Posted on Friday, March 25th, 2011 at 5:02 pm

The USA is a popular country for students from all around the world who want to study abroad, and for students from Thailand, it is one of their top destination choices. During the 2009/2010 academic year, over 8,500 students from Thailand came to study in the US. One thing many Thai students may notice is that the US medical system is very different when compared to the medical care you would receive in Thailand.

For those that have experienced the medical system in the USA, one thing that always sticks out to them is the high cost; in fact the cost of medical care in the US is the highest in the world! That is why it is very important to have adequate medical insurance, a simple doctors visit in the USA can cost you anything from $100 to $500 depending on the sickness.

While in Thailand it is also common to go to the hospital for both major or minor sicknesses and injuries – the hospital is your one-stop resources for most medical care. In the United States, however, this is not the case, hospitals are designed to be for emergency situations and when you are in need of very urgent care – you should not go to a hospital for minor injuries in illnesses, for that type of care, you should visit either a local doctor, or an urgent care center. If you need prescription medication after seeing a doctor you would also need to go to a drug store that is separate from the doctor’s office.

If you are planning on studying in the USA, most schools and colleges will require you to purchase an international health insurance plan that protects you and provides health insurance coverage in the event you get sick or injured. A popular option is the Thai international student insurance plan; this plan comes in three levels so you can choose whichever works best for you. You can also apply directly online anywhere around the world and it can start as early as the same day you complete the application. To check if this Thai international student insurance will work for your school, check out our school requirements page.

You can also call or email info@internationalstudentinsurance.com with any additional questions, our representative can also assist you in Thai. (เราพูดภาษาไทย)

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.