Medical tourism in Phuket Thailand

What is medical tourism / health tourism / health holidays?

Medical Tourism can be broadly defined as the act of traveling to other countries to obtain ‘cost effective’ medical, dental, and surgical care. Medical Tourism also combines wellness and healthcare alongside leisure and relaxation aimed at rejuvenating a person; mentally, physically and emotionally. It revolves around the idea of drawing you away from your daily routine to a relaxed surrounding in an exotic location.

For many medical tourists, though, the real attraction is price. The cost of surgery in Thailand can be one-tenth of what it is in the United States or Western Europe, and sometimes even less. A heart-valve replacement that would cost $200,000 or more in the U.S., for example, goes for fraction of that price in Thailand and that includes round-trip airfare and a brief vacation package. Similarly, a metal-free dental bridge worth $5,500 in the U.S. costs $750 in Thailand, a knee replacement in Thailand with six days of physical therapy costs about one-fifth of what it would in the States, and Lasik eye surgery worth $3,700 in the U.S. is available in Thailand for only $1650. Cosmetic surgery savings are even greater: A full facelift that would cost $20,000 in the U.S. runs about $7500 in Thailand.

This web site provides information about medical tourism in Phuket Thailand and an insight into elective procedures such as rhinoplasty, liposuction, breast augmentation, orthodontics, and LASIK, to more serious and life-saving procedures such as joint replacements and cardiac bypass surgery among others.

A combination of many factors has lead to the recent increase in popularity of medical tourism: high costs of healthcare in industrialized nations, ease and affordability of international travel, improving technology and standards of care in many countries of the world.

Medical tourists are generally residents of the industrialized nations of the world, the countries they travel are typically the less developed ones with lower cost of medical care, in some cases due to favorable currency exchange ratios. Currently, many of the procedures accessed are considered "elective procedures," such as cosmetic surgery. Because elective procedures are rarely covered through health insurance plans, there may be greater incentive to find such care at lower costs.

Medical tourism to Thailand

Medical tourism is a growing segment of Thailand's tourism and health-care sectors. Lower labor costs translate to significant cost savings on procedures. In 2005, one Bangkok hospital took in 150,000 treatment seekers from abroad. In 2006, medical tourism was projected to earn the country 36.4 billion baht.

While it is not commonly known outside Thailand, the modern Thai medical system has its origins in the United States when Prince Mahidol of Songkla, the King's father, earned his MD degree from Harvard Medical School in the early 20th century. Prince Mahidol convinced the Rockefeller Foundation to pay for an American medical education for a group of Thai men and women. Those men and women became the first educators for the modern Thai medical system. Today many Thai physicians hold US professional certification.

Thailand has an excellent mix of low cost, high quality care coupled with clean, safe, modern infrastructure.

RelaxU is our partner in medical tourism.

If you have questions or want to make an appointment contact Relaxu by clicking the logo to the left.

Read more about medical tourism:
RelaxU: Medical tourism in Phuket
Wikipedia: Medical tourism
Travel + Leisure: The medical vacation
CBS: News in dept - Medical tourism: Need surgery, will travel

Ask your question by e-mail to medical@beachpatong.com
Book your appointment with a clinic, doctor or dentist by e-mail to medical@beachpatong.com