Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Oct / Nov 2017: The Travel Issue | Page 61

In Thailand, there are now over
40 clinics and hospitals accred-
ited by the Joint Commission
International — an accreditation
that, again, Bumrungrad was the first
in the nation to receive. Bumrungrad
International in many ways spear-
headed the country’s commitment to
medical excellence. In fact, the World
Health Organization has deemed
Thailand’s health care facilities to be
of  “world class.”
2
EXPERTLY-
TRAINED
DOCTORS
Another reason why Thailand attracts
so many medical tourists is due to
the common custom for Thai doctors
to complete advanced education and
experience overseas. Many of the top
specialists based in Thailand received
their education in places known for
cutting-edge medical research —
like the United States, Europe, and
Japan — before returning home to
work either in top hospitals such as
Bumrungrad or to open their own
practices.
When these doctors return, they
bring with them the education and
experience in which people find
reassurance. This means that resi-
dents of Thailand, whether perma-
nent or temporary, need not travel far
for world-class healthcare; and those
who travel thousands of miles to the
Land of Smiles can find excellent
treatment for a multitude of health-
care needs.
3
LACK OF
QUALITY
MEDICAL SERVICES
IN NEIGHBORING
COUNTRIES
Thailand’s popularity as a medical
destination is also due in part to the
lack of advanced healthcare in neigh-
boring countries. Expats who reside
in nearby Cambodia and Myanmar,
for example, where medical care is
limited or sometimes poor, often
make Bangkok their first port of call
when it comes to matters of health.
It is in situations like these that
some turn their attention to private
institutions in Thailand, where they
may find doctor and nurse to patient
ratios even better than those in the
West. An added bonus is that a night
in a private Thai hospital might be
comparable to a luxury hotel stay.
4
HIGH
PRICES FOR
TREATMENTS
IN DEVELOPED
NATIONS
Yet another reason why we see many
medical tourists in Thailand is the
high price for medical treatments in
developed nations. Some procedures
in Thailand cost considerably less
than the same treatments in certain
countries, with quality of a matched,
if not superior, standard. While this
does not hold true for all procedures
in all hospitals, there is a chance that
in Thailand one can find more af-
fordable care, which is crucial when
a tight budget stands in the way of
necessary medical attention.
Medical tourists come from much
further away, too, including plac-
es like the United States, where the
quality of healthcare is advanced
but costs can be particularly high.
American medical tourists with-
out health insurance may find that
even with the added costs of an air-
line ticket and a hotel stay, they can
receive the treatment they need
in Thailand for less than what they
would have paid in the United States,
Bumrungrad has one
of the most modern
Electrophysiology Labs for
the treatment of cardiac
arrhythmias in the world.
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