What do I do if I get sick on Koh Samui?
Young or old, health is always important. Most residents are happy with health options on the island – there’s plenty of choice when it comes to hospitals, dentists and pharmacies.
If you’re moving to Koh Samui, then you can rest assured that you will be in good hands. The island has a national hospital along with four more international hospitals. Most situations can be treated.
When it comes to health, Thailand is a popular destination for medical tourism, with up to a million people flying in per year. Some will combine a holiday with a procedure. Some have come for relatively minor procedures, such as Lasik surgery or dentistry, while others for more major operations.
Visitors to Koh Samui and residents alike are able to get their new glasses here, and thanks to the island being blessed with many dentists, are able to get anything from a filling to an implant.
Meanwhile hospitals are able to run all kinds of checks, including annual check-ups for insurances, and so on. X-rays and CT-scans are routine procedures, though if you require an MRI you will need to go to Bangkok or to Suratthani, on the mainland.
Doctors and pharmacists, all speak good English and will understand your questions and concerns.
For very routine ailments, hundreds of pharmacies can supply all kinds of medication along with medical advice.
If sick, the first course of action is to visit a hospital, where you will be diagnosed and given appropriate treatment.
Make sure that you have adequate insurance and that it’s easy to make a claim. The international hospitals all offer cashless services if you are an in-patient and sometimes if you are simply treated as an out-patient. If you are claiming back later, always, always obtain a medical report and an invoice. You will need to show your passport in order to be given a medical report.
The most routine problems that hospitals see are to do with gastro-enteritis – think food poisoning – and accidents involving motor bikes. The climate is fairly good for health and poses few dangers. Wildlife problems are mostly limited to dog bites and bites from fish, jellyfish, etc. Most problems can be treated on Koh Samui as there are many specialists. However, as Koh Samui is a small island, some emergencies and some conditions may require treatment either on the mainland or in Bangkok.
Are you thinking of moving to Koh Samui but have an existing medical problem? The first course of action, while still abroad, is to contact a hospital here via their website and let them know your concerns. Your email will be shown to a doctor, who will advise you.
With an increasing number of people making Koh Samui their home, health options are likely to increase over the coming years, and the island, already so well-served, will see further services being added.
Koh Samui Hospital (Samui Government Hospital)
Nathon
Tel: 0 7742 1230-2, 0 7742 1232
Fax: 0 7742 0150
Website: https://www1.samuihospital.go.th
Bangkok Hospital Samui
Samui Ring Road, Chaweng
57 Moo 3, Tambon Bo Phut
Koh Samui, Suratthani, 84320 Thailand
Tel: 0 7742 9500
Website: https://www.bangkokhospitalsamui.com/
Samui International Hospital
Chaweng Beach Road, Chaweng North
Tel: 07730 0394, 0 7730 0395, Mobile: 0 980 135 479
E-mail: info@sih.co.th, sihsamui@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.sih.co.th
Thai International Hospital Koh Samui
Chaweng, Opposite Tesco-Lotus shopping mall
Tel: 0 7733 2654-5, 0 7795 4201-3
Fax: 0 7724 5692
E-mail: thaiinterhospital@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.thaiinterhospital.com
Bandon Int. Private Hospital
Samui Ring Road
Tel: 0 7724 5236-9, 0 7733 2706, 0 971 863 430, 0 647 948 990
E-mail: bandon@samart.co.th, bandonh@gmail.com
Website: http://www.bandonhospitalsamui.com