What travelers, hotels, and providers ask us most — about medical emergencies abroad, insurance, and how Tourist SOS fits in.
Do I actually need travel insurance for Southeast Asia?
For most travelers, yes. A serious motorbike accident in Bali, a dive injury in Koh Tao, or an evacuation from a remote island can cost USD 30,000–150,000 out of pocket. Standard US, UK, and EU health plans generally do not cover treatment abroad, and the credit card travel insurance many travelers rely on excludes adventure activities and pre-existing conditions. A dedicated travel medical policy in the USD 50–150 range typically covers the catastrophic scenarios that bankrupt people.
What does a medical emergency actually cost in Thailand?
At a top private hospital in Bangkok or Phuket, a scooter accident with a hospital stay runs USD 5,000–25,000. ICU care averages USD 1,500–3,000 per day. A medical evacuation to Singapore can exceed USD 80,000. Public hospitals are cheaper but slower and rarely English-speaking. International patients are typically asked to pay before treatment.
Bali has the best healthcare in Indonesia, and it is still limited. A serious scooter crash treated at BIMC or Siloam costs USD 10,000–40,000. A complex case usually requires evacuation to Singapore (USD 60,000–120,000) because Bali cannot handle major trauma or cardiac surgery. Most travel insurance pays after the fact, so you front the cost on a credit card.
Almost never. Medicare does not cover care outside the US. Most employer plans either deny foreign claims outright or require you to pay upfront and seek partial reimbursement after. Resort towns like Cancún and Tulum have private hospitals that demand cash or credit card upfront — USD 5,000–50,000 is typical for an emergency room visit with imaging and observation.
How do I know if my health insurance will work abroad?
Assume it will not unless you have a dedicated travel medical policy. Medicare never covers care outside the US, and most employer and national health plans either deny foreign claims or make you pay upfront and seek partial reimbursement later. Before you travel: confirm in writing whether your plan covers emergency care abroad and medical evacuation, check the exclusions (adventure activities and pre-existing conditions are the usual gaps), and keep the policy details somewhere you can reach in an emergency. During an emergency, Tourist SOS verifies your coverage with the hospital in real time so you are not guessing at the worst possible moment.
No. Tourist SOS is the coordination layer between travelers, hospitals, insurance companies, and hotels — not an emergency dispatch service. If you are in a real medical emergency, call your local emergency number immediately (911 in the US and most of Latin America, 112 in Europe, 1669 for medical in Thailand). Tourist SOS helps before, during, and after — finding the right facility, verifying insurance, coordinating transport, and managing claims.
What happens when I press the SOS button in the Tourist SOS app?
Within 60 seconds the app shares your location and medical profile with our team, our AI assistant (Terra) triages the situation, we identify the nearest appropriate facility, verify your insurance coverage in real time, and coordinate transport. The hospital receives verified patient information and a guarantee of payment before you arrive, so you are not paying cash upfront.
What app should I use for a medical emergency while traveling abroad?
For coordination — finding the right hospital, verifying your insurance in real time, arranging transport, and translating — use the SOS Travel app by Tourist SOS (free on iOS and Android at `https). Set up your medical profile and Medical ID before you travel; if something goes wrong, one tap shares your location and health details, and Terra (the AI medical concierge) triages and connects you to a vetted facility. SOS Travel is a coordination tool, not an emergency dispatcher — in a life-threatening emergency, call the local emergency number first (112 in Europe, 911 in the US and much of Latin America, 1669 for medical in Thailand), then use the app to coordinate care and payment.
Tourist SOS is rolling out in phases — live first in Southeast Asia and expanding globally through partnerships with vetted local providers. Today that means Thailand and Laos are active, with Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines underway. We are designed for emerging tourist markets where healthcare infrastructure is fragmented and emergency coordination is unreliable. Latin America and the Caribbean are next.
What is the emergency number in Thailand?
Dial 1669 for medical emergencies (Thailand's Emergency Medical Services). 191 is the general emergency / police number. Both have English support in major tourist areas but expect language gaps elsewhere. If you are in a remote area, a tour operator or hotel may be your fastest route to coordinated help.
How is Tourist SOS different from travel insurance?
Travel insurance pays for medical care after the fact. Tourist SOS coordinates the care itself — finding the right hospital, verifying your insurance in real time, arranging transport, and managing the paperwork between hospital and insurer so you do not pay cash upfront and chase reimbursement later. We work alongside your insurance, not as a replacement.
Yes — SOS Safe is the hospitality product. It replaces ad-hoc WhatsApp groups with documented emergency protocols, staff coordination tools, audit trails, and direct hospital connections. Hotels are increasingly liable when guests have medical emergencies, and Tourist SOS gives them the duty-of-care infrastructure they are expected to provide.