If you have been sexually assaulted in Thailand, it was not your fault, and you decide what happens next. You can go straight to a hospital for care without going to the police first, and your embassy's consular staff can help by phone at any hour.
This page is for survivors and for the friends, partners and family supporting them. It sets out where help is, what each step involves and what the official sources say, so that you can choose what to do and when. You do not have to do everything, and you do not have to do it in this order. Some things are time-sensitive, mainly medicines within 72 hours, and the page says so where it matters.
Everything here comes from the UK government's guide for survivors in Thailand and the US Embassy's information for victims of crime, both checked in October 2026. It is not medical or legal advice; doctors, your embassy and a lawyer can advise on your own situation.
Numbers for help after a sexual assault (October 2026)
- Police emergency
- 191
- Ambulance
- 1669
- Tourist Police
- 1155 (also via the Thailand Tourist Police app, which works without a Thai SIM)
- British Embassy Bangkok
- +66 2 305 8333, consular staff 24 hours
- US Embassy Bangkok
- +66 2 205 4000, 24 hours
- UK Foreign Office, London
- +44 20 7008 5000, 24 hours
- Police General Hospital crisis center, Bangkok
- +66 2207 6000 (as listed by the US Embassy)
- Social-assistance hotline
- 1300, in Thai; hours and English not confirmed
First: somewhere safe, and someone with you
The UK guide puts it simply: the first priority is to be as safe as you can be. That might mean your hotel room with the door locked, a friend's place, a hotel lobby with staff around, or a hospital. If you are in danger now, or badly hurt, call 191 for the police or 1669 for an ambulance. Our page on Thailand's emergency numbers explains what to say when you call.
You do not have to go through this alone. A friend can come with you to hospital. If you are British or American, your embassy can talk to you on the phone at any time, and the British Embassy says it can contact family or friends for you if you wish, in strict confidence. You can ask to speak to a female consular officer where one is available. Citizens of other countries should call their own embassy; it helps to have saved the number in advance, as our guide to embassy registration suggests.
Going to hospital first, and the One Stop Crisis Centres
You may go to the nearest hospital before, or instead of, going to the police. The UK guide says a police referral letter is not needed for medical treatment. Some hospitals ask for one before a forensic examination, but others, including the Police General Hospital in Bangkok, accept survivors without it.
Many government hospitals have a One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC), a unit led by social workers. According to the US Embassy, OSCCs are in most major public hospitals and work under a Ministry of Public Health policy to assist women and minors. They can help with a medical examination, a police report, legal help, temporary shelter and contact between the different services. The UK guide adds that an OSCC may give you access to a psychiatrist or a social worker. Not every hospital has one, and the US Embassy notes there is no national framework for how hospitals respond.
If you are a man, go to a public hospital's emergency department and ask for the crisis center or the social-work unit. Whether OSCCs serve adult men everywhere is not confirmed. In Chiang Mai, the US Consulate lists crisis centers at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital (Suan Dok), +66 53 936 150, and Nakornping Hospital, +66 53 999 200.
You can ask to be examined by a female doctor or nurse. Treatment is not free: the UK guide says you or your insurer will pay, and the US Embassy says you may be asked to pay at the hospital. Our guide to public and private hospitals explains how deposits and insurance guarantees work.
The 1300 hotline, and what we could not confirm
The UK guide gives 1300 as the number for crisis help after a sexual assault. In Thailand, 1300 is generally known as the government's social-assistance hotline, run under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. We could not open the ministry's own site, so we cannot confirm its hours, whether staff speak English, or how it handles calls from foreigners. Expect to need Thai or someone to speak for you. If language is a barrier, the Tourist Police on 1155 or your embassy are easier first calls.
Use only the number itself. Some websites with "1300" in their name have nothing to do with the hotline.
Medicines that work best within 72 hours
Two treatments depend on time, and both are worth asking about even if you are not ready to decide anything else.
- HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The UK guide says PEP must be started within 72 hours of the assault to be effective, and the course lasts 28 days. Most government hospitals can advise on it, but some do not offer it automatically, so ask. British survivors may be able to continue the course with the NHS at home.
- Emergency contraception. The UK guide says it must be taken within 72 hours to be effective; the Foreign Office's general guidance says "in some cases up to 5 days". It is sold over the counter in pharmacies in every province and given at government hospitals.
The doctor decides which medicines and tests are right for you. Keep the labels and any papers you are given, because a doctor at home will need them. If you think you were drugged, tell the doctor. If you are injured, bleeding, feel very unwell or are confused, go to an emergency department or call 1669 rather than waiting.
Evidence for a Thai court comes only from a public hospital in the same province. The US Embassy says forensic evidence is admissible only if the examination is done at a public hospital in the province where the assault happened, and that evidence collected at a private hospital will not be admissible. A private hospital can still treat you.
Keeping evidence, without pressure
You do not have to decide about the police today to keep that choice open. The UK guide says that in some circumstances the hospital will take forensic evidence and hold it while you decide. Results can take up to a month.
If you can, and only if you want to, the guide suggests not showering, combing your hair or changing clothes before the examination. If you have changed, put the clothes you wore, including underwear, in a paper bag and bring them. If you think you were drugged, try to wait to urinate until you reach the hospital, or collect the first urine in a clean container with a lid. Texts and other items can be kept too. If you have already showered or washed, you can still get medical care and still report.
Reporting to the police, if you choose to
Reporting is your decision. If you do report, the complaint must be made in Thailand and in Thai, and the UK guide says you do not need a lawyer to file it. You can ask for a female or male officer, depending on who is available, and for an interpreter if no officer speaks English. The Tourist Police or the Tourist Assistance Centre (1672) may be able to come with you, and the US Consulate in Chiang Mai says it can accompany American survivors during the police interview and the forensic examination if they wish.
Some things are useful to know beforehand. Ask for a copy of the police report and of your statement, with an English translation if there is one. You do not have to hand over your passport, and after giving your statement there is generally no restriction on leaving Thailand. The UK guide also says extramarital sex and homosexuality are not crimes in Thailand. The US Embassy warns that questioning can happen in a public waiting room and that you may be asked to repeat your account several times. If that is difficult for you, say so to the officers or to whoever is with you.
Time limits for a complaint depend on the offense, and the UK guide notes that some are short. A lawyer can explain which applies. Our page on being arrested in Thailand describes how Thai police and courts work in general.
What your embassy can and cannot do
The British Embassy says its staff can give you lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators, contact your insurer or family if you want, help with arrangements to travel home and tell you about support in the UK. Thai police inform the British Embassy of a case, not police in the UK. The US Consulate in Chiang Mai sets out the limits: consular staff cannot investigate the crime, give legal advice, act as official interpreters or pay medical bills.
Insurance, costs and a lawyer
Call your travel insurer's assistance line as soon as you feel able, because hospitals ask for a guarantee of payment. The Foreign Office says that for a claim to be valid the crime will probably have to be reported to the police; check your policy wording, and our guide to travel insurance for Thailand covers what a policy should include.
A lawyer is not assigned to you automatically. The UK guide names the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Women and Men Progressive Movement Foundation (02 513 2889) as sources of free legal help, and mentions the Ministry of Justice's Justice Fund for legal aid and a compensation application to the ministry within one year. Our guide to finding a lawyer in Thailand explains how to check one.
Looking after yourself in the weeks after
Everyone reacts in their own way and at their own pace, and it is never too late to ask for support. Our page on mental health help in Thailand lists English-language crisis lines and how to find a psychologist. Back home, your own doctor or a local sexual assault service can take over.
If you are supporting someone, believe them, let them make the choices, and help with practical things: a phone call, a lift to hospital, an interpreter. Our overview of safety in Thailand covers prevention; this page is only about help afterwards. More health guides are in our health and safety section.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to go to the police before a hospital will treat me in Thailand?
No. The UK government's guide for survivors says you may go to the nearest hospital first, and a police referral letter is not needed for medical treatment. Some hospitals ask for one before a forensic examination, but the Police General Hospital in Bangkok does not.
Will evidence from a private hospital be accepted in a Thai court?
According to the US Embassy, no. Forensic evidence counts only if it is collected at a public hospital in the province where the assault happened. A private hospital can still give you medical care, PEP and emergency contraception.
How soon do I need PEP and emergency contraception?
The UK guide says HIV PEP must be started within 72 hours, and emergency contraception taken within 72 hours to be effective. Go to a hospital as soon as you can and ask for both, because some hospitals do not offer them automatically.
Can I leave Thailand after reporting a sexual assault?
Generally yes. The UK guide says you do not have to surrender your passport and there is generally no restriction on leaving after you give your statement. You may be asked to give evidence later, and a lawyer can explain the options.
Do the One Stop Crisis Centres help men?
It is not confirmed. The US Embassy says the centers work under a policy to assist women and minors. Men should go to a public hospital's emergency department and ask for the crisis center or social-work unit, and can call their embassy for support.
Sources
- UK Government (FCDO) – Thailand: information for survivors of rape and sexual assault (updated 17 March 2025; checked October 2026)
- UK Government (FCDO) – Victim of rape and sexual assault abroad (checked October 2026)
- US Embassy Bangkok – Consular assistance to U.S. citizen victims of crime (dated 7 May 2024; checked October 2026)
- US Consulate General Chiang Mai – Local resources for victims of crime (updated November 2025; checked October 2026)
- UK Government (FCDO) – Thailand travel advice: getting help (checked October 2026)