Posted on Monday, October 10th, 2011 at 9:39 am

With its beautiful beaches, lush jungles, exotic culture, rich history and delicious food, Thailand is known as a great vacation destination of the world. While these reasons bring many tourists, the same reasons also bring many students seeking an exciting and unique study abroad experience as well.

It is important to keep in mind that health care in each country is unique and the same goes for Thailand. If you are coming from the Unites States or other western country it is a good idea to be aware of how the health care system works beforehand.

The majority of people arrive in Thailand via the capital city, Bangkok, where most of the major universities are also located. There are many clinics and hospitals in the city as well, but private clinics may not be staffed with English speaking professionals. For most foreigners, the best option may be to visit a general hospital which in most cases is a private hospital. While they are usually more expensive, they are more accustomed to treating foreigner and are often equipped with state of the art medical equipment.

If you decide to study or travel to a more remote area of the country, language barriers may be an issue if you do not speak Thai or if you do not have someone who can translate for you. Most sicknesses or injuries can be treated in the local facilities, but if you need emergency care that would require more specialized treatment, you may need to be medically evacuated to a nearby major city. This is especially true for the poor North Eastern region of the country where the ratio of doctor is 1:7251 according to the World Health Organization’s 2002 data.

It is important to protect yourself with a private health insurance plan while you are studying abroad in Thailand since there is no free national health care system. Our international student insurance for Thailand will be able to provide medical coverage in case you get sick or injured during your time abroad, it also includes benefit for emergency medical evacuation and also translation service available 24/7! If you have more questions, feel free to contact our international insurance agents at any time!

Posted by ahoontrakul

Originally from Thailand, Apinant grew up in the United States and has extensive international experience traveling throughout Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. He has lived, studied and worked abroad in China, England, Taiwan and Thailand. Apinant is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Masters in International Business and a Bachelors of Science in Business Management.