Thailand resident instructions
Download your FMP letter and submit a Thai medical claim
Practical guide
At a glance
VA's Foreign Medical Program covers qualifying overseas care linked to a service-connected condition, with additional rules for eligible VR&E care.
Who this is for
Veterans receiving treatment in Thailand for VA-rated service-connected conditions.
Eligibility and coverage rules
FMP can cover medically necessary care for a rated service-connected disability, a condition VA determines aggravates it, or qualifying VR&E care. An unrelated illness is not automatically covered because it occurs during the same admission. VA's current guidance says to review your FMP benefits letter in VA.gov to see covered conditions.
Steps to take
- Sign in to VA.gov. Open My VA, select Letters, then Benefit letters and documents. Download the FMP benefits letter and show it to your provider.
- Ask whether the provider will file. If you paid, open the online FMP claim below; the printable alternative is VA Form 10-7959f-2.
- Upload the itemized bill, paid receipt and applicable clinical records. Save the submission confirmation.
Timing: Normal FMP claim deadline: within 2 years of treatment; for inpatient care, within 2 years of discharge. See the claim notice for any review rights.
Official actions
Important limits
- No routine referral or prior authorization is generally required, but that does not make every service payable.
- VR&E care for a non-service-connected condition needs the case manager's referral before care.
- FMP excludes long-term residential care and non-medical companion care. U.S. mail-order medicines are not covered through FMP.
Confirm for your circumstances
VA must determine whether the treatment is related to a covered service-connected disability.
Additional requirements
- An FMP letter does not authorize unrelated general healthcare.
- VA can translate Thai documents; English records may reduce delay.
- Prefer the official online route for sensitive records. VA lists email filing but warns against including sensitive health details in ordinary claim-question emails.
Coverage for a disputed condition and a missing benefit letter need FMP assistance through Ask VA.
Documents checklist
Official sources for this guide
Reviewed 25 October 2026. Follow the linked agency's current instructions; rules and forms may change.
Confirm your circumstances
Agency determinations and current instructions control. This independent guide provides educational information and cannot decide eligibility or individual legal, medical or tax questions.