A Guide to Giving Birth in Southeast Asia for Expats

Expecting a child is an exciting time for parents as they prepare to welcome their newborns into the world. However, for expats living overseas, expecting a child outside of their home country can raise numerous questions. Some of these may include concerns regarding the most suitable hospital, potential language barriers with medical staff, and often the cost.  

The good news is that many countries in Southeast Asia have developed very trusted private healthcare systems, that have excellent maternity cover. In today’s article, we will be covering Thailand, which is a great example of a country with excellent healthcare coverage, if you have the right guidance. 

Recommendation: Maternity Hospitals for Expats 

When it comes to giving birth as an expat in Southeast Asia, one of the very first questions that always comes up is “What hospitals are available?”. 

While there are both public and private hospitals available, private hospitals are generally preferred by expats thanks to greater quality care with shorter waiting times, more modern facilities and equipment, and most importantly, multilingual medical staff.  

One of our team members actually wrote an article about the differences recently in case you want to check that out:

https://www.i-brokers.com/news/public-and-private-healthcare-which-is-right-for-you

Private hospitals can be found throughout Thailand, most notably Bangkok as well as other cities like Chiang Mai, Pattaya, or Phuket.  

The following are some of the prominent private maternity hospitals in Thailand that we feel are particularly suitable for expats.  

Samitivej Hospital

Available in Bangkok, Sri Racha, and Chon Buri, Samitivej offers a Pregnancy Care programme. This programme is designed to simplify every step along the way for pregnant women from conception to birth is both safe and healthy through precise, personalized medicine. The Women’s Health Center consists of obstetricians, geneticists, neonatologists, lactation specialists, and nurse midwives. 

The different types of medical services provided under Samitivej’s pregnancy care include pre-pregnancy health, proactive pregnancy and fetal health, and newborn and child health, all of which ensure a smooth, healthy journey for both the mother and the child as they are ready to be welcomed to the world.   

Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital in particular has a dedicated Japanese Medical Center, offering one-stop service for Japanese expats.  

Bumrungrad Hospital 

Bumrungrad provides 24/7 maternity services with delivery options ranging from vaginal delivery to caesarean section (c-section). Additionally, infants will be monitored by pediatric staff upon birth to which neonatal care is also available if needed.  

Should certain pregnancies need additional support (for instance, maternity age under 16 or over 40, miscarriage or uterine surgery history, twin or multiple pregnancies, pregnancy bleeding, etc), Bumrungrad also features a high-risk pregnancy program offering continuous monitoring, diagnostics, and care.  

Among the other services available are birth certificate services (available in both Thai and English), expert-led prenatal classes for labour and delivery preparation, and one-on-one personal guidance to prepare the mother for the birth experience. 

Bumrungrad also features various postpartum rooms for mothers to recover from the delivery. What’s more, these rooms are also located on the same floor as the newborn nursery, meaning mothers can also visit and care for their babies if they’d like.  

Bangkok Hospital 

A hospital chain with branches in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, Bangkok Hospital’s Women’s Health Center covers various gynaecological and obstetrical conditions such as irregular menstruation or menstrual cramps and bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge, infertility, and more. 

Equipped with modern medical advancements, the Women’s Health Center provides both surgical and non-surgical procedures conducted by highly experienced professionals. Additionally, the Quality Pregnancy Program provides healthy pregnancy advice for early and late pregnancy as well as childbirth, postnatal recovery, lactation instruction, and breastfeeding. 

The Cost of Giving Birth in Southeast Asia as an Expat 

The exact cost of giving birth in Southeast Asia as an expat will vary depending on various factors such as the selected hospital, delivery method, and length of your stay. For instance, maternity packages in Thailand start from approximately 99,000 Thai Baht to over 300,000 Thai Baht for more premium services.  

It’s also important to note that costs have increased over the years especially at larger private hospitals like Bumrungrad. While costs can be higher depending on your hospital, procedures, or the duration of your stay until your permitted discharge, you can safeguard your finances while ensuring a smooth maternity journey for yourself and your newborn child with maternity insurance.  

Maternity Insurance for Expats Giving Birth in Southeast Asia 

Maternity insurance, available as an add-on for comprehensive health insurance plans among others like dental care or physiotherapy, generally covers prenatal care, ultrasound, delivery costs (vaginal and c-section), hospital stays, and postnatal care. In some cases, this particular add-on can also cover additional support for the baby after birth in the event of complications or congenital conditions.   

It’s important to pay close attention to the waiting period (a period of time after purchasing a health insurance plan before you are eligible to claim) under your maternity insurance coverage, which typically lasts 10-12 months or longer depending on the insurer, as pregnancy that begins before the end of this waiting period is not covered.  

Thus, it’s crucial to have your maternity insurance plan before you plan to have a baby to avoid it being excluding you from coverage.  

Conclusion

While giving birth overseas may seem daunting at first for expats in Thailand, it’s not as challenging as it sounds since Thailand features various private hospitals like Bumrungrad, Samitivej, or Bangkok Hospital, all offering comprehensive care courtesy of fully equipped modern, cutting-edge facilities.  

Just remember when you select maternity insurance coverage as an add-on to your default health insurance plan, that you pay attention to the waiting period specified, as pregnancy beginning prior to the end of the period will not be covered and will risk coverage exclusion. 

At i-Brokers, we help individuals and families compare and select health insurance solutions that match their unique budget and needs. If you need any assistance in health insurance plan comparison and selection, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Tristan Slock
Senior Relationship Manager 

Tristan is a Senior Relationship Manager at i-Brokers, with extensive experience in banking and insurance. After relocating to Thailand from Belgium, he entered the field of insurance advisory to which he eventually specialized in private medical insurance for expats. As a strong believer in having good work-life balance, Tristan’s hobbies include maintaining fitness and practicing sports he enjoys while simply enjoying the nicer things life has to offer.  

Contact Tristan:  
Email: tristanslock.pm@gmail.com 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristanslock/  

Tristan co-wrote this article with expert copywriting support and editing from Wish Sutthatothon, Marketing Executive at i-Brokers, who has extensive experience in the insurance industry, covering medical, life, and general insurance for both individuals and corporates.