Thailand emergency numbers: who to call, where to go, what to save

Which emergency number should I call in Thailand?

Call the service you need directly: 1669 for a medical emergency, 191 for a crime in progress or a road accident with injuries, 199 for fire. Call 1155 when you are a visitor who needs police help, such as after a theft, a scam or a dispute with a business.

Save these in your phone before you travel. To call a number starting 0 2 from a foreign SIM, replace the first 0 with +66. If a short number does not connect from your phone, ask your hotel or the nearest shop to call for you.

What do the Tourist Police do?

The Tourist Police are the Royal Thai Police unit for incidents involving tourists. Call 1155 if you are robbed, scammed or threatened, if a business refuses to return your passport or deposit, or if you need a police report for your insurer or embassy. Before you call, note where you are, the names or plate numbers involved, and keep receipts and screenshots; they make a report far more useful.

For problems with a tour you booked, you can also check the operator's licence with the Department of Tourism (0 2401 1111). Our guide to tourist scams explains what to do after each common trick.

Should I go to a public or a private hospital?

For a true emergency, go to the nearest hospital with an emergency department or call 1669; do not travel across town to reach a particular brand. For everything else, choose based on your insurance and how much waiting you can accept.

Call your insurer's 24-hour assistance line as early as you can: many policies require it before admission, and the insurer can guarantee payment directly to the hospital. Keep every receipt and medical report.

What do I do if my passport is lost or stolen in Thailand?

Get a police report first, then a new passport or emergency travel document from your embassy, then take both to Thai immigration so your entry record is transferred to the new passport. Without that last step, you may have trouble at the airport when you leave.

1. Report it to the police. Go to the police station nearest to where the loss happened, or call the Tourist Police on 1155 for help, and ask for a written police report. Your embassy and Thai immigration will both ask for a copy.
2. Contact your embassy or consulate. Book an appointment for a replacement or emergency passport, and ask for the embassy letter (certificate) that Thai immigration requires. Bring passport photos, the police report and any copy of your old passport.
3. Go to Thai immigration. At the Immigration Bureau's lost passport counter (Immigration Division 1 in Bangkok), submit the application form, your new passport with a copy of its data page, a copy of the police report and the embassy certificate, plus your arrival date and flight number.
4. Wait for the transfer. Officers check arrival records, including your arrival card, and if they find evidence of legal entry, your visa or permission to stay is transferred to the new passport.
5. Tell your airline if your departure is close, and keep copies of every document until you are home.

Do I need travel insurance for Thailand?

It is not on the list of entry requirements for a visa-exempt tourist as of September 2026, but you should have it: private hospital bills and medical evacuation are expensive, and a hospital may ask for a deposit or an insurer's guarantee before admitting you. When you compare policies, check:

• Medical treatment and emergency evacuation or repatriation, with a high limit.
• A 24-hour assistance number that can guarantee payment to Thai hospitals.
• Motorbike and scooter riding: many policies exclude riders without a licence valid for motorcycles.
• Activities you plan, such as diving, trekking or drone flying.
• Theft of cash, cards and phones, and what police report the insurer needs.
• Pre-existing conditions declared, so a claim is not refused.

Which health risks should I plan for?

The main ones for most visitors are mosquito-borne dengue, unsafe tap water, heat and road accidents. Check your routine vaccinations and ask a travel clinic about the rest well before you leave.

• Dengue occurs throughout Thailand all year and peaks in the rainy season, roughly May to October. The Department of Disease Control counted 21,620 cases and 31 deaths from 1 January to 19 August 2026. Prevent daytime mosquito bites with repellent and covering clothing.
• Water: the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against drinking tap water; drink bottled or filtered water.
• Vaccines (CDC): routine vaccines including measles; hepatitis A for unvaccinated travelers aged 1 and over; typhoid for most travelers; hepatitis B if unvaccinated and under 60; Japanese encephalitis for stays of a month or more or rural exposure; rabies depending on your activities.
• Malaria: pills are only advised for rural forested border areas; none are needed for Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket.
• Yellow fever: a vaccination certificate is only required if you arrive from or through a country listed as infected; declare the countries you visited in the last 14 days on your TDAC.

What should I save before I go?

Put these in your phone and on paper before you fly, so you are not searching for them in a crisis.

• 1669, 191, 199, 1155 and 1672 saved as contacts.
• Your embassy's address and emergency phone number in Bangkok.
• Your insurer's 24-hour assistance number and policy number.
• Photos of your passport data page, visa or entry stamp and TDAC confirmation.
• Your bank's number for blocking lost cards (from abroad, not a toll-free number).
• Your hotel's address in Thai script, to show a driver or the police.
• The booking confirmation and driver contact for your airport transfer; see licensed taxis and transfers.
• A data plan that works on arrival, so you can call and use maps; options are on our trusted services page.

Rules for entering Thailand are in our entry requirements guide.