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Children's health in Bangkok

In Bangkok, expat family medicine happens in private hospitals: that is where you see the paediatrician, get vaccinated, give birth and rush at night. Care ranks among the best in Asia and the comfort surprises, but everything is paid for and insurance is the first thing to sort out. Here is how it works, with verified addresses and the embassy's official list of practitioners.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How healthcare works in Thailand

A public system in practice reserved for Thais and contributing employees, an excellent private sector with unregulated prices, and no French-style community medicine: everything goes through the hospital.

Good to know

  • Hospital costs can be very high and the embassy never covers anything: it is imperative to have insurance covering all medical costs, including surgery and hospitalisation, plus medical repatriation, at the risk of being denied care, even in a life-threatening emergency. Source
  • All consultations take place in hospital, where a GP or paediatrician refers you to the specialist: families' reflex is to register on arrival with the hospital nearest home. Doctors and staff speak English, and some hospitals provide a French-speaking interpreter on request. Source
  • The public sector treats well but in Thai, within a restricted network and with no choice of doctor; the private sector offers excellent care at unregulated prices, and a deposit may be required on admission if you have no recognised insurance. Source
  • The Caisse des Français de l'étranger imposes no medical questionnaire and its contributions depend on age and family situation, but its basic plan reimburses hospitalisation at about half and does not cover repatriation: it is topped up with private insurance. The consulate processes applications for the CFE's means-tested assisted category. Source
  • If you are employed by a Thai employer, you contribute to the Social Security Fund, with employer and employee shares withheld every month, which opens care at a designated hospital. Source
  • The embassy publishes an indicative list of main hospitals: in Bangkok, the public Chulalongkorn, Siriraj, Ramathibodi and Rajavithi, and the private Samitivej (Sukhumvit and Srinakarin), BNH, Bangkok Hospital, Bumrungrad and Saint Louis. Source

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Choosing your hospital and paediatrician

No family doctor to register with: you choose a reference hospital near home, open a file for each family member, then book the paediatrician of your choice, often the same day.

Good to know

  • First step: register at the nearest hospital with passports and insurance card. Each patient gets a hospital number (HN) used afterwards for appointments, the hospital app and emergencies. Source
  • Private hospitals' paediatric clinics open every day and late: at Samitivej Children's Hospital, general consultations and well-baby care (ages 0 to 15) run from 7am to 4pm, specialities until 8pm and a night clinic from 8pm to 10pm, Thai-schedule and optional vaccines included. Source
  • MedPark's Pediatric Center follows children from birth to 15 from 7am to 8pm, with separate areas for vaccines and check-ups; BNH's paediatrics department sees patients weekdays 7am to 7pm and weekends 8am to 7pm. Source
  • Bring the French health record: the paediatrician adds the vaccines given in Thailand and the hospital keeps the digital file. Ask for an English summary at each stage, it will ease the return to France or the next posting.
  • Samitivej's free interpreters cover Japanese, Korean, Burmese, English, Chinese, Arabic and Indonesian, not French: consultations therefore happen in English, as in all the big hospitals. Source

Addresses

  • Samitivej International Children's Hospital (Sukhumvit)

    Hospital

    133 Sukhumvit 49, Klongtan Nua, Vadhana, Bangkok 10110

    The children's hospital of Sukhumvit families, within Samitivej Sukhumvit (BTS Thong Lo): over a hundred paediatric specialists, well-baby care, development, allergy, neonatology.

    Website Source

  • MedPark Hospital, Pediatric Center

    Hospital

    3333 Rama IV Road, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110 (8e étage)

    A recent hospital near MRT Khlong Toei: paediatrics from birth to 15 from 7am to 8pm, vaccines and check-ups in a dedicated area, subspecialties, neonatal intensive care.

    Website Source

  • BNH Hospital, Paediatrics Department

    Hospital

    9/1 Convent Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 (2e étage)

    The hospital of Sathorn and Silom families (BTS Sala Daeng, MRT Silom): general and specialist paediatrics, neonatology, Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm and weekends 8am to 7pm.

    Website Source

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Emergencies and children's hospitals

1669 is the medical emergency number, but in practice families head for the nearest big private hospital's emergency department, open 24/7, or call its ambulance directly. Only one hospital has a fully paediatric emergency department.

Good to know

  • Numbers to dial from Thailand: 1669 or 1646 for an ambulance, 191 for the police, 1155 for the tourist police (English-speaking, 24/7), 199 for the fire brigade. For a genuine emergency involving a French national, the embassy runs a duty phone line every evening and at weekends. Source
  • Every big private hospital has its own emergency and ambulance line: Bangkok Hospital on 1719, BNH on 02 632 1000, Bumrungrad on 02 066 8888, Samitivej on 02 022 2222. Save your reference hospital's number in your phone on arrival. Source
  • The fully paediatric emergency department, staffed 24/7 by paediatricians and surgeons, is at Samitivej Children's Hospital in Srinakarin, east of the city; the other hospitals below take children in their general emergency departments, with BNH listing a paediatric emergency pathway. Source
  • At the emergency department, bring passport, insurance card and hospital card: without recognised insurance, a deposit may be requested before admission. Source
  • A child's fever in Bangkok: dengue circulates all year and has no curative treatment. See a doctor without delay and strictly avoid anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, aspirin) until it is ruled out; paracetamol alone brings the fever down. Source

Addresses

  • Samitivej International Children's Hospital (Srinakarin), urgences pédiatriques 24h/24

    Emergency

    488 Srinakarin Road, Suan Luang, Bangkok 10250

    Bangkok's only fully paediatric emergency department, 24/7, on the first floor of the children's hospital's new building; paediatric and neonatal intensive care on site. To the east, on the LFIB side of town.

    Website Source

  • Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital

    Emergency

    133 Sukhumvit 49, Klongtan Nua, Vadhana, Bangkok 10110

    The reference hospital for Sukhumvit families (BTS Thong Lo): emergency department, 24/7 ambulance on 02 022 2222, and the Sukhumvit branch of the children's hospital on the same site.

    Website Source

  • BNH Hospital, urgences 24h/24

    Emergency

    9/1 Convent Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500

    Adult and children's emergency department open 24/7 on the ground floor, paediatric pathway, doctor and ambulance call-out; one of Bangkok's oldest private hospitals, near BTS Sala Daeng and MRT Silom.

    Website Source

  • Bumrungrad International Hospital

    Emergency

    33 Sukhumvit 3 (Soi Nana Nua), Wattana, Bangkok 10110

    The big international hospital of lower Sukhumvit (BTS Nana): emergencies, appointments and ambulance 24/7 on 1378, medical coordination office for international patients.

    Website Source

  • Bangkok Hospital (siège)

    Emergency

    2 Soi Soonvijai 7, New Petchburi Road, Huai Khwang, Bangkok 10310

    The flagship of the BDMS network, between Phetchaburi and Thonglor: emergencies and ambulance via the 1719 hotline, specialist hospitals (heart, brain and bone) on the same campus.

    Website Source

  • MedPark Hospital, urgences 24h/24

    Emergency

    3333 Rama IV Road, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

    Emergency department open 24/7 on the ground floor, medical ambulance, and Pediatric Center on the 8th floor; handy for Sathorn, Khlong Toei and lower Sukhumvit (MRT Khlong Toei).

    Website Source

  • Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (public)

    Hospital

    1873 Rama IV Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330

    The big public university hospital of the centre, listed by the embassy: excellent doctors, much gentler prices, but Thai-speaking reception and long waits. A fallback rather than a reference hospital for an expat family.

    Source

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French-speaking doctors: the embassy's list

The French embassy publishes a list of medical practitioners, updated on 21 August 2023, provided for information only and without engaging its responsibility. It is short: three practitioners in Bangkok, only one of them French-speaking. In practice, families consult English-speaking paediatricians at private hospitals; we reproduce the list as it stands, adding nothing.

Good to know

  • The embassy's list of medical practitioners covers Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya; for Bangkok, it names one French-speaking GP and paediatrician and two English-speaking doctors at the Samitivej hospitals. The choice of practitioner remains free. Source
  • There is no public directory of French-speaking doctors in Bangkok: hospitals work in English, some offer a French-speaking interpreter on request, and word of mouth among Bangkok Accueil's 'marraines' does the rest. Source
  • The expat directory of lepetitjournal.com Thaïlande lists a few health establishments (BNH, Samitivej) and professionals who register themselves: a lead to complement, not a verified list. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Vanvarothai Singhasivanon

    Paediatrician

    Wellness Clinic, Interchange Building (rez-de-chaussée), Asoke, Sukhumvit

    French-speaking GP and paediatrician, the only French-speaking practitioner in Bangkok on the embassy's list; consultations on Tuesdays and Fridays, 9am to 5pm.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Dr Wantana Rojchiwin

    Paediatrician

    Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, 133 Sukhumvit 49, Klongtan Nua

    General paediatrician and infectious disease specialist, English-speaking, at the Samitivej Sukhumvit children's hospital.

    Languages spoken : EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Piyawat Iamjan

    General practitioner

    Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, 488 Srinakarin Road, Suan Luang

    General practitioner, English-speaking, at Samitivej Srinakarin, east of the city.

    Languages spoken : EN

    Website Source

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Pregnancy and maternity units

Pregnancy is followed by a private hospital obstetrician-gynaecologist, from the first appointment to postnatal care, often as a package. The maternity units of Sathorn and Sukhumvit are used to foreign mothers and to babies who leave with two passports.

Good to know

  • At BNH's Women's Health Centre, care runs continuously from pre-pregnancy to postpartum, with obstetricians, fetal medicine specialists and anaesthetists, delivery suites and operating theatres on site, vaginal or caesarean birth as indicated; antenatal packages are displayed in advance. Source
  • Statutory maternity leave rose from 98 to 120 days per pregnancy on 7 December 2025, including 60 days paid in full by the employer; fathers now have 15 days of paid leave around the birth. Source
  • The birth must be declared to the Thai civil registry, then to the consulate: by declaration within the first 30 days, or by registration later, by appointment and without the child. If the parents are not married, the French parent presents their own birth certificate less than six months old: request it before the birth. Source
  • Samitivej Sukhumvit has been recognised as a 'Mother-and-Baby Friendly Hospital' by WHO and UNICEF since 1999, and the adjoining children's hospital has neonatal and paediatric intensive care units. Source
  • Zika circulates in South-East Asia: pregnant women or those planning a pregnancy are advised to consult before any trip and to protect themselves rigorously from mosquito bites, day and night. Source

Addresses

  • BNH Hospital, Women's Health Centre

    Maternity

    9/1 Convent Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 (4e étage)

    The historic maternity unit of Sathorn expats: care from pre-pregnancy to postpartum, delivery suites, theatres, breastfeeding support; open weekdays 8am to 7pm, weekends 7am to 4pm.

    Website Source

  • Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, maternité

    Maternity

    133 Sukhumvit 49, Klongtan Nua, Vadhana, Bangkok 10110

    Mother-and-Baby Friendly Hospital (WHO, UNICEF), with the children's hospital and its neonatal intensive care on the same site; the choice of Thonglor and Phrom Phong families.

    Website Source

  • MedPark Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Center

    Maternity

    3333 Rama IV Road, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

    Obstetrics and gynaecology in the centre's newest hospital, with neonatal intensive care and the Pediatric Center upstairs; near MRT Khlong Toei.

    Website Source

  • Saint Louis Hospital

    Maternity

    Sathorn Tai Road, Sathorn, Bangkok

    Sathorn's non-profit Catholic hospital, listed by the embassy: maternity and paediatrics at gentler prices than the big international private hospitals.

    Website Source

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Pharmacies and medicines

Pharmacies are everywhere, from mall ground floors to the little shop in the soi, and the pharmacist dispenses a lot without a prescription, antibiotics included. For children, stick to what the paediatrician prescribes, and do not expect to find Doliprane.

Good to know

  • The big chains Boots, Watsons and Drug Square hold the malls, independent pharmacies every street, and almost all 7-Eleven convenience stores sell the basics: painkillers and plasters. Source
  • Many pharmacies sell antibiotics without a prescription, amoxicillin first: for a child, do not take the easy route and have the paediatrician prescribe, adjusting the dose to weight. Source
  • A handful of hospital pharmacies and some chain branches in tourist areas stay open late or around the clock, but it is not the rule: at night, the simplest is the pharmacy of your private hospital's emergency department, open 24/7. Source
  • Equivalents: paracetamol is sold under the Tylenol and Sara brands (ask for 'paracetamol syrup' for children), ibuprofen is found at Boots, saline solution is called 'normal saline' and oral rehydration salts come in sachets in every pharmacy. Many French syrups have no equivalent. Source
  • A French prescription has no practical value here: travel with the prescription and the boxes for customs, then have the treatment renewed by your hospital's paediatrician, who knows the local brand names.
  • For a fever, no ibuprofen or aspirin as self-medication: dengue, common in Bangkok, worsens with anti-inflammatories. Paracetamol, fluids, and a doctor if the fever lasts. Source

Addresses

  • Boots Thaïlande

    Pharmacy

    Dans la plupart des centres commerciaux (Siam Paragon, EmQuartier, Terminal 21, Central)

    The chain most familiar to expats: English-speaking pharmacists, parapharmacy, infant formula and baby products, during mall hours.

    Website Source

  • Watsons

    Pharmacy

    Centres commerciaux et stations BTS

    The other big chain, present even in BTS stations: everyday medicines, toiletries, children's mosquito repellents.

    Website Source

Go further

Vaccines: how the schedule differs from France

The Thai schedule vaccinates from birth against tuberculosis and hepatitis B, adds Japanese encephalitis and chickenpox, and leaves optional several vaccines that are compulsory in France. Hospital paediatric clinics handle both schedules, you bring the record book.

Good to know

  • Thai schedule: BCG and hepatitis B at birth, hepatitis B at 1 month, DTP-Hib-hepatitis B at 2, 4 and 6 months, Japanese encephalitis and MMR between 9 and 12 months, chickenpox and hepatitis A from 12 months, DTP-polio booster at 18 months, second MMR around 2 and a half, booster at 4 to 6 years, Tdap at 11 to 12. Source
  • Three differences from France: BCG at birth and Japanese encephalitis are not in the French schedule; conversely, pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines, compulsory in France for infants, are optional here, offered by private hospitals, like rotavirus and flu. Source
  • Hospital well-baby clinics give the vaccines required by Thai authorities and the optional ones (rotavirus, flu, pneumococcal): ask the paediatrician to align the plan with the French record so nothing is duplicated. Source
  • France Diplomatie recommends being up to date with the French schedule, measles in particular, and considering rabies for young children as soon as they walk, Japanese encephalitis depending on the length of stay, and dengue vaccination in some cases: discuss it with the paediatrician or an international vaccination centre before leaving. Source
  • The Thai Travel Clinic at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (Mahidol University) is the reference for travel vaccines, Japanese encephalitis and post-bite treatment (rabies), for Thais and foreigners alike. Source

Addresses

  • Samitivej Children's Hospital, clinique de suivi du nourrisson

    Hospital

    488 Srinakarin Road, Suan Luang (bâtiment B, 3e étage) et 133 Sukhumvit 49

    Newborn check-ups, follow-up visits, Thai-schedule and optional vaccines, school-entry check; daily 7am to 4pm, night clinic 8pm to 10pm.

    Website Source

  • MedPark Hospital, Pediatric Center

    Hospital

    3333 Rama IV Road, Khlong Toei (8e étage)

    Separate area for babies' vaccines and check-ups, vaccine packages, 7am to 8pm.

    Website Source

  • Thai Travel Clinic, Hospital for Tropical Diseases

    Faculté de médecine tropicale, université Mahidol, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi

    Mahidol University's travel clinic: Japanese encephalitis, rabies before and after exposure, prevention advice, for Thais and foreigners.

    Website Source

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These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Bangkok will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Ambassade de France en Thaïlande, liste de notoriété médicale (août 2023)
  2. 2 Ambassade de France en Thaïlande, liste des principaux hôpitaux
  3. 3 Ambassade de France en Thaïlande, en cas d'urgence
  4. 4 France Diplomatie, Thaïlande : santé
  5. 5 Bangkok Accueil, santé et assurances
  6. 6 Samitivej International Children's Hospital, urgences pédiatriques
  7. 7 BNH Hospital, service des urgences
  8. 8 Tilleke & Gibbins, congé maternité et congés familiaux (loi de 2025)

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