Medicine in Thailand

The modern healthcare system in Thailand is almost entirely built on a commercial basis. But this is not an exception to the rule in this part of the world, because in other countries of Southeast Asia, medical care is also paid and this applies to both local citizens and foreigners. But Thailand has a significant difference from neighboring countries in that local large medical corporations significantly overestimate the cost of doctors' services.

This also applies to a large number of support staff (receptionists, assistants), prices in private hospitals are also very high here. Therefore, the cost of the same treatment in private and public hospitals may differ at times, where the level of comfort of patients and the quality of medical equipment and medicines will also differ in favor of treatment in a private hospital. Otherwise, the healthcare sector of all Southeast Asian countries is very similar.

 

 

It is very important for a foreigner to understand that medicine in Thailand can become a very expensive pleasure if he does not have insurance. It is important to know this information because Thailand is one of the first countries in the world in terms of the number of road accidents: in most cases, these are injuries sustained as a result of motor vehicle accidents. But, as a result, operations are very well done here, prosthetics are treated, fractures are treated and rehabilitation courses are conducted. However, most insurance does not cover the cost of metal structures, so it is worth carefully studying the terms of insurance.

Medical treatment programs from the largest private hospitals are formed individually, based on the required package of services. They also help in obtaining medical visas, which significantly simplify the stay in the country and are also extended for the period of necessary rehabilitation. But public hospitals are not particularly involved in the development of medical tourism, only private ones.

Types of medical clinics in Thailand

Usually there is one public clinic in a Thai city district, but the number of private clinics may vary depending on the demand in a particular locality. The services of non-state hospitals can most often be obtained from very large medical corporations, where, as mentioned earlier, treatment is much more expensive than in the state. For example, a pediatrician's consultation in a state clinic can cost 200 baht ($6) and 1200 baht ($36) in private. In addition to standard general medical institutions, small highly specialized ones (pediatrics and traumatology) are often found in Thailand.

Popular clinics

For example, in Phuket, one of the most popular resorts in Thailand, there are several public hospitals - Vachira Phuket Hospital, Patong Hospital, Thalang Hospital, Chalong Hospital. The largest of them is Vachira - it will be the first place where a patient will get on the island if he does not have insurance or if he cannot find relatives or friends who could help with the device in a medical institution that is located more closely or will have a narrow profile. Also a major public hospital in Phuket is the Patong Hospital – it serves patients of the largest resort city of the island of Patong. The rest of the hospitals here are smaller in size and they treat mainly the local population in non-tourist areas.

Today, private hospitals in Phuket are part of the Bangkok Dibuk Hospital Group megacorporation, which has built and absorbed dozens of hospitals across the country over the past few years. The largest of its network are Bangkok Phuket Hospital, Siriroj International Hospital, Dibuk Hospital. All of them are equipped with the latest technology and provided with experienced doctors in all areas. These hospitals are the most expensive in the region, but the quality of service in them is always carried out at a high level. It is in these hospitals that tourists from the most popular countries (including Russian-speaking ones) will find a consultant-translator and will be able to receive most of the necessary medical services.

An alternative between public and private hospitals is Mission Hospital Phuket. This is a large private hospital that perfectly serves the local population and foreigners in most areas. At the same time, prices here are much lower than in large private hospitals.

Popular medical programs

Local cosmetology, plastic and aesthetic medicine are deservedly famous all over the world. It is for this kind of services that people from all countries come here - a combination of high professionalism and low prices (cheaper than in South Korea, which is a leader in this field) do their job. In some such hospitals, the proportion of foreign patients is 40%.

Traditional Thai medicine implies non-traditional methods of treatment with the help of various decoctions, acupuncture, massages and others. On the territory of the country, traditional medicine is very popular - it is trusted, sometimes even more than the official one. And more and more foreigners come to Thailand to undergo treatment in this area.

Medicines and pharmacies

In pharmacies of the country, the choice of medicines is usually very large. Along with internationally recognized international medicines, you can find a large number of effective drugs of local pharmacology. At the same time, they can be significantly cheaper than expensive foreign analogues (the price of which is formed due to high import duties on medicines and medical equipment). In Thai pharmacies, you can also find traditional herbal preparations and Thai folk medicine products - their effect is studied in the institutes of the country on a par with classical drugs and is officially used in treatment courses.

Health insurance programs

In the fall of 2019, Thailand introduced a requirement for mandatory medical insurance for foreign citizens who receive a residence permit for a year or more. The presence of insurance is necessary to cover the costs of medical services, since for such a long stay in Thailand, almost all foreigners have to go to medical institutions.

In Thailand, medical insurance should be divided according to the types of patient requests for treatment. «Outpatient treatment » and «Hospital treatment » (Eng. – Outpatient (OPD) and Inpatient (IPD), respectively). Insurance for trips abroad offered by Russian insurance companies offer various insurance programs, most of which cover both types of applications. However, even annual policies (cost from 150 to 1000 dollars) in most cases cover the risks only during trips of no more than 90 days. Insurance premiums vary depending on the company, the risks and the sum insured.

Medical tourism

Medical tourism in Thailand is mostly represented by programs of aesthetic medicine, plastic surgery and postoperative recovery programs. The projects of rehabilitation resort centers were launched in 2019 and received a second wind after the country was opened to foreign tourists in the era of coronavirus. This is due to the fact that Thailand is successfully coping with the pandemic, balancing between restrictions, the burden on the health care structure and the support of the economy.

Thank you for your help in preparing the material:

Evgeniya Takhtaya, Director of Sales and Marketing of the companyChivalry Estate Co. Ltd< a href="//www.homesoverseas.ru/agency/Chivalry_Estate_Co_Ltd ">.