All travellers to the Kingdom of Thailand should take out health & travel insurance before starting their journey. Accidents are frequent on Thai roads and though crime is not a huge problem in Thailand, it still happens, so better safe than sorry!

There are many excellent hospitals and clinics in Thailand where you will receive excellent treatment BUT they will all present you with a bill for the treatment. and In many cases they will want proof of ability to pay or insurance before any major treatments are performed.

There is an ambulance service but as we know it in the western world. Most ambulances are pruvately run or staffed by volunteers and as traffic in Thailand is notoriously bad they may take a long time to reach you. In the provinces and villages there may be no ambulance service at all.

We recommend if you feel ill and need urgent treatment to take a taxi or arrange transport yourself to the nearest hospital to avoid delay and to assure your condition is treated quickly .

Highway Police  Bangkok Tel: 193

Metropolitan Mobile Police  Bangkok Tel: 191

Tourist Assistance Center  Bangkok Tel: 02-281-5051
Fire     199 Medical evacuation & Ambulance Service 02 255 1133 Bumrungrad Emergency 02 667 2999 Samitivej Sukhumvit Ambulance Hotline 02 712 7007 Bangkok Hospital emergency room 02 310 3102

HELPFUL PHONE NUMBERS BANGKOK.   TOURIST POLICE BANGKOK - 1155 & 022815051   SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT - 0213218888

There are many types of Police in Thailand. The best bet for the traveller is the Thai Tourist police. Many regular police do not speak English but the Tourist Police and police volunteers usually have people who speak most common tourists languages. If you are the victim of a crime or need police assistance be prepared to have to go to a Thai police station to report the crime. Unless it is a major crime or involves death or Injury, often Thai police will not respond to a scene. If they do for a theft for example it might take several days for them to show up. We advise you to report all crimes to the Thai police immediately at the nearest station, Don`t be alarmed by the above, The Thai police are pretty good at solving crimes, it just is a different system to the western world.  Always take care of your personal belongings and use hotel/room safes when available. Always wear a helmet if you use motorcycle taxis or drive one yourself.  You will find in your time of need that local Thais and bystanders will be very helpful to you so don`t raise your voice if possible in any situation , this is offensive in thai culture and may lose you vital support and assistance.   Don`t forget you have your countries embassy & consulates to call on in an emergency - keep their numbers handy at all times.

BRITISH EMBASSY Visa Section British Embassy 14 Wireless Road Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 Thailand Tel: +66 2 305 8333 Fax: +66 2 254 9579 All visa applications should now be submitted using the UK Visa Application Centre located at: The UK Visa Application Centre 2nd Floor, Regent House 183 Rajdamri Road Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330   Consular Section British Embassy 14 Wireless Road Lumpini, Pathumwan Bangkok 10330 Thailand Tel: +66 2 305 8333 ext:  2334, 2318 Fax: +66 2 255 6051 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 0800-1100, 1300-1530 Friday 0800 – 1200 only   Do I need a visa? If you are not a British citizen or a citizen of one of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, you may need an entry clearance before you travel to the UK. People from certain countries, known as visa nationals, need a visa to enter the UK for any reason. Certain other categories of travellers to the UK may need entry clearance only for some reasons: for example to live as the wife, husband or civil partner of a British citizen. Entry clearance is the application process for visa nationals who wish to travel to the United Kingdom and for non - visa nationals who intend a longer stay or to settle in the UK. The entry clearance certificate, more commonly called a visa, is put into your passport or travel document. An Entry Clearance (visa) Officer will decide if you qualify for a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Entry Clearance Officers work according to the requirements of the UK Immigration Rules. If you have a valid UK visa you will not normally be refused entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information, presented false documentation or did not tell us important facts when you applied for your visa. The visa tells the immigration officer at a UK port of arrival: the purpose of your travel; how long you can stay in the UK; and the latest date that you can enter the UK. Normally, you can enter and leave the UK as many times as you like during the validity of your visa. British Consulate, Chiang Mai The address of the Honorary Consulate is: British Honorary Consulate 198 Bumrungraj Road Muang Chiang Mai 50000 Thailand Telephone: +66 (0) 53  263 015 Fax:  +66 (0) 53  263 016 E-mail: ukconsul@loxinfo.co.th Opening hours: 0900 to 1130, Mondays to Fridays British Honorary Consul: Mr Jon Glendinning Consular Assistant: Mrs Panita Inthasan
Deaths Involving British Nationals in Thailand The death of a relative or friend is always distressing.  But if it happens abroad the distress can be made worse by practical problems.  Consular Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our Embassy in Thailand are ready to help in any way that they can.  You may be uncertain what to do next or who to contact for advice.  These notes are designed to help you through the practical arrangements you will need to make.  While care has been taken in compiling these notes, no legal liability for their contents is accepted by the British Embassy, the British Consulate in Thailand or HM Government.   You should be aware that Thai procedures differ significantly from those in the United Kingdom.  The police are always notified when the death of a foreign national occurs. They in turn will notify the relevant Embassy.  While we understand your need to make arrangements as quickly as possible, this may not always be possible.  Except in remote rural areas, Thai undertakers are modern, well-equipped companies used to working with foreigners.  Most have at least one English-speaking staff member. Standard Procedures Following the death of a British national in Thailand, the next of kin, or a formally appointed representative, must decide whether to i) repatriate the deceased to the UK, ii) have a local cremation and the ashes repatriated to the UK or iii) have a local cremation and the ashes scattered in Thailand.   If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, it is important for next of kin to contact the insurance company without delay.  If there is no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation or cremation will need to be met by the family.  Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor our Embassy in Thailand has budgets to meet these costs.  The next of kin should also be aware that all hospital bills must be paid before the body can be released.    Consular staff in London will pass on to the Embassy overseas in Thailand the wishes of the next of kin about disposal of the body, and details of who accepts/is taking responsibility for all the costs involved in this.  We will do our best to ensure these wishes are carried out.   It is important to remember that if the deceased was travelling with a tour operator, they can be a valuable source of assistance and advice.   We appreciate that the next of kin may not always live in the UK.  We can normally carry out repatriation to most countries in the world.   The British Embassy or Consulate should always be notified of the death of any British national in Thailand.