Health

Everything you need to decide, and do, before relocating to Thailand in 2026

Among its neighbours in Southeast Asia, Thailand still ranks handsomely among the nations retirees and remote workers look to move to, and it's easy to see why. Warm weather year-round, a low cost of living, welcoming communities, and healthcare that's both accessible and affordable have...

2 days ago
  • 5 moves to make with your expat health insurance in Thailand before 60

    5 moves to make with your expat health insurance in Thailand before 60

    Expat health insurance in Thailand gets harder to buy the closer you get to 60. If that birthday is creeping up on you, you’ve probably already wondered whether your current coverage will actually hold up when you need it most. Insurers don’t just charge more as you age; they also treat your medical history very …

  • Local or international health insurance in Thailand? (2026)

    Local or international health insurance in Thailand? (2026)

    Most expats either buy local or international health insurance in Thailand to satisfy a visa officer, not because they’ve actually worked out what they need. It’s a box to tick, a document to upload, and then it’s forgotten about until something goes wrong. That approach has always carried some risk. In 2026, it carries more …

  • Thailand liver fluke cases reach 2,656, no deaths reported

    Thailand liver fluke cases reach 2,656, no deaths reported

    Thailand recorded 2,656 confirmed liver fluke cases between January 1 and July 7 this year, with the highest rates found in the Northeast and North, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC). Data from the Division of Epidemiology’s Digital Disease Surveillance system showed that case rates were highest among people aged 50 to 59, …

  • Sansiri partners with VitalLife to bring hospital-grade wellness privileges to Phuket residences

    Sansiri partners with VitalLife to bring hospital-grade wellness privileges to Phuket residences

    Sansiri Public Company Limited has partnered with VitalLife Scientific Wellness Center, part of Bumrungrad International Hospital, to introduce hospital-grade wellness privileges at selected Sansiri residential projects in Phuket’s Cherngtalay–Bang Tao area. The partnership supports Phuket’s growing position as a destination for longevity-focused living, with the collaboration built around the concept “Luxury Living Begins with Preventive …

  • Expat health insurance Thailand cost: what you’ll pay monthly in 2026

    Expat health insurance Thailand cost: what you’ll pay monthly in 2026

    Expat health insurance costs in Thailand are one of those numbers everyone searches for and nobody quite trusts, because the real answer ranges from under US$100 a month to well over US$900. Almost none of that gap comes down to luck. It comes down to two things: how old you are, and how much cover you actually …

  • Thailand Health Excellence ArokaGO partnership connects 285 providers with global travellers

    Thailand Health Excellence ArokaGO partnership connects 285 providers with global travellers

    Thailand Health Excellence 2026: The Next Chapter of Global Healing, supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), has announced a strategic partnership with ArokaGO to strengthen Thailand’s position as a Global Health & Healing Destination. The partnership will feature more than 285 Thai healthcare, medical, and wellness providers on the ArokaGO platform, giving international …

  • Thai woman claims black magic ritual left stone-like object in vagina

    Thai woman claims black magic ritual left stone-like object in vagina

    A Thai woman underwent surgery after doctors discovered a large stone-like object in her vagina, years after she claimed an Indonesian black magic practitioner forced an object into her vagina, according to a case shared by a surgeon on June 30. Sunthorn Srisuwan, a Hat Yai Hospital orthopaedic surgeon, said the 47 year old woman …

  • Thailand launches Health Excellence 2026 to strengthen global health and healing tourism

    Thailand launches Health Excellence 2026 to strengthen global health and healing tourism

    Thailand has officially launched Thailand Health Excellence 2026, supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and a network of public and private partners, medical institutions, academic organisations, and wellness providers. The initiative aims to strengthen Thailand’s position as a global health and healing destination as more travellers seek experiences focused on prevention, recovery, longevity, …

  • Thailand is cheap to relocate to – until one thing breaks the bank

    Thailand is cheap to relocate to – until one thing breaks the bank

    A single person can live comfortably in Bangkok for about 43,000 baht a month, roughly US$1,200. Chiang Mai runs cheaper at around 30,200 baht (US$850), while Phuket costs more at 47,000 baht (US$1,300), largely down to rent. For most Western budgets, that’s a fraction of home-country living costs, and it’s the number most people research …

  • Recharge this rainy season in Phuket with Sole Mio Clinic’s immunity & energy boost

    Recharge this rainy season in Phuket with Sole Mio Clinic’s immunity & energy boost

    “A strong immune system is your best daily protection.” The rainy season often brings a change of pace. While Phuket remains vibrant throughout the year, fluctuating weather, busy schedules, travel, and daily stress can leave the body feeling tired, depleted, and more vulnerable to seasonal illness. July is a timely reminder that wellness begins with …

  • Vejthani International Hospital completes Thailand’s first private-hospital robotic kidney transplant from deceased donor

    Vejthani International Hospital completes Thailand’s first private-hospital robotic kidney transplant from deceased donor

    Vejthani International Hospital has successfully performed a kidney transplant from a deceased donor using the Da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery System, becoming the first private hospital in Thailand to complete the procedure with this technology. The transplant was carried out by a multidisciplinary team including nephrologists, urologic surgeons, vascular surgeons, and healthcare professionals involved in organ …

  • Jellyfish sting treatment: what to do and what not to do

    Jellyfish sting treatment: what to do and what not to do

    You are wading out at one of Thailand’s beautiful beaches, water warm and clear, when something brushes your leg and the burning starts. Or maybe you stepped on something at the tide line that looked like a deflated plastic bag. Either way, getting the jellyfish sting treatment right in the next few minutes matters more …

  • The Beekeeper House: Asia’s most accredited mental health and addiction rehab

    The Beekeeper House: Asia’s most accredited mental health and addiction rehab

    The Beekeeper House, a medically licensed residential treatment centre in the mountains of Chiang Mai, has been awarded AACI Gold accreditation from the American Accreditation Commission International, the highest standard awarded to psychiatric and behavioural health services. The recognition places the centre among the most extensively accredited mental health and addiction facilities in Asia, and …

  • Phyathai-Paolo partners with Shop.BeDee to advance personalised healthcare in Thailand

    Phyathai-Paolo partners with Shop.BeDee to advance personalised healthcare in Thailand

    Phyathai-Paolo Hospital Group has announced a strategic partnership with Shop.BeDee, a leading digital healthcare platform, to enhance access to healthcare services and accelerate the shift toward personalised healthcare in Thailand. The collaboration reflects changing consumer behaviour, as more people are turning to digital channels to search for health information, compare services, and make healthcare decisions. …

  • The symptoms women overlook and what a gynecologic oncologist in Bangkok wants you to know

    The symptoms women overlook and what a gynecologic oncologist in Bangkok wants you to know

    Gynecologic cancers are among the leading causes of cancer-related death in women, yet many of the earliest warning signs go unrecognised for months, sometimes years. By the time a woman seeks care, the window for early intervention has often already narrowed. Prof. Dr Siriwan Tangjitgamol has spent her career working at exactly that window. An …

  • Travel insurance for long stay in Thailand: 10 things to consider

    Travel insurance for long stay in Thailand: 10 things to consider

    The Destination Thailand Visa has put thousands of remote workers, freelancers, and long-stay foreigners (people who stay for many months at a time, often 180+ days a year) into a position the insurance market was not really designed for. They live in Thailand in every practical sense, but on a visa that, on paper, looks …

  • Retiring in Bangkok: why hospital access beats price per sqm

    Retiring in Bangkok: why hospital access beats price per sqm

    If you are retiring in Bangkok, you have probably been filtering neighbourhoods by price per square metre, BTS stops from Sukhumvit, and how far the nearest supermarket is. That is the wrong filter. The better one is simpler: which district puts you within 15 minutes of a hospital with English-speaking specialists, JCI accreditation, and direct …

  • Thailand’s dominant Covid strain not more severe, DDC says

    Thailand’s dominant Covid strain not more severe, DDC says

    Thailand’s Department of Disease Control confirmed today, June 3, that the Covid-19 NB.1.8.1 variant has remained the country’s dominant strain since mid-2025, but officials have found no evidence that it causes more severe illness than earlier variants. DDC director-general Dr Montien Kanasawat said the Ministry of Public Health continues to monitor Covid-19 and changes in …

  • Health insurance in Thailand may have just got more expensive

    Health insurance in Thailand may have just got more expensive

    When your health insurance renewal in Thailand lands and there’s an unfamiliar clause about a 30% co-payment on next year’s medical bills, that’s not a mistake or a typo. It’s the result of a regulatory change that came into effect in March 2025, and 2026 is the first full renewal cycle where it shows up …

  • Ebola risks in Thailand under watch after Congo outbreak

    Ebola risks in Thailand under watch after Congo outbreak

    The Thai government has ordered the Ministry of Public Health to closely monitor Ebola risks in Thailand after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo an international public health emergency. Deputy government spokesperson Ploythalay Laksameesaengchan said Today, May 20, that the WHO declaration concerned an Ebola …

  • Thailand’s medical tourism recovery and rising demand for cosmetic surgery

    Thailand’s medical tourism recovery and rising demand for cosmetic surgery

    In 2018, Thailand stood at the peak of its medical tourism boom. Millions of international patients travel to the country each year, drawn by internationally trained doctors, modern hospitals, and treatment costs often significantly lower than in Western markets. Then the pandemic paused global travel. Today, that momentum has returned. By 2024 to 2025, the …

  • Foreign tourist among new Mpox cases reported in Thailand

    Foreign tourist among new Mpox cases reported in Thailand

    Thailand has reported 1,074 cumulative Mpox cases and 16 deaths, with health officials warning people in higher-risk groups to monitor symptoms after new Clade Ib cases and infections linked to tourist areas. Dr Montien Kanasawat, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), said today, May 19, that surveillance data from the Division of Epidemiology …

  • Online hair dye leaves Ratchaburi man with severe allergic reaction

    Online hair dye leaves Ratchaburi man with severe allergic reaction

    A man in Ratchaburi has warned others to carefully check hair dye products after he suffered a severe allergic reaction from a hair dye he bought online that left his scalp irritated, his face swollen, and fluid leaking from the dyed area. The case was shared on Facebook by a user named Khun Weng Khao …

  • Thailand tightens Hantavirus screening for South America arrivals

    Thailand tightens Hantavirus screening for South America arrivals

    Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has tightened screening for travellers arriving from 13 South American countries as part of Hantavirus surveillance, although no cases have been found in Thailand. Today, May 12, DDC director-general Montien Khanasawat inspected the international disease control checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The visit followed screening measures introduced for travellers arriving …

  • Coronavirus found in Thai bats poses low spread risk, DDC says

    Coronavirus found in Thai bats poses low spread risk, DDC says

    Thailand has found a coronavirus in bats during routine wildlife disease surveillance, but no human infections have been reported, and the public risk remains low, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC). DDC Director-General Dr Montien Kanasawat said today, May 8, that the discovery reflected Thailand’s ability to rapidly detect emerging diseases through its …

  • Mpox cases in Thailand reach 48 after Songkran period

    Mpox cases in Thailand reach 48 after Songkran period

    Thailand is closely monitoring mpox after the Songkran travel period, with 48 confirmed cases reported this year as of May 3 and health officials warning that more cases may appear during the disease’s incubation period. Department of Disease Control (DDC) chief Dr Montien Kanasawat said today, May 7, that mpox remains under close watch, especially …

  • MP urges action as Thai youth depression hits 26.9%

    MP urges action as Thai youth depression hits 26.9%

    Democrat Party MP Karndee Leopairote, yesterday, May 6, urged the government to strengthen mental health support for young people after citing rising rates of depression and self-harm among Thai youth. Speaking during a House of Representatives meeting at Parliament, Karndee said she was raising the issue both as an MP and as a mother after …

  • Ubon Ratchathani man dies from rabies after puppy scratch

    Ubon Ratchathani man dies from rabies after puppy scratch

    A man from Ubon Ratchathani died from rabies after he was scratched by a Siberian Husky puppy, prompting livestock officials to vaccinate more than 600 dogs and cats within a 5 kilometre radius of the outbreak site. The story was shared today, May 6, by Dr Worapol Charoenporn through the Facebook page สุขภาพดีไปกับหมอวรพล, after he …

  • Cigna’s May offer: Save up to 20% on international health insurance for life

    Cigna’s May offer: Save up to 20% on international health insurance for life

    If you have been putting off sorting your health insurance in Thailand, May 2026 is the month to do it. Cigna Global is running an exclusive offer this month, save up to 20% on international health plans, and that discount stays with you for the lifetime of your policy. The offer runs until May 31, …

  • ‘Motion is life’ — What one orthopaedic trauma specialist wants you to know

    ‘Motion is life’ — What one orthopaedic trauma specialist wants you to know

    Broken bones are more common than most people think. Around 50% to 60% of all orthopaedic cases involve fractures, not joint replacements, not spinal disorders, but fractures. Traffic accidents, falls, sports injuries, and workplace incidents send people through emergency rooms every day, and for many of them, the quality of care they receive in the …