Mental Health Services in Thailand

Psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or counsellor

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialised in mental health. Psychiatrists can diagnose, prescribe and adjust medication, arrange tests and admit patients to hospital. Because they are doctors, their licence and recorded specialty can be checked on the Medical Council of Thailand's public lookup.

Clinical psychologists provide psychological assessment and talking therapies; they do not prescribe. In Thailand clinical psychology is a licensed branch of the practice of the art of healing, overseen by a professional committee under the Ministry of Public Health's Department of Health Service Support, which publishes practice standards for the profession. Ask a psychologist for their Thai licence, or for their registration abroad if they trained elsewhere.

Counsellors and therapists offer supportive talking therapy for stress, relationships, grief or adjusting to life abroad. Training varies widely, so ask where a counsellor trained, which professional body they belong to and how they are supervised.

Language and cultural fit

Therapy depends on being able to put feelings into words, so language matters more here than in most specialties. Check the language of the individual practitioner, not just the hospital or clinic.

Fit goes beyond language. You may want someone who understands expatriate life, a particular faith or culture, LGBTQ+ experience or the pressures of a cross-cultural family. It is reasonable to ask for a short introductory call first, and to change practitioner if the fit is not right.

Online or in person

Online sessions can widen your choice of language and specialism, and can let you keep seeing a practitioner from your home country. They also have limits: a practitioner abroad may not be able to prescribe in Thailand, arrange an admission or respond quickly in a crisis.

Ask an online practitioner whether they may treat someone located in Thailand and what they would do if worried about your safety, and keep a local contact, such as a hospital department or psychiatrist, for anything that needs to happen in person.

Medication and continuity

Thai drug laws are strict, even for medicines prescribed legally elsewhere. The Royal Thai Embassy in London advises that ordinary medicines can be brought in for personal use for up to 30 days of prescribed use, in their original labelled containers with a letter or prescription from your doctor. Medicines containing controlled psychotropic or narcotic substances need a permit from the Thai Food and Drug Administration, applied for online at least two weeks before travel.

Some medicines prescribed abroad may not be available or legally sold in Thailand. Ask your current prescriber about alternatives before you travel, and see a psychiatrist in Thailand well before your supply runs out. Do not stop or change medication without talking to a doctor.

Crisis pathways

In an emergency, call 1669, Thailand's free medical emergency number, or go to a hospital emergency department. The Department of Mental Health runs the 1323 mental health hotline, available 24 hours a day. The UK government lists Samaritans of Thailand on +66 (0)2 113 6789, pressing 2 for English.

Ask any practitioner you see regularly what to do between sessions if things get worse, and which hospital they would refer you to. Be aware that, according to the UK government, a person in Thailand can be admitted to hospital without consent if they appear to be a danger or need urgent treatment and cannot make decisions for themselves.

Confidentiality

Thailand's National Health Act states that personal health information is confidential and limits disclosure without the person's consent unless a specific law requires it. Even so, ask who can see your notes and what would be shared with an employer, school or insurer.

An insurer may need a diagnosis or report; ask what it will contain before you sign a release.

Costs and insurance

We have not found official fee schedules for psychiatry or therapy, so ask for the fee for a first appointment and for follow-ups, the session length, and whether medication, tests and online sessions are charged separately. The UK government describes private psychiatric care as expensive and says private psychiatric hospitals require a deposit or payment guarantee before admission.

Insurance cover for mental health varies widely between policies. Check whether yours covers outpatient psychiatry, therapy with a psychologist or counsellor, and inpatient care; whether it needs a doctor's referral; and whether there is a limit on the number of sessions.