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Updated: February 14, 2025
Thailand is one of the most popular destinations right now and it is essential that you prepare for any unforeseen events. In this article, I tell you everything you need to know about how to choose the best travel insurance for Thailand, based on my own experience.
Here I tell you everything from why you need travel insurance for Thailand to how to purchase the policy that best suits your needs. Here you will find clear and useful answers to ensure your adventure is safe and worry-free.
If you don't have time to read the whole article, the best insurance for traveling to Thailand is Heymondo, which is also the one I use and with this link you get a 5% discount.
Travel insurance for Thailand
1. Do I need insurance to travel to Thailand?
Travel insurance for Thailand It is not mandatory from October 2022, but it is highly recommended. Medical care in the country is of good quality, but costs are high if something serious happens to you and you have to pay for it out of your own pocket.
In addition, a good insurance also covers other unforeseen events such as cancellations, theft of luggage or problems with flights. Therefore, if you want to travel with peace of mind, it is better to take out one.
You can travel cheaply to Thailand and save on a lot of things, but not on insurance. I can tell you this from my own experience of living in the country and seeing what happens to tourists when they travel without travel insurance and have an accident or some health problem.
💲 Hospital Prices in Thailand
In Thailand, a simple doctor's consultation can cost just a few €/USD, even if you need to go to a specialist. For example, I paid only 30 euros / 31 USD, for the visit to the dermatologist, including the hospital fee and a couple of medications.
However, for any serious problem things change, prices are thousands of €/USD.
To give you an idea, here are some prices:
- Day of hospitalization: up to about €5,000/USD
- Operation: the average price is between about 10,000 and 20,000 €/USD
- Repatriation: up to about €250,000/USD to Europe, more expensive to America.
Because prices are so high, Thai hospitals have recently taken the step of requiring payment in advance in the event of an accident or serious illness if you do not have international insurance. That is, they will provide you with basic care, but if more expensive treatment is required, you pay first.
👉 Data Sources
If you're wondering how real those prices are, well, they're based on two recent cases:
- What my neighbour in Phuket had to pay for three operations and almost a month of hospitalisation due to a minor motorbike accident. Luckily her insurance covered everything.
- The Spanish girl Angela Agudo, who had an accident in Koh Tao in October 2024. This case was serious and has been in all the newspapers, mainly because she was travelling with cheap insurance of up to 75,000 euros. The insurance lasted for a few days, with daily hospitalisation costs of 5,000, two operations of 20,000, plus repatriation of 250,000.
2. How to purchase travel insurance for Thailand?
When choosing travel insurance for Thailand, there are several key aspects you should take into account:
🔹 Insurance company
Choose a reliable insurer with experience in international travel insurance. Heymondo is one of the best options, with excellent coverage and fast service. Plus, they are specialized in travel insurance.
🔹 Coverages
It is essential that travel insurance for Thailand includes comprehensive medical coverage. Based on my experience, you should take out insurance that covers you for at least €500,000/USD.
If you only want to take out medical insurance for travelling to Thailand, it is important that it also includes repatriation. This is essential in the event of any serious medical problem.
Then, if you are going to do adventure sports such as climbing, hiking or diving, it is ideal that your insurance also covers you. Activities of this type in Thailand include very basic insurance and sometimes not even that.
If you take out travel insurance, instead of just medical insurance, it will include other coverage in case of theft, cancellations, civil and legal liability, among others.
🔹 Advance money
Some insurers require you to pay first and then request reimbursement, which can take a long time.
The ideal option is a medical insurance for Thailand (or travel insurance) that covers the costs directly without you having to pay money in advance. As is the case with Heymondo, which takes care of everything from the very beginning.
🔹 Contact and support
Choose an insurer with 24/7 support and easy contact channels, such as chat, phone or email. Heymondo has an app with immediate medical assistance.
🔹 Insurance price
The cost of travel insurance for Thailand will depend on the length of your trip and the coverage you choose. Ideally, you should take out travel insurance with good coverage. Although it is more expensive than medical insurance, the difference in price is very small for all the additional coverage.
On this website you can see what the insurance would cost you with Heymondo, you just need to enter the dates, the country of departure and destination, and they will give you a quote on the spot. If you sign up with this link, they will give you a 5% discount.
👉 In summary:
Before choosing your insurance, make sure it meets these key requirements:
✔️ Comprehensive medical coverage (minimum €500,000).
✔️ You don't need to advance money in case of assistance.
✔️ Includes repatriation due to medical emergency.
✔️ 24/7 English support via app or phone.
3. Best insurance for traveling to Thailand
The best insurance for travelling to Thailand is Heymondo. This insurer has excellent coverage for medical expenses, repatriation, accidents and theft, as well as 24/7 assistance in English.
The best thing about it is that you don't need to pay money in advance for medical care, as Heymondo takes care of the payments directly. Another plus point is its app, which allows you to have medical assistance from anywhere without the need for phone calls.
Heymondo has different types of insurance, I recommend that you take out at least the “Heymondo Top” insurance.
✅ Travel without worries: Get a quote for your insurance here with a 5% discount.
4. How to use travel insurance in Thailand?
If you take out Heymondo insurance and download the app (screenshot below) you will have everything at hand on your mobile, from direct contact 24 hours a day and all your policy details, which makes management easier in case of emergency.
🔹 Medical Assistance in Thailand
Whether you have a simple ailment or a serious health issue such as an accident, they have medical assistance via chat all day, quickly and without having to travel.
In addition, right there in the app you have the option of an emergency call, which works just like a WhatsApp call. That is, your internet coverage is enough, you will not have additional costs for international calls.
🔹 Other incidents
For other incidents such as transport delays or problems with luggage, there is a section in the same application to manage them quickly and easily.
✔️ Travel with peace of mind: Get your insurance here with a 5% discount .
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide to choosing the best insurance for traveling to Thailand helps you choose the one that best suits your needs and travels without worries.
In this guide to Thailand you can keep reading the main articles I’ve written about this beautiful country.
If you have any questions, leave me a comment below and I'll help you as much as I can. If you found the article useful, share it with other travelers. Have a good trip! 😘
More about Thailand
- 22 Thailand Travel Tips for First Timers
- Thailand Itinerary 2 weeks: Must-Sees
- Where to Stay in Bangkok: Best Areas and Hotels
- Best Time to Travel to Thailand
- 8 PERFECT Day Trips from Krabi
- How to get from Krabi to Phi Phi: all the alternatives
- 7 Best Retreats in Thailand: Yoga and Meditation
Hello, I’m Andrea, the creator and writer of Viajeros Activos (Active Travelers). I’m a nomad, so I consider myself a full-time traveler. I’m passionate about good food and always looking for new adventures.