Older foreigners in Thailand can choose between residential care homes, which must hold a license as health establishments, and caregivers who come to the home by the hour, by the day or as live-in help. Published prices in October 2026 ran from 1,200 baht for a four-hour home visit in Bangkok to about 120,000 baht a month for a villa room in a Chiang Mai senior residence, with care charged on top.
Thailand attracts retirees partly because daily help costs less than in Europe, North America or Singapore. Care for someone who is frail or has dementia is a different decision from retiring to a beach condo, though. It involves a license, a medical plan, a visa that fits, and a family that knows who is responsible when something goes wrong.
This page describes the options and what to check. It is not medical or legal advice and it does not rank providers. The care a person needs should be assessed by their doctor, and the legal questions, such as consent and money, by a lawyer.
Care for older foreigners in Thailand (October 2026)
- Licensing law
- Health Establishments Act B.E. 2559 (2016) and a 2020 ministerial regulation on care for the elderly and dependent people
- Licensing body
- Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health
- Home care (Bangkok)
- Published from 1,200 baht per 4-hour visit to 3,500 baht a day live-in
- Senior residence (Chiang Mai)
- Published room rates 57,000–120,000 baht a month; care extra
- Visa
- Usually a retirement visa (age 50+) with its money rules
- Ambulance
- 1669
Care homes, assisted living and care at home
The choices fall into a few groups, and many families combine them over time:
- Senior residences and assisted living. A room or villa with meals, housekeeping and staff on site, where care is added as needed. Suited to people who are mostly independent.
- Nursing and care homes. Residential care for people who need help with daily activities, including dementia and bed-bound care.
- Day care. Daytime care outside the home, while the person still lives with family.
- Home caregivers. Booked by the visit, by the day or as live-in help through an agency, or employed directly.
- Hospital sitters. Some home-care agencies also provide a companion during a hospital stay.
Homes aimed at foreign residents usually advertise in English; Thai-run homes may have fewer English speakers, so visit those with someone who speaks Thai.
The license every care home needs
Running a home that cares for older or dependent people is a "health establishment" business in Thai law. According to a 2024 summary by the law firm iLaw Asia, it needs a license under the Health Establishments Act B.E. 2559 (2016) and the 2020 Ministerial Regulation on the business of caring for the elderly or dependent persons. The regulation has three categories of business, with extra safety rules for services that keep people overnight or as residents. Applications go to the Health Service Support Center of the Department of Health Service Support, part of the Ministry of Public Health.
We could not find a public online register in English where you can look up a home's license. Ask the home to show the license itself, note its number and the name on it, and check that the name matches the company you are signing with. A home that cannot show one, or says it does not need one, should not be on your list.
A license proves the home is registered, not that it is right for your parent. It tells you the business is known to the Ministry of Public Health and has to meet its rules. Staffing, attitude and how the home handles emergencies you still have to judge yourself, on visits and by asking the questions below.
What it costs: published prices, with dates
Care prices are rarely published, and figures repeated on blogs (such as monthly rates for a full-time nurse) usually have no date or source. These are the prices we found on providers' own pages in October 2026. They are examples, not a market average, and not a recommendation of these providers.
| Type of care | Published price | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Home caregiver, 4-hour visit (Bangkok) | ฿1,200 | ElderThai, as displayed 19 Oct 2026 |
| Home caregiver, 8-hour day (Bangkok) | ฿2,200 | ElderThai, as displayed 19 Oct 2026 |
| Live-in caregiver, 24 hours (Bangkok) | ฿3,500 a day | ElderThai, as displayed 19 Oct 2026 |
| Caregiver package (Bangkok) | From ฿19,900 a month, plus ฿150 a day for the caregiver's meals | Health at Home, as displayed 19 Oct 2026 |
| Senior residence room with breakfast, stays of 1–6 months (Chiang Mai) | ฿67,000–120,000 a month | Ban Sabai Village, page updated 11 Aug 2026 |
| Same, stays of 7 months or more | ฿57,000–100,000 a month | Ban Sabai Village, page updated 11 Aug 2026 |
The residence prices cover accommodation and breakfast. Half board adds 20,000 baht and full board 40,000 baht a month, a sharing partner pays 21,000 baht, and personal care is charged separately on top. Ask every provider for a written list of what is included and what is extra: medicines, doctor visits, incontinence supplies, laundry, transport to hospital and one-to-one care at night are the usual extras. Our page on the cost of living for residents helps with the rest of the budget.
Questions to ask on a visit
Visit more than once, at different times of day, and if possible stay for a meal. Ask:
- How many care staff are on duty at night, and how many residents do they look after?
- Is there a registered nurse on site, and which doctor sees residents, how often?
- Which hospital do you use in an emergency, how far is it, and who goes with the resident?
- How do you handle medicines, and who records each dose?
- What training do staff have for dementia, falls and swallowing problems?
- Which staff speak the resident's language, and how will the family be kept informed?
- What does the contract say about notice, deposits, price rises and what happens if care needs increase?
Distance to a hospital matters more than a view. Our guide to hospitals in Thailand explains private and public hospitals and how payment works. For home care, check that the building suits a wheelchair or walker; our page on accessible travel covers what to expect from Thai pavements, transport and buildings.
Hiring a caregiver directly
An agency takes care of employment, replacements and training. Hiring someone yourself is cheaper, but you then become an employer under Thai labor law, with duties on days off, holidays and leave, and a worker who is not Thai needs a work permit. Our guide to hiring a maid or cleaner explains those rules; they apply to domestic workers generally. Agree the caregiver's tasks in writing, especially anything medical, which should follow the doctor's instructions.
Visas for the person and for a relative who comes along
Moving to a care home does not change the visa rules. Most older foreigners stay on a retirement visa, which requires the holder to be 50 or over and to meet savings or income rules every year; our retirement visa guide explains the Non-O and O-A routes and the insurance condition for the O-A. Someone with advanced dementia may not be able to handle the annual extension and the 90-day reports alone, so a family member or an agent will need to help with the paperwork.
A relative who wants to stay for long periods needs a visa of their own. The e-Visa portal has a Non-Immigrant O category "to stay with non-Thai family residing in Thailand", which asks for proof of the relationship (such as a birth certificate) and financial evidence of at least 30,000 baht. Whether it fits an adult child caring for a parent is a question for the Thai embassy where you apply. A relative aged 50 or over may also qualify for a retirement visa in their own right.
Insurance, pensions and benefits from home
Long-term care may not be covered by health insurance written for hospital treatment, so read the policy and ask the insurer before you count on it. Our guide to health insurance for expats explains age limits, renewal and exclusions.
Pensions and care benefits from home are a separate question. Whether an agency such as Norway's NAV, Sweden's Försäkringskassan or the UK's DWP pays care-related benefits to someone living in Thailand depends on the benefit and your country's rules, and we have not verified them. Ask the agency directly before the move. If a pension is paid, the annual proof-of-life form still has to be signed, even from a care home; our page on life certificates for pensions explains who can witness it.
Settle the paperwork while the person can still sign. A will, clear access to bank accounts and written wishes about treatment are far easier to arrange early. Our guide to making a will in Thailand covers the will; a Thai lawyer can advise on the rest.
Families should also know what happens at the end of life in Thailand, including registering a death and the role of the embassy; our page on when someone dies in Thailand covers those steps. Other guides for residents are on our living in Thailand hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a care home cost in Thailand?
Published prices vary widely. One Chiang Mai senior residence listed rooms with breakfast at 57,000 to 120,000 baht a month in August 2026, depending on room and length of stay, with personal care charged on top. Ask every provider for a written price list.
Do care homes in Thailand need a license?
Yes. Homes and services that care for older or dependent people are health establishments under the Health Establishments Act B.E. 2559 (2016) and a 2020 ministerial regulation, licensed through the Department of Health Service Support. Ask to see the license before signing.
How much is a home caregiver in Bangkok?
One Bangkok agency published 1,200 baht for a four-hour visit, 2,200 baht for an eight-hour day and 3,500 baht a day for live-in care in October 2026. Another listed monthly packages from 19,900 baht plus meals for the caregiver.
Which visa does an elderly foreigner in a care home need?
Usually a retirement visa for people aged 50 and over, renewed each year with the savings or income rules. Living in a care home does not change those rules, so plan who will handle the yearly extension and the 90-day reports.
Sources
- iLaw Asia – Senior and dependent care businesses: licensing under the Health Establishments Act (12 December 2024) (checked October 2026)
- Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health (Thai) (checked October 2026)
- Thai e-Visa – Non-Immigrant O visa categories (checked October 2026)