Good alternative to BKK Hospital Heart Center Chiang Mai please advise

[pub2022]

Dear all,

 

Couple of years ago I had a coronary angiography intervention (1 stent) at the Bangkok Hospital in Chiang Mai, and I'm happy with the service I received.

As we all know it's probably the most expensive hospital in Thailand and, though they are top quality, I'm not that rich.

I'm therefore looking for a more affordable alternative in Chiang Mai for periodic heart checks.

Do you have any suggestion about good cardiologist and/or hospital or clinic?

 

Thanks and regards,

[howlee101]

I don't know the differences in price but my wife (Thai) and I have been going to Chiang Mai Ram for the past 5-6 years.  It's an international accredited hospital....we have always gotten great service from the staff.

 

https://www.chiangmairam.com/

[Sheryl]

Actually you may be surprised by how reasonable cost of simple consultations are at Bkk Hospital CM (as long as you do not make the mistake of buying your meds from the hospital).  Not much more than any other hospital, especially now that Sriphat is charging farangs a higher price than thais.

 

You will be hard pressed to find a better doctor in CM than

https://www.bangkokhospital-chiangmai.com/en/doctor/dr-thanawat-benjanuwattra-m-d/

 

He may also be at Rajavej Hospital but I can't check as their website seems not to offer English

 

 

[fredscats]

Angioplasty in Kolkata (with cost)

 

Of interest (or not)?

[pub2022]

Thanks to all.

 

Yes, I know of Ram Hospital, and I think it's more or less as expensive as Bangkok Hospital.

@SherylI know him, he actually did my intervention ???? Very good doctor indeed. Highly recommended. Yes I know that consultation (doctor fee) is cheap in Thailand compared to the West and that medications should not be bought at their (private hospital) pharmacies.

I was just asking if there's a good hospital in CM other than Ram and Bangkok Hospital, in the very unfortunate event I'd need something more serious and urgent than just a consultation. I know for example some people get a second or third stent after the first one (after few years), or maybe a pacemaker (it happened in my close family, stent + pacemaker after about 12 yrs).

Paying 250k bht instead of half a million for an intervention would be a good alternative for me (just as an example), as my insurance at the moment do not cover pre-existing and I don't consider myself so rich to deserve the most expensive hospital available!

 

Kind regards,

 

[pub2022]

3 hours ago, fredscats said:

Angioplasty in Kolkata (with cost)

 

Of interest (or not)?

No thanks, I'm considering just Chiang Mai.

[CartagenaWarlock]

4 hours ago, fredscats said:

Angioplasty in Kolkata (with cost)

Indian medical science is pretty advanced and cost very cheap compared to Thailand. Also, staff, nuuses, and doctors all speak english. Sometimes, I think of getting a permanent Indian visa as a qualify to get one as my grandfather was an Indian who migrated to Trinidad and Tobago. But I already have four passports from four countries (USA, Trinidad Tobago, Antigua and Barbosas, and Spain) and never felt the need to to get an Indian permanent visa. And the damn paper works to prove that my grandfather was an Indian discourage me to start the process. 

[pub2022]

1 hour ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Indian medical science is pretty advanced and cost very cheap compared to Thailand. Also, staff, nuuses, and doctors all speak english. Sometimes, I think of getting a permanent Indian visa as a qualify to get one as my grandfather was an Indian who migrated to Trinidad and Tobago. But I already have four passports from four countries (USA, Trinidad Tobago, Antigua and Barbosas, and Spain) and never felt the need to to get an Indian permanent visa. And the damn paper works to prove that my grandfather was an Indian discourage me to start the process. 

Thanks for the information, but I'm looking for suggestions on Chiang Mai, Thailand.

[fredscats]

7 hours ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

Indian medical science is pretty advanced and cost very cheap compared to Thailand. Also, staff, nuuses, and doctors all speak english. Sometimes, I think of getting a permanent Indian visa as a qualify to get one as my grandfather was an Indian who migrated to Trinidad and Tobago. But I already have four passports from four countries (USA, Trinidad Tobago, Antigua and Barbosas, and Spain) and never felt the need to to get an Indian permanent visa. And the damn paper works to prove that my grandfather was an Indian discourage me to start the process. 

Why patients are flocking to India for surgery - BBC News

[Sheryl]

12 hours ago, pub2022 said:

Thanks to all.

 

Yes, I know of Ram Hospital, and I think it's more or less as expensive as Bangkok Hospital.

@SherylI know him, he actually did my intervention ???? Very good doctor indeed. Highly recommended. Yes I know that consultation (doctor fee) is cheap in Thailand compared to the West and that medications should not be bought at their (private hospital) pharmacies.

I was just asking if there's a good hospital in CM other than Ram and Bangkok Hospital, in the very unfortunate event I'd need something more serious and urgent than just a consultation. I know for example some people get a second or third stent after the first one (after few years), or maybe a pacemaker (it happened in my close family, stent + pacemaker after about 12 yrs).

Paying 250k bht instead of half a million for an intervention would be a good alternative for me (just as an example), as my insurance at the moment do not cover pre-existing and I don't consider myself so rich to deserve the most expensive hospital available!

 

Kind regards,

 

Check to see if this doctor is also at Rajavej, as he used to be. The cost difference will nto be as dramatic as you may hope, but it will be less than Bkk Hospital

[pub2022]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Check to see if this doctor is also at Rajavej, as he used to be. The cost difference will nto be as dramatic as you may hope, but it will be less than Bkk Hospital

Ok I will, thank you.

 

What is, generally talking, a good hospital in CM apart from Ram and Bangkok Hospital?

 

McCormick, Lanna Hospital, Sriphat, Rajavej?

 

Please advise

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, pub2022 said:

Ok I will, thank you.

 

What is, generally talking, a good hospital in CM apart from Ram and Bangkok Hospital?

 

McCormick, Lanna Hospital, Sriphat, Rajavej?

 

Please advise

There is no "good hospital" it all depends on the individual doctor.  Sriphat  is linked to Chisng Mai Univetsity so has many of their senior doctors (some of which also work in other hospitals) but tends to be crowded and can be hard for non Thai  speakers to navigate..  It has access to all the equipment/ and technology of the university hospital. 

 

McCormick, Lanna and Rajavej are smaller hospitals with less comprehensive services especially the former two. McCormick is especially known for tehab/physical therapy.

[elektrified]

17 hours ago, pub2022 said:

Ok I will, thank you.

 

What is, generally talking, a good hospital in CM apart from Ram and Bangkok Hospital?

 

McCormick, Lanna Hospital, Sriphat, Rajavej?

 

Please advise

I couldn't recommend Lanna. My wife goes there as she selected it as her "home hospital" for her social security plan. Many times there are long queues and no senior doctors available and only doctors who look to be a year out of medical school are available. They also don't give much of their time, only performing a cursory look from across the examination room before prescribing several bags of pills. Recently she went there twice looking to see a dermatologist and was informed that there was not a single dermatologist in the entire massive complex on both occasions and that for serious cases they were referring patients to see an outside doctor at a private clinic. Once she did get in to see a top ENT and the doctor spent well over an hour with her, but when she tried to make a follow-up appointment with that doctor, she was told that the doctor was booked solid for 10 weeks!

 

Overall, we are not particularly impressed with Lanna.

Edited April 6, 2022 by elektrified

[NancyL]

Dr. Thanawat is the best in Chiang Mai for stents.  As Sheryl suggested ask him where else he practices.  I see Dr. Apichard, another cardiologist at Bangkok Hospital CM who is very good for those of us with blood pressure problems. 

 

Dr. Apichard suggests that he prescribe 5 days worth of my meds each time through the hospitals, so that there is record of my meds on file with the hospital in case I ever have to be admitted as an inpatient, to make it quicker to access what meds I must take.  Then, I can purchase the rest of the supply needed at a cheaper retail pharmacy.  This came in handy when I was admitted for a problem totally unrelated to my heart, but still needed to continue my heart meds, of course.  The hospital pharmacy had immediate access to what meds had been prescribed for me.

[Lorry]

On 4/5/2022 at 7:53 PM, Sheryl said:

McCormick, Lanna and Rajavej are smaller hospitals with less comprehensive services especially the former two.

This sounds like Rajavej has improved a lot since our company doctor was there 10 years ago. At that time,  he did not recommend it.

[mania]

On 4/4/2022 at 6:26 AM, pub2022 said:

I know for example some people get a second or third stent after the first one (after few years)

You may be interested to read this from AARP about stents

I thought it was interesting

 

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/heart-stent.html