Reduce healthcare costs: New project revolutionizes Thailand's system!

Reduce healthcare costs: New project revolutionizes Thailand's system!

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul unveiled the new health project “สุขกาย สบายกระเป๋า” (Health and Wallet) on November 4, 2025. This pioneering effort aims to reduce healthcare costs for the Thai population by more than 32 billion baht per year. This sets the stage for an improved healthcare system in Thailand.

The project is part of the so-called “Quick Big Win” policy, which is intended to optimize the quality of life and the healthcare system in general. Anutin emphasizes the importance of transparency in the healthcare system and wants to offer citizens more choices. While presenting the project, he mentioned that currently many patients have to wait for treatment in government hospitals, while prices in private facilities are groaning.

More transparency and choice

Over 300 private hospitals and more than 3,400 pharmacies will actively participate in the project and will bear the symbol “สุขกาย สบายกระเป๋า”. An important innovation is the disclosure of drug prices by private hospitals. In addition, patients will in future have the opportunity to redeem prescriptions in registered pharmacies outside of hospitals. This is expected to make access to necessary medications easier.

Another highlight of the project is the introduction of a telepharmacy system that gives citizens access to consultations. However, according to Anutin, citizens remain free to use their existing rights to healthcare services.

Hidden healthcare costs in the system

To better understand the context, it is important to point out the hidden healthcare costs that can surprise many patients in Thailand. How Thailand Tip reports, it's not just the costs of specialist consultations and expensive private clinics that are a problem. Insurance gaps, emergency services and overpriced medications also contribute to the financial challenges.

• Facharztkonsultationen: Die Kosten variieren zwischen 1.500 und 4.000 Baht.
• Versicherungslücken: Viele Policen haben unklare Bedingungen und niedrige Anspruchsgrenzen.
• Notfalldienste: Krankentransporte können bis zu 3.000 Baht kosten.
• Überteuerte Medikamente: Preise in Krankenhausapotheken sind oft 50 bis 150 Prozent höher als in örtlichen Apotheken.
• Gebühren für Sprachunterstützung: Sprachbarrieren können teure Missverständnisse verursachen.

Patients are advised to be careful when comparing prices and obtaining detailed cost estimates before treatments. It is also worth asking specifically about generic alternatives to reduce expenses.

Overall, Anutin Charnvirakul's project “สุขกาย สบายกระเป๋า” shows promising approaches to reducing healthcare costs and improving access to healthcare in Thailand. But it remains to be seen how the implementation will work out in practice and whether the desired goals can actually be achieved.