SQ319

Hi guys,

I'm currently pregnant and will be heading to BKK for a short holiday in October. I will be 28 weeks pregnant then. The airlines are very clear on their policies regarding flying for pregnant women, however, it's not so clear at the immigration end.

Apparently, there are some countries which imposed certain restrictions regarding expectant mothers of other nationalities from entering their nation.
(Eg. Hong Kong for PRC expecting mothers)

I am wondering if there is such a rule in place for Thailand? I cannot find any information on this on the Thai immigration website, hence am turning to the always reliable FT for help on this, from the official word, or from your experiences. I want to confirm this before I purchase my tickets.

Thanks.

Tchiowa

Some countries make this restriction because they have Immigration policies that say a child born on their soil is automatically a citizen (US for example). Thailand has no such policy. And no restrictions. Don't worry.

MSPeconomist

Some countries also have restrictions because otherwise they would have to pay for medical care if the birth takes place in their country, including costly care for premature babies.

olisch

My wife didn't have any problems at all a couple of years go at the immigration while being pregnant

aBroadAbroad

Passport holders from some countries are more likely to be scrutinized than others, regardless of things like appearing "very" pregnant. I've never heard of this being a specific issue in TH, but why not play it safe? Being able to show proof of international medical coverage, including evacuation insurance, can help smooth over any potential problems in this regard. It's something you should certainly have when traveling this far along in your pregnancy anyway.

tai4de2

I would be stunned to hear about any kind of pregnancy-related restriction or scrutiny of any kind at Thai immigration.

Entering Thailand is a rather casual affair for folks in the visa-free entry category (crackdowns notwithstanding).

Dr. HFH

I never understood why more people don't do this. It's cheap (I pay something like $300/year) and, IMO, worth every penny should you need it. I use MedJet Assist. I've never had to be evacuated, but they also have docs standing by if you want to talk to an American doc for advice, opinion, etc. It's included in the service. (They're based in Louisiana, IIRC.) I've used them a couple of times, once when I was hospitalized at Bumrungrad for food poisoning and once when I was at B'grad as an outpatient when I broke my foot. When I was hospitalized at B'grad, it was for three days. I called MedJet Assist on the first day to let them know what was going on. They called me twice daily and one of their docs also spoke with my Thai doc at B'grad a couple of times. I was both pleased and impressed with the service.