Women's Health and OB-GYN Services in Thailand

Gynaecology, obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine

Gynaecology deals with the female reproductive system outside pregnancy: periods, contraception, screening, menopause and conditions such as fibroids or endometriosis. Obstetrics covers pregnancy, birth and the weeks after. Many doctors practise both and are described as OB-GYNs. Maternal-fetal medicine is a further sub-specialty for higher-risk pregnancies, for example where the mother has a long-term condition or the baby needs closer monitoring.

A doctor's licence and any specialty recorded can be checked on the Medical Council of Thailand's public lookup. If you are told you need a sub-specialist, ask whether that doctor is based at the hospital where you plan to deliver.

Antenatal care schedules and packages

The World Health Organization recommends at least eight antenatal contacts, starting in the first 12 weeks, and one ultrasound scan before 24 weeks. Schedules at individual hospitals vary, so ask how many visits are planned and with whom.

Private hospitals often sell antenatal and delivery packages. Ask for the terms in writing and check:

• Number of doctor visits, and whether they are with the same obstetrician
• Which scans and blood tests are included, and which are billed separately
• Whether a vaginal birth and a caesarean are priced differently, and how an unplanned caesarean is charged
• Room type, length of stay, and newborn care after the birth
• What happens to the price if complications need extra tests, a longer stay or neonatal care

Choosing where to deliver

If there is any chance your baby will need specialist care, the neonatal unit matters as much as the maternity ward. Neonatal units are often described by level, but hospitals do not all use the same scale. Ask what the unit can actually do, which babies it routinely cares for, and where it transfers those it cannot.

Ask too whether an obstetrician, an anaesthetist and a paediatrician are on site around the clock or on call from home, and how quickly an emergency caesarean can be arranged. The WHO notes that a caesarean can be life-saving when medically needed and should be used for that reason; ask the hospital how it decides on a caesarean and how it supports vaginal birth.

Screening and routine gynaecology

The WHO recommends screening for cervical cancer with a high-performance test, such as an HPV test, every five to ten years from age 30, with a different schedule for women living with HIV. Thailand's own programme offers HPV screening to Thai women aged 30 to 60 under the universal coverage scheme, including free self-sampling kits from public hospitals and clinics. If you are not covered by that scheme, ask a provider which screening test it uses and what it costs.

For breast screening, ask the provider which tests it offers (examination, mammography, ultrasound), for which age groups, and how results are reported. Bring previous results so they can be compared.

Language, birth registration and paperwork

Ask whether midwives and nurses on the labour ward, including at night, can communicate with you, and whether a partner or interpreter can stay with you throughout.

A birth in Thailand must be registered with the Thai civil registration office; Thailand's National Statistical Office describes the Civil Registration Act as requiring registration within 15 days. A September 2026 Ministry of Public Health order bars hospitals from registering births at district offices on families' behalf, so parents need to do this themselves; ask the hospital which documents it will give you and the district office what else it needs. Foreign parents then deal with their own country: the UK, for example, accepts the local birth certificate and offers optional UK registration. Check your embassy's requirements for the baby's passport early.

Costs, insurance and waiting periods

Insurance terms for pregnancy and birth vary from policy to policy, so read them before you conceive or move rather than after. Ask your insurer whether maternity benefits apply only after a waiting period, whether there is a cap on what it pays, and whether a pregnancy that began before the policy started is excluded. If you are relying on travel insurance, check whether it covers routine pregnancy care or a birth abroad at all.

Ask too whether newborn care, including a neonatal unit admission, is covered under the mother's policy. If you are paying yourself, ask the hospital what deposit it requires on admission for delivery and how costs outside the package are billed.