Hospital Emergency Departments in Thailand

What to do in an emergency

Thailand's medical emergency number is 1669. The UK government describes it as a free Ministry of Public Health service that usually transfers callers to the nearest available hospital, and the national emergency medical system is coordinated by the National Institute for Emergency Medicine. If someone is seriously ill or injured, call 1669 first, give the location as precisely as you can and describe what has happened.

Other numbers listed by the UK government are 191 for the Royal Thai Police and 1155 for the Tourist Police, who can also help with translation. For an urgent problem that is not life-threatening, such as a suspected fracture or a deep cut, going straight to a suitable emergency department may be quicker than waiting for an ambulance.

• 1669 — medical emergency (free)
• 191 — Royal Thai Police
• 1155 — Tourist Police, including help with translation
• The direct emergency line of the hospital nearest to where you are staying

Hospital ambulances and the 1669 service

Many private hospitals run their own ambulances and publish a direct emergency or ambulance number. The UK guidance notes that there is usually a fee for a private ambulance. A hospital's own ambulance will normally take you to that hospital, while 1669 usually routes you to the nearest available one, which may be public or private.

Some hospitals list ambulances equipped as mobile intensive or coronary care units, helicopter transfer or, on the coast, a sea ambulance. These matter most if you live or travel somewhere remote, such as an island or a rural district, where the nearest hospital may not be able to treat serious injuries.

Choosing an emergency department in advance

Start with distance and traffic, then capability. A department that is open 24 hours is not the same as one that can manage every emergency on site. Look for what the hospital publishes: specialists on call, round-the-clock CT or MRI, an intensive care unit, a 24-hour cardiac catheterisation laboratory for heart attacks, a stroke pathway, and any trauma-centre verification. Ask which cases it transfers elsewhere, and where to.

The UK guidance warns that many government facilities outside Bangkok and the provincial capitals, particularly on the southern islands, are not equipped for major trauma. Large public and university hospitals, by contrast, often act as regional referral centres but may have longer waits and fewer English-speaking staff.

On arrival: triage and what to bring

Emergency departments see patients in order of clinical urgency, not arrival time, so a less serious case may wait. Tell the triage nurse clearly about symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness, sudden weakness or heavy bleeding.

Bring the patient's passport: the UK government states it is required for treatment at both public and private hospitals. Bring insurance details with the insurer's 24-hour assistance number, and a list of current medicines, allergies and conditions, ideally in English with generic drug names.

Payment, deposits and guarantees

Treatment is rarely free, even in an emergency, and the UK travel advice states that hospitals require a guarantee of payment before treating patients. Contact your insurer or its assistance company as soon as you can and ask it to deal with the hospital directly. Self-funded patients should expect a deposit, especially on admission, and may receive regular, sometimes daily, invoices.

Thailand's UCEP scheme covers patients in a critical, life-threatening condition. Under rules revised in September 2026, hospitals must treat such patients without making care conditional on payment for the first 72 hours, with those costs claimed from the National Health Security Office. Whether a case is critical is decided at triage, patients with other insurance must use it first, and reports do not say how the scheme applies to foreign visitors, so it is no substitute for insurance.

After the emergency

Before you leave, ask for a medical report in English, copies of any imaging, an itemised bill and the receipts; your insurer will usually need all of them. If you are admitted and need to travel home, ask early about fit-to-fly paperwork and who arranges transfer or repatriation.