Recommendations for an Endocrinologist in CM please?

[JimmyJ]

Thank you.

 

[Mahseer]

Dr Vipawan at CM Ram is one option. 

 

https://zeekdoc.com/en/doctor/dr-vipawan-chantapanich-1338

[TravelerEastWest]

Dr Joy at Bangkok hospital

[JimmyJ]

On 8/6/2022 at 5:49 PM, Mahseer said:

Dr Vipawan at CM Ram is one option. 

 

https://zeekdoc.com/en/doctor/dr-vipawan-chantapanich-1338

Have you personally been a patient?

[Mahseer]

7 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

Have you personally been a patient?

For past 4 years and ongoing.

[amexpat]

6 minutes ago, Mahseer said:

For past 4 years and ongoing.

Me too. 

[TravelerEastWest]

Bangkok hospital overall has better service/waiting times and better parking.

 

I used to go to CM Ram...

[Dante99]

13 minutes ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Bangkok hospital overall has better service/waiting times and better parking.

All of which you pay dearly for.  Ram has some excellent doctors.

[TravelerEastWest]

1 hour ago, Dante99 said:

All of which you pay dearly for.  Ram has some excellent doctors.

CM Ram certainly has some good doctors and nurses (sometimes the same as at Bangkok hospital) but they have a long wait time to see doctors - and that is with an appointment also their parking situation shall we politely say needs improvement?

 

As for fees they are very similar, Bangkok hospital is slightly more. However, if you factor in time saved Bangkok hospital is much lower in cost - much lower... Unless you place no value on your time? I ma not retired and have children to pickup from school etc so time saved is very important to me - plus I like to minimize my time in hospitals..

 

Also Bangkok hospital has a more pleasant atmosphere.

 

But if you have a good doctor at CM Ram who you have been seeing for many years that alone is a good enough reason to stay.

 

 

[Bill97]

3 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

CM Ram certainly has some good doctors and nurses (sometimes the same as at Bangkok hospital) but they have a long wait time to see doctors - and that is with an appointment also their parking situation shall we politely say needs improvement?

 

As for fees they are very similar, Bangkok hospital is slightly more. However, if you factor in time saved Bangkok hospital is much lower in cost - much lower... Unless you place no value on your time? I ma not retired and have children to pickup from school etc so time saved is very important to me - plus I like to minimize my time in hospitals..

 

Also Bangkok hospital has a more pleasant atmosphere.

 

But if you have a good doctor at CM Ram who you have been seeing for many years that alone is a good enough reason to stay.

 

 

Limited experiences and opinion do not make facts.

[TravelerEastWest]

5 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Limited experiences and opinion do not make facts.

Actually I am an accountant by training so I am very good at costs.

 

I have had diabetes for more than 30 years so I have had (sadly) lots of experience with the costs of doctors and hospitals.

 

I have a number of friends who have used both hospitals - no one that I know would disagree with my opinion about costs.

 

What part of my post do you disagree with?

 

1) Parking? Unless they have recently built a large parking area walking distance to the hospital then they have challenges as I stated. At Bangkok hospital you simply park in the back and have a one minute walk at most.

 

2) Wait times for appointments? If your CM Ram appointments are on time with no extra waits - that is really great and I am seriously happy for you! But my experience has been waits - even with appointments - it seems like an appointment means they have your files on hand but it is still first come first served...Also they must have computerized by now - in the past retrieved paper files!

 

3) I also said that CM Ram has good doctors and nurses - do you disagree? Also I have observed that many doctors, specialists especially serve  more than one hospital. Do you agree?

 

4) Atmosphere - this could be subjective but Bangkok hospital is new and well decorated with beautiful orchids everywhere. Plus a piano etc. Maybe CM Ram is now as beautiful - not sure as I have not been there for a while.

 

5) Having a good doctor for a long time - this would be probably the only reason I would go to CM Ram. Maybe hey could have a certain specialty that only they have in CM another good reason...

 

6) As for fees I have compared actual fees for doctors and they are similar - with Bangkok hospital being a bit more expensive but for me it is much cheaper when you factor in time saved. Maybe this is what you meant when you mentioned - opinions - if so you are 100% correct!

 

In the end it is good to go where you are comfortable and if you prefer CM Ram you that is good. 

[Dante99]

13 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

I have had diabetes for more than 30 years so I have had (sadly) lots of experience with the costs of doctors and hospitals.

In only one area of medical care, only one area.  

 

13 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

I have a number of friends who have used both hospitals - no one that I know would disagree with my opinion about costs.

 

Yes friends usually share the same opinions, that does not change the opinions into facts.

 

13 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Parking? Unless they have recently built a large parking area walking distance to the hospital

In fact they have extended their ground level parking recently.

 

13 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

If your CM Ram appointments are on time with no extra waits - that is really great and I am seriously happy for you!

Thanks, in fact I do not wait long.  Nor do many others.  Some departments certainly may have waits but I have used four departments recently without big waits.

 

13 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

Atmosphere - this could be subjective

No it is subjective, just another opinion.

 

13 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

As for fees I have compared actual fees for doctors and they are similar - with Bangkok hospital being a bit more expensive

for how many doctors and departments?

 

"a bit more expensive"  come on you claimed to be a skilled cost accountant and the best you can say is "a bit"

 

More opinion.

13 hours ago, TravelerEastWest said:

In the end it is good to go where you are comfortable

No it is good to go where you get the care you need.

[TravelerEastWest]

3 hours ago, Dante99 said:

In only one area of medical care, only one area.  

 

Yes friends usually share the same opinions, that does not change the opinions into facts.

 

In fact they have extended their ground level parking recently.

 

Thanks, in fact I do not wait long.  Nor do many others.  Some departments certainly may have waits but I have used four departments recently without big waits.

 

No it is subjective, just another opinion.

 

for how many doctors and departments?

 

"a bit more expensive"  come on you claimed to be a skilled cost accountant and the best you can say is "a bit"

 

More opinion.

No it is good to go where you get the care you need.

In regards to your only one area comment - I am sorry to say it has not been only one area - I wish that you were correct!

 

Yes, friends often do share the same point of view - very good point - but in this  case no-one that I know likes to wait for long periods of time not just friends... But no doubt there are some people who will completely agree with you...

 

Good news that CM Ram has improved their parking! I hope all patients can easily walk to the hospital in less than a minute not just a few.

 

Good to hear that you don't wait long - maybe they have made an effort to update and improve - which is great. Note on rare occasions I have to wait at Bangkok hospital also this is when the doctor is called away for an emergency or urgent care,

 

The extra cost at Bangkok Hospital is so small that I don't pay any attention to it. And as I clearly mentioned if you factor in time savings Bangkok hospital is much cheaper - at least for those of us who are still working and have children.

 

I completely agree with you that it is good to go where you get the care that you need - and when I said being comfortable I meant that.

 

As for being a Cost accountant funny that you should mention that as while I am not a cost accountant, nor did I say I was - I did enjoy cost accounting and still do. It is funny because most accountants did not have much of an interest in the field. Instead I was a tax accountant - which is not considered fun by most but I find it very interesting like playing chess...

 

In summary you seem very happy where you are getting your medical care and this is great! I was not happy at CM Ram and it felt like a breath of fresh air to visit the then new Bangkok hospital. Doctors that did not make you wait, all new equipment and easy parking.

 

I hope that both of us dont need to visit either hospital too much in the near future! 

 

All the best!

[JimmyJ]

Never noticed much difference in wait times between the 2.

[elektrified]

On 8/12/2022 at 8:28 PM, TravelerEastWest said:

Actually I am an accountant by training so I am very good at costs.

 

I have had diabetes for more than 30 years so I have had (sadly) lots of experience with the costs of doctors and hospitals.

 

I have a number of friends who have used both hospitals - no one that I know would disagree with my opinion about costs.

 

What part of my post do you disagree with?

 

1) Parking? Unless they have recently built a large parking area walking distance to the hospital then they have challenges as I stated. At Bangkok hospital you simply park in the back and have a one minute walk at most.

 

2) Wait times for appointments? If your CM Ram appointments are on time with no extra waits - that is really great and I am seriously happy for you! But my experience has been waits - even with appointments - it seems like an appointment means they have your files on hand but it is still first come first served...Also they must have computerized by now - in the past retrieved paper files!

 

3) I also said that CM Ram has good doctors and nurses - do you disagree? Also I have observed that many doctors, specialists especially serve  more than one hospital. Do you agree?

 

4) Atmosphere - this could be subjective but Bangkok hospital is new and well decorated with beautiful orchids everywhere. Plus a piano etc. Maybe CM Ram is now as beautiful - not sure as I have not been there for a while.

 

5) Having a good doctor for a long time - this would be probably the only reason I would go to CM Ram. Maybe hey could have a certain specialty that only they have in CM another good reason...

 

6) As for fees I have compared actual fees for doctors and they are similar - with Bangkok hospital being a bit more expensive but for me it is much cheaper when you factor in time saved. Maybe this is what you meant when you mentioned - opinions - if so you are 100% correct!

 

In the end it is good to go where you are comfortable and if you prefer CM Ram you that is good. 

Are you serious? Who cares about decorations and orchids everywhere and a piano? Thais are impressed by those type of things and will pay more for them. I can't believe you would gladly pay more for something as meaningless as that. What's important is the doctor.

[TravelerEastWest]

38 minutes ago, elektrified said:

Are you serious? Who cares about decorations and orchids everywhere and a piano? Thais are impressed by those type of things and will pay more for them. I can't believe you would gladly pay more for something as meaningless as that. What's important is the doctor.

I don't have many Phalaenopsis (Butterfly) orchids ar home and they have many at the hospital - I enjoy looking at them.

 

Pianos don't mean that much to me but for others they probably do mean something.

 

Doctors are important and sometimes nurses are even more important. Also good cashiers and pharmacists are important.

 

I also like it when I have to go to a number of different clinics they have customer service staff to make sure everything goes smoothly.

 

Clean bathrooms at a clinic and hospital are also important.

 

As is the newest equipment and convenient parking and so on...

 

I am happy to pay a bit extra for all the above. I understand that not everyone feels the same. Some people probably want a good doctor and don't care about the environment... I respect that but not me. Sometimes I feel quite stressed at the hospital and the nice environment calms me down.

 

As point of reference I am also willing to pay extra for nice restaurants and hotels although theses days I don't travel at all and very rarely eat outside. I prefer home cooking!

[Rotweiler]

From reading the one responder's posts, I must assume that he has not been at the RAM for awhile.  There is now a huge parking lot in the back (part of what was once the shopping centre's "extra land".   I have not had to climb the tower for ages (those who have been at the RAM "parkade" will understand that.

 

I must strongly echo the positive comments about Dr. Vipawan, my endocrinologist for 5 years. It is rare to see a doctor (at any hospital) who cares as much for the patient and actually listens to them, as she does.  I have had considerably poorer results elsewhere, and I don't go to hospitals for orchids, to lurk in toilets, or any other reason except to get the best care I can to meet my health needs..

 

 

[TravelerEastWest]

16 minutes ago, Rotweiler said:

From reading the one responder's posts, I must assume that he has not been at the RAM for awhile.  There is now a huge parking lot in the back (part of what was once the shopping centre's "extra land".   I have not had to climb the tower for ages (those who have been at the RAM "parkade" will understand that.

 

I must strongly echo the positive comments about Dr. Vipawan, my endocrinologist for 5 years. It is rare to see a doctor (at any hospital) who cares as much for the patient and actually listens to them, as she does.  I have had considerably poorer results elsewhere, and I don't go to hospitals for orchids, to lurk in toilets, or any other reason except to get the best care I can to meet my health needs..

 

 

You are correct - I have not been to CM Ram in a long time... and have no plans to return - my experience there was not a very good one. With the worst part being the long waits even with an appointment. It is a given that good doctors and nurses are important. The doctors and nurses were OK at that time; I saw an older man who I believe was a medical school teacher.

 

Good to hear that Dr Vipawan is caring! All the doctors at Bangkok hospital have been good listeners. But I have not yet found a single endocrinologist in Chiang Mai who has a focus on diet/nutrition and exercise for treating type 2 diabetes. 

 

If you told me that Dr Vipawan was a diabetes specialist with a focus on diet and exercise and drugs only as a last resort type of doctor I would be very interested in seeing her even if CM Ram still had long waits in the Endocrinology department. My experience with diabetes over many years has been taht diet and exercise are very important but many doctors seem to know very little about nutrition...

 

By the way has CM Ram updated their file system to be computerized? It used to be folders that were retrieved before an appointment... If they have improved their system then probably the wait times would drop quite a bit.

 

PS Do you have a Rottweiler? They are beautiful dogs and a friend told me that they are great with kids. I have two German Shepards and which are great with my kids and protect my farm - outside Chiang Mai so guard dogs are great to have...

[Inala]

Geez, an OP requesting recommendations for endocrinologist services and just a few posts in the arguments start lol.

 

How does such an innocuous post descend into petty bickering so quickly and somehow get sidetracked into supplementary discussion on orchids and pianos? ????

 

People are really snarly these days, I guess what with 2 years of covid, the European war and now the war in the western pacific getting ready to kick off, who can blame us I suppose.. 

[Mahseer]

Bottom line is we are blessed to have 2 top rated hospitals in town.

 

Now if only Ram had a piano...........

[orang37]

On 8/18/2022 at 10:04 AM, Inala said:

How does such an innocuous post descend into petty bickering ...

 

... what with 2 years of covid, the European war and now the war in the western pacific getting ready to kick off, who can blame us I suppose.. 

"Some are born vicious, some achieve viciousness, and some have viciousness thrust upon them" Shakespeare did not write.