Holiday dialysis is available in Thailand at private hospitals in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui, but you must book ahead and send papers from your home unit, including recent hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV results. Plan the trip with your own kidney doctor, and confirm the price and who pays before you fly, because no hospital we checked publishes a price per session and a UK or EU health card does not work in Thailand.
For people on hemodialysis, a trip abroad means finding a unit that will take a visitor two or three times a week, for every week of the stay. Thailand's large private hospital groups run dialysis units that accept travelers, and some advertise "holiday" or "travel" dialysis directly. The work is in the planning: the right documents, a booking confirmed in writing, a clear quote, and an agreement with your own renal team about what happens if something goes wrong.
This page covers booking, the places with units that say they take travelers, and how paying works. It does not give medical advice, and it does not print prices: we found no hospital page with a published per-session price for foreigners when we checked in October 2026.
Holiday dialysis in Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Book ahead
- At least 1 week before the first session at Phyathai 2 Hospital; earlier is safer everywhere
- Blood tests
- Hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, within the last 6 months (Phyathai 2)
- Places with traveler units
- Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui
- Prices
- Not published; ask each hospital for a written quote
- UK GHIC / EU EHIC
- Not valid in Thailand
- Emergency
- 1669 ambulance
Start with your own renal unit
Your home dialysis unit is the starting point, not the Thai hospital. Talk to your nephrologist (kidney specialist) before you book flights, about whether the trip suits your health, how many sessions a week you need, and which treatment settings the Thai unit must follow. Many home units have a nurse or coordinator who handles holiday dialysis requests and knows what a receiving unit will ask for.
Ask your team three practical questions early. Will they send your records directly to the Thai hospital? Who should the Thai unit call if they have a question during your stay? And what is your plan if you feel unwell between sessions, far from home? Write down the answers and carry them with you.
Book dialysis before you book the hotel. The dialysis slots decide the trip. Once a unit has confirmed your sessions in writing, choose accommodation near it, since you will travel there two or three times a week.
The papers the Thai hospital will ask for
Phyathai 2 Hospital in Bangkok publishes the clearest checklist we found for its "travel dialysis" service, and it is a good guide to what other units ask for too. It recommends preparing the documents at least one week before treatment:
- a summary of your medical history and chronic conditions;
- your latest hemodialysis record, including your post-dialysis (dry) weight, the dialysate used and the medicines given during dialysis;
- a list of all your medicines and any allergies;
- your latest blood test results, from within the last six months, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV;
- insurance or health-coverage documents.
Units use the infection results to plan your sessions safely, and without recent results a unit may refuse the booking or ask for new tests. Check how recent each hospital wants the results to be, since your trip dates may push an older test past the limit. Ask whether the unit needs anything else, such as recent vascular access details or a vaccination record.
Where travelers can get dialysis
Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phyathai 2 and Samitivej say on their own pages that they treat travelers, tourists or international patients; the others are dialysis units in private hospitals that serve foreigners, so ask whether they take visitors. This is not a ranking or a recommendation, and other hospitals offer dialysis too; we list only units whose pages we could read in October 2026.
| Area | Unit | Opening details (hospital's own page) |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | Phyathai 2 Hospital, Travel Dialysis | Monday–Saturday, 2–3 sessions a day from 06:00; hemodialysis and online HDF |
| Bangkok | Samitivej Hospital, Hemodialysis Department | Daily except Sunday, 07:00–17:00; +66 2378 9082 |
| Bangkok | Bangkok Hospital, Hemodialysis Center | 15 private rooms; nephrologists on call 24 hours |
| Chiang Mai | Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai, Hemodialysis Clinic | Sunday–Friday, 07:00–17:00; +66 52 089 781; treats tourists and visitors |
| Hua Hin | Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin, Hemodialysis Unit | Private rooms, 2nd floor; +66 32 616 870 |
| Pattaya | Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Hemodialysis Center | Daily 08:00–17:00; 10 machines; +66 3825 9986 |
| Phuket | Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Holiday Dialysis Center | Sunday–Friday, shifts 07:30, 12:00 and 16:30; 10 machines |
| Koh Samui | Bangkok Hospital Samui | Monday–Saturday, two daytime shifts plus 17:00; +66 77 429 500 |
Notice the closing days. Phuket and Chiang Mai close on Saturday, Phyathai 2 and Samitivej on Sunday. Plan your sessions around them, and around Thai public holidays, before you fix the length of the stay. Our guides to Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui help with choosing a base near the hospital.
We could not find a public directory of all dialysis units in Thailand. The Nephrology Society of Thailand publishes standards for dialysis units but, as far as we could see, no searchable list of centers. Away from the main tourist areas, ask your home unit or a large private hospital to help you find one.
Paying for sessions: quotes, deposits and the health card myth
Ask each hospital for a written quote per session that states what is included: the session itself, the dialyzer and lines, medicines given during dialysis, the nephrologist's fee and any blood tests. Ask how and when you pay, whether a deposit is needed to hold the slots, and what happens to it if you cancel. Private hospitals in Thailand usually ask for payment or a guarantee before treatment, as explained in our guide to Thai hospitals and how they bill.
European health cards are no help here. According to the UK Foreign Office, there is no healthcare deal between Britain and Thailand, so the British GHIC card is useless there; the EHIC and GHIC cover state healthcare only in the EU, Switzerland and a few other countries. Whether your home health service or insurer will refund planned dialysis outside Europe depends on your country and scheme. We could not confirm the current NHS or Norwegian Helfo rules, so ask your renal unit and the scheme itself, in writing, before you book.
Ordinary travel insurance pays for emergencies, not for planned dialysis. Declare kidney failure and dialysis when you buy the policy; the UK government warns that failing to declare a pre-existing condition may invalidate your cover. Then check what the policy says about emergencies linked to that condition.
Long-stay residents and dialysis
If you live in Thailand, regular dialysis becomes a long-term cost, and health insurance decides whether it is affordable. Many expat policies have rules on pre-existing conditions and age limits; our guide to health insurance for expats and retirees explains the main types of cover. Read the policy for chronic kidney treatment specifically, and ask the insurer whether dialysis is covered as outpatient care, inpatient care or not at all.
Residents may also find it easier to use one unit regularly and build a relationship with its nephrologist. Ask the unit how it shares results with your doctor at home if you still have one, and keep copies of every monthly blood test. Retirees choosing where to settle can weigh the distance to a dialysis unit as seriously as the distance to the beach; our page on long stays in Hua Hin describes one popular choice.
Medicines, diet and the trip itself
Bring enough of your regular medicines for the whole stay, in original packaging, with a doctor's letter. Thailand has rules on bringing medicines in, and some common drugs need a permit; our article on bringing prescription medicine into Thailand explains the categories. If you also have diabetes, the extra packing list is covered in our guide to traveling with diabetes and insulin.
Thai food is often salty, and fruit juices, coconut water and tropical fruit are everywhere; ask your renal dietitian before you go which of them fit your fluid and potassium limits. Heat makes thirst harder to manage, and our page on heat and sun in Thailand explains how to plan days in the hottest months. Follow the emergency plan your own renal team gives you, and if you feel seriously unwell, dial 1669 or go straight to the hospital where you have dialysis.
Frequently asked questions
Can tourists get dialysis in Thailand?
Yes. Several private hospitals say they take travelers, including units in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui. You need to book ahead, usually at least a week before, and send your dialysis record and recent hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV results.
How much does dialysis cost in Thailand?
We could not find a published per-session price for foreigners at any of the hospitals we checked in October 2026. Ask each unit for a written quote that lists what is included, and confirm with your insurer or home health scheme whether anything is refunded.
What tests do I need before holiday dialysis in Thailand?
Phyathai 2 Hospital asks for blood results from within the last six months, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, together with your latest hemodialysis record, medication and allergy list, and a medical summary. Other units ask for similar papers, so check each one.
Does the EHIC or GHIC cover dialysis in Thailand?
No. The UK Foreign Office says the UK GHIC cannot be used in Thailand, and the EHIC and GHIC only cover state healthcare in the EU, Switzerland and some other countries. Plan to pay yourself unless your insurer or home scheme confirms otherwise in writing.
Sources
- Phyathai 2 Hospital – Travel dialysis (March 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Hospital Phuket – Holiday Dialysis Center (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai – Hemodialysis Clinic (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Hospital Pattaya – Hemodialysis Center (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin – Hemodialysis Unit (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Hospital Samui – Hemodialysis Department (checked October 2026)
- Samitivej Hospital – Hemodialysis Department (checked October 2026)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Healthcare and medical services in Thailand (checked October 2026)
- UK Government – Foreign travel insurance (checked October 2026)