The Public Health Ministry will open a command centre to coordinate with border hospitals over the treatment of refugee patients after the suspension of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) budget.
It also plans to send mobile medical teams to provide treatment in refugee shelters every week during the period, said Minister Somsak Thepsutin.
This follows the recent decision by US President Donald Trump to suspend funding for the IRC for three months.
For Thailand, Mr Somsak said that includes nine refugee shelters which were established in 1984, and are now home to at least 100,000 refugees.
Seven of those, located in Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Tak and Mae Hong Son, were operated under IRC surveillance.
They service 69,789 refugees at the moment, with a budget supported by the security agencies in cooperation with the United Nations (UN) and international organisations.
The ministry reported that in 2024, the seven shelters transferred 13,835 patients to Thai public hospitals, as well as providing vaccinations for 26,255 children aged 1–5. The ministry contributed about 80.8 million baht towards the refugee treatment budget last year, or some 6.74 million baht a month.
Mr Somsak said the IRC's budget suspension could lead to an increased workload for hospitals located near the borders. "However, it should be emphasised the Ministry of Public Health has a duty to provide assistance based on human rights principles only.
"It is not the duty of our hospitals to provide care to all refugees. Everything must still be under the responsibility of IRC. In this regard, a plan has been put in place to mitigate the impact," he said.
For short-term measures, the ministry ordered the setting up of a central command centre to work with border hospitals, with a daily report to be submitted to the ministry.
Mobile medical hospital teams will be sent to provide treatment in the shelters every week. Local hospitals will also provide additional support through telemedicine platforms to cut travel costs.
Refugee patients who need emergency care or have chronic diseases will be transferred to hospitals without needing much documentation, he said. The ministry will also have a special budget to cover border hospitals' increased patient care costs, additional medicines and medical supplies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also request a review of the suspension of aid and seek support from other international groups while sustainable health policies for refugee populations will be established, he said.