For the past two decades, Thailand has been plagued by political instability, with 11 different prime ministers leading the country during this time. However, despite the uncertainties in the government, one area of Thailand that shines is its public-health system.
Thai healthcare is considered one of the most effective in the world, with an average Thai person expected to live up to 80 years old. This is significantly longer than the regional average of 73 years in South-East Asia and even slightly longer than the average life expectancy in America and Europe, which is around 79 years.
In terms of health insurance coverage, Thailand has achieved impressive results, with a staggering 99.5% of its 72 million population being covered last year. This high coverage rate is remarkable for a developing country like Thailand, where per capita income is significantly lower than in America. Despite this, Thailand managed to allocate a smaller percentage of its GDP towards public health compared to other developed countries such as America and Europe. Its public-health bill in 2021 was only 6% of GDP compared to 17% in America and 11% in the European Union.