What to do and Who to call during an emergency in Thailand

Emergency in Thailand right now? Call 1669 for an emergency ambulance, 191 for police or a general emergency, and 199 for fire. Visitors who need tourist-police assistance can call 1155. If someone is badly hurt, is not breathing normally, is threatened by violence or a fire is spreading, dial the relevant emergency service now and state your location.

This Thailand guide covers Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, coastal islands, rural provinces and visitors travelling between them. It puts useful telephone numbers and immediate actions at the top, then explains medical emergencies, road accidents, floods, storms, coastal hazards, tourism assistance and how to make a useful call even with limited Thai. Emergency contact information checked against official government and travel-advisory sources on 4 November 2026.

Quick answer: emergency numbers in Thailand

191 — police and general emergency reporting: call when there is immediate danger, a crime in progress or urgent police assistance is needed.
1669 — emergency medical service: the national emergency ambulance and medical-response number. Call for serious illness, injury or medical emergency.
199 — fire service: report a building fire or urgent fire emergency.
1155 — Tourist Police: tourist safety and police assistance, including support for visitors who may not speak Thai. It is not a replacement for 1669 during an immediate medical emergency.
1672 — Tourism Authority of Thailand: visitor information, not emergency ambulance or fire dispatch.
1784 — disaster assistance and reporting: Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation contact for disaster concerns, warnings and assistance. For immediate life-threatening rescue, contact the appropriate emergency service.
1193 — Highway Police: additional assistance on major highways; call 1669 for emergency medical needs after a collision and 191 where urgent police danger exists.
1300 — social assistance and protection: support for welfare and protection concerns. For violence occurring right now, call 191.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s official useful telephone number directory confirms 191, 1669, 199, 1155 and 1672. Thailand’s Government Public Relations Department also lists tourist contacts and disaster assistance at Thailand’s Tourist Assistance Contact Numbers.

What to do in the first 60 seconds

Move to a safer place if possible. Avoid flames, smoke, traffic, unsafe electrical installations, flooding, landslides, violence and unstable buildings.
Pick the right service. Call 1669 for an ambulance, 199 for a fire or 191 for urgent police assistance. Use 1155 for tourist-police help, but do not delay urgent medical treatment while seeking tourism support.
Give the location. Name the province and district, road or soi, building or hotel, floor or room and a nearby landmark. On a road, provide travel direction and the nearest junction or sign.
Describe the event in one sentence. ‘One person is unconscious’, ‘A motorbike crashed and two people are injured’, or ‘There is a fire on the second floor’.
Give the number of people affected. Say whether anyone is trapped, injured, unable to breathe normally or needs additional evacuation assistance.
Follow the operator’s advice. Stay on the call where possible. Give appropriate first aid according to instructions and training.
Keep the route clear. If safe, ask someone to meet rescuers at a road junction, hotel entrance, island pier or apartment lobby.

A useful emergency call: ‘Ambulance, please. A woman has collapsed at [hotel name and address], [city and province], next to the main lobby. She is not responding. My number is [telephone].’ If you are unsure of the address, ask a hotel receptionist, shop worker or trusted nearby person to help identify it, but make the emergency call first.

Why Thailand’s emergency numbers are not all interchangeable

Many countries use one primary number for everything, but Thailand publicly lists several specialised numbers. A person who needs an ambulance should use 1669 rather than assume that a tourist-information line will arrange immediate treatment. Fire emergencies go to 199; police or general urgent danger can go to 191. A tourist-police helpline may be helpful after a crime or where language assistance is needed, but the safest first contact still depends on the danger.

The United Kingdom’s current travel advice independently confirms these contacts: Emergency services in Thailand. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists 1155, 191, 1669 and 199 for travellers at Thailand travel advisory and local emergency contacts.

Common situations: which service do you need?

A person is unconscious, has serious chest pain or cannot breathe normally

Call 1669 for emergency medical response. Tell the operator the person’s condition, approximate age if known, location and any immediate hazards. If the person is not breathing normally, follow dispatcher guidance on CPR and the use of an AED if available. Do not give food, drinks or unprescribed medicine to someone who is unconscious or not fully alert.

An accident may happen far from a major hospital. Tell the dispatcher whether the location is on an island, mountain road, beach, pier or rural village and the best access point for an ambulance. A detailed location is often more useful than an uncertain medical diagnosis. Keep a companion at the safe access point if possible.

A fire starts in a hotel, apartment, market or restaurant

Call 199. Alert other people without putting yourself in danger and evacuate using a safe route. Avoid lifts during an active fire and do not return into smoke for documents or luggage. If you are trapped, tell the operator the building, room, floor, window or accessible entrance and follow the fire service’s instructions.

Large buildings may have several stairwells, and night markets or shopping centres can have complex access routes. Report the exact section or entrance, then move away from the smoke plume and let emergency workers direct evacuation. Do not try to fight a fast-growing fire with a small extinguisher.

A robbery, assault, serious threat or crime in progress

Move to safety and call 191 for police assistance. Tell the police where the incident is happening and what you saw, including the direction a suspect went if known. Avoid confrontation or following a violent person. Tourists who need help with communication, reporting or other safety issues can also contact 1155 Tourist Police. For an injured person needing an ambulance, use 1669.

A road crash, motorcycle collision or highway hazard

For serious injuries dial 1669; for urgent police assistance dial 191. Additional highway-police help is available at 1193. Provide the road name or highway number, province, direction of travel, nearest kilometre marker, junction or toll exit. Keep off active traffic lanes. Do not move a severely injured person unnecessarily unless the environment is immediately dangerous.

During busy holiday travel periods, heavy traffic can delay reaching a crash. Have another person who is safe from traffic guide responders to the exact location. A motorbike crash victim should not be transported on another motorbike simply because that appears faster; follow medical dispatch guidance.

A foreign visitor has lost belongings or needs police support

Call 1155 Tourist Police for assistance and guidance. If a person has been assaulted or there is a current threat, use 191 immediately. For passport or immigration documents, also contact your embassy, insurer and official immigration service as appropriate. Get a police report where required for an insurance claim, but safety comes before paperwork.

Domestic violence, exploitation or a person needing protection

Where someone is in immediate physical danger, call 191, and 1669 for urgent injury. Thailand’s social assistance services include 1300 for welfare or protection concerns. A specialist welfare line is useful, but it should not delay a call to police during an assault or to emergency medical services when someone is badly hurt.

Flooding and severe rain: the quickest lifesaving choices

Thailand has areas vulnerable to monsoon flooding, severe thunderstorms and flash floods. When authorities advise evacuation, leave early by an approved route instead of waiting until water blocks exits. Do not drive, wade or swim through moving floodwater. Deep water can conceal drains, submerged vehicles, live electrical equipment and damaged bridges. If a person is trapped or injured, contact the emergency service and give the exact location.

A flooded road outside Bangkok does not behave like an island stream in the mountains, and a house in a coastal flood zone has different hazards from a riverbank settlement. Follow local instructions from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and other authorities. The national disaster-assistance hotline is listed as 1784 in the Thai government tourist-contact information.

When indoors and water rises, move to a safer higher area as instructed, avoid water touching live electricity, and do not enter a flooded basement to collect a vehicle. Keep essential medication, drinking water, ID and chargers accessible when local authorities warn of a flood. If rescue access is blocked, tell dispatchers which road, alley or bridge can still be used.

Storms and strong wind: shelter before conditions deteriorate

Strong thunderstorms, tropical storms and heavy winds can make signs, roofs, trees and power lines hazardous. If possible, move into a safe building and avoid large glass windows and exposed outdoor areas. Do not shelter under a tree during lightning. Avoid swimming, boating and coastal sightseeing when official marine warnings are in effect.

Monitor official Thai Meteorological Department bulletins and local warnings. If the hazard is threatening life or causing injury, use the relevant emergency number. If local officials instruct people to move to a shelter, follow their designated route and avoid roads known to flood.

Tsunami and coastal emergencies in the Andaman region

Visitors to Phuket and Thailand’s Andaman coast should know the nearest marked tsunami evacuation route. After a strong or prolonged earthquake near the coast, or when an official tsunami warning is issued, move immediately to a designated high place or as far inland as necessary. Do not wait near the shore to see whether a wave forms. A tsunami can involve multiple waves, and the first is not necessarily the largest.

For distress in the water, tell the appropriate authorities your exact beach, pier, island, vessel or coastal landmark. Thailand’s official visitor contacts include water-incident reporting and maritime support channels, but for a person with life-threatening injury, 1669 remains the national emergency medical number. Follow lifeguards, marine officers and evacuation signs.

A resort or island stay is an appropriate moment to ask reception where the safe higher ground and evacuation route are. Knowing the route before a warning is far easier than trying to find it among crowds after an alarm.

Heat illness, food poisoning and environmental risks

Thailand’s heat can contribute to dehydration and heat-related illness. Seek shade or air conditioning, cool the person and provide water only if fully awake and able to swallow. If there is confusion, collapse, seizure or severe symptoms suggesting heatstroke, call 1669 immediately; heatstroke is a medical emergency.

For vomiting or diarrhoea after food or drink, seek appropriate clinical care if symptoms are significant, persistent or accompanied by dehydration. Severe weakness, unresponsiveness or other red-flag symptoms may require 1669. Do not guess at antibiotics or other treatment based on social media. Emergency ambulance dispatch is different from routine tourist healthcare information.

Tourist Police 1155 and the Thailand Tourist Police app

Thailand’s Tourist Police Bureau operates 1155 for visitor safety concerns. Official advisories also describe a Thailand Tourist Police app that can facilitate communication, including for visitors without a Thai SIM card. An app requires working data access or another supported connection. Do not assume the app will replace urgent voice calls during an ambulance or fire emergency.

The tourist-police route can be particularly useful for communication with local police after theft, a dispute, a threat or another tourist safety problem. For urgent medical problems, call 1669; for immediate police danger, call 191. Official details appear in the UK government travel guidance and Tourism Authority emergency contacts.

Where to find English help and how to report a location

Thailand has visitors from many countries, and the person who first answers a call may not speak your strongest language. Use short English sentences and give an address or landmark. If possible, have a trusted hotel, restaurant or transport staff member provide a Thai-language location while you remain involved in the call. Ask for an interpreter where the service offers one, but do not delay emergency contact while looking for a translator.

Bangkok: give district, road, soi number, building name, floor and nearest BTS or MRT station exit.
Chiang Mai: give district, road, neighbourhood, gate or temple landmark and building number.
Phuket or island: give the island, beach, hotel, pier and the quickest road or boat access.
Rural province: give village, subdistrict (tambon), district (amphoe), province and nearest recognisable landmark.
Expressway: give highway name or number, direction, kilometre marker or tollway exit.
Callback: provide a phone number that works with the current SIM or roaming service, and say if connectivity is unreliable.

Useful Thai words when speaking to a helper

ช่วยด้วย — Help me.
รถพยาบาล — Ambulance.
ตำรวจ — Police.
ไฟไหม้ — Fire or something is burning.
โรงพยาบาล — Hospital.
อยู่ที่ไหน — Where is it / where are you?
เจ็บ — Hurt or injured.

These are a few recognition aids, not a complete Thai emergency script. Showing the actual Thai address on your phone or asking a safe local person to explain where you are may work better than attempting unfamiliar pronunciation. The most useful information remains the correct number, location, injuries and immediate danger.

A five-minute household and visitor preparedness checklist

Save 191, 1669, 199 and 1155, with a note explaining each service.
Write the hotel or residential address in Thai and English, including the soi, district and province.
Locate emergency exits and an accessible meeting point away from the building.
On the coast, find tsunami evacuation signs and identify a route to higher ground.
Before monsoon or storm travel, check the Thai Meteorological Department and local evacuation warnings.
Keep identification, medication, water, a phone charger and emergency contacts available.
Plan how to help children, elderly relatives and people with disabilities leave safely.
Keep a copy of your travel insurer’s emergency assistance number, but do not call an insurer before an ambulance in a life-threatening situation.

Common mistakes to avoid

Calling 1155 instead of 1669 for a person who is unconscious or not breathing normally.
Treating 1672 tourism information as the fire-service telephone number.
Giving only ‘Bangkok’, ‘Phuket’ or ‘Chiang Mai’ instead of a specific road, soi, hotel, pier or entrance.
Driving across floodwater because another motorbike or vehicle went through.
Entering rough surf, floodwater or a burning building to rescue possessions.
Going to a beach to photograph a tsunami warning instead of moving away.
Waiting to report a crime in progress because a hotel manager is busy.
Assuming that the exact same language assistance or ambulance response arrangement applies everywhere in Thailand.

Frequently asked questions

What number do I call for an ambulance in Thailand?

1669 is the nationwide emergency medical service number. State your location, the patient’s symptoms and any hazards.

What number do I call for police in Thailand?

For urgent police assistance, dial 191. Tourist Police also provide 1155 for relevant visitor assistance.

What is Thailand’s fire number?

199 is the fire emergency telephone number, confirmed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Can 1155 dispatch an ambulance?

The 1155 line is principally for Tourist Police help and visitor safety. For direct emergency ambulance response, dial 1669.

Who can I call about floods or natural disasters?

Thailand’s government lists 1784 for disaster assistance. For immediate life-threatening rescue, use the relevant emergency contact and follow local authority orders.

What if I need an emergency call but do not speak Thai?

Dial the correct emergency number and use short, clear sentences, a saved Thai address and safe interpretation assistance. Do not wait for perfect language ability to seek help.

Official Thai sources and related guides

Editorial safety notice: General public information cannot replace emergency dispatch, medical assessment, live official warnings or local instructions. Phone numbers and services were checked on 4 November 2026 but can change. In a current emergency in Thailand, call 1669, 191 or 199 as appropriate.