Those moving to Thailand often face health risks different from those initially anticipated. For expats and retirees, the greatest dangers usually lie not in rare tropical diseases, but in heat, dengue, air pollution, foodborne infections, traffic, and interruptions to care or medication. Age, place of residence, season, and lifestyle, in particular, determine the severity of these risks.
For Western emigrants in Thailand, there are no exact figures regarding return due to homesickness. Nevertheless, Dutch migration data, pension migration research, and practical experience point in the same direction. In particular, loneliness, health problems, missing family, and weak local integration increase the likelihood that life in Thailand ultimately ends in a return to the Netherlands or Belgium.
Stroke behind the wheel: Thai health service warns motorists
The Thai health authority DDC warns motorists of the risk of a stroke while driving. People with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease are particularly at risk. The authorities urge drivers to quickly recognize warning signs, stop immediately, and call for medical assistance right away via emergency number 1669.
Mosquitoes can ruin your sleep, but in countries like Thailand they also pose a risk to your health. They can transmit diseases such as dengue and malaria. Fortunately, you can prevent a lot of misery with a few smart choices. In this article you can read what does work against mosquitoes and how to protect yourself during your trip.
Ministry warns of food poisoning during Songkran
During Songkran, Thai authorities are warning of an increased risk of food poisoning. Due to the extreme heat, harmful bacteria multiply faster, particularly in seafood and food left uncooled for extended periods. Since the beginning of this year, more than 37.800 cases have already been reported. The ministry urges people to pay extra attention to hygiene, preparation, and storage time.
The Thai super app that makes your hospital trip unnecessary
The Thai government is fully committed to digital healthcare with the Moh Prompt Super App. Through video calling, online appointments, and local medication dispensing, you no longer need to visit the hospital for many consultations. This saves time, money, and hassle, especially now that higher fuel prices and transportation costs are being felt increasingly acutely in Thailand as well.
Anyone over sixty living in Thailand or staying there for an extended period often sees health insurance premiums rise sharply. However, there are indeed legal and practical ways to save without creating irresponsibly large gaps in your coverage. This requires making careful choices regarding policy type, deductible, visa, and the question of which healthcare you can still afford to pay for yourself.
Quality of Thai dentists versus Dutch oral care: the difference lies not at the top, but in the breadth.
Top Thai clinics can provide dental care at a level comparable to many Dutch practices. Nevertheless, the average standard in the Netherlands is more uniform, more verifiable, and more strongly legally protected. Particularly outside the large Thai private clinics, differences in hygiene, transparency, aftercare, and complaint handling are noticeably increasing.
Kamagra in Thailand: effects, risks, and unclear sales
Kamagra is known in Thailand as a remedy for erectile dysfunction, but there is much ambiguity behind that name. The active ingredient is sildenafil, the same substance as in Viagra. Anyone wishing to buy it in Thailand faces medical risks, strict regulations, uncertain availability, and a real chance of counterfeiting, incorrect dosage, or unsafe use.
Private hospitals in Thailand beat state hospitals in terms of speed, but not in quality care.
Anyone in Thailand needing medical care is quick to assume that a private hospital is automatically better than a state hospital. That perception is only half true. Private hospitals are often faster and more comfortable, whereas large public hospitals actually often possess the highest level of medical expertise, training staff, and experience with complex treatments.
New research shows that visceral fat in particular—the fat deep in the abdominal cavity surrounding your organs—is associated with faster brain aging. Adults who lost this fat by eating healthier and exercising more retained more brain volume and scored better on cognitive tests years later. Notably, standard measures such as BMI proved to be much less predictive in this regard.
Influencers and online advertisements are causing Thai children and teenagers to come into contact with e-cigarettes at an increasingly rapid pace. This is a cause for concern for many parents. New research shows that almost all surveyed parents feel that access is too easy, while a significant proportion feel uncertain about how to properly discuss this topic at home.
The extreme heat in Thailand increases the risk of summer illnesses. Food poisoning, acute diarrhea, skin infections, and heat-related complaints are particularly on the rise. Health experts warn that high temperatures accelerate the growth of pathogens. Young children, the elderly, the chronically ill, and people who work outdoors are at increased risk of serious complications.
Many travelers in Thailand suffer from sore throats, coughs or flu symptoms. The air conditioning is often blamed, but is that really true? In this article you can read how air conditioning affects your body, why you can feel sick without actually being sick, and what you can do yourself to prevent symptoms.
Opinion: Cancer law in Thailand must do more than treat
Thailand is working on its first cancer law, which offers hope for better care, faster access to treatment, and a fairer distribution of medical resources. At the same time, there are fears that the law places too much emphasis on hospitals and medicines, whereas real gains are to be made through prevention, cleaner living conditions, and more robust health policies.
In Bangkok, wellness is growing into an expensive lifestyle for young urbanites. Wearables, luxury gyms, and Hyrox competitions are attracting a generation that invests in health early. But behind this trend lies more than just getting fit: identity, community, and commerce also play a major role.
Intestinal research from Leiden points to new route to stronger muscles in the elderly
Researchers at the LUMC have found a striking link between a specific gut bacterium and muscle strength. In young adults and the elderly, the presence of Roseburia inulinivorans was associated with stronger muscles. In experiments with mice, muscle strength and mass also increased after administration of this bacterium. The outcome could be important for healthy aging, including for Belgians and Dutch people in Thailand.
Thailand is known for its excellent private clinics and affordable medical care. More and more Dutch people consciously choose to have their annual health check done in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket. What exactly do you get for your money, where do you pay the least and how does this compare to healthcare in the Netherlands? You can read it in this current overview.
The Thai government is warning of extremely severe heat in early April. According to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the wind chill factor could reach 60 degrees Celsius. The elderly, children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and people with health problems are particularly at risk. The warning applies to all of Thailand and is also important for tourists and winter visitors.
The Thai government is warning of a rise in food poisoning and acute diarrhea as the hot season sets in. Young children, in particular, are at increased risk. Tens of thousands of infections were reported in the first months of 2026. Heatstroke also remains a serious concern, especially for people working outdoors and vulnerable groups.
Low-dose lithium offers hope for early-stage memory loss
A small American study suggests that a low dose of lithium may potentially inhibit the verbal memory of elderly people with mild cognitive decline. The effect appeared to be stronger, particularly in participants with amyloid-beta, a known marker of Alzheimer's. However, it is still far too early to recommend lithium as a treatment.
A new study in Nature Medicine suggests that people over 60, after two years of daily use of a multivitamin, may be about four to five months 'younger' at a molecular level than peers who received a placebo. This is of interest to many readers in Thailand, especially now that healthy aging is also an important theme for winter residents and expats.