Known problems with hospitals in Thailand
The big picture
Thai hospitals create a huge problem for hospitals in expensive western countries. How? By offering better services at lower prices. What is Thailand's biggest disadvantage when competing with hospitals in New York, Frankfurt or Osaka? In one word: distance. Patients like to have their hospital close by. It's easier to have people come and visit, maybe one even knows some people working there. To go to Bangkok you have to take a plane. So do your friends and family who want to visit you. That is the disadvantage Bangkok's hospitals have but given the better service and the way better prices, more and more people are willing to deal with that. Are you?
You get what you ask for...
This does not sound like a disadvantage, does it? Well, it can be. If you are the type of patient who insists that he knows better than her doctor, a Thai doctor might be more wiling than a doctor back home to let you be right and give you the treatment you think you should get - and this is not always a good thing. For many Thais it is more important to be nice and friendly than to be right. If they see that you really feel strongly about something and don't want to listen to another opinion, they sometimes decide not to bother you with reality.
Language problems
Language skills in Thailand are quite predictable. In 5-star hotel and the best clinics there is hardly any problems. Front desk staff are fluent in English. If you move down the ladder, things become increasingly less predictable. The average person on the street speaks very little English. In the Hospitals the hurdle to overcome are receptionists. While some speak better English than others, all will be smiling and trying to help. What takes a little bit of getting used to is that Thais have the tendency not to say anything if they don't understand - they rather just guess. The slower and clearer you speak, the less the Thais have to guess!
Sanitation and infrastructure
Thailand has a monsoon climate and especially when the winds blow from the southwest during the summer months April to September it gets hot and sticky. Make sure that you are booking rooms in a hotel or resort with proper air conditioning. While it can be great fun to spend some time in small resorts for less than 10 dollars per night, we recommend to choose at least 4-star accommodation for your recovery period after surgery. Pamper yourself and enjoy the clean and cool that comes with better facilities. It lowers your risk of infections, upset stomachs and unnecessary stress caused by high noise levels or unsatisfactory service.
Follow-up care
Usually you will spend only a few days in hospital and then a fairly short time on vacation in Thailand. After that you will be back in your home country and it is your responsibility to organize post-operative care if necessary and to deal with complications when they arise. Malpractice laws in Thailand are not what they are in the US and you have comparatively little recourse if something goes wrong.
Social impact
It is sometimes raised, that medical tourism has doctors working in fancy hospitals which cater mainly to foreigners and that by doing so, it keeps medical services away from normal people. We don't share this opinion. We believe that medical tourism can and usually does raise the overall standard of health care in developing countries. Among other things, it gives local medical talent a chance to earn a decent living in their own country, and by doing so keeps many of them from migrating to other countries.
