IPD-only plans
IPD-only plans cover admissions and surgery. Premiums are far lower and they protect you against the bills that could actually bankrupt you. You pay routine doctor visits yourself.
OPD and IPD explained
Every Thai hospital bill and every insurance policy splits care into two categories. Understanding which is which is the difference between a plan that pays and a plan that does not.
OPD - Outpatient Department
Any care where you go home the same day and are never formally admitted to a bed.
- Typical examples
- Consultations for flu, fever or infection; minor injuries and stitches; blood tests, X-rays and ultrasound; prescription refills; dental checkups; physiotherapy; vaccinations.
- Typical cost
- 500-5,000 THB per visit, most commonly 1,500-3,000 THB at an international hospital.
IPD - Inpatient Department
Care that requires formal admission and at least one overnight stay in a hospital bed.
- Typical examples
- Surgery of any kind; childbirth; serious infections needing IV antibiotics; dengue or pneumonia admissions; cardiac events; recovery after a major procedure.
- Typical cost
- 50,000 THB for a short admission to well over 1,000,000 THB for cardiac surgery or an intensive care stay.
What an IPD bill is actually made of
Insurers apply separate limits to each line of the bill, which is why two plans with the same headline limit can pay very differently.
Room & board
Per-night charge, most often capped by a policy
30%
Surgery & procedure fees
Operating theatre, implants, anaesthesia
25%
Doctor & specialist fees
Surgeon, anaesthetist, daily ward rounds
18%
Medication & supplies
IV drugs, dressings, take-home prescriptions
15%
Diagnostics & imaging
Blood work, CT, MRI, ultrasound
8%
Nursing & admin
Ward nursing, admission and discharge paperwork
4%
Percentages are indicative for a typical multi-day admission at a Bangkok private hospital. Room charge is the line most often capped by an insurance policy - if your plan caps the room at 4,000 THB and you choose a 9,000 THB room, you pay the difference and, on some policies, the same proportion of every other line.
Co-payment and deductible
A co-payment is a percentage of every bill you pay yourself, typically 10-20%. A deductible is a fixed amount you pay before cover begins at all. Both cut your premium and raise what you owe on the day.
Worked example - 500,000 THB admission
| Policy setting | You pay | Insurer pays |
|---|---|---|
| No co-payment | 0 THB | 500,000 THB |
| 10% co-payment | 50,000 THB | 450,000 THB |
| 20% co-payment | 100,000 THB | 400,000 THB |
| 30% co-payment | 150,000 THB | 350,000 THB |
Pick a co-payment level you could pay from savings tomorrow morning. A 30% co-payment looks attractive on the quote and painful in the ward.
How this maps to plan types
Comprehensive plans
Comprehensive plans add OPD cover for consultations, tests and prescriptions. They cost noticeably more, but a family using OPD ten times a year often gets the difference back.
If the budget only stretches one way, insure the IPD side first. A 3,000 THB doctor visit is an inconvenience; a 900,000 THB surgery is not.
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