SafetyWing Review: My Experience Claiming a Health Check-Up (and an MRI) in Bangkok
I've had the SafetyWing Nomad Complete insurance since I moved to Bangkok in 2025, and so far, I've only had positive experiences with it.
In this post, I want to share my honest experience — in particular, the complete routine health check-up I did in Bangkok recently (in March 2026), which I then claimed back through SafetyWing. I'll also share what happened when the doctors found something unexpected and I ended up needing an MRI too.
TL;DR - Claimed a $400 health check-up, reimbursed up to the $350/year cap. Also claimed a $600 MRI, paid $100 out of pocket
What Is SafetyWing?
SafetyWing is a travel and health insurance company specifically geared towards digital nomads and remote workers. It was founded by a team of Norwegians with the goal of building a kind of social safety net for the internet generation — travel and medical insurance being the first product in that vision.
What I particularly like about their product is the ease of use. The platform is easy to navigate, and submitting a claim is a straightforward process — which, as you'll read below, I can now confirm from personal experience.
I also love the bird mascots, which somehow make the brand more fun. Though personally, I feel they should just commit and make them 100% bird rather than some weird bird-human hybrid 😂.
Why I Chose SafetyWing
There are a few reasons why SafetyWing stood out to me over other travel insurance options:
Value for money: At around $160/month for a pretty comprehensive health insurance that also includes travel insurance benefits, I think the pricing is genuinely good — especially compared to what you'd pay for equivalent coverage in a Western country.
Ease of use: Now that I've actually submitted a claim and had the costs reimbursed, I can attest to this firsthand.
Built for remote workers: The plans are designed around a lifestyle like mine — based in one country most of the year, but travelling regularly and needing coverage in multiple countries.
You can also check out my blog post comparing 6 different health insurances for remote workers if you want to see how SafetyWing stacks up against the alternatives.
What Plan Do I Have?
I'm on the Nomad Complete Plan, which is aimed at digital nomads and remote workers looking for more comprehensive health and travel coverage. Since I'm mostly based in Bangkok but travel for a few months a year and want to be covered in other countries too, this was exactly what I was looking for.
A few things I particularly like about this plan:
Electronics theft coverage is included — handy if something gets stolen while travelling. (Very unlikely in Thailand, but you never know!)
Routine health check-ups are covered — especially relevant if you live somewhere like Bangkok, where health check-ups are high quality and very affordable compared to Europe or the US.
Mental health coverage is included, which is increasingly important and not something you see in every plan.
For the full breakdown of what's included, check out my detailed SafetyWing Nomad Complete review.
Claiming the Costs: The Health Check-Up
I had a complete health check-up at Samitivej Hospital in Sukhumvit — one of Bangkok's top private hospitals and a popular choice among expats. The total came to around $400.
(Quick note if you haven't been to a Bangkok private hospital before: the quality is genuinely excellent, the staff speak good English, and the experience is far more comfortable than the ER-visit-level stress you might associate with navigating foreign healthcare. It's one of the genuine perks of living here.)
After the appointment, I went to the SafetyWing portal and submitted a healthcare claim, uploading my proof of payment and the receipt from the hospital. Straightforward.
The annual preventative health check-up benefit has a limit of $350 per year, so I claimed up to that amount. It can be any preventative health care check-up, by the way — not just a standard annual physical.
I waited a few days, got the approval email, and had the money reimbursed to my account within a week. All in all, easy and stress-free.
The Follow-Up MRI — A More Nerve-Wracking Experience
During my ultrasound, the doctors found something on my liver and recommended an MRI to rule anything out. Not the news you want to hear mid-check-up — but thankfully, everything came back fine.
An MRI of the abdomen at Samitivej costs around 20,000 THB (approximately $600). Not cheap. But here's where SafetyWing really came through.
A few things worth knowing from this experience:
Pre-approval is required for some procedures. For the MRI, I had to request pre-approval before submitting the claim. This is easy to do through the online portal, and it's good to know in advance that this step exists for larger or non-routine procedures.
The hospital handled the claim directly. When I mentioned I had SafetyWing coverage, the hospital said: "Okay, we'll check with them and process the costs directly." That was a huge relief — I didn't have to chase paperwork or handle the admin myself at a moment when I was already a little anxious.
I paid around $100 out of pocket. SafetyWing covered the majority of the MRI cost, and I paid the remainder. For a $600 procedure, I think that's a fair outcome.
Other Thoughts on SafetyWing
So far, I only have good things to say. I haven't used all the benefits yet — I'd still like to try the mental health options at some point. And thankfully, I haven't needed to use the emergency coverage (accidents, hospitalisation, etc.) — but living in tropical countries means that coverage is genuinely reassuring to have. A motorbike accident or a bout of dengue fever isn't outside the realm of possibility.
One thing worth knowing (that caught me off-guard): dental check-ups are not included in the standard plan. I assumed they were, submitted a claim, and was told it wasn't covered. Entirely my mistake for not checking, but I'd rather flag it here so you don't make the same assumption. There is a dental add-on you can purchase when signing up. Personally, I think if mental health coverage is included as standard, dental probably should be too — but that's just my opinion.
FAQ
Can I buy SafetyWing if I've already left my home country?
Yes — you can purchase a SafetyWing plan even if you're already travelling. You don't need to buy it before leaving home.
Does SafetyWing cover electronics theft?
Electronics theft isn't included in the base plan, but you can add an electronics theft add-on when you sign up.
Is SafetyWing legit? I've seen complaints on Reddit.
In my experience, absolutely. I've been using SafetyWing since 2025 — first the Essential plan and now the Complete plan — and every interaction I've had with them has been positive. The claim process is transparent, the approvals have been timely, and the reimbursements have arrived as promised.
Does SafetyWing include non-emergency benefits?
Yes, but only on the Nomad Complete plan. This includes routine check-ups (like the one in this post), mental health coverage, and specialist visits such as a gynaecologist. The Essential plan is more focused on emergencies and travel coverage.
Thinking about getting SafetyWing? Use this link to get started for the Nomad Complete Insurance and feel free to drop any questions in the comments below.
This post was created in partnership with SafetyWing. All opinions, experiences, and that MRI are genuinely mine.
