I thought healthcare in Thailand was supposed to be cheap?

[Startmeup]

Unfortunately I've had some health issues lately that I've needed to address. Anything that I have looked into has been more expensive, easily more expensive in Thailand than in Australia. Is this medical tourism in Thailand that gets promoted everywhere a total scam or what?

 

The only things that I can see that is cheaper in Thailand than in Australia is dentistry and certain types of cosmetic surgery. I have had minor dentistry done, it's cheaper. I've talked to some people who have had cosmetic stuff done. Even with cosmetic stuff im not sure it's ever cheaper in Thailand.

My friend who lived in Thailand had to get a nose reconstruction done (too much Muay Thai). The price he was given in Thailand was on par with a top well renowned surgeon in Melbourne. It was actually a better deal being offered to go there and get it done all included due to aftercare service etc.\

 

In my own recent experience.

 

 

1. Surgery to remove melanomas. 3 excisions needed. 

 

In Australia total cost including after hours nurse care available to change dressings or get recommendations if infected - 24,500 baht

Three separate surgeries on three separate days due to regulations about anaesthetic carried out over the space of 7 days.

Included pathology report for the excisions and fourth visit to check on healing and if stitches could come out before I returned to Thailand. 

 

Samitijev Bangkok (who were very helpful/responsive) 7000 baht for a body scan.
I had all the results in technical detail from Oz after getting 3 biopsies.

Im not sure what their plan would have been.

If they weren't willing to accept the doctor/pathology report from Australia would they have done a biopsy on the biopsy?

 

Couldn't get any hospital to commit to a price. I struggle to see how this would have been done for anything less than 50,000 here, possibly much more with plenty of scope for price gouging.

 

 

2. Quote for a Dexa body composition scan.

 

Australia including short consult - 2300 baht

Vejthani Hospital incl consult - starts from 7000-8000 baht

Trying to find other prices, anyone?

 

 

3. Blood tests

Private tests in Australia - 11,200

BangkokLab - 17,500

 

Above is a recent quote. I have used Bangkok lab last year to get quite a few readings and they were the cheapest I could find at the time after sending many emails. They were alot more expensive compared to Australia. In Aus tests would have costs less than 6000 baht and I paid 16,000 baht.

 

 

4. MRI

 

Australia I paid what ended up being 9500 for this.

It would have been 7500 but I needed to get contrast injected so it cost more.

This included the cost of the referral fee and report from radiologist. 

 

In Thailand seems to be anywhere from 9000-20,000 baht. 

 

 

I really can't get over why and how expensive healthcare is here. 

Maybe when it comes to big operations where you have to stay overnight for a few nights that things become alot cheaper here but I've yet to see it?

 

 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Startmeup

[Ralf001]

Need to not compare Aus prices to expensive private hospital prices.

[kuma]

Tldr but you need to shop around here. early on in my 20 years here I used Samitivej Sukhumvit almost exclusively. But starting about 8 years ago I started shopping around as they had just relentlessly raised their prices and I was no longer willing to pay the cost.

[scubascuba3]

Shop around, even pick good govt hospitals or consider flying to India, much cheaper than Thailand apparently and all English speaking

[brewsterbudgen]

Don't use the expensive hospitals!

[Sheryl]

Private health care gas not been cheap in Thailand for many years. Enormous increases in the past 15 years. Arrangements with wealthy mid eastern countries where  govts pay the costs for their citizens has been a factor. So had inflation and so has simple profit motive (they charge whatever they can get away with).

 

Government hospitals are also not cheap for anything extensive and specialized (though still less than private hospitals) but for routine things are still pretty affordable

[internationalism]

go to the governmental hospital, not the top private hospitals.

 

yearly check ups, including blood, xray, egk, fob, urine 1950-4400b. 

 

mri private on t1.5 is 7k, contrast 2k. Same price as in Au.

Govertnmental cheaper, but waiting line several months.

 

there were 2.8mln medical tourists in 2019. They come for price and quality.

Sometimes insurance pay, sometimes the government for their citizens, if their own health service can't offer timely treatment.

Edited March 2, 2023 by internationalism

[KhunLA]

As with everything, depends where you shop.  

 

BumCrap .... skin cancer peeky, ฿1000, and ...

... "you have 3 growths that I can take off"

 

"OK, sounds good, take 'em off"

 

... "not now, make an appointment"

 

"Say what ... you do know I'm from Udon Thani, and there's not 1 person in the waiting room"????

 

Udon Thani, and and all 3 liquid nitro'd for ฿300 ... all in.  Returned same doc, (UT) couple years later, for a peek ...

 

... "don't see nothing, all clear"

 

"Good, how much?"

 

... "NO charge, I not do anything" ????

 

[phuketsub]

I am lucky to have Thai social security. I had a melanoma about 20 years ago. I found another one recently and went to the local hospital where it was excised an and sent to Bangkok for biopsy. I am still waiting for the result. It was almost comical that they charged me 12 baht. If it weren't for Thai social security and I would be blind and crippled now. 

[IvorBiggun2]

I think dentist here are crooks. 

[anchadian]

30 minutes ago, internationalism said:

go to the governmental hospital, not the top private hospitals.

 

yearly check ups, including blood, xray, egk, fob, urine 1950-4400b. 

 

mri private on t1.5 is 7k, contrast 2k. Same price as in Au.

Govertnmental cheaper, but waiting line several months.

 

there were 2.8mln medical tourists in 2019. They come for price and quality.

Sometimes insurance pay, sometimes the government for their citizens, if their own health service can't offer timely treatment.

Go to my local clinic every 6 months for complete blood and urine test B690, EKG B300.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2023 by anchadian

[userabcd]

10 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I think dentist here are crooks. 

Not true at all. They have an abundance of dentists and some of the best dental care in the world.

[bkk6060]

I certainly would question your Bangkok quotes.  17,500 blood test for what?  That is the price I paid at Bumrungrad in November for a 6 hour full body extensive check up including blood panel.

 

But I guess if folks think it is so bad here, catch a flight back home and get things taken care of it is only about a 9 hour flight.

 

 

[IvorBiggun2]

7 minutes ago, userabcd said:

Not true at all. They have an abundance of dentists and some of the best dental care in the world.

Sorry to disagree.

[HappyExpat57]

I have to admit I make annual visits to the states where I'm covered by private health insurance and Medicare. Last year, two knee MRI's a a base line checkup came to a total $107 out of pocket.

[HappyExpat57]

1 minute ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Sorry to disagree.

Then you're going to the wrong dentists. There is a married couple, both dentists, working out of the same office in Pattaya. I have been going there for years, and the quality provided is as good or better than most places outside Thailand, and I'm always surprised how affordable they are.

[zzaa09]

58 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Need to not compare Aus prices to expensive private hospital prices.

Or better yet, the U.S.

That'll get your attention real quick. 

Nothing short of an extended racket.

[stoner]

6 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Sorry to disagree.

got a root canal done last week. fantastic work almost totally painless she was like a ninja with that needle.

 

no more than say 2 hours in the chair and 2100 baht later my tooth was fixed. 

 

back home you are looking at 20000b up for the same work. 

 

 

[The Fugitive]

8 minutes ago, stoner said:

got a root canal done last week. fantastic work almost totally painless she was like a ninja with that needle.

 

no more than say 2 hours in the chair and 2100 baht later my tooth was fixed. 

 

back home you are looking at 20000b up for the same work. 

Amazing price! Very good service.

[HappyExpat57]

13 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Or better yet, the U.S.

That'll get your attention real quick. 

Nothing short of an extended racket.

I dated an insurance agent and got to see "behind the scenes." It's simply legalized extortion.

[ArturGorbachev]

51 minutes ago, stoner said:

got a root canal done last week. fantastic work almost totally painless she was like a ninja with that needle.

 

no more than say 2 hours in the chair and 2100 baht later my tooth was fixed. 

 

back home you are looking at 20000b up for the same work. 

 

 

root canal is around 10k, 2000 is a price of a big filling, a small filling will cost 1000-1500, these are average prices around thailand.

 

And private healthcare is expensive and not affordable here (compare the price of ct scan or some endoscopic procedure to average monthly salary, 1:1) , i talked to some thais, many complain how much money they have to pay if they cant wait months to be accepted in government hospital, the same ratio in Baltic countries around 1:6 (6 ct scans per average monthly salary)

 

Edited March 2, 2023 by ArturGorbachev

[JoseThailand]

54 minutes ago, stoner said:

got a root canal done last week. fantastic work almost totally painless she was like a ninja with that needle.

 

no more than say 2 hours in the chair and 2100 baht later my tooth was fixed. 

Where can you get a root canal done for 2100 baht? The normal price is around 8000.

[stoner]

42 minutes ago, ArturGorbachev said:

root canal is around 10k, 2000 is a price of a big filling, a small filling will cost 1000-1500, these are average prices around thailand.

mine cost 2100 baht last week. not sure what to tell you. 

[stoner]

30 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

Where can you get a root canal done for 2100 baht? The normal price is around 8000.

near my house in bkk. 

[Lorry]

2 hours ago, Startmeup said:

Maybe when it comes to big operations where you have to stay overnight for a few nights that things become alot cheaper here

No. Nothing less than 500,000, they always find a way toad the bill.

Easily 1m, if ICU necessary several millions. 

 

The people who think it's cheap are the Americans. 

Multiply Australian prices by 3 or more to get US prices

 

[orchis]

3 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I think dentist here are crooks. 

my dentist is perfect and affordable. think what you like.

[JimmyJ]

Vietnam is being totally incompetent for not promoting the country for medicql tourism.

 

I think my Endoscopy/Colonoscopy was a few hundred at a good private hospital - will check and post again.

(I'm assuming it's a lot more here - maybe not?).

Edited March 2, 2023 by JimmyJ

[internationalism]

17 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

Vietnam is being totally incompetent for not promoting the country for medicql tourism.

 

I think my Endoscopy/Colonoscopy was a few hundred at a good private hospital - will check and post again.

if you mean $, my gastroscopy+colonoscopy full anaesthesia was 10 400b so $300 in bkk in december, governmental 3 months waiting time.

Cost of operation in governmental is 100-200k, that data is slightly outdated, probably by not that much.

ICU at the same hospital is total 3200b/night - 1600b room (meals included), 1200 nursing, 400 medical service.

Edited March 2, 2023 by internationalism

[aldriglikvid]

State/Region hospitals - I understand that foreigners are "allowed", but are they running for profit for foreigners only while non-profit for domestic users? Just want to understand the system. 

[jaywalker2]

3 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I think dentist here are crooks. 

They're main focus is on maximizing their profits, let's put it that way