Skin Cancer Specialist Or Clinic In Chiang Mai

[Ned]

I was wondering if anyone out there knows of the existence of a skin cancer specialist or clinic here in Chaing Mai. Perhaps one of the private hospitals specialises in skin cancer problems?

Thanks.

[Alphonsyus A Skrunge-Worzle]

There is definitely a skin clinic at the Chiang Mai Ram 1 hospital.

[ProThaiExpat]

I have had a couple sessions with Prayot, the dermatologist at Rama 1 skin clinic who is there three days a week, used to be only once a week, he is at all other times at Rama II.

I don't particulary like the guy, zero bedside manner, but he seems competent.

He did a biopcy and an excision with stitches of a samll c lesion last year on my hand and it went well.

Last week he did five skin blemish removals with laser and the outcome was good.

I suspect he can handle surgical removal of most skin cancers. My first proceedure cost 1800 Baht and I thought the charge reasonable. The laser removal was 600 baht a blemish, which I thought was high. He says he is cheaper than Bangkok, but I took the Yanhee Hospital web page with prices to show him he cost the same as BKK.

While there, I consulted with a underemployed, overaged, plastic surgeon about turkey neck removal and was quoted 75K for outpatient. Yanhee quotes 40k with overnight in hospital with meals. My guess is that when you are dealing with laser, optional and plastic surgery, they feel they can "milk" farang, as they don't look at that type of surgery as necessary.

[john b good]

I have had a couple sessions with Prayot, the dermatologist at Rama 1 skin clinic who is there three days a week, used to be only once a week, he is at all other times at Rama II.

I don't particulary like the guy, zero bedside manner,  but he seems competent.

He did a biopcy and an  excision with stitches of a samll c lesion last year on my hand and it went well.

Last week he did five skin blemish removals with laser and the outcome was good.

I suspect he can handle surgical removal of most skin cancers.  My first proceedure cost 1800 Baht and I thought the charge reasonable.  The laser removal was 600 baht a blemish, which I thought was high.  He says he is cheaper than Bangkok, but I took the Yanhee Hospital web page with prices to show him he cost the same as BKK. 

While there, I consulted with a underemployed, overaged, plastic surgeon about turkey neck removal and was quoted 75K for outpatient.  Yanhee quotes 40k with overnight in hospital with meals.  My guess is that when you are dealing with laser, optional and plastic surgery, they feel they can "milk" farang, as they don't look at that type of surgery as necessary.

Cheaper by far than in the states.

But from my experience laser costs are generally per session, i.e. $xxx for say 10 - 15 minutes.

There have been questions on the forum asking about tattoo removal. Do you know if Prayot does this as well?

[ProThaiExpat]

I suspect so. Any dermatologist under 50 should be able to use modern lasers and remove tattoos as best as they can be removed. If you are contemplating it, I would interview some of the dermatologists and plastic men in CM and determine what laser they propose on using and when it was developed.

Wouldn't let them use one developed more than five years ago. Internet research, especially plastic surgeon web sites in the U.S. will give you insight into what lasers they are using for tattoo removal.

Good luck.

[john b good]

I suspect so. Any dermatologist under 50 should be able to use modern lasers and remove tattoos as best as they can be removed. If you are contemplating it, I would interview some of the dermatologists and plastic men in CM and determine what laser they propose on using and when it was developed.

Wouldn't let them use one developed more than five years ago. Internet research, especially plastic surgeon web sites in the U.S. will give you insight into what lasers they are using for tattoo removal.

Good luck.

Thanks for that.

I have been told by well qualified dermatologists (in farang land) that whilst yes, you will certainly find dermatoligists in Thailand, many are not familiar with caucasian skin conditions.

Apart from the farangs visiting/living in Thailand skin cancer is not the problem here, as it is for example in the antipodes.

I guess the more exposure a dermatologist has in treating caucasian skin conditions/complaints the more competent they are (or should be)

A bit off topic....... when I consulted a optometrist in Chiangmai last year I asked him to run a glaucoma test.

"cannot" he said. Thais don't generally think of having this test done so I have not invested in the rather expensive piece of equipment that is required to test for glaucoma.

I went to Ram-1 and had the test performed.

Whether Thai's are less likely to suffer from glaucoma I cannot say but perhaps it is a good idea to be aware that there are many conditions that are not so often encountered here (amongst Thais) consequently a doctors experience might be more (or less) due to that.

[BobAnderson]

If you feel you aren't getting good enough care and need to go to BKK, I can recommend Dr. Niyam in the Skin Clinic at Bumrungrad. He is first class. I've had a couple different kinds of skin cancer and seen several docs in several countries - he's once of the best - and even a MOHS specialist and trained in the USA. Not cheap by Thai standards, but still a fraction of what you would pay for comparable care in the developed world. B1500 for a office visit. I usually get a few things removed or frozen off - total is rarely over B2500 which includes pretty much a check of all of my body. But then, how much is your health worth? Melanoma can be quite nasty.

[ProThaiExpat]

john b good:

Empirical evidence is just that.

The optometrist I went to, Blue Citreon or something like that, has an outlet in almost every mall, some 60 in Thailand. does the glaucoma test routinely as part of their exam, just like any well equiped optician does in the U.S. these days.

The Rama I doctor I saw was U.S. trained and I can't believe they obtain Thai patients so Thai doctors training in the U.S. can specialize in Asian skin types.

Granted experience is the key factor, but, I suspect at Rama 1, the patients treated are largely farang, so like Brumgrunyard, their doctors do have experience with farang skin.

When he operated on my small c skin lesion, he was very knowledgeable in doing the biopcy and the excision, equally as well as done at Loma Linda Medical Center by Professor Anderson, who did my last excision. Professor Anderson had a far better "bedside manner", unlike a lot of Thai doctors who still display the "out of date" clinical attitude seen in the west years ago.