If you are struggling and need to talk to someone now, call the Samaritans of Thailand on 02-113-6789 and press 2 for the English line, or the Department of Mental Health's free 24-hour hotline, 1323. If you or someone with you is in immediate danger, call 1669 for an ambulance or 191 for the police.
Help lines in Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Samaritans of Thailand
- 02-113-6789; press 2 for English; Bangkok line daily 12:00-22:00
- Department of Mental Health hotline
- 1323; free counseling, 24 hours; English not confirmed
- Ambulance
- 1669
- Police / Tourist Police
- 191 / 1155
- UK Foreign Office, London (24 h)
- +44 20 7008 5000
Being far from home can make anxiety, low mood or a crisis harder to deal with. Your usual doctor, friends and routines are out of reach, the language is different, and a small problem can feel much bigger in a hotel room at night. Help exists in Thailand, in English too, and reaching out is the right thing to do. This page explains where to start, then how to find ongoing care, keep your treatment going and deal with insurance.
Talking to someone tonight: the Samaritans and 1323
The Samaritans of Thailand run a listening service on 02-113-6789. Press 1 for the Bangkok line in Thai, which is open every day from 12:00 to 22:00, or press 2 for the Bangkok English line. The Samaritans do not publish separate hours for the English line, so if nobody answers, try again during the Bangkok line's hours. There is also a Thai-language line run by the Chiang Mai center on 098-815-9011, every day from 19:00 to 22:00.
The Samaritans changed their number in October 2021. If you find an older number on another website or a poster, use 02-113-6789 instead.
The Department of Mental Health hotline, 1323, offers free, confidential counseling 24 hours a day for stress, anxiety, sadness and loss. The department's website is in Thai and does not say whether English-speaking counselors are available, so if your Thai is limited, the Samaritans' English line is the better first call. We could not confirm whether calling 1323 from a foreign SIM costs anything.
In immediate danger, call 1669, not a counseling line. If you have hurt yourself, are about to, or someone with you is unconscious or at risk, call the ambulance on 1669 or the police on 191, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Hotel staff can call for you and explain where you are.
Our list of emergency numbers in Thailand explains what to say when you call. If you are worried about a friend, stay with them, remove anything they could use to hurt themselves if it is safe to do so, and call for help together.
Help from your own embassy
Embassies cannot provide treatment, but they can do more than many people expect. The UK Foreign Office, for example, says that if you have mental health problems abroad, its staff can listen and help you look at your options, give you a list of local doctors and medical facilities, contact your travel insurer for you if you want, raise concerns about your treatment with a hospital, and help medical staff reach UK doctors who know your history. It cannot pay medical bills or get you better treatment than local people receive. Its London number, +44 20 7008 5000, is answered 24 hours a day, and families at home can call it too.
Other countries' embassies in Bangkok offer similar consular help; save your embassy's emergency number before you need it.
Finding a psychiatrist or psychologist in English
For ongoing care, most visitors use the large private hospitals in Bangkok and the main tourist cities, where staff are used to foreign patients. Two examples from their own websites:
- Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok has a Behavioral Health Center with psychologists, psychiatrists, neurologists and specialized nurses. It offers counseling without medication by psychologists, one of whom is listed as speaking Thai and English, and refers people at risk of harming themselves directly to a psychiatrist. Its 24-hour contact center is +66 2066 8888, or 1378 from a Thai phone.
- Bangkok Hospital's headquarters lists a psychiatry clinic and a mental health rehabilitation and recovery service among its brain centers. Its website does not say which languages the doctors speak.
Naming these two is not a recommendation over others; we list them because their services are described on their own sites. When you book anywhere, ask whether the psychiatrist or psychologist speaks your language, what a first consultation costs and whether the hospital can bill your insurer directly. Our guide to hospitals in Thailand explains private and government hospitals, deposits and payment guarantees.
The UK Foreign Office warns that finding English-speaking mental health professionals can be difficult in some countries, and that laws on admission to hospital without consent differ from country to country. Outside Bangkok and the big resort areas, choice is limited, so plan ahead if you already have a condition.
Keeping your treatment going: online therapy and your medicines
If you already have a therapist at home, ask before you leave whether you can continue by video while you are away, and agree a time that works across the time difference. A secure, private connection matters more than you might think in a shared hostel or a café.
Medicines need more planning. Take enough for the whole trip plus extra for delays, in the original packaging, with a copy of your prescription. Some medicines used for anxiety and sleep, such as benzodiazepines and z-drugs, are controlled in Thailand: up to 30 days' supply needs a doctor's certificate, and more needs a Thai FDA permit. Our page on sleeping pills and anxiety medicines explains those rules, and the general guide to bringing prescription medicine into Thailand covers the rest. If you take ADHD medication, read our separate page on ADHD medication in Thailand, because some of those drugs cannot be brought in at all.
Write a short "travelling letter" before you go. The UK Foreign Office suggests carrying a brief note of your mental health needs, your diagnosis and your doctor's contact details. It helps a Thai doctor treat you quickly and safely if you become unwell.
Do not stop a prescribed medicine suddenly because you have run out or are unsure of the rules; see a doctor in Thailand to discuss a safe plan.
What travel and health insurance may cover
Insurance is where many people get caught out. The UK Foreign Office says that some insurers exclude cover for mental health conditions and advises checking the small print carefully, including how pre-existing conditions are treated. Before you travel, read the policy for these points, or ask the insurer in writing:
- Are mental health conditions covered at all, and are pre-existing ones excluded?
- Are outpatient visits to a psychiatrist or psychologist covered, or only hospital admission?
- Is there a limit on the number of sessions or the amount?
- Does the policy cover being flown home with a medical escort if you become very unwell?
If you are admitted to a hospital, call the insurer's assistance line as early as you can. Our page on travel insurance for Thailand covers short trips, and people who live in Thailand should read our guide to health insurance for expats and retirees, because local and international plans differ a great deal on mental health.
Looking after yourself on a long trip
Simple things help more than they seem to. Keep regular contact with the people who normally support you, as the UK Foreign Office advises; sleep in a room where you can rest; and go easy on alcohol, especially when you already feel low. Heat and dehydration also affect how you feel; our guide to coping with the heat has practical tips for the hot season.
If a trip is going badly, it is fine to change the plan: stay longer in one place, move to a city with better hospitals, or go home early. Long-stay visitors can find more on planning a season here in our guide to wintering in Thailand. Our page on whether Thailand is safe to visit summarizes the official travel advice if worries about safety are part of what is weighing on you.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a suicide or crisis hotline in Thailand in English?
Yes. The Samaritans of Thailand answer on 02-113-6789; press 2 for the English line. The Bangkok line is open daily from 12:00 to 22:00. In an emergency, call the ambulance on 1669 or the police on 191.
Is the 1323 mental health hotline free?
The Department of Mental Health describes 1323 as free, confidential counseling available 24 hours a day. Its website does not say whether counselors speak English, or whether a foreign SIM is charged for the call, so English speakers may prefer the Samaritans.
Can I see an English-speaking psychiatrist in Bangkok?
Large private hospitals in Bangkok have psychiatry services; Bumrungrad's Behavioral Health Center, for example, has psychiatrists and psychologists and lists an English-speaking psychologist. Ask about the doctor's languages and fees when you book.
Does travel insurance cover mental health treatment abroad?
It depends on the policy. The UK Foreign Office warns that some insurers exclude mental health conditions, so read the small print for outpatient care, pre-existing conditions and medical repatriation before you buy, and ask the insurer in writing if it is unclear.
Can my embassy help with a mental health crisis in Thailand?
Embassies cannot pay for treatment, but the UK Foreign Office, for example, can give you a list of local doctors, contact your insurer, raise concerns with a hospital and help Thai doctors reach your doctors at home. Check what your own embassy offers.
Sources
- Samaritans of Thailand – Contact us (checked October 2026)
- Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health – Hotline 1323 (checked October 2026)
- Bumrungrad International Hospital – Behavioral Health Center (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Hospital – Centers and clinics (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Foreign travel advice for people with mental health issues (checked October 2026)
- UK FCDO – Thailand: health (checked October 2026)