What if I get sick in Thailand?

Health care in Thailand is easily accessible as a rule, low cost and high quality, so if you end up needing to see a doctor or go to the hospital while you are holidaying in the UK, you need not worry.

Bangkok has to be many international private hospitals, the locals, expats and tourists. The three most popular are Bumrungrad, BNH and Samitvej. All staff are multilingual and support nurses. Doctors at these hospitals are in English and often a language other than Thailand all fluently, and many have been trained in medical schools and / or training worldwide.

Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Samui and also have large international hospitals specifically marketed and answer and foreign residents. They lack many times the width of the specialists are in the capital, which have to deal with adequate facilities and doctors, almost every disease or injury to the joint.

The cost of a visit to one of these hospitals is surprisingly affordable (especially as the best in Bangkok look like five-star hotels). For a basic office visit, expect to pay around $ 20, excluding the cost of the tests, medications or procedures. When you visit the emergency room, the visit will be less than $ 100, without the added cost again usually. Bumrungrad website provides estimates of the costs of common procedures, to give you an idea of prices.

In addition to high-end private hospital health care in the country is much cheaper and there are good hospitals and good doctors, even in public, if you with a language barrier.

Advice

Common diseases. Be aware of the types of diseases travel in Thailand is likely to get and what you can do to protect them. Diarrhea is the most common visitors to the UK suffer from discomfort, but heat stroke, severe sunburn, jellyfish and injuries associated with cycling are also common.

Vaccination. In most cases, there are no compulsory vaccinations before visiting Thailand, but there are some precautions to take. More on health system to warn travelers to the US Government

Transmitted diseases by mosquitoes. One thing that many people (including some doctors) mistakenly believe is a threat is malaria in Thailand. Malaria is rare in most parts of Thailand, including Bangkok, the islands and the region of Chiang Mai. It can be a problem in the deep forest near the border, but the tourists rarely visit this part of the country anyway. The antimalarials are serious and can have considerable unpleasant side effects. Talk to your doctor, but usually they do not take if it will be known not present in areas where malaria is. This does not mean you should not worry about mosquitoes such as Dengue fever is a serious disease transmitted by mosquitoes, the people in built-up urban areas, including Bangkok, are likely. Be sure to protect yourself from mosquitoes, especially during the rainy season

Pharmacy and prescription drugs. Pharmacies in Thailand are allowed many drugs that is available by prescription only in the US, including antibiotics, anti-malaria drugs and other medications such as Cialis and Viagra without. Note that pharmacies may not dispense opioid analgesics or psychotropic drugs. If you need a prescription filled time in Thailand, make sure that you have a medical certificate, and the generic name of the drug know as well. Some drugs are not sold in Thailand or under a different name. In any case, for some drugs, you may have to visit a hospital and are seen by a doctor before you get your recipe.

The health insurance. Check your policy to see if you are being treated in an emergency abroad, and if so, to what extent, before investing in additional insurance. Most plans cover at least emergency care, even if the deductible is high, but not extreme measures, such as your country evacs-Med. Learn more about Travel Insurance.