Expat Health Insurance in Thailand; The 2024 Guide
written by Quinn Miller
Founder & Managing Partner
Employee Benefits Asia by Tenzing Pacific Services
Welcome to Employee Benefits Asia!
I’ve been helping expats in SE Asia protect themselves, families & businesses since 2014. In addition to employee benefits, I also help individuals, couples & families with personal expat health insurance in Thailand.
If you find my article insightful, I’d love to help. There are no additional costs to use a broker.
Table of Contents
Options For Expat Health Insurance in Thailand
When it comes to Expat Health Insurance in Thailand, there are several avenues to get coverage:
- Local Thai insurers
- International insurers
- From life insurance companies
- From your work
- From your bank
Local vs. International
Features
Local
Intl
Some
Pricing Variables
The cost of Expat Health Insurance in Thailand—or the premium—depends on various factors, including:
- Provider Choice: Premiums differ among insurers, with well-known global brands typically charging more and local Thai providers, with lower limits, costing less.
- Benefits Chosen: More extensive coverage, such as adding dental or maternity, will raise the premium.
- Limitations of Benefits: Your benefits could:
- Be fully covered
- Have an annual limit
- Have a limit per visit
The more liability to the insurer = the more premium you’ll pay and vice-versa.
- Age: Insurance costs rise with age due to increased health risks. The cost for a healthy 30 year old and healthy 60 year-old will differ quite a bit for the exact same plan selection
- How they Manage Their Risk: Insurers manage their risk differently, they can put all their members in one pool (community rating) or they can look at you/your family individually (experience rating). How they manage their risk affects your premiums with community rated plans being more expensive and less risky to you and Experience rated being cheaper but more risky to you.
- Number of Insured Individuals: Covering more people under one policy generally increases the cost. Family discounts are available if you have children.
- Geographical Coverage: Broader coverage areas usually come with higher premiums. Popular coverage areas include:
- Thailand only
- SE Asia excluding Singapore
- Worldwide excluding USA
- Worldwide
- Deductibles and Co-Pays: Opting for a higher deductible or co-pay can lower premiums.
- Health Status: Those with existing health issues may face higher premiums.
Below is a general idea of what you might pay annually for a robust health insurance plan in Thailand with coverage in Southeast Asia:
How Much is Expat Health Insurance in Thailand?
Think about insurance like walking into a phone store, you can get an iPhone 4, an iPhone 15 or something inbetween.
Annual pricing guideline for a ‘Best Value’ provider, with no deductibles, by age group in USD
|
Age
|
Inpatient
|
+ Some Outpatient
|
+ Full Outpatient
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
25
|
$667 - $868
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
30
|
$755 - $981
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
35
|
$872 - $1,134
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
40
|
$997 - $1,297
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
45
|
$1,149 - $1,493
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
50
|
$1,324 - $1,721
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
55
|
$1,583 - $2,058
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
60
|
$1,904 - $2,475
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
65
|
$2,398 - $3,120
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
|
70
|
$3,032 - $4,022
|
1.5x of IP
|
2x of IP
|
- Things of Note:
- Adding outpatient usually is about 2X the expense of inpatient only
- The older your get, the more the incremental premium jumps are when you move to a new age group
How to Save Money on your Premiums
Expat health insurance in Thailand can be cheap or very expensive or somewhere inbetween. If you want a higher quality provider, but if the premiums are bit too much for your allocated budget, then we suggest:
Installments
• Pay monthly
• Pay quarterly
• Pay semi-annually
Reduce Benefits
• Focus on Inpatient
• Skip Outpatient
• Save 50% by doing so
Reduce Area
• Asia focused cover
• Ditch worldwide
• Save 25-30% by doing so
Direct Billing
• Pay & Claim for Outpatient
• Small hassle? Yes
• Save money by doing so
• Claims paid in <7 days
Deductible
• Pay $X out-of-pocket 1st
• Insurance kicks in after
• ex. $1K USD deductible
• Get 20% OFF
Co-pay
• Agree to pay X%
• Example 20% of OP expenses
• Save money by doing so
Expat Health Insurance Providers in Thailand
There are many insurance providers to consider in Thailand, including local, regional & international providers. We break providers into 3 general categories:
- budget friendly- Restricted coverage area, low limit, low premium & strict rules
- best value- Strike the balance of ‘what you pay’ vs. ‘what you get’
- highest quality- Highest limits, coverage area, direct billing service, technology & more
Providers:
|
Best Value
|
Highest Quality
|
Budget Friendly
|
|---|---|---|
|
April Essential
|
Allianz Care
|
LMG
|
|
AXA TH
|
April Extensive
|
IMG
|
|
Henner
|
April Elite
|
Falcon
|
|
Luma
|
AXA Global
|
-
|
|
Morgan Price
|
Bupa
|
Pacific Cross
|
|
Optimum Global
|
Cigna
|
Sunday
|
|
VUMI
|
Insured Nomads
|
Viriyah
|
|
William Russell
|
Now Health
|
WrLife
|
Visas & Expat Health Insurance in Thailand
There are many types of visas to enter and stay in Thailand as an expat. If you are required to have insurance that meets minimum thresholds to meet your visa obligations, we can assist you with a policy that does so.
After you take out a health insurance policy, you’ll get an insurance certificate which shows your proof of insurance and limits.
Please note, we are not visa experts and things are always fluid with the rules and regulations regarding insurance.
Health Insurance vs. Travel Insurance
If you’re living in Thailand indefinitely, get expat health insurance in Thailand not travel insurance.
Watch our video on this topic below:
Types of Plans
Policies for Expat Health Insurance in Thailand are available for individuals, couples, families, and groups, with discounts often available for multiple members.
- Individual Plans: Tailored for individuals living in Thailand, under various types of visas. If you need
- Couple Plans: Joint coverage for both partners under a single policy, usually you have to make the same plan selection. If you and your partner have different needs, you can also opt for two individual plans.
- Family Plans: Comprehensive coverage for the entire family, including children. Family discounts can include:
- Family discount for 3+ people
- Discounted rates for children
- Add 3rd, 4th, 5th child to your family policy for free
- Group Plans: Typically offered by employers to cover their employees.
Benefit Options
When selecting expat health insurance in Thailand your premium will be influenced, among other things, by the specific benefits chosen & the limits of those benefits. The available benefits are:
Inpatient
• Room & Board
• Surgeries
• Hospitalization Expenses
• Cancer
• Emergency Outpatient
• & many others
Outpatient
• GP & Specialists
• Tests
• Treatments
• Physio & Chiro
• Mental Wellness
• Medication
Wellness
• Annual Health Checks
• Child wellness
• Male/Female Exams
• Early Detection
• Preventative Tests
Dental
• Check-ups & Cleaning
• Crowns, Inlays & Onlays
• Root Canals
• Major Dental Surgery
Maternity
• Pre-natal Visits
• Routine Delivery
• Required C-sections
• Complications
• Newborn Care
Evacuation
• Medical Evacuation
• Repatriation
• Mortal Remains
Pre-Existing Conditions & Expat Health Insurance in Thailand
Obtaining coverage for pre-existing conditions with Expat Health Insurance in Thailand can be challenging depending on the nature of the condition. They can be considered for coverage IF they are declared and accepted by the provider during the application phase.
Any price you see from us, another broker or a provider is their standard rates for a healthy person of the age group for the plan selected. If you have any pre-existing conditions, we recomend Full Medical Underwriting (FMU) to see if they can be covered or not, so you know that before you take out a policy.
After you declare any conditions to the insurer, your application goes through the underwriting process to assess your risk vs. the standard rates.
Insurers may choose to:
- cover the condition at normal terms
- with an extra fee
- exclude it altogether
- reject the application if the condition is severe
Note: some types of conditions will never be covered by private health insurance: immediate need for a surgery, pre-existing cancer, sever heart diseaeses, back problems, knee injuries
Retiree Health Insurance
If you plan to or are retired in Thailand, get a health insurance policy in place that covers you per your visa requirements and protects you from large, out-of-pocket medical expenses that can dip into your retirement fund. Worst case, get an inpatient only plan with a deductible, stick it in your back pocket and hope you don’t have to use it.
Have that safety net though in case you do and so you can continue enjoying retired life in Thailand.
Signing Up for Expat Health Insurance in Thailand
The sign-up process can take anywhere from 24 hours to more than 1 week, depending on if there are pre-existing conditions that you seek coverage for & the provider and their internal processes. The steps are:
- Get Quotes
- Get recommended a provider & plan from a health insurance expert (no added costs)
- Make an informed decision
- Submit Application Form
- Underwriting
- Insurance Offer (not binding)
- Invoice Issuance and/or payment link
- Payment
- Issue policy documents & certificate of insurance
We recommend budgeting two weeks before your desired start date.
Get Quotes Today
Our Process
In order to get quotes for expat health insurance in Thailand, please get in touch with me to get started.
- Get in touch via questionnaire or discovery chat
- Receive quotes digitally
- Have a quick follow-up call or digital meeting to answer your questions, fully explain things & make adjustments based on your feedback.
- Make an informed decision for you, your family or business
Book a Discovery Chat
FAQs
That depends on the provider, some providers cut off at age 64, 65 or 70. For some provider there is no age cut off. We will only quote you providers you are eligible for.
No, expat health insurance in Thailand does not require you to get a health check unless something you declare on the application form warrants one. Some providers require a health check for applicants over a certain age.
Typically, we recommend budgeting 1-2 weeks to sign up, that will depend on the provider, type of underwriting and whether there are pre-existing conditions to declare or not.
You can pay via debit or credit card, local bank transfer or international bank transfer. If you have a payment requirement, please tell us during the initial consultation or digital questionnaire.
There could be additional fees to cover high BMI, job hazards, pre-existing conditions, credit card fees & payment installment fees.
There are no fees to use a broker!
No, it is the same cost to use a professional broker like EB Asia by Tenzing Pacific Service as it is to go direct. Some providers only distribute their products via brokers and some providers have direct sales teams. Either way, there are never any additional fees to use a broker
We help our clients by providing them transparent advice, a comparison of quotes from recommended providers and plans based on your unique needs and budget. We support our clients during your policy year with direct billing, claims, reimbursements and more.
EB Asia is a dedicated brand of Tenzing Pacific Services, designed to focus on employee benefits, groups and personal insurance for business leaders & their families.
That is possible and the rules will depend on the provider. You may be entitled to a prorated refund of the unused days if you have not made a claim.
EB Asia is a dedicate brand by Tenzing Pacific Services, which was established in 2012 and has over 130 perfect 5-star Google Reviews at the time of writing this. This is because we go above & beyond for our clients at all times. In a developing marketing for the insurance industry, we are extremely proud of this.
Yes- we have employees in Bangkok & Pattaya. We can also leverage a quick digital meeting if that’s easier or you do not live in one of those cities.