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In an emergency

Tap a number to call it. For help in English, start with the Tourist Police on 1155.

Numbers updated 25 Oct 2026. Save them in your phone now.

When you call

  1. Say where you are first: the building or landmark, the road and soi number, or the nearest BTS or MRT station.
  2. Say what happened, how many people are hurt, and whether anyone is unconscious or bleeding heavily.
  3. Give a phone number that works in Thailand, and keep it free afterwards: the crew may call back for directions.
  4. Send a pin from Google Maps to anyone helping you; Thai addresses are hard to explain over the phone.
  5. If you're insured, call your insurer's emergency line as soon as you can. Private hospitals ask for a deposit or a guarantee once you're stable.

More numbers

At Suvarnabhumi Airport

Bangkok hospitals

All have 24-hour emergency departments. Private hospitals are faster, with more English, and ask for a deposit or an insurer's guarantee once you're stable. Public teaching hospitals cost far less, with longer waits. Any hospital must treat a life-threatening emergency first.

Private

  • Bumrungrad InternationalSukhumvit Soi 3, NanaA large private hospital with interpreters for many languages.Website
  • Bangkok HospitalNew Phetchaburi Road, Huai KhwangThe flagship of a large private hospital group, with an international clinic.Website
  • Samitivej SukhumvitSukhumvit Soi 49, between Phrom Phong and Thong LoA large private hospital, popular with families on the Sukhumvit side of town.Website
  • BNH HospitalConvent Road, SilomSmaller and calmer than the big groups, close to Sala Daeng.Website

Public

  • King Chulalongkorn Memorial HospitalRama IV Road, opposite Lumphini ParkA major teaching hospital; much cheaper than private, with longer waits.Website
  • Siriraj HospitalThonburi, on the river opposite the Grand Palace areaMahidol University's main teaching hospital; longer waits, less English.Website
  • Ramathibodi HospitalRama VI Road, RatchathewiMahidol University teaching hospital with a busy emergency department.Website

Call 1669 for an ambulance to any of them. Phone numbers for each emergency department are on the hospital's own website.

What to do

After a road accident

  • Get yourself and others off the road, and switch on hazard lights.
  • Call 1669 if anyone is hurt and 191 for the police; 1155 can help in English.
  • Photograph the scene, the vehicles, the plates and any injuries before anything is moved.
  • Swap names, phone numbers and insurance details. Don't sign anything you can't read.
  • Get a police report: insurers need it for any claim, and so does your travel insurance.
  • Riding without the right licence, or without a helmet, can void travel insurance. Check your policy before you ride.

Theft or a lost passport

  • Report it at the nearest police station, or call 1155 for help in English, and ask for a copy of the police report.
  • Contact your embassy with the report and photos of your passport. It can issue a replacement or an emergency travel document.
  • Take the new passport and the police report to an immigration office, so your entry stamp or visa can be recorded in it before you leave.
  • Cancel stolen cards from your bank's app, and change passwords if your phone was taken.

Thailand entry rules →

Floods and storms

Flash floods are most likely from August to October, and low streets can fill within an hour of a heavy downpour.

  • Check warnings from the Thai Meteorological Department before long trips in the rainy season.
  • Don't walk or drive through moving water, and keep away from electrical boxes and cables in flooded streets.
  • Allow extra time for the airports: roads flood before the rail lines do.
  • Keep your phone charged and some cash on you; card machines and ATMs can go down with the power.

Thai Meteorological Department warningsToday's weather and air quality →

Earthquakes and building safety

Bangkok rarely feels earthquakes, but a large one in Myanmar in March 2025 shook tall buildings across the city.

  • Drop, cover and hold on under a sturdy table, away from windows, until the shaking stops.
  • Then leave by the stairs, never the lift, and stay clear of the building's walls and glass.
  • In a high-rise, note the fire exits and stairwells when you check in or move in.
  • Report cracks in a condo or office building to the building management before going back in.

Scams and online fraud

  • Lost money by transfer or card: call your bank first, then 1441, as fast as you can. A transfer can sometimes be frozen within hours.
  • File a report on the Royal Thai Police online-crime site, thaipoliceonline.go.th; you'll get a case number and an investigator.
  • Ignore anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee. That's a second scam.

Report online fraud to the policeScams in Thailand, and how to avoid them →

Finding your embassy

  • Save your embassy's 24-hour emergency number before you travel. Your own government's travel-advice site lists it.
  • Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps the official list of foreign embassies and consulates in Bangkok.
  • Embassies help with lost passports, arrests, hospital stays and deaths. They can't pay your bills or get you out of jail.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Guidance, not medical or legal advice. In immediate danger, call 191 or 1669 first and read later. thebangkokguide.org/emergency/