Thailand’s medical tourism industry is one of the strongest in the world, so why didn’t it make the cut for NuWire’s recently published list of the Top 5 Medical Tourism Destinations? We received an e-mail from a reader asking why Thailand was not included on our Top 5, which was a valid question. Here is some background on Thailand’s medical tourism industry:.
The main medical tourism hospital in Thailand is Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok. The hospital is state-of-the-art, equipped with top-of-the-line technology and a well-trained staff. According to Bumrungrad’s website, more than 200 of their doctors are U.S. board certified. The only difference between the care patients receive there and the care they receive in the U.S. is that it is much cheaper in Thailand. Bumrungrad serves more than 400,000 international patients annually. It is one of the biggest medical tourism hospitals in the world.
As a medical tourism destination, Thailand indisputably ranks as one of the top countries in the world, but it did not make our list because we were also considering each country’s investment potential. Thailand has been a great place for investors for years, but recent political turmoil there has been cause for worry. The military ousted the former prime minister and the new prime minister is friendly with him, so another military coup seems possible. If Thailand can prove its long-term stability, it could once again be a great place for investment as well as medical tourism.
Labels: international, investments, tourism
Good point NuWire, not only from an investor point of view, but very validly, from a SAFETY issue. I see everyday these medical tourism destinations with all kinds of questionable safety issues and wonder... Sometimes it is a military coup, political unrest, typhoons or storms, lack of care of their own population (yet with opulent accomodations for us "self-pays"), etc... Glad to know the "whole picture" IS being looked at.
Blessings,
A patient from Washington checked out Thailand for a procedure called Cardiac RF ablation to re-set the electrical pathways in his heart. He was quoted $70,000 in the U.S., and a range from $12,000 to $18,000 in Thailand. Through
www.worldmedassist.comhe was able to get the procedure done at Apollo Hospital in Delhi India for $3300. Thailand was better than the U.S., for sure, but India was better.
As an American living in Thailand, let me reassure you on the safety issue. From personal experience I can tell you that the expats who live here and certainly the patients visiting their wonderful International Hospitals, feel perfectly safe walking around at all hours on their own. Much safer in fact than at my various home towns (Boston, Los Angeles, Ventura etc) in the States. Sure, there are isolated incidents but if you just follow CNN, University students in the USA are in much greater danger right now. Regarding Bumrungrad, my choice would be the smaller, friendlier, less expensive hospitals such as Samitivej Hospital, Sriracha - one hour South of Bangkok. More details at www.medicaltourisminthailand.com
I have been to India for my hip replacement treatment. I did a lot of research and found out about www.valuemedicare.com, a leader in medical tourism. ValueMedicare gave me excellent services. Though this company is a little expensive compare to others but then you get treated by the best doctors in the best hospitals and there services are at bar with the best.
