Thailand is often considered as a Mecca for health tourists. So here are a few hints and tips on the local Health Care scene…
Pattaya boast some of the finest facilities and has a selection of hospitals offering first class services to international standards, the envy of many countries.
BANGKOK PATTAYA HOSPITAL Located just off the Sukhumvit road in North Pattaya. Arguably, this hospital has the best reputation internationally.
PATTAYA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL The first private hospital in Pattaya, it is on Second Road, just South of Pattaya Central Road.
PATTAYA INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL Also off second road, but further North, opposite Alcazar Cabaret.
Personally I’d recommend any of these, but in particular the first. The examples I’ll offer are all based on real experiences dealing with clinics versus the Bangkok Pattaya.
So why go to a top grade hospital, rather than a local clinic or doctor? Here are some reasons:
- The hospital will see you (almost) immediately. A friend wanted a dentist and went to a local one around 9am when they opened. He was asked to come back at 2pm and then made to wait. BPH will normally see you within 15 minutes if it’s an emergency. Where in the West could you get service like that?
- The hospital has all the resources at hand. With a clinic you may well get sent off to a hospital for X-rays or other tests, and then have to wait while the results are ferried back to the clinic.
- The best doctors and nurses are at the hospitals.
- The pharmacy is well stocked and you won’t end up with a substitute, less effective, drug.
- The cost of going to one of the major hospitals is NOT high, compared with the West.
- The hospitals have a far higher chance of getting the diagnosis right, than the doctors in the street clinics.
Some examples of costs:
- A crown on a tooth (three visits) 13,000B
- Tests and medicine for Herpes 12,000B (the medicine alone was 10,000B)
- Simple examination for long term sore throat, with medication 2,500B
- An overnight stay in the Cardiac unit after a heart attack, with all the tests, monitoring etc, 35,000B
These were all “emergency” procedures. The hospitals also offer great check up services and cosmetic surgery too. Pattaya International specialises in laser surgery. If you’re thinking of coming to Thailand for treatment, also consider the climate you can recuperate in. It’s warm and tropical. There’s everything you could want here, and so is all makes sense.
One special offer to point out – the Bangkok Pattaya offers great check-up services and plans. For the month of May they have a number of discounts. You can read all about them here. Also worth considering is their own ‘in house’ insurance scheme, “Chivawattana”.
If you a resident you must consider insurance. BUPA Thailand has an office in Pattaya and offers very reasonable rates on insurance. The cover is excellent and the premiums are low, compared to European prices. Another option is the group insurance 
plan of the Pattaya Expats Club. You join the club at the Grand Sole Hotel one Sunday (600B for life), then you can go to their broker, AA insurance by Big C South and join the group plan. As long as you’re under 60, this is probably a good offer and will give you peace of mind. Their rates have just gone up 30% from the end of May 2011, so I won’t quote them here, but they’re still reasonable.
I have heard stories of people not having insurance and being faced with a 750,000B potential bill for heart surgery. The person in question had to shop around and ended up getting it far cheaper, but at what long term cost to his health?
A word or two of caution! Watch out for the cheap option. You usually get what you pay for. Thais DO get things cheaper. If you have a Thai partner and they need medical treatment, the experienced word says don’t go along. When they see a farang, the bill goes up! The attached advert claims Thais pay the same as farang. That may be, but note the exchange rate quoted – the real rate is 1 US$ = 30Bht, so there’s a 33% increase there already! Oh and if you’re squeamish, don’t look up wikipedia on Orchiectomy!
AND FINALLY … After experiencing the discomfort and embarrassment of a prostate test on the National Health Service in England, a friend of mine decided to have his next test carried out while visiting Thailand where the beautiful nurses are rather more gentle and accommodating.
As usual he was asked to strip off, lay naked on the side of the bed and the nurse began the examination.
“At this stage of the procedure, it’s quite normal to get an erection” said the nurse.
“I haven’t got an erection” said the man.
“No, but I have” replied the nurse.
