Having Children Later But Spending Hundreds of Thousands! Delayed Marriage Leads to Egg Freezing and Sperm Banking: How Much Does It Cost?

"Having children when ready"

Many people set this goal and try to save as much money as possible. This may be one reason why people are having children later, as they focus on building financial stability. However, when the money is ready, the body may no longer be prepared. To address this, there is growing interest in technologies like egg freezing and sperm banking.

Whether single or partnered, if you want to have children, how much "readiness" in financial terms is needed? Thairath Money explores the costs and planning methods to prepare comprehensively.

Hundreds of thousands of baht may not be enough: "egg freezing and sperm banking"

Starting with egg freezing, which may seem new in Thailand but has been practiced abroad for a long time. According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) —an independent regulatory body overseeing embryos and fertility in the UK—the cost for egg freezing and thawing is about £7,000-8,000 (approximately 296,658-339,038 baht). Costs may be higher since some require multiple cycles and additional expenses such as blood tests, medication, ovarian stimulation with hormone drugs, egg retrieval, and annual egg storage fees.

As for sperm freezing costs, prices vary depending on the service provider, number of samples stored, and storage duration. For example,

• the website Sppare.me states that sperm sample collection kits cost $700 (about 22,718 baht) and include free storage for one year; subsequent years are charged $145 (about 4,705 baht) annually.
• The Sperm Bank of California indicates an initial fee (including first-year storage) of $1,575 (around 51,116 baht), with annual storage thereafter costing $550 (about 17,850 baht).

Turning to Thailand, most egg freezing packages start at around one hundred thousand baht, such as

• Bangkok Hospital Headquarters, which offers egg freezing packages starting at 110,000 baht. For example, a treatment and ovarian stimulation package with hormone drugs costs 120,000 baht and includes injection medications, ultrasounds to monitor follicle growth, and medical examinations.
• Phyathai Hospital offers a package priced at 191,031 baht that includes one year of free egg freezing storage.
• BNH Hospital has reported average egg freezing costs of 250,000-300,000 baht, which covers unlimited egg storage. If eggs are later used for IVF or ICSI procedures to achieve pregnancy, additional costs apply.

Regarding sperm freezing, the VFC Center for infertility treatment states that prices start at about 11,000 baht for sperm and embryo freezing, though prices may vary with promotions and additional fees.

This is just the beginning of financial planning for having children. Another crucial step is in vitro fertilization (IVF), with costs ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of baht. Bangkok Hospital Headquarters lists IVF packages priced between 50,000 and 396,000 baht. Jintabut Infertility Center offers packages at 138,000 baht per treatment cycle, and Ekachai Hospital's IVF package costs 222,000 baht — all of which are significant expenses.

Three financial matters to prepare before having children

These package prices represent only part of the costs involved in having children. Therefore, financial readiness should begin with planning. Here are three points to consider for smoother financial management.

1. You want children, but how many?

Although family life starts with two people, deciding on the number of children requires considering whether the available finances are sufficient. This includes reviewing family income and expenses and estimating how much household costs will increase with children. Such factors help determine how many children to have.

Start by estimating expenses such as school tuition fees for the chosen schools and costs for childhood, schooling, and adulthood. Though challenging, gathering this information early facilitates future financial planning.

2. Whether you have little or much money, start saving or investing to grow it.

Even if calculations show the need for millions of baht, children do not grow up overnight. There is still time to save and grow this money, setting saving periods according to goals, for example:

The period before children enter school is a short-term goal (1-3 years) with low risk tolerance. Investments should focus on low-risk assets to preserve principal.

Once children start school, parents' investment goals become long-term (3-5 years or more). Money can be allocated to higher-risk assets to increase chances of better returns.

3. Plan, but update your financial plan regularly

Life circumstances may change with the economic environment, so established goals may need adjusting accordingly.

Finally, planning to have children when ready should begin with sound financial planning. Proper money allocation today can help ensure both parents and children have "good financial health" in the future.

Note: Exchange rates used are 32.46 baht per US dollar and 42.40 baht per British pound sterling.

Sources:Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA),SET,Phyathai Hospital,BNH Hospital,Bangkok Hospital Headquarters 

Read personal finance and financial planning news with Thairath Money to help you achieve a "Good Financial Life" athttps://www.thairath.co.th/money/personal_finance 

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