Thailand Medical Tourism Bangkok
If you are seeking medical treatment abroad then Thailand should certainly be on your list of places to consider. But just how to plan a medical tourism trip to Thailand is perhaps something that most potential patients are unsure of. Hopefully this handy little guide will help make the process a little easier.
Ten Tips on Planning a Medical Tourism Trip to Thailand.
- You really need to start by doing sufficient medical research. Initially about the condition you are seeking treatment for. Find out what the available procedures for treatment are and what are post operative(procedure) recovery times.
- Do some research about the country of Thailand, its climate, visa rules and the quality and cost of medical procedures carried out. Many web sites provide comparison prices between different countries. Additionally all Thai hospitals and clinics clearly advertise their prices so you can compare different facilities in Thailand too.
- Choose a hospital and doctor who you would like to carry out your procedure. Top hospitals will hold internationally recognised accreditation. While many doctors are trained and qualified in the USA and UK. All the top hospitals have international departments that are trained to deal with overseas enquirers. Most doctors will also facilitate a face/face contact via the Internet where you can discuss your case and even make advance appointments for the treatment. Don’t forget to tell your own doctor(back home) of your plans. You might consider scheduling an appointment when you get back from your trip.
- If this procedure seems a bit daunting consider working with a specialised medical tourism facilitator who can make all the arrangements for you. Be aware that people who offer such services may well be tied in with certain suppliers i.e. hospitals and doctors.
- Don’t lock yourself into the minimum recommended length of stay, be flexible with your travel plans. You should be prepared to stay longer than expected because of complications or to return home early if for some reason the procedure cannot be completed.
- Make sure you identify a suitable emergency contacts list. This should include relatives back home and details of such things as your countries embassy in Thailand, who can assist authorities if required. You may well also want to consider taking a travelling companion with you who can act on your behalf in an emergency.
- Your doctor in Thailand will want to see all relevant clinical notes. So make sure that you have relevant medical documents to take with you. This could include things like x-rays. You might want to mail a copy to the doctor prior to your trip using a reputable courier service, but make sure you have a copy yourself.
- Thailand like many countries has certain regulations that affect medical treatment. As an overseas patient you are responsible to make sure you comply with such regulations. Theses regulations include such things as the age of the patient and pre-operative procedures that must be followed. You should ask your doctor is you need to do anything to comply with Thai law.
- Check that your passport and credit cards are in order and not due to expire. Most countries, Thailand included, require that you have at least six months to run on your passport. Many hospitals ask for some form of advance payment which can include them swiping your credit card as a form of guarantee.
- Finally don’t forget the tourism part of your trip, plan a few treats for before and after your procedure. Don’t forget to consider how you might be feeling particularly after an operation.
This article on how to plan a medical tourism trip to Thailand is based on my own experiences gained during a familiarisation trip to internationally accredited medical facilities around Bangkok. It is not meant to be a definitive guide but more to provide a starting point to help facilitate the process.
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