Koh Tao Emergency Numbers & Health Guide
Save these first.
Hospital, rescue, the dive chamber, clinics and pharmacies on Koh Tao: the numbers to have in your phone before you need them.
Save these first.
Hospital, rescue, the dive chamber, clinics and pharmacies on Koh Tao: the numbers to have in your phone before you need them.
In an emergency, call
Tap a number to call it. Checked in November 2026: numbers can change, so if one doesn't answer, call 1669.
Thailand's national emergency medical line, 24/7, free from any phone.
Call → Koh Tao Rescue+66 87 979 0191Volunteer land & sea rescue, 24/7. Based in Chalok Baan Kao.
Call → Dive emergency: SSS recompression chamber+66 81 081 9777Hyperbaric chamber on Koh Tao, 24/7 (also on WhatsApp). Other line: +66 77 427 427.
Call → Koh Tao Hospital (government)+66 77 456 49024-hour emergency service, Mae Haad.
Call → Tourist Police1155English-speaking help for visitors, 24/7: theft, scams, lost documents.
Call → Police191General police emergency line.
Call → Fire199Fire emergency line.
Call →Hospital & clinics
Koh Tao Hospital is the island's small government hospital, in Mae Haad. It has a 24-hour emergency service and a dispensary, and treats accidents and common illnesses. It does not have surgery or intensive care: serious cases are stabilised here and transferred by boat to Koh Samui or to the mainland hospitals in Chumphon and Surat Thani.
There are also private clinics in Mae Haad, Sairee and Chalok with doctors, nurses and lab tests, used to treating travellers and divers: ear and sinus problems, cuts and scooter grazes, infections, stomach bugs and dive medicals. One of them is Ocean Medical Clinic in Mae Haad (+66 77 423 801), which works with the recompression chamber.
The nearest big hospital is on Koh Samui: Bangkok Hospital Samui has a 24-hour emergency department (+66 77 429 500). Keep your passport and your insurance details with you: private clinics and hospitals ask for them, or for payment, before treatment.
Diving emergency
Koh Tao has its own SSS recompression (hyperbaric) chamber, open 24/7 with a dive-medicine team. Tingling, joint pain, unusual tiredness, dizziness or breathing problems after a dive: give oxygen if you can, and call the chamber right away. Don't wait to see if it passes.
Call the chamber: +66 81 081 9777Pharmacies
You'll find pharmacies in all three main villages, Mae Haad, Sairee and Chalok Baan Kao, with a wide range of medicines, ear drops, rehydration salts, plasters and sun care. 7-Eleven shops also sell basic first-aid items. Pharmacies are not open all night, so buy what you need during the day, and bring enough of any prescription medicine for your whole stay.
Stay safe
Island directory
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Quick answers
Yes, Koh Tao has a small government hospital in Mae Haad with a 24-hour emergency service, plus several private clinics. There is no full hospital with surgery or intensive care on the island: serious cases are stabilised on Koh Tao and transferred by boat to Koh Samui or the mainland (Chumphon or Surat Thani).
Call 1669 for a medical emergency or ambulance anywhere in Thailand, or Koh Tao Rescue on +66 87 979 0191. For police, call 191, and for the English-speaking Tourist Police, 1155.
Yes. The SSS recompression chamber is on Koh Tao itself and treats divers 24/7. In a diving emergency, call +66 81 081 9777 straight away and don't wait to see if the symptoms go away.
There are pharmacies in Mae Haad, Sairee and Chalok Baan Kao with a wide range of medicines, and the clinics and the hospital have their own dispensary. Pharmacies are not open all night, so buy what you need during the day.
On Koh Samui, about 1.5 to 2 hours away by boat. Bangkok Hospital Samui (+66 77 429 500) has a 24-hour emergency department. Your clinic, the hospital or your insurer will organise the transfer if you need one.
Yes, and make sure it covers scuba diving to the depth you'll dive, motorbike accidents if you'll ride, and medical evacuation by boat. Keep your insurer's 24-hour number in your phone.
This page is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, always call 1669 or the nearest medical service first.