Thailand Hospitals - Bumrungrad, Samitivej, Bangkok Pattaya

The venues are really great, almost like 5 star hotels.
The prices are, in western terms, low and the service and skills are comparable to good establishments in the West.

Back in December I did a total medical checkup at Bumrungrad for 12K baht.
Two hours, a hostess to guide me from one room to another, a lunch voucher and a binded report with all the results and papers in it.
Then, the doctor spent about 15-20 mins telling me what was what in it.
Very good, professional, you almost feel like being on an assembly line and worked on.
The place is bursting at seams - so many international patients. Many Middle Easterners.

Another hospital I use is Samitivej, similar to Bumrungrad but maybe 4.5 stars.
Their clientele are mostly local expats, diplomatic staff, rarely "health tourists" as with Bumrungrad.

Their advantage is that they are the same chain (company) as Bangkok Pattaya, Bangkok Rayong, Bangkok Satahip and Bangkok Chantaburi hospital chain.
Your records are accessible from other places in the chain and Pattaya is only 2 hours from BKK. My baby was born at Samitivej but we use Bangkok Pattaya when holidaying there.
Proximity of Pattaya and health service have pushed Hua Hin to the back seat.

There is one good hospital in Nakorn (Sirisawan) much the same as that beautiful rooms, over looking the park. In fact I've often thought about wether you can just book in there as the accomadation is better than the hotels in the area and cheaper as well.

The local hospital in Tak Far is a waste of space unless you want to die!!!

I wish I'd taken pics when mom-in-law was in hospital last year.
Public hospital on Samsen road - Dusit, top notch doctors and surgery, 50 year old hospital....... She is a kidney patient, unstable insulin, worn lungs and had 4 bypass surgery..... all under the 30 Bt scheme.
All went perfect !

KS

Bangkok actually has a lot of good hospitals and by far cheaper than Europe.

The quality, of course, depends very much on the physician in charge.

I used to go to Rama 9 - hospital, very good physician for ENT and sports, another one, (no names) I did not like as she once amde a mistake. Meanwhile moved to Bumrungrad.

Presently I do my check ups and everything else in Bangkok Hospital (Soi Soonvijai off Petchburi Road)
Bumrungrad is getting very busy and more patients from ME-countries coming in, who in the past went to the USA.

General check up in BKK hospital around Baht 11,000 (M) 13000 (F), due added mamography.

The 30B scheme has driven hundreds if not thousands of doctors out of state run hospitals.
The Naval hospital in Sattahip, renowned for their cutting edge equipment and doctors has became deserted.
My doctor at Bangkok Pattaya came from there, said many others did too.

All the gear is mostly idling as there are no skilled doctors who know how to use it.

I find medical costs very cheap in Bangkok and the service isn't too bad (experiences with Bumrungrad, Samitivej and BNH)

Chao Phya Hospital, in Pin Klao area.

Not an hospital for expats (have seen one in 7 visits), staff speaks a little english but is very kind and tries it best.
Never have had any problem to communicate with doctors, though, as almost all of them have been studying abroad.

Very cheap place (comparing european standards) and by some ways more efficient (you leave the place with your medics, invoice and so on).

We are using Vibhavadi-Ikeda Hospital not far from Srinakarin-Pattanakarn crossing in Eastern Bangkok - near the 3 Floraville Towers...
Never any problem, best treatment... 24h emergency services.

Bumrungrad is now out of my good books .......

I was trying to make an appointment with Bumrungrad. This frustrating woman at the call centre must be following a standard procedure booklet without using her brains.

Anyway, short version, I wanted to make an appointment with Dr ### in May 2005 (the same week I called), she said ok, no problem, which day would I prefer? The appointment was then made with Dr ###, on a day in May (same week I called). I then asked to speak to Dr ###, she said sorry not possible. I asked why not, she said Dr ### has gone for overseas training from 1 May to end of July 2005 and will not be availble till 1 August 2005!!!! It baffled me!!! How can she make an appointment for me for this doctor in May 2005 then??? When asked, she told me she thought I wanted an appointment in May 2006???? I wasted 20 mins trying to make this appointment.

Other than the frustration and hassle of making appointments, it is not too bad.

This post has been edited by Jingle: 21 June 2005 - 11:56 AM

I would not take a mistake of one non-essential staff as a big minus, especially if the conversation was in English.

In relation to the above article , I had 2 Aussie friends who had their honeymoon in Phuket.....in a hospital........(cant remember which one)......the woman had breast implants and the man a liposuction. Great honeymoon!!

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Well, TTM, they do publicise the hospital as "Bumrungrad International" and many foreigners/expats frequent the hospital. This was a call centre for English speaking patients.........well, at least it said it was.

BTW, did you know that their website also says one can make an appointment online.............try it.......you will never get a response. When I called to ask, they said, "oh it doesnt work, you have to call"

This was just a plain simple appointment, name of doc clearly stated, date clearly stated etc and she still did not get it?? Can you imagine if you told them you want to see a doctor about hypertension and they think you wanted a hysterectomy??

Did you read the end of my post?

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This post has been edited by Jingle: 21 June 2005 - 12:12 PM

Jingle, on Jun 21 2005, 12:55 PM, said:

I'll read from the back now. The beginning confused me.

Easily confused........ You can't just read one sentence and jump to a conclusion!

Is this what they call selective reading??

Anyway, it is still not my No. 1 choice/preference. Not forcing anyone to agree with me.

This post has been edited by Jingle: 21 June 2005 - 12:20 PM

BUMRUNGRAD
In April last, my wife needed ( a long planned) foot operation.
As my insurance covers Euro 818,-/day only for room costs, I choose a VIP suite at the cost of 10350 baht /day.
There was some panic at the registration office about this fax confirmation from my insurance.(The girl could not calculate euro 818,- into baht !! )
Since than we have been there twice ( 2 times 9 days) and in August the last operation will follow.

Besides (minor) language problems,most of the time because WE are talking too quick !, it was a very pleasant experience (at least for me not having any surgery ).

The [color="red"]medical issues are perfectly handled [/color]and please take all these other issues not too serious,just check and be in control.I saw many stupid things happened during these days and most were caused by the foreigners themselves.

I personally do not like to Bumrungrad. Just too many guys in night gowns and head gear walking up and down the corridors talking in extremely load voices.

Sorry, I do not want to sound racistic, but they are too noisy for a hospital and difficult to stop them. But very good currency source for the hospital and for Thailand, as well since the US made it more difficult on the visas.

I do use the BRR, however, as a shortcut to drive from Soi 1 to 3 and through Grace hotel on to 5 and 7.


Actually, they should stop people from using this short cut.

Not my experience with the noise but indeed, many of the well paying health tourists come from the middle east. Could be, they just make the machine better oiled. I mean - no tips or corruption, just more legitimate business.

sego, on Apr 18 2005, 05:19 PM, said:

My Thai colleagues, entitled to the most expensive insurance - all chose that very hospital.

When it is a routine, go to the top and pay.

When it is down to the health or a real things like giving birth , forget the tops, go Chao Phya.

They may know what I don't.

I agree with your observation Axel.

I've had a problem with my left knee joint ever since I came back from LOS via Singapore last time and developed cartilage problems due to some kind of systemic illness that weakened my knee while carrying my baggage and I've been trying to sort it out for over a year now. I've lost many days off work, going to see my GP and UK NHS specialists, an MRI scan, more days off work to travel to hospital for silly appointments just to ask a simple question that could have been answered over the phone etc etc. It turns out I need some keyhole surgery and the problem will be solved. However, I have now been dropped from the waiting list because they got my name wrong on some correspondence and as I never replied, they dropped me from the waiting list and if I want the surgery, I will have to go through the whole stupid routine again, including another years wait I guess...

... and so, I came to the conclusion that I might as well say 'f*ck the NHS' and pay for it myself in a nice hospital in the sun.
I want to know which hospital in Thailand has the best 'Boutique Hospital' appeal, with doctors who know what they're doing and will squeeze me in for this very straightforward procedure so I can walk properly again. I want to approach them and get some idea about costs and time scales.