Thailand is leading Asia as a medical tourism destination. Medical tourism in Thailand is booming; bumping other nations down the list. The number of medical tourists that come in Thailand has been steadily growing since the early 2000's, putting the country on the top of the global medical tourism market. Major reasons that enabled Thailand to dominate this growing market are the low cost of medical treatments, the quality of treatments provided by hospitals and private clinics, and the highly developed tourism industry.
Thailand healthcare system
There are approximately 400 hospitals in Thailand which offer advance healthcare services. The country takes pride in having the largest private hospital in Asia, as well as having the first Asian hospital to receive the ISO 9001 certification and JCI accreditation.
To date, 7 hospitals in Thailand have been accredited by the JCI: Bumrungrad International, Bangkok Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Phuket, BNH Hospital, Samitivej Srinakarin, Samitivej Sriracha, and Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospitals.
Thailand Medical tourism industry is largely driven by private hospitals. Leading the list are the Bumrungrad International Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Group, and Samitivej Hospitals. These hospitals are widely becoming renowned globally. They are known to cater mostly to foreign patients and have been actively seeking medical tourists in since 2004 or earlier. 40-50% of these hospitals patients are foreigners, being that they find these hospitals costs are cheaper than that of their home countries to a great extent, while most Thai locals still find these prices too costly.
Top Hospitals for Medical Tourism in Thailand
- Bumrungrad International
Bumrungrad International is known to have excellent facilities for medical tourists. The hospital has treated over 420,000 international patients in 2008, (including expatriates and medical tourists) from 190 countries worldwide (3). It gets more foreign patients than any other hospital in the world. More than half of the hospital's doctors have international training and/or board certification, including 200 who are US board certified.
- Bangkok Hospital Group
The Bangkok Hospital Group is a leading group of hospitals with specialized services for overseas patients. It is a network of 15 hospitals scattered all over Thailand. The Bangkok International Hospital in Bangkok tops the list. It has an International Medical Center which caters specially for medical tourists, completely employed with multilingual interpreters. It even has a Japanese Medical Centre with Japanese speaking physicians and nurses. Bangkok Phuket Hospital is another part of the group. It is the leading hospital in the city of Phuket, a pride of Thailand for its beautiful beaches. Phuket is a destination for medical tourists who seek sex reassignment surgeries, and Bangkok Phuket offers this service. The hospital is also recognized for having an extensive array of health check facilities.
- Samitivej Hospitals
The Samitivej Hospitals is a well known chain in Thailand. The group has expanded and developed world class healthcare facilities, and has become recognized by medical tourists from all over the world. It has been collecting many prestigious awards in the recent years, including 3 JCI accredited hospitals. Samitivej Hospitals are equipped with advanced medical equipment that compares to the leading hospitals in the North America and Europe.
- Browse our list of medical tourism hospitals in Thailand.
Common Procedures done by Medical Tourists in Thailand
Healthcare services and treatments offered by the hospitals and clinics in Thailand cover an extensive list. The procedures medical tourists come for varies diversely as well, but the top include the following:
- Cosmetic / plastic surgeries
Every aesthetic procedure in Thailand costs only a small fraction as compared to what patients in US and UK would be paying back home. Yet, the standard of service and treatment is usually high.
- Dental procedures
From routine checkups to the most complicated dental surgeries, many Thailand dental clinics and hospitals are well equipped and employed to execute a complete range of dental treatments. The costs are also comparatively low and the standards are international.
- Medical check-up programs
Medical check-up programs are a growing trend in the global medical tourism market. The programs are recommended for everyone, at intervals that would depend on the patient's age and condition. They are highly urged for patients in their 40's or 50's. Every major hospital in Thailand has inclusive check-up packages.
- Cardiac procedures
Many hospitals in Thailand, including the Bangkok Heart Hospital, have cardiac surgery centers. Procedures carried out in Thailand include heart bypass, angioplasty, and heart valve replacement, among others.
- Orthopedic surgery
Foreign patients fly Thailand to get different kinds of orthopedic procedures. Many orthopedic surgeons in Thailand have been trained overseas and equipment used for the procedures are assured to be modern and up to date, including the Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) Micro Invasive Surgery (MAS). Commonly done orthopedic surgeries in Thailand are hip and knee replacement, as well as spine surgeries.
- Stem cell therapy
A few hospitals and medical institutes in Thailand have pioneered the use of stem cells tretment in curing different medical consitions. Among the recent developments is the application of stem cell therapy in cardiac patients. Stem cell therapy for Thalassemia is also being currently developed.
- Sex reassignment surgeries
Sex change surgery is a long tradition in Thailand, starting in the 1970s. Patients can save up to 70%.
Cost of Medical Treatment in Thailand
-
Major surgeries
| Procedure |
US |
Thailand |
| Heart bypass |
130,000 |
11,000 |
| Heart valve replacement |
160,000 |
10,000 |
| Angioplasty |
57,000 |
13,000 |
| Hip replacement |
43,000 |
12,000 |
| Knee replacement |
40,000 |
10,000 |
| Hysterectomy |
20,000 |
4,500 |
| Spinal fusion |
62,000 |
7,000 |
Cost comparison of major surgeries between US and Thailand (in US$)
(From data provided by BusinessWeek.com)(4)
-
Cosmetic and plastic procedures
| Cosmetic/plastic procedure |
US |
Thailand |
| Breast augmentation |
3,500-4,000 |
2,600-3,200 |
| Breast lift |
4,000-4,500 |
2,600 |
| Breast reduction |
4,000-4,500 |
2,900 |
| Buttock implant |
4,000-5,000 |
4,000 |
| Buttock lift |
4,000-5,000 |
2,400 |
| Cheek implant |
2,000-2,500 |
1,200 |
| Chin augmentation |
1,700-2,000 |
700 |
| Blepharoplasty |
2,500-3,000 |
540 |
| Facelift |
4,500-5,000 |
2,400 |
| Forehead lift |
2,500-3,000 |
1,400 |
| Nose reshaping |
3,500-4,000 |
1,200 |
| Liposuction |
2,500-3,000 |
1,200 |
| Tummy tuck |
4,500-5,500 |
3,000 |
| Vaginal rejuvenation |
2,000-2,500 |
350-1,200 |
| Hair transplant |
4,000-4,500 |
1,000-2,000 |
|
|
Cost comparison of cosmetic and plastic procedures between US and Thailand (in US$)
-
Dental procedures
| Dental procedure |
US |
Thailand |
| Cleaning |
100-300 |
25-50 |
| Tooth whitening |
800-1,200 |
100 |
| Tooth bleaching |
350 - 500 |
150 |
| Single implant |
3,500 |
2,000 |
| Amalgam filling |
200-500 |
20 |
| Porcelain crown |
600-1,000 |
300-470 |
| Ceramic crown |
5,500 |
470-500 |
| Root canal treatment |
500-2,000 |
150 |
Cost comparison of dental procedures between US and Thailand (in US$)
Pros
There are many reasons why multitudes of foreigners seek medical treatments in Thailand.
-
Low cost of medical treatments
The treatment costs in Thailand amount to only a fraction that of their counterparts in most Western countries. The treatment prices are usually between 20-50% of an equivalent treatment in the west. This low cost leaves the medical tourist a budget for recuperation and even recreation.
-
High quality healthcare services
In the recent years, Thailand private sector has established a growing number of medical facilities that can be compared side by side with leading hospitals worldwide. The country has over 30 hospitals that cater to medical tourists, as well as numerous dental and cosmetic clinics and other medical and alternative medicine centers. 5 Hospitals in Thailand have the JCI accreditation, and all hospitals in Thailand are licensed by the country's Ministry of Public Health. Physicians in Thailand are also highly educated and trained. Many of them hold professional certifications obtained in the US and/or Europe. In Bumrungrad for example, approximately 200 doctors in are US board certified and 400 were trained in Western hospitals (5).
-
Highly developed tourism infrastructure
Thailand is among the top holiday destinations in the world, being a paradise of inviting beaches and nature's best scenes and adorns. The country has a rich culture with a splendid cuisine, and people are friendly and accommodating to the foreigners. But if it were not for the integration of these tourism strengths to the medical service sector, the status of Thailand's medical tourism would not be this developed. Being a major tourist destination, service is one of the top factors that contributed to the industry's success. Thai people strive to give their best in rendering services to their country's visitors, and the foreigners are glad to receive the same quality of service be it in the hotel or in the hospital.
Cons
-
Lack of primary healthcare system
Despite many doctors in Thailand having had studies and training in the US or UK, most of them are specialists. Unfortunately, the healthcare system of Thailand relies heavily on specialized medicine. This means that common minor ailments or several medical problems on top of another are hard for a specialist to pinpoint. If underlying symptom is unknown, general medicine or internists would be the best bet.
-
Some doctors are employed part time
There are doctors in Thailand, including physicians and surgeons in different specialties, who work under various hospitals. They tend to juggle schedules between different hospitals all over Thailand, sometimes even having their own private clinical services somewhere. When choosing a doctor or surgeon, make sure you know their schedule in advance, and demand to get the attention you need before paying the money. Comparatively though, doctors and medical staff in Thailand are much more attentive than doctors in the West.
-
Lack of emergency transport facilities
While most hospitals have ambulatory services, there is still lack of transport in case of emergencies calling for immediate attention. This specifically points to air transport, as alternative to land transport in cases of heavy traffic or immediacy of need.
Statistics of Thailand Medical Tourism
Medical tourism in Thailand has increased dramatically in the recent years. The official figures only state the number of international patients, but we estimate that 50% of those are medical tourists (1).
| Year |
Number of international
patients |
Number of medical
tourists |
| 2008 |
1,500,000 |
750,000 |
| 2007 |
1,400,000 |
700,000 |
| 2006 |
1,000,000 |
500,000 |
Medical tourists come to Thailand from almost every country in the world. The main sources of medical tourists in Thailand are:
- Japan
- Middle East
- US
- China
- United Kingdom
- Western Europe
- Australia
Information Sources:
[1]
Taiwan Institute of Economic Reasearch - An Insight on Medical Tourism Sector Developments in Asian Countries
[2]
BusinessWeek report - Top Medical Tourism Destinations
[3]
Bumrungrad International Annual Report 2008
[4]
Smart travel Asia - Medical tourism in Asia
[5]
Asia News Network - Thailand dominates global medical tourism market