Emergencies and Accidents in Phuket: Numbers, Hospitals and What to Do

Numbers to save

• Ambulance and medical emergency: 1669.
• Police: 191.
• Tourist Police, with English-speaking operators: 1155.
• Fire: 199.
• Highway police: 1193.
• Poison control: 1554.
• Private ambulance numbers are listed in some guides, such as 1724 or 1719.
• Your embassy's emergency number and your insurer's 24-hour line.

Guides differ on whether the Tourist Police can dispatch an ambulance, with one saying they cannot. So call 1669 for an ambulance and use 1155 when you need English help with police or paperwork.

Hospitals with emergency departments

Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket Town is the private hospital most guides recommend for serious trauma, with a 24-hour emergency department and English-speaking staff. Other options mentioned include Siriroj, Phuket International Hospital, Mission Hospital, Patong Hospital and the government Vachira Phuket Hospital. Confirm the numbers on each hospital's own website, because contact numbers vary between sources, and keep the nearest hospital saved in your phone. See the health and insurance guide.

After a road accident

• Get to safety and check for injuries. Call 1669 if anyone is hurt.
• Call 191 or 1155. Give a landmark, petrol station name or road marker so help can find you.
• Do not move the vehicles unless the police or your insurer tell you to, unless it is unsafe to stay.
• Photograph the scene, vehicle damage, plates and road markings, and note witness names and numbers.
• Exchange details with the other driver, including the plate, ID and insurance.
• Do not sign anything you do not understand.
• Call your insurer. A guide says insurance agents may arrive, inspect the scene and issue a report.
• Get a police report. It is required for most insurance claims, and a guide says you must file one at the local station if nobody admits fault or if there is a hit and run.

Keep all medical receipts and reports. For licences, helmets and insurance see the driving guide, and for compulsory insurance see the vehicle guide.

Other emergencies

• Medical: call 1669, and tell the operator the address and what has happened. Ambulance crews may take you to the nearest hospital, so ask about cost and your insurer's direct billing as soon as you can.
• Lost or stolen passport: report to the police and ask for a report, then contact your embassy for an emergency travel document. Also tell Immigration, because you will need the entry record.
• Theft or lost phone: report to the nearest police station or 1155, because insurers want the report.
• Snake, jellyfish or animal bites: seek medical care at once. See the pets guide and health hazards guide.
• Sea and weather: follow beach flags, and note the national disaster warning line 1860 mentioned in one guide.

Prepare in advance

• Keep your passport, visa and insurance copies on your phone and offline.
• Add an in-case-of-emergency contact on your phone lock screen.
• Know your blood type and allergies, and carry a list of medicines.
• Share your location with a trusted person when riding or boating.
• Choose a hospital near your home. See the area guides.
• Keep a small first-aid kit at home.