Why your expat health insurance premium goes up every year in Thailand
16th October 2026
Expat health insurance premiums in Thailand go up at almost every renewal for three reasons. Private medical costs here rose by about 15% this year, every plan is priced by age, and on many local policies your own claims can now change what you pay. You can choose a plan that holds up as costs and your age rise, and avoid the mistakes that make the increases worse.
Clients often ask us why the renewal premium has gone up again and whether the insurer is taking advantage, and usually it isn’t.
Clients often ask us why the renewal premium has gone up again and whether the insurer is taking advantage, and usually it isn’t.
Medical costs are rising far faster than prices in general
Aon’s latest survey of insurers puts the rise in medical costs in Thailand at 14.8% this year, against general inflation of 0.9%. It expects close to 12% next year, which is slower but still far above the rate at which other prices are rising. The Asia Pacific average is around 11% this year, which makes Thailand one of the fastest-rising markets in the region.
Bangkok’s private hospitals have bought the same scanners and drugs as hospitals in London or Singapore, and much of that equipment and medicine is imported. Their bills for energy, supplies and imported drugs have gone up too, and those costs reach patients and insurers.
The insurer passes these increases on to the whole pool of policyholders every year. Someone who hasn’t made a claim in a decade will still see the premium rise.
Aon’s latest survey of insurers puts the rise in medical costs in Thailand at 14.8% this year, against general inflation of 0.9%. It expects close to 12% next year, which is slower but still far above the rate at which other prices are rising. The Asia Pacific average is around 11% this year, which makes Thailand one of the fastest-rising markets in the region.
Bangkok’s private hospitals have bought the same scanners and drugs as hospitals in London or Singapore, and much of that equipment and medicine is imported. Their bills for energy, supplies and imported drugs have gone up too, and those costs reach patients and insurers.
The insurer passes these increases on to the whole pool of policyholders every year. Someone who hasn’t made a claim in a decade will still see the premium rise.
Your age is priced in, and the steps get bigger
Individual health insurance is priced by age, usually in bands, so a birthday that moves you into the next band brings an extra increase on top of medical inflation. Older policyholders claim more, so the age steps get larger. Local insurers in Thailand charge a 60-year-old somewhere between 28,000 and 175,000 baht a year, and cover after 75 can cost more than 870,000 baht. Most local insurers won’t accept new applicants over about 60 or 65 at all.
A premium rising by 12% a year doubles in about six years before any age-band increase is added. For someone who retires in Thailand at 60, health insurance can be one of the largest items in the budget by their mid-seventies, and we include it in the retirement cashflow plans we build for clients.
What your claims do to the price
Local and international plans treat claims very differently. Since March 2025, Thai insurers have been allowed to add a co-payment to local health policies. New policies can include one from the start. On existing policies it can be added at renewal if you’ve made three or more inpatient claims in a year and those claims add up to several times your premium, with a lower trigger for minor illnesses such as flu or vertigo. You can then be asked to pay up to 30% of each bill yourself, capped at half the year’s covered costs, until a year passes without hitting the trigger again.
Many international plans state in their terms that they won’t reprice you individually because of your claims history. If you expect to claim more as you get older, that clause is a good reason to pay a higher premium for a plan that includes it. Check the wording, because not every plan does.
Individual health insurance is priced by age, usually in bands, so a birthday that moves you into the next band brings an extra increase on top of medical inflation. Older policyholders claim more, so the age steps get larger. Local insurers in Thailand charge a 60-year-old somewhere between 28,000 and 175,000 baht a year, and cover after 75 can cost more than 870,000 baht. Most local insurers won’t accept new applicants over about 60 or 65 at all.
A premium rising by 12% a year doubles in about six years before any age-band increase is added. For someone who retires in Thailand at 60, health insurance can be one of the largest items in the budget by their mid-seventies, and we include it in the retirement cashflow plans we build for clients.
What your claims do to the price
Local and international plans treat claims very differently. Since March 2025, Thai insurers have been allowed to add a co-payment to local health policies. New policies can include one from the start. On existing policies it can be added at renewal if you’ve made three or more inpatient claims in a year and those claims add up to several times your premium, with a lower trigger for minor illnesses such as flu or vertigo. You can then be asked to pay up to 30% of each bill yourself, capped at half the year’s covered costs, until a year passes without hitting the trigger again.
Many international plans state in their terms that they won’t reprice you individually because of your claims history. If you expect to claim more as you get older, that clause is a good reason to pay a higher premium for a plan that includes it. Check the wording, because not every plan does.
What the cheaper plans leave out
When the renewal letter arrives, the natural reaction is to look online for something cheaper. Insurers price plans on what they expect to pay out, so when a plan costs much less than the others, it usually pays out much less in claims. That can come through lower annual limits, sub-limits on cancer or cardiac treatment, outpatient caps, or a tougher line on claims where the policy wording leaves room for judgement. Comparison websites rarely show any of this.
The annual limit is the easiest thing to check. These are typical prices at Bangkok’s leading private hospitals this year.
When the renewal letter arrives, the natural reaction is to look online for something cheaper. Insurers price plans on what they expect to pay out, so when a plan costs much less than the others, it usually pays out much less in claims. That can come through lower annual limits, sub-limits on cancer or cardiac treatment, outpatient caps, or a tougher line on claims where the policy wording leaves room for judgement. Comparison websites rarely show any of this.
The annual limit is the easiest thing to check. These are typical prices at Bangkok’s leading private hospitals this year.
| Treatment at a leading Bangkok private hospital | Typical cost (baht) |
|---|---|
| Private room, per night (before treatment) | 28,000 to 52,000 |
| Keyhole appendix removal | 90,000 to 180,000 |
| Total knee replacement | 300,000 to 450,000 |
| Heart bypass surgery | 680,000 to 2,000,000 |
Source: Pattaya Mail, May 2026
A plan with an annual limit of one or two million baht can be used up by one serious illness. Leading hospitals can also ask for a deposit of up to 800,000 baht before major surgery, unless your insurer has a direct billing arrangement with them.
Why switching after a diagnosis rarely works
A new insurer underwrites you as you are today. Anything you’ve been diagnosed with or treated for since your current plan started will usually be excluded or charged extra, and local policies could add a waiting period of 12 to 24 months on pre-existing conditions as well.
Someone who leaves a good plan at 66 to save 20,000 baht a year can find their blood pressure or back problems excluded on the new one. If you want to change plans, do it while your medical history is clean.
What to check before your next renewal
Look at how much of the increase comes from medical inflation and how much from moving into a new age band, and check whether an excess or co-payment has been added. Then compare the plan with what treatment costs now, including the annual limit, any sub-limits on cancer and cardiac care, direct billing with the hospitals you would use, and evacuation cover.
If you are paying for a low excess when you could afford to pay the first part of a claim yourself, raising it is usually a cheaper way to cut the premium than moving to a weaker plan.
Brigantia provides fee-based financial advice for expats in Thailand and Southeast Asia, and arranges international health insurance alongside it. If your renewal has gone up and you’d like a second opinion on your plan, you can book an initial call below.
Why switching after a diagnosis rarely works
A new insurer underwrites you as you are today. Anything you’ve been diagnosed with or treated for since your current plan started will usually be excluded or charged extra, and local policies could add a waiting period of 12 to 24 months on pre-existing conditions as well.
Someone who leaves a good plan at 66 to save 20,000 baht a year can find their blood pressure or back problems excluded on the new one. If you want to change plans, do it while your medical history is clean.
What to check before your next renewal
Look at how much of the increase comes from medical inflation and how much from moving into a new age band, and check whether an excess or co-payment has been added. Then compare the plan with what treatment costs now, including the annual limit, any sub-limits on cancer and cardiac care, direct billing with the hospitals you would use, and evacuation cover.
If you are paying for a low excess when you could afford to pay the first part of a claim yourself, raising it is usually a cheaper way to cut the premium than moving to a weaker plan.
Brigantia provides fee-based financial advice for expats in Thailand and Southeast Asia, and arranges international health insurance alongside it. If your renewal has gone up and you’d like a second opinion on your plan, you can book an initial call below.
