Chiang Rai is the large province at Thailand's northern tip, home to local residents, visitors and a great many people crossing the border. Knowing where the province's main hospital is and what number to call makes taking a family member for treatment — and planning how to use your insurance — far less frantic, particularly when travelling in from an outlying district, which takes a while.

Main hospitals in Chiang Rai

Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital — public

Chiangrai Prachanukroh is the province's regional centre hospital, and is generally where patients referred from community hospitals in the province's districts are sent.

What to prepare before going to hospital

  • Call the department you need in advance about opening hours and the appointment process, so the journey isn't wasted.
  • Always carry your ID card — it is the main document for using almost every kind of entitlement.
  • Note down your regular medication and any drug allergies. It helps the doctor diagnose faster and more safely.
  • If you have recently moved to Chiang Rai, remember to check and transfer your universal coverage registration to the local area, which makes using it much easier.

Notes for policyholders

  • Call to check, or notify your insurer and arrange a fax claim, before travelling — particularly for a non-emergency admission. It greatly shortens the paperwork at the counter.
  • Public hospitals generally accept universal coverage and social security entitlements under each scheme's conditions. Holders of private health insurance should ask their own company in advance about the cover conditions and the list of network hospitals in Chiang Rai.
  • Keep receipts and medical certificates every time, in case you have to pay first and claim afterwards.

Note: addresses and phone numbers can change. Please call the hospital to confirm before travelling, and contact them by phone or through their Facebook page directly, as public hospitals often do not reply by email.

In an emergency, remember just two things

In a critical emergency you do not have to choose a hospital — you may go to the nearest one under the UCEP policy — and 1669 can be called for an emergency ambulance 24 hours a day anywhere in the country. Save your main hospital's number alongside 1669 on your phone and you are ready for the unexpected.