Colonoscopy Tests Costs In Thailand

[Mitkof Island]

What are the costs for colon screening in Thailand? Public hospitals I am guessing have lower fees?  Any information would be grateful of locations perhaps in the Hua Hin area.

[Mike Lister]

Costs at a PRIVATE hospital in the north run to around 36k and up for a combined endoscopy and colonoscopy.

 

A government hospital would not administer the test unless the doctor that you saw said it was medically necessary, even then the exam is likely to be administered by a junior doctor rather than a gastroenterology specialist. It's not possible to simply walk into government hospitals and request elective tests, just because you want them done there, just because they are cheaper.

[Mitkof Island]

2 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

Costs at a PRIVATE hospital in the north run to around 36k and up for a combined endoscopy and colonoscopy.

 

A government hospital would not administer the test unless the doctor that you saw said it was medically necessary, even then the exam is likely to be administered by a junior doctor rather than a gastroenterology specialist. It's not possible to simply walk into government hospitals and request elective tests, just because you want them done there, just because they are cheaper.

But if the doctor at the public hospital requested it I could have it done there?

[Mike Lister]

3 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

But if the doctor at the public hospital requested it I could have it done there?

Yes, but the wait times may be a negative factor.

[Prubangboy]

I just paid 32K at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital. If you don't want to be totally knocked out, you can save a little money.

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Health & Medicine

[Mitkof Island]

12 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

I just paid 32K at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital. If you don't want to be totally knocked out, you can save a little money.

Is it painful and takes long time? This is a private hospital?

[sqwakvfr]

Two years ago  Chiang Mai Ram had a Endoscopy and Colonoscopy special. Total price was 39,000. Might be worth the time to ask private hospitals what they would charge.

[sqwakvfr]

1 minute ago, Mitkof Island said:

Is it painful and takes long time? This is a private hospital?

It was like taking a nap.  You will feel groggy when you wake up. The actual colonoscopy takes about 30 minutes. I think was under for about 40 minutes. 

[Mike Lister]

5 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

Is it painful and takes long time? This is a private hospital?

It's completely painless and not even uncomfortable, you;ll wake up and be fairly clear headed quickly and not know anything about what happened. The hardest part is emptying your bowels the evening before, find a good book and be prepared to be on the toilet for a while.

[Prubangboy]

17 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

Two years ago  Chiang Mai Ram had a Endoscopy and Colonoscopy special. Total price was 39,000. Might be worth the time to ask private hospitals what they would charge.

In fact, it was 39K. Sorry!

 

I was in an out in about an hour, including the consult. No discomfort at all. When I got home,  I slept like a rock for a couple of hours.

 

The cleanup process was much less onerous than my last attempt a dozen years ago. But yeah, make sure you laptop is charged for the toilet time.

[KhunLA]

@Mitkof Island Don't know about HH area pricing, but pricing will run the gamut of damn cheap, you get what you pay for, to possibly getting reamed with silly price.

 

Wife had it done, more than few years ago, <3000 baht,  no meds, and Q'd 10 folks in 5 hours, so one has to wonder how sterile those condition were, and since no meds, didn't make the last turn.  Told nothing usually found there anyway 😲 (govt hosp).  Side note: private hosp in same area charged 5k for same, and simply limo'd you over to govt hosp for same Q 😂

 

I had it done ~10+k at govt hosp (BKK), had a 10 month Q, which of course paid a fee to jump Q (?) off hours for 10K, so had endoscopy (~10k) done same time, w/meds 😴, so less <28k for both and glad I did, as having couple polyps removed from one end, and found a hiatal hernia on the other end 😂

 

As far as Doc referral needed, simply tell your doc you have blood in stools and colon cancer runs in the family.

 

For HH ... I sent PM

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

But if the doctor at the public hospital requested it I could have it done there?

Yes but only higher level public hospitals can do this. I don't think any of the government hospitals near Hua Hin can. Even regional level hosputals often lack the capacity, it is mainly available at university affiliated hospitals. 

 

Is this for routine screening ir for a specific problem?

 

For routine screening the best government option is Chulabhorn Oncology Medicak Center in Bangkok.

https://chulabhornhospital.cra.ac.th/

You need a Thai speaker with you and will have to go in person to make appointment (both true at most government facilities). But unlike most govt hospitals they will readily do it as a routine cancer screening. Cost below 10k. 

 

At private hospitals these days colonoscopy costs about 25-30 k not including removal and biopsy of any polyps or other lesions. Occasionally hospitals offer timebound promotion prices.

 

I cannot recommend any private hospital in your area for this (or much else) but there are many options in Bangkok including on the Thonburi side of the river. 

 

If being done because of a specific problem then should have it done by a good colo-rectal specialist, so please advise if this is the case. 

 

 

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Is it painful and takes long time? This is a private hospital?

It does save money to forego IV anesthetic but you do not want to do that.

 

It starts out uncomfortable then becomes severely painful. There is a reason IV sedation is the norm.

[Mike Lister]

Amen to that. A good friend is a huge beast of a man, an ex rugby player and hard as nails. He went all macho and tried a colonoscopy without being sedated,  he described it as the worst pain he had ever experienced.

[roquefort]

Just had it done at Samitivej Bangkok. 37k including biopsy for one polyp.

Moderate sedation, don't feel a thing. Excellent colorectal specialist who clearly explains all the potential issues.

[BKKKevin]

5 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Is it painful and takes long time? This is a private hospital?

I have it done without anesthesia no problem... Takes about 20-30 minutes...

[mudcat]

U.S. procedures at Kaiser required a driver to stand by to take you home as their anesthetic was enough to disorient one. 

Not sure what the recommendation is here but you might inquire - maybe a promise to take a motorcycle taxi would be enough.

 

The first test I had after my sister's colon cancer was a sigmoidoscopy which was an office procedure vs an operating room.

 

Why would you have a sigmoidoscopy instead of a colonoscopy?

 

 

A flexible sigmoidoscopy is a quick, safe and efficient way for healthcare providers to diagnose and treat conditions in your lower large intestine. It doesn't go as far into your body as a colonoscopy, so it doesn't take as much time or preparation. It can be done with or without sedation.

[JBChiangRai]

Chiang Rai Prachanakroh Government Hospital, 19,000 baht with sedation, mostly awake, at least I thought I was…

[Peterphuket]

5 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Is it painful and takes long time? This is a private hospital?

I've got this many years ago, and it went wrong with administering the anaesthetic, I turned out to be allergic to 'dormicum'.

It's a warning.

[wwest5829]

5 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

It was like taking a nap.  You will feel groggy when you wake up. The actual colonoscopy takes about 30 minutes. I think was under for about 40 minutes. 

 I have had two but long ago in the US. Worse than the procedure for me was having to drink the liquid to clean out the intestines ... light weight oil ... gag! Story to give a chuckle ... the last one the Doctor nudged me awake and presented me with the eye piece end of the hose ... I was looking up inside myself. Guess he thought I might be interested?!i

[Jumbo1968]

Looks like they knock you out in Thailand which would add to the cost, in the U.K. you get the choice, I decided on staying awake and used gas and air once when it was uncomfortable. I watched the whole process on the TV screen above the bed.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Jumbo1968
Update

[Randell]

47 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Chiang Rai Prachanakroh Government Hospital, 19,000 baht with sedation, mostly awake, at least I thought I was…

Hello JB how current was this? I ask because I also am in CR and haven't had one for numerous years.

[JBChiangRai]

9 minutes ago, Randell said:

Hello JB how current was this? I ask because I also am in CR and haven't had one for numerous years.

Earlier this year. I watched the whole process on the TV screen, too, mildly, uncomfortable, but not very painful.

[skorts]

I recently paid ฿44,000 for colonoscopy and gastroscopy at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai including multiple biopsies. Conscious sedation and I don’t remember a thing about it. 

Edited October 30, 2023 by skorts

[sqwakvfr]

1 hour ago, wwest5829 said:

 I have had two but long ago in the US. Worse than the procedure for me was having to drink the liquid to clean out the intestines ... light weight oil ... gag! Story to give a chuckle ... the last one the Doctor nudged me awake and presented me with the eye piece end of the hose ... I was looking up inside myself. Guess he thought I might be interested?!i

The only thing I found unusual about the prep the day before was the instructions were to start with the laxatives at 400PM.  In the US the Gastro told me to start at noon the day before for an 800 AM colonoscopy.  I was concerned my bowels would not completely empty before the procedure.  in the end only one benign poly was removed.  So my next one will in 2 or 3 years from now.  If I am still in CNX I will go back to the Ram.  

[Airalee]

Bangkok private hospitals usually run promotions.  Prices are all over the place.  No idea about Huahin

[Iamloki]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Yes but only higher level public hospitals can do this. I don't think any of the government hospitals near Hua Hin can. Even regional level hosputals often lack the capacity, it is mainly available at university affiliated hospitals. 

 

Is this for routine screening ir for a specific problem?

 

For routine screening the best government option is Chulabhorn Oncology Medicak Center in Bangkok.

https://chulabhornhospital.cra.ac.th/

You need a Thai speaker with you and will have to go in person to make appointment (both true at most government facilities). But unlike most govt hospitals they will readily do it as a routine cancer screening. Cost below 10k. 

 

At private hospitals these days colonoscopy costs about 25-30 k not including removal and biopsy of any polyps or other lesions. Occasionally hospitals offer timebound promotion prices.

 

I cannot recommend any private hospital in your area for this (or much else) but there are many options in Bangkok including on the Thonburi side of the river. 

 

If being done because of a specific problem then should have it done by a good colo-rectal specialist, so please advise if this is the case. 

 

 

You seem quite knowledgeable Cheryl. Can you make any recommendations (private or public facilities) for Chiang Rai?

Or, will I need to go to Chiang Mai / Bkk?

[Mr Derek]

I had one on the recommendation of this forum. Or rather, it was a sigmoidoscopy, at a private hospital in Bangkok, for 11,000 baht, which ought to have been easier and I opted for no sedative. It was a catastrophe.

 

First, for some reason they forced me to lie on my left side when it would have made far more sense to lie on my right to avoid the pressure bearing down on the sigmoid. We argued about this for five minutes but they wouldn't have it. The operation was excruciatingly painful - I had to call out to stop when I saw something bulging at the top of my abdomen like the thing in Alien - I had never known pain like that before. I guess the doctor forgot it was supposed to be a sigmoidoscopy and was going all the way. The procedure found nothing, simply diagnosed IBS, so it was a waste of time and money.

 

The most disastrous thing was that the sodium phosphate prep they gave me (two bottles of "Swiff") instantly wrecked my kidneys - I felt ill immediately and that proved to be stage 4 kidney disease. My kidneys were fine before. It was another hospital that diagnosed that. The doctor who did the operation was in denial and said it was just indigestion. Information on the internet says that sodium phosphate can indeed by harmful to kidneys.

 

Your mileage will vary, but I no longer have any confidence in the medical profession at all. In any case, don't let them give you Swiff.

[Thailand]

I have UC which was severe - Last one of 3 I had was about 5 years ago at Rajevej Hospital in Chiang Mai, It was as in-patient ( one night) because of underlying conditions.

Total cost was 23,000 baht but as in-patient insurance paid 21,000 baht.

 

Due for another one next year so will have to see how much more!