt. A foreign child pays THB 50 to THB 150 at group 1 to 3 national parks. Children and infants need a TDAC too.

By Vincent Nguyen and team

A child aged 6 or under in a Thai car must sit in a child safety seat or special child seat, or have another method of protection. A passenger no taller than 135 cm must be fastened with the seat belt, whichever row they sit in. Hire vehicles and public vehicles are exempt.

At national parks a foreign child pays THB 50 in group 1, THB 100 in group 2 and THB 150 in group 3. Start with the base table, then the car seat and price sections below.

Where to go with children: bases and nearest hospital

Pick a base by its nearest emergency department and its child rates.

Addresses and emergency lines for these hospitals are in the health section below. The family islands comparison sets Samui, Phuket, Lanta, Krabi and Hua Hin side by side.

Car seats, taxis and helmets

The rule for cars

A child passenger aged 6 or under must be placed in a child safety seat or special child seat, or have a method of protection in case of an accident. The police announcement on child seats has been in force since 17 August 2023.

A passenger no taller than 135 cm must be fastened with the seat belt to the seat, or have a method of protection, whichever row they sit in. The seat belt fine is up to THB 2,000.

Two seat types count: rear-facing and forward-facing safety seats, and booster seats without a backrest. Both must have a restraint system under the industrial product standard. A Department of Disease Control leaflet names ECE R44 and ECE R129 and carries the Thai mark TIS 111-2566.

Taxis, Grab and hire cars

Hire vehicles and public vehicles are exempt: a child in them does not need to sit in a child safety seat. Their drivers must warn passengers, or arrange another way of warning them, to follow the seat belt rules in section 123.

For a self-drive rental, follow the seat rule above or the three conditions below.

No seat available

A driver without a car seat counts as acting correctly under the law when the three conditions are met.

• Drive slowly, with attention to safety, and keep to the left.
• Seat the child in a rear passenger seat; in a pickup or semi-pickup the child may sit in a front seat but not in the back of the pickup.
• Provide a carer for the child during the ride, or let the child wear only the lap belt.

If the law is neglected with no regard for safety, the fine is up to THB 2,000. The full rule is on Thailand car seat law.

Motorbikes

Motorcycle riders and passengers must wear a safety helmet, and the fine is up to THB 2,000. A rider whose passenger has no helmet is liable to double the fine. More is on helmets and traffic fines.

Child prices at parks, sights, trains and metro

National parks

For the park fee schedule a child is aged 3 to 14 full years, or not taller than 140 cm. Children under 3 are exempt. The schedule has applied since 7 June 2022.

Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Le and Mai Phai add a special services fee for foreigners of THB 200 for a child and THB 400 for an adult. At Khao Yai the special fee between the Noen Hom toll gate and the Chao Pho Khao Yai shrine gate is THB 200 for children and THB 400 for adults.

Sights, trains and metro

Train 9 to Chiang Mai carries coach 65, a 2nd class air-conditioned seating-and-sleeping coach for women and children.

Details are on Grand Palace tickets, Wat Pho tickets, BTS and MRT fares, train booking and national park fees.

Health and safety

Hospitals and the emergency number

1669 is the number for a medical emergency. It serves critically ill emergency patients outside medical facilities. For a child who needs a doctor but is not critically ill, go to a hospital directly.

More Bangkok hospitals are on English-speaking hospitals in Bangkok, and the numbers are on Thailand emergency numbers.

Insurance and payment

Check that your travel insurance covers local treatment and unexpected medical evacuation. All hospitals require a guarantee of payment before treating patients. Private hospitals in Thailand are of a high standard but can be expensive.

Contact your insurer or medical assistance company quickly if you are referred to a medical facility. Bangkok Hospital works with hundreds of travel insurers for cashless emergency care, according to the terms of the policy. More is on travel insurance for Thailand.

Animal bites and vaccines

After a bite or scratch from a potentially rabid animal, wash the wound with water and soap for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Post-exposure treatment can be given safely to infants.

Rabies vaccines are typically available throughout most of Thailand. You may need to travel to a nearby major city for treatment. The Department of Disease Control hotline 1422 answers rabies questions.

Hepatitis A vaccine is recommended for unvaccinated travellers aged one year or older. Typhoid immunisation is recommended for those aged 2 or older travelling to areas with a recognised risk. See rabies and dog bites and vaccinations for Thailand.

Sea and beach flags

Thailand has lifeguards on duty at designated beaches and a flag system for safe swimming. People have drowned in strong riptides, especially during monsoon season. Rip currents can occur at almost every beach.

Jellyfish can swim close to the shore, particularly in the rainy season from May to October, and stings can be fatal. After a sting, get out of the sea at once, ask for help and call 1669. The full guide is Jellyfish and rip currents on Thai beaches.

When to go with children

The southwest monsoon covers Thailand from mid-May to mid-October. The northeast monsoon runs from about mid-October to mid-February. The hot season runs between mid-February and mid-May. Start and end dates can vary from year to year.

Bangkok has a mean daily maximum of 35.7 °C in April. Chiang Mai has 36.7 °C in April. Chiang Mai has 26.8 haze days in March, and Bangkok has 21.0 haze days in January. The 2026 no-burning request in Chiang Mai ran from 1 January to 31 May.

Phuket has 21.7 rainy days in September. Koh Samui has 18.7 rainy days in November.

The Similan Islands are closed from 16 May to 14 October. Maya Bay, Loh Samah and Lo Ko bay on Phi Phi are closed from 1 August to 30 September. Month-by-month detail is on best time to visit Thailand and Thailand weather by month and region. The planning hub lists more trip guides.

Entry: the arrival card for children

All travellers must complete the TDAC, regardless of visa type. That includes children and infants, and parents or guardians complete the form on their behalf. See Thailand TDAC arrival card and the first-time checklist.

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Not confirmed: Whether a self-drive rental or a Grab or Bolt car counts as a hire vehicle is not stated, so carry a seat. Child fares on the BTS, the Airport Rail Link and ferries are not confirmed; ask at the ticket counter. Paediatric emergency care is stated for BNH; call the other hospitals ahead.

Prices, timetables and opening hours change; check with the operator before you travel. See how guides are checked.

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