Some good news first

If you decided to have plastic surgery in Thailand, you have chosen one of the best places in the world! No other country welcomes so many medical tourists each year. The reasons are quite simple: excellent health care facilities with internationally trained doctors, a tourism infrastructure to ensure that your stay is most comfortable and ... all that at unbelievably low prices, if you compare with Europe, America, Japan, Hong Kong or Singapore. More patiensts choose Thailand as their destination than Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and India combined.

Should I arrange plastic surgery myself or should I use a medical tourist agent?

If you live in Thailand or you have good friends or relatives here, we see no need to go through an agent. It adds more complexity than it brings advantages. You can just visit some of the hospitals listed under Bangkok's top clincs or Outside Bangkok and form your own opinion. You can also try to negotiate a discount (ask for a 'special'). Booking flights and hotels is less of an issue, since you are already in the country. Should you need somebody to help you with the Thail language, you probably already have a few 'emergency rescue' numbers of bilingual friends stored in your mobile phone.

If you on the other hand plan to fly into Thailand from abroad to undergo plastic surgery, we recommend to use an agent to help you make arrangements. Why? Travel costs for plane tickets and hotels are going to make up a seizable share of your total cost and it is important, that everything and everybody at the hospital of your choice is well prepared by the time you arrive. You don't want to find out after you landed in Bangkok that the doctor you choose as your surgeon decided to attend a conference in Hawaii at short notice. Agents can help to ensure a smooth process and if chosen well, don't cost you extra. Read more about their services under Using medical tourist agents.

The importance of having somebody help you with your arrangements and somebody who is available to assist you in Thailand if needed increases with the complexity of the surgery you are after.