Clinically reviewed by Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan, Physician, Takecare Clinic Phuket. Last reviewed: September 2026
An annual medical check for expats in Phuket serves two different purposes: one is a legal compliance document for your work permit or visa, the other is a genuine health screen. The work-permit medical certificate screens for six specific prohibited diseases and is valid for 60 days from the examination date. A full annual health screen covers blood, kidneys, liver, lipids, and more. You can get both in a single walk-in visit at Takecare Clinic Phuket, no appointment needed.
You have been in Phuket a year, maybe two. You teach at an international school in Thalang, manage a dive operation out of Chalong, or run hospitality staff at a resort in Bang Tao. Your employer asks for a medical certificate. HR sends a form. You Google it, and suddenly you are reading about six prohibited diseases, VDRL blood tests, and Ministry of Labour decrees without a clear answer to the simplest question: what do I actually need, where do I get it, and how long does it take?
I see this every week. Expats arrive holding a form from their employer or school, sometimes with the wrong idea about what the check involves, sometimes having left it too late relative to their renewal deadline. The process is straightforward once someone explains it plainly. Here is what you need to know.
What Thai Law Actually Requires for Work Permit Holders
Thai law sets out the health conditions that disqualify a foreign national from holding a work permit. There are six prohibited diseases: leprosy, active tuberculosis, drug addiction, chronic alcoholism, elephantiasis, and third-stage syphilis. A licensed physician must examine you and certify that you have none of them.
In practice, this means a physical examination and a VDRL blood test to screen for syphilis. The doctor signs a certificate on a form accepted by the Ministry of Labour or your employer. That is the compliance-only certificate. It does not include a blood count, a cholesterol check, or a glucose reading. It is a legal document, not a health screen.
The certificate is valid for 60 days from the date of examination. Time it carefully. If you get it too early and your work permit renewal takes longer than expected, you will need to redo it.
What Employers and Schools in Phuket Specifically Ask For
Most employers in Phuket — hotels, dive operators, schools, construction companies — need the standard Ministry of Labour format. Your HR team should tell you which form they require. If they give you a printed template, bring it to the clinic.
International schools in Phuket are a separate situation. Schools like HeadStart, British International School, and QSI sometimes require a medical certificate for staff or student enrollment. These are not the same document as a work-permit certificate. If your school asks for a specific format, confirm it with the admissions or HR office before you come in, and bring whatever template they provide.
Some larger hotel groups and multinationals require a full health screen on top of the compliance certificate: a blood panel, sometimes an ECG, sometimes a chest X-ray. If your employer asks for this, get the requirement in writing before your appointment so we know exactly what to run.
The Difference Between a Medical Certificate and a Full Annual Health Screen
The work-permit certificate answers one question: do you have any of the six prohibited diseases? The examination takes about fifteen minutes. You leave with a signed letter, and that is it.
A full annual health screen covers a complete blood count, fasting blood glucose, kidney function, liver function, and a lipid panel for cholesterol. Depending on your age and risk profile, we may add an HbA1c for longer-term blood sugar trends, a thyroid check, or an ECG. This is the check that tells you whether life in Phuket — the diet shifts, the heat, the social habits of an expat community — is affecting your body in ways you have not noticed.
The two are not interchangeable. You need the certificate for legal compliance. You need the full screen for your actual health. Both can be done in a single visit, with printed results and a bilingual medical report ready the same day.
How Long the Certificate Is Valid, and When to Renew
| Purpose | Valid For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit application or renewal | 60 days from examination | Must be submitted before expiry |
| School enrollment (child) | Varies by school | Confirm format with admissions office |
| Thai driving licence | Typically 1 month | Confirm with Land Transport Office |
| Employer internal requirement | Varies by employer | Check your employment contract |
Do not assume last year’s certificate is still valid. For work permit purposes, 60 days is the hard limit. I have seen expats arrive with a certificate dated three months ago, needing to start again.
Plan backwards from your renewal submission date. If your work permit renewal is due in mid-November, aim to do the examination in late September or early October. That gives you buffer without cutting it close.
Will International Health Insurance Cover the Annual Medical Check
The short answer: it depends entirely on your policy.
Many international health insurance plans held by long-stay expats in Phuket include a preventive care or wellness screening benefit. If yours does, an annual health screen is likely covered, at least in part. The compliance-only work-permit certificate is less likely to be covered, because insurers typically classify it as a regulatory requirement rather than a clinical service.
Check your policy for terms like "preventive care," "annual health screening," or "wellness benefit." Ask us for an itemised receipt with diagnostic codes when you attend. This is what most insurers need to process a reimbursement claim, and we issue these as standard.
If you are unsure, contact your insurer before you come in. One email before the visit saves a longer conversation after.
Getting Your Annual Medical Check in Phuket
No appointment is needed. You walk in, tell us what you need, and we take it from there. Takecare Clinic Phuket is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with English-speaking physicians on site. If you work shifts or your schedule does not fit a hospital booking window, that matters.
Bring your passport with your current visa stamp. If your employer gave you a specific certificate template, bring that too. If you want fasting glucose and lipid results as part of a full blood panel, fast for eight to ten hours beforehand. For the compliance-only certificate, fasting is not required.
Results for the compliance certificate are typically ready the same visit. Full blood panel results may take a day or two depending on which tests are included. Medical reports are issued in both English and Thai, which is what most Phuket employers and the Ministry of Labour expect. You can see more about what we cover on our medical certificate service page.
We see expats from across Phuket: Chalong, Rawai, Thalang, Bang Tao, Cherng Talay, Kamala, and Phuket Town. If you are not sure whether we can issue the format your employer needs, WhatsApp us before you come in.
Need a medical certificate for your work permit, visa, or employer in Phuket? Takecare Clinic Phuket provides compliance-only work-permit certificates and full annual health screens, with English-speaking physician care, same-day bilingual results, and no appointment needed. Walk in any day at our Patong clinic, or contact us on WhatsApp to confirm your required format before your visit. We see expats and residents from across Phuket island, including Chalong, Bang Tao, Thalang, Rawai, and Phuket Town. Visit takecareclinicphuket.com for directions and contact details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Ponlawat Pitsuwan
Physician, Takecare Medical Clinic Phuket
a walk-in medical clinic based in Patong with English-speaking physician care and no appointment needed. He sees tourists, expats, and long-stay residents from across Phuket island for annual medical checks, work-permit and employer medical certificates, full health screenings, and ongoing chronic disease management. His focus is straightforward, evidence-based care explained in plain language.
