Medical Care in Thailand

All types of medical care are available in Thailand and to a very high standard. In fact, Thailand is considered the world’s foremost medical tourism country owing to its availability of a wide range of treatments, high levels of service and most of all, its cheap prices.

Most visitors coming to Thailand for treatment head to either Bangkok General or Bumrungrad hospitals. Bumrungrad is the more upmarket of the two and the leader in breast care, dialysis, and diabetes with its many specialist departments. It is also busy with sex reassignment surgery and plastic surgery, while Bangkok General Hospital has individual centers for heart, liver and kidney treatment.

Bangkok Phuket Hospital in Phuket is another very popular hospital in Thailand for medical tourists and specializes in extensive check-ups. Its proximity with world-class beaches and nightlife is also a major plus. In the north, Chiang Mai Ram Hospital is the leader, while state-of-the-art dental clinics are also apparent.

Thailand’s top private hospitals and clinics, of which most are located in the capital, are internationally accredited (ISO 1900-2000) and feature state-of-the-art equipment and Western-trained, English-speaking doctors and nurses. Many staff have trained in the US, Europe and Australia, while locally trained staff are also of the highest quality.

In addition to the ISO accreditation of the major hospitals, Samitivej and Bumrungrad in Bangkok have also received Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. Specialist clinics, including laser eye clinics and dental clinics, are also found in tourist areas around the country and many come with ISO accreditation.

The level of service in Thailand’s best private hospitals is second to none, with high staff numbers and quality equipment, meaning shorter waiting times for everything from the simplest of procedures right up to the most complex surgeries. In addition, private rooms range from clean, basic rooms up to five-star hotel quality rooms with every conceivable extra.

As to cost, medical care in Thailand at the most expensive hospitals, such as Bumrungrad in Bangkok and Bangkok Phuket Hospital in Phuket, compare favorably with other Asian countries and are substantially cheaper than equivalent hospitals in the US and Europe.