Telehealth app ‘Ooca’ offers free counseling to Thais living abroad during pandemic

Thai expats around the world looking for help with the stress of these times can get some from a real health professional for free via a telehealth counseling app.

Ooca, a virtual healthcare service that links people by video with professionals, has partnered with the Consular Affairs Department to launch the free service to Thais in six places: Japan, Malaysia, Germany, Hong Kong, Macau and The United States.

“When you live abroad, coping with stress and going to therapists are surely going to be more difficult,” said Kanpassorn Suriyasangpetch, Ooca founder. “Local therapists may hardly even understand the social context of the client, who speaks a foreign tongue.” 

Ooca launched in late 2017. Kanpassorn, herself a doctor, got the idea from working in a rural area that only had one psychiatrist. She realized that access to proper mental health services in parts of the country was very limited.

The application, available on Android, iOS and the web, has since registered more than 72,000 users and has a growing roster of psychiatrists and psychologists providing the care.

According to Consular Affairs, 1.6 million Thais live abroad. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused distress around the world. Many Thais living abroad, who cannot return home due to the travel shutdown, must also deal with the hardships of living foreign societies.

Thai citizens living in the eligible countries can register online for a free session now through Dec. 31.

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