“My hospital in Bangkok was more like a deluxe hotel – and had service standards and facilities to match”   This kind of comment is frequently heard from visitors, and it underlines the fact that Thailand now provides some of the highest standards of private hospital care in the world - and at a fraction of the applicable costs in Europe or America. Not surprisingly, the Kingdom treated over 600,000 international patients in 2002, with the figure growing at over 10% annually.   It is not difficult to see why. Against a backdrop of centuries-old traditional medicine herbal and holistic treatments, Thailand’s modern medical expertise is made up of scores of foreign-trained English or Japanese-speaking doctors and certified specialists equipped with the latest advances in medical technology.  These imposing and often luxurious hospitals offer an affordable alternative to overseas guests who may be facing long waiting lists in their own country under national health plans, or who need treatments such as cosmetic or dental surgery, which are not covered by regular health insurance. Many hospitals also offer facilities for rehabilitation, and convalescence.   The price check below (May 2004) at one of Bangkok’s top private hospitals gives an indication of the value-for-money treatment packages available in the Thai capital. Slightly lower rates might be expected in provincial centres with top level hospitals such as Phuket, and Chiang Mai. This, coupled with the personal attention and boundless charm of the nursing staff, makes for an unbeatable combination.

 Hospitals in Thailand