How Expensive Is Serious Illness? Time to Plan Your Health and Understand Every Risk with Serious Illness Land

Today, Thai people are living longer due to improved medical innovations. However, serious illnesses and health problems are also increasing. Amid Thailand's aging society, it is time to raise health awareness through an "experience" that tests whether our finances and bodies are prepared for the day we fall ill.

Thais are well-informed about health but have yet to change their behaviors.

Patchara Taweechaiwatana, Senior Executive Vice President of Customer Management and Sustainability at Allianz Ayudhya Life Insurance Public Company Limited, said that nowadays people have greater access to health information, know that new diseases are increasing, and affecting younger people more, yet many have not made significant health plans. To increase awareness of risks and nearby diseases, they organized an Experiential Exhibition at Long Life Fest 2026, a health festival by Allianz Ayudhya in collaboration with CREATIVE TALK, featuring zones where everyone can test these experiences.

“Serious Illness Land,” where visitors walk through experiences of three major diseases: Stroke House, How Wai Land (heart disease), and Cancer City. The event aims to raise awareness about the impact on families, healthcare costs, and the need for self-care starting today. It is expected to attract around 1,800 attendees (similar to the event in March 2023) and plans to continue in 2027 if well received. How costly is it if one unfortunately becomes ill?

In “Serious Illness Land,” visitors not only experience what patients go through but also see clear medical costs for each disease. These include not just treatment fees but also hidden expenses and various impacts that must be carefully considered. For example, a patient with a sudden ischemic stroke requiring hospital treatment may face expenses up to 411,500 baht for a 3-4 day stay involving procedures to widen blood vessels, including regular ward and ICU charges, doctor fees, anesthesia, medication, X-rays, and more.

If using public healthcare benefits (basic welfare), costs may be lower but waiting times are long, such as traveling to the designated hospital taking half to a full day, specialist appointments or referrals, brain scan appointments delayed by 1-6 months, and surgery dates possibly months away. Other diseases can also be costly, especially if diagnosed at an advanced or severe stage. For example,

• cancer treated with targeted therapy has estimated medical expenses ranging from 1.5 to 4 million baht.
• Liver cirrhosis treated by partial liver resection via laparoscopic surgery has estimated costs around 680,000 baht.
• Coronary artery disease requiring heart valve replacement surgery has estimated expenses between 1.2 and 1.5 million baht.

These are just examples, but we also need to consider hidden costs during treatment such as hospital travel, lost income from inability to work, and expenses for self-care equipment during illness. Certainly, starting to plan for various risks now can help in the future.

Five Techniques to Mitigate Health Risks

One way to improve life is to take care of your health and manage risks through insurance. Here are five recommended techniques.

• Assess your personal health and risk to select appropriate coverage. Review family history and lifestyle to identify possible diseases and choose insurance that covers those conditions.
• Have regular health check-ups, annually or more frequently based on individual risk. Detecting early warning signs can be a turning point to avoid severe illness.
• Check existing benefits, such as social security or group insurance. If additional coverage is needed, purchase insurance that complements existing rights to avoid overlapping.
• Understand copayment plans. Choosing insurance with copay may lower premiums, but carefully read policy terms about when copay applies.
• Select coverage limits and premiums you can afford now and in the future. Health insurance premiums rise with age, so even if premiums are low when young, they can increase to hundreds of thousands of baht annually later. Clarify this aspect clearly.

Ultimately, health and finances are interconnected. Start by checking your benefits and designing a good long-term life plan.

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