Call 1669 for a medical emergency in Chiang Mai. The 1669 ambulance is free and usually takes you to the nearest available hospital. A private hospital's own ambulance usually carries a fee, and no hospital page read prints the amount, so ask before you agree to a transfer.
Two kinds of number are possible when the phone is in your hand: the national line and a hospital’s own line. Use 1669 when someone is hurt or ill and needs help where they are. Use a hospital’s line when you want that hospital to move a patient.
The National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEMS) home page carries “1669 - call for a medical emergency”. 1669 is the Emergency Medical number.
The 1669 service is part of a countrywide network and is free of charge. The operators will usually transfer you to the nearest available hospital, so you do not choose it.
For a patient outside the Faculty of Medicine area, Maharaj Nakorn’s EMS page sends you to the Emergency Medical Command Center of Chiang Mai Province, on 1669. It arranges an EMS, BLS or FR unit in the nearest area.
Treatment cannot be denied once a patient is delivered to a hospital.
If nobody speaks English
The Tourist Police line 1155 is for English help, and the ambulance is 1669. When a government hospital gives you no one to translate, the Tourist Assistance Centre via 1155 can help.
The Tourist Police I Lert U app sends a help request with a photo to the 1155 centre, which tracks your phone by GPS. The Chiang Mai Tourist Police station is in San Kamphaeng and open daily 08.30-16.30 on 053339380. It is not an emergency line.
What to say when you call
Stay calm and give the information clearly. The dispatcher needs:
The nature of the event, clear scene entry and exit paths, and landmarks.
The number of patients, with sex and approximate age, and whether each is conscious and still breathing.
Dangerous risks such as being in the middle of the road, fire or oil and chemical spills.
A last name and a callback number.
Give first aid as the staff instruct over the phone until the ambulance arrives.
A hospital’s own number does not replace 1669 for a patient at the roadside. It suits a transfer to a hospital you have chosen.
Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital: EMS line
The hospital’s Emergency Medical Service provides advanced resuscitation outside the hospital, 24 hours a day. It serves people injured in accidents and those with life-threatening illness, with a team of doctors, nurses and emergency medical staff. For a patient inside the Faculty of Medicine area of Chiang Mai University, dial 38777.
Use +6653-938-777, the hospital’s EMS service line, from anywhere outside the Faculty of Medicine area. The short number 38777 works only from inside that area. The referral center is +6653-938-799.
The Trauma Center side of Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital 110 Intrawarorot Rd, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Chiangmai Ram Hospital: transfer centre
Chiangmai Ram Hospital heads a service section “patient transfer centre and 24-hour emergency vehicle service”. It moves accident and emergency patients within Chiang Mai and to other provinces, 24 hours a day.
A transfer can be discussed every day, 24 hours, on 052-004601.
The street entrance of Chiangmai Ram Hospital.Chiangmai Ram Hospital 8 Bunrueang Rit Rd, Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai: trauma center
Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai keeps its ambulances always on standby for fast response in an emergency. Its Trauma Center of Excellence is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, with +66 (0)52 089 888 and 1719. The number 1719 is for local calls only.
The lobby at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai.Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai 88/8-9 Lampang - Chiang Mai Superhighway, Tambon Nong Pa Khrang, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
McCormick Hospital: emergency department
McCormick Hospital’s Emergency Department provides an ambulance service for special examinations off the premises, 24 hours a day. It serves accident and emergency patients 24 hours a day.
McCormick Hospital seen from above.McCormick Hospital 133 Kaeonawarat Rd, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Rajavej Chiang Mai Hospital
The contact number is 052-011999. For a roadside patient use 1669.
What an ambulance costs
The 1669 ride is free of charge. A private hospital’s own ambulance usually carries a fee. No hospital page read prints the amount, so ask for it before you agree to a transfer.
The bill that matters is the treatment. UCEP is a state-policy right for a critical emergency patient, and a patient who meets the criteria and calls 1669 is covered without paying upfront. Existing car-accident victim protection or life insurance cover must be used first. UCEP queries go to the coordination centre on 02-872-1669, open 24 hours.
No official text read extends UCEP to non-Thai patients, so do not plan on it. In a critical emergency the hospital claims a foreign patient’s cost from the patient’s own life, health or travel insurance. Keep your insurer’s emergency number and policy number in your phone.
1Call the national medical emergency numberCall 1669, the national medical emergency number. From outside the hospital area, reach the Emergency Medical Command Center of Chiang Mai Province on 1669.
2Tell the dispatcher what is happeningGive the nature of the event and the landmarks, the number of patients, whether each is conscious and breathing, any dangers, and a callback number.
3Give first aid as instructedProvide first aid as the staff instruct over the phone until the ambulance reaches you.
4Use a hospital line for a transferFor a transfer to a named hospital, call its own line, such as Chiangmai Ram on 052-004601 or Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai on 1719.
5Give your insurer's details at the hospitalHand over your insurer's details at registration, because hospitals claim a foreign patient's critical-emergency cost from the patient's own insurance.
Not confirmed: The fee for a private hospital ambulance: no hospital prints one, so ask for the amount before the transfer. Whether Rajavej and Lanna run ambulances for transfers.
The national medical emergency number is 1669. The Tourist Police Bureau carries 1669 as the Emergency Medical number.
Is the 1669 ambulance free for foreigners?
Yes, the 1669 ride is part of a countrywide network and is free of charge. Treatment is a separate bill. No official text read extends the Thai UCEP right to non-Thai patients, and hospitals claim a foreign patient's cost from the patient's own insurance.
Can I call a hospital directly for an ambulance?
For patient transfers, Chiangmai Ram Hospital runs 052-004601, every day, 24 hours. Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai's Trauma Center is open 24 hours on +66 (0)52 089 888 and 1719.
Do private hospital ambulances cost money?
Usually yes. Most private hospitals run their own ambulances within reasonable distances, usually for a fee. No hospital page read prints the amount, so ask for it when you book the transfer.
What should I say to the operator?
Tell the dispatcher the nature of the event, the landmarks, the number of patients, whether each is conscious and breathing, any dangers, and a callback number.
What if nobody on the line speaks English?
Call the Tourist Police on 1155: the Tourist Assistance Centre can help when a government hospital gives no one to translate. The Tourist Police I Lert U app sends a help request with your GPS position and a photo to the 1155 centre.
Will a hospital refuse me if I arrive by ambulance?
No. Treatment cannot be denied once a patient is delivered to a hospital.
Which hospital will the ambulance take me to?
The 1669 operators will usually transfer you to the nearest available hospital. To go to a hospital you have chosen, call that hospital's own line.
General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
