When it comes to buying health insurance in Thailand, you have two choices – local insurance provided by insurance companies in Thailand and international insurance provided by companies all around the world.
But which one is better for expats?
In this article, we are going to break down the differences between local and international insurance to help you find the right insurance plan for you.
Main Differences
There are four main differences between local and international insurance:
- Area of Coverage
- Coverage Limits
- Prices
- Claims Process
Area of Coverage
Local insurance in Thailand usually covers you in Thailand, while international insurance covers you in Thailand and in select countries around the world.
For example, Cigna gives you worldwide coverage, including in the United States. ACS Health in Asia covers you in every country in Southeast Asia except for Singapore.
International coverage is better than local coverage for two reasons.
First, it’s possible for you to get treatment in your home country in a familiar setting surrounded by friends and family members, which can be important for ailments that require long recovery times.
Second, you can keep the same insurance plan if you move out of Thailand. This means that if you come down with a chronic disease, it won’t be counted as a pre-existing condition by a new insurance provider.
Coverage Limits
Unlike international insurance that comes with annual limits, local health insurance plans break down and put a limit on every health expense, such as rooms, ICU, medications, surgery, doctor’s fees, and so on.
Because of this, you’re likely to pay out of pocket with local insurance rather than with international insurance.
Recently, local insurance release new plans that works similarly the same as international insurance. However, their annual limits are still much lower than international insurance.
You can read this article to find out more information.
Prices
Local insurance tends to be much cheaper than international insurance. It’s possible to get a local health insurance plan for less than 15,000 baht, though you should expect to pay at least 30,000 baht per year for international insurance.
However, when looking at price-per-coverage perspective, local insurance can be more expensive than international insurance. The coverage limit you get from local insurance is lower than international insurance.
Claims Process
Local insurance is more convenient than international insurance when it comes to claims processes for OPD coverage.
Local insurance companies have direct billing systems set up with many leading hospitals in Thailand. You can visit any hospital in your network and show an insurance card. Then, the insurance company will pay the hospital directly.
With international insurance, you need to pay out of your pocket and send a receipt and medical certificate to your insurance company for reimbursement.
However, if your medical expenses are going to be high, it’s always a good idea to contact an insurance company in advance for both local and international insurance to get prior authorization.
This is to make sure that the insurance company will actually pay for the costs. With prior authorization, some international insurance companies might also be able to pay to hospitals directly as well.
Which One Should I Get?
The answer depends on your budget, lifestyle, and requirements.
Below is a general outline on when to get local or international insurance.
You should get local insurance if you:
- only need coverage in Thailand
- plan to stay in Thailand long-term
- have a small budget for health insurance
- want to have insurance to pass your visa requirements
You should get international insurance if you:
- want comprehensive health insurance to pay your health expenses in full
- plan to leave Thailand one day
- need international coverage
Where to Get It
Unless you exactly know which insurance plan you’re going to get, we recommend you go through a broker.
Prices you get from brokers are exactly the same as if buying from insurance companies.
With brokers, however, you can compare many plans from different providers at the same time and ask for their advice.
You can contact CheckDi for local insurance and internationalinsurance.com for international insurance.
Can I Live in Thailand without Health Insurance?
Unless it’s specifically required by your visa, you don’t need health insurance to live in Thailand.
With that said, if you’re going to stay in Thailand without health insurance, read our guide on how to decrease your medical expenses.
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