Best Hospitals in Chiang Mai ???

[texxxan1]

Hi All,

 

Ive read some reviews about hospitals and all on here and still kinda mixed between the views.. I have great insurance that pays at 100%, so not worried so much about cost as I am about service, speed etc

 

I have the following hospitals that I don't even have to pay at, they will bill my company.. Can anyone elaborate on how there experiences have been?

 

I need to find a eurologist and a nuerologist right now, to continue some work I had done in the US before moving here

 

Thanks

Tex

 

BKK hospital

CNX RAM

Rajavej Chiangmai Hospital

Sriphat Medical Center

The Cabin Chiang Mai

 

Edited January 31, 2018 by texxxan1
left out list of hospitals

[israthai]

Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai

[stillhereandlovinit]

Bangkok Hospital have been very good on the occasions I needed to use it both for me and my son.

I too have good insurance and it wasnt an issue with them. They were professional in dealing with the insurance company on my behalf too.

[canthai55]

Best for what ? As an example, a very good cardiologist is at CM Ram. Different specialties, different locations.

[simoh1490]

You could try and find what you need here but I haven't updated it in about nine months:

As for your question: the best hospital is very clearly Suan Doc/Mahraj which is the 2,500-bed district hospital and is affiliated with the CMU medical school. It needs a lick of paint and some new furniture but the standard of medicine is higher than anywhere else by virtue of all the medical school staff who work there.

 

EDIT TO ADD: I forgot, one of the best neurologists around is Dr Surat Tanprawate who has hours at Sriphat, which is on the Suan Doc/CMU campus.

 

Edited February 1, 2018 by simoh1490

[Scott]

Troll post reported and removed.  

[Lizard2010]

3 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

You could try and find what you need here but I haven't updated it in about nine months:

As for your question: the best hospital is very clearly Suan Doc/Mahraj which is the 2,500-bed district hospital and is affiliated with the CMU medical school. It needs a lick of paint and some new furniture but the standard of medicine is higher than anywhere else by virtue of all the medical school staff who work there.

 

EDIT TO ADD: I forgot, one of the best neurologists around is Dr Surat Tanprawate who has hours at Sriphat, which is on the Suan Doc/CMU campus.

 

I agree had good experience at Sriphat,

Not so good at Chiang Mai Ram

 

Yes  Cmsally

It would be good to update as you are now the only CM Moderator

You need to step, just a little, as we do appreciate your input

To help us as are all still learning

 

[NancyL]

Many doctors in Chiang Mai practice at several hospitals.  Many of the best, well-respected doctors at Suan Dok/Sripat have limited hours at Bangkok Hospital or go on to practice there after they are turfed out of the university because of their mandatory requirement of retirement at age 60.  The ease of access to services at Bangkok Hospital is probably the best of all the hospitals in Chiang Mai.  Also, they understand how to work with insurance companies, something my insurance agent says Sripat doesn't fully understand.

 

However, for minor issues or routine services, like an x-ray of your foot to see if you twisted your ankle or broke a bone, it's often good to have a relationship with the closest private hospital.  In my case, that's CM Ram, where I can hobble the 400 meters down to the hospital, have an xray and be home in the time it would take for Uber to get me out to Bangkok Hospital.  If I lived at Riverside condo (near the Holiday Inn), I'd have a similar relationship with Rajavej Hospital.

[simoh1490]

1 hour ago, NancyL said:

Many doctors in Chiang Mai practice at several hospitals.  Many of the best, well-respected doctors at Suan Dok/Sripat have limited hours at Bangkok Hospital or go on to practice there after they are turfed out of the university because of their mandatory requirement of retirement at age 60.  The ease of access to services at Bangkok Hospital is probably the best of all the hospitals in Chiang Mai.  Also, they understand how to work with insurance companies, something my insurance agent says Sripat doesn't fully understand.

 

However, for minor issues or routine services, like an x-ray of your foot to see if you twisted your ankle or broke a bone, it's often good to have a relationship with the closest private hospital.  In my case, that's CM Ram, where I can hobble the 400 meters down to the hospital, have an xray and be home in the time it would take for Uber to get me out to Bangkok Hospital.  If I lived at Riverside condo (near the Holiday Inn), I'd have a similar relationship with Rajavej Hospital.

I do not agree that Sriphat doesn't fully understand insurance company dealings, I have seen first-hand evidence of this on two occasions and I couldn't fault them in either case.

 

As for ease of access: I agree that the physical location of the Bangkok Hospital is ideal in that it's right on the superhighway and the physical access to say CM RAM is made more difficult because of tourist traffic and the Moat et al. Those things said, both RAM and Bangkok Hospital are limited in their after hours services where critical and trauma patients are inevitably sent to Suan Doc, which is located pretty much  behind CM RAM.

[simoh1490]

2 hours ago, Lizard2010 said:

I agree had good experience at Sriphat,

Not so good at Chiang Mai Ram

 

Yes  Cmsally

It would be good to update as you are now the only CM Moderator

You need to step, just a little, as we do appreciate your input

To help us as are all still learning

 

If you have any recommendations for the inclusion of new doctors into that topic, please either notify them via the thread itself or to me by PM. 

[NancyL]

1 minute ago, simoh1490 said:

I do not agree that Sriphat doesn't fully understand insurance company dealings, I have seen first-hand evidence of this on two occasions and I couldn't fault them in either case.

 

As for ease of access: I agree that the physical location of the Bangkok Hospital is ideal in that it's right on the superhighway and the physical access to say CM RAM is made more difficult because of tourist traffic and the Moat et al. Those things said, both RAM and Bangkok Hospital are limited in their after hours services where critical and trauma patients are inevitably sent to Suan Doc, which is located pretty much  behind CM RAM.

When I talked about "ease of access" at Bangkok Hospital, I was talking not just about driving, but parking and wait times.  Many of the "appointments" at CM Ram are really clinic hours, where you're given a queue number when you arrive at what you thought was the time for your appointment.  Sripat operates the same way.  When I'm told I'm suppose to see a doctor at a certain time, I expect the doctor to have allotted that time for me, not to be put in a queue like I'm at a gov't hospital.  

 

Bangkok Hospital has a fully staffed E/R 24/7 with doctors on duty.  CM Ram doesn't always have a doctor on duty after hours.  I'd have no hesitation about going to Bangkok Hospital's E/R for a critical trauma, stroke or cardiac emergency no matter the time of day.  I agree, though, that Suan Dok, i.e. the University Hospital, is brilliant for this type of situation, too, and may be better located for some people.

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, NancyL said:

When I talked about "ease of access" at Bangkok Hospital, I was talking not just about driving, but parking and wait times.  Many of the "appointments" at CM Ram are really clinic hours, where you're given a queue number when you arrive at what you thought was the time for your appointment.  Sripat operates the same way.  When I'm told I'm suppose to see a doctor at a certain time, I expect the doctor to have allotted that time for me, not to be put in a queue like I'm at a gov't hospital.  

 

Bangkok Hospital has a fully staffed E/R 24/7 with doctors on duty.  CM Ram doesn't always have a doctor on duty after hours.  I'd have no hesitation about going to Bangkok Hospital's E/R for a critical trauma, stroke or cardiac emergency no matter the time of day.  I agree, though, that Suan Dok, i.e. the University Hospital, is brilliant for this type of situation, too, and may be better located for some people.

Indeed parking at RAM is poor and absolutely agreed that wait times at Sriphat can be lengthy, if Bangkok Hospital has genuinely solved those two problems and continues to keep them solved, they will do well - it's also good to know that BH has a 24x7 ER, RAM does have one doctor on duty overnight but is usually only for ER purposes.

[canthai55]

3 hours ago, NancyL said:

 Many of the "appointments" at CM Ram are really clinic hours, where you're given a queue number when you arrive at what you thought was the time for your appointment.

I must be lucky. All my doctor appointments were right around the time I was given. Never had a queue number with the Cardiologist or at the skin clinic.But I book online where possible, and backup with a fone call.

[Wandr]

What about McCormick Hospital? It seems to have a good following online, and the location is easy to get to.

Where does it fit in?

[amexpat]

5 hours ago, canthai55 said:

I must be lucky. All my doctor appointments were right around the time I was given. Never had a queue number with the Cardiologist or at the skin clinic.But I book online where possible, and backup with a fone call.

Yep, you are lucky.

[simoh1490]

53 minutes ago, Wandr said:

What about McCormick Hospital? It seems to have a good following online, and the location is easy to get to.

Where does it fit in?

Private Christian Hospital, it occupies the space between government hospitals and say RAM and Bangkok Hospital, not especially well known for its medical staff and interestingly non-on the pinned list work there full time although many of the names do have hours there part-time. I'll try and find the thread that discussed these things and post a link.

[sfokevin]

I have used both CM Ram and BK Hospital... both have nice easy websites where you can make initial appointments (But NancyL is right that CM Ram really just puts you in the queue when you arrive for your “appointment” - But I do like that they call you and confirm your web appointment)... 

 

I would like to use SuanDok/Mahraj but how does one make an appointment?... they don’t seem to have a user friendly website... can one call and speak to someone in english?... or does one need to go there in person to make an appointment?...

 

And then where does one park... Suan Dok is a congested mess at that hospital entrance... The only parking seems to be in the ramp at McDonalds... Which is a hike from the hospital?...

Edited February 1, 2018 by sfokevin

[elektrified]

39 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

I have used both CM Ram and BK Hospital... both have nice easy websites where you can make initial appointments (But NancyL is right that CM Ram really just puts you in the queue when you arrive for your “appointment” - But I do like that they call you and confirm your web appointment)... 

 

I would like to use SuanDok/Mahraj but how does one make an appointment?... they don’t seem to have a user friendly website... can one call and speak to someone in english?... or does one need to go there in person to make an appointment?...

 

And then where does one park... Suan Dok is a congested mess at that hospital entrance... The only parking seems to be in the ramp at McDonalds... Which is a hike from the hospital?...

You park across the street in the large corner lot - 20 THB. A mini-van or truck comes every 10 minutes or so and transports all the patients to Suan Dok and Sriphat - and vice versa. Of course this time of year you could walk over but during the hot season or rainy season the A/C mini-vans make it bearable. They sell water, juice and coconuts in the parking lot too.

[NancyL]

8 hours ago, elektrified said:

You park across the street in the large corner lot - 20 THB. A mini-van or truck comes every 10 minutes or so and transports all the patients to Suan Dok and Sriphat - and vice versa. Of course this time of year you could walk over but during the hot season or rainy season the A/C mini-vans make it bearable. They sell water, juice and coconuts in the parking lot too.

Yes, this is one parking option for Suan Dok/Sripat.  The other is the multi-story parking ramp at the McDonalds, at the intersection with Sirimankalajarn Rd. on the same side of Suthep Rd. as the main hospital.  It's connected to the main hospital buildings via a covered walkway that is wheelchair-friendly -- unlike the need to climb into the transport vehicles that serve the parking lot across the street.

 

As for making an appointment at Suan Dok -- going in person is usually the easiest, but once you've established a relationship at certain clinics, it's possible to make appointments over the phone, but you have to know the phone number of that clinic.  There doesn't seem to be a central phone number you can call and get transferred to the correct clinic.  And you have to know the "quiet time" of the clinic to call for an appointment.  If you call during a time when they're heaving with people, like in the morning, they're not going to drop everything to make a phone appointment for you.  Why should they?  There are people waiting in a queue for 20 minutes or longer to be able to make a follow-up appointment.

[sfokevin]

So it seems that the only reason to go to Suan Dok/Sriphat is that it is conveniently located near a coconut stand... 

 

I guess if if you wanted to see a specialist and knew their name you could go directly to that department (in person) and make an appointment?... Or do you need to start in the 20 minute line at the front desk?

Edited February 2, 2018 by sfokevin

[simoh1490]

9 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

So it seems that the only reason to go to Suan Dok/Sriphat is that it is conveniently located near a coconut stand... 

 

I guess if if you wanted to see a specialist and knew their name you could go directly to that department (in person) and make an appointment?... Or do you need to start in the 20 minute line at the front desk?

3

The Sriphat consultation floor is essentially a single floor, a series of consultation rooms with a large central seating area. If you want to see any of the doctors you'll need to register first, trying to search them out in their various places of work is going to be unproductive since they all work in different ways, some are assigned to regular departments, some simply teach and have no department per se, others have no base at all in the complex and merely come into the consulting area to consult. A good example of the complexity of it all is Dr Trichak who teaches at Suan Doc, works part-time at Suan Doc, works part-time at RAM, consults part-time at Sriphat and also has his own clinic, his profile is not unusual for Sriphat staff.