Hospital On Koh Samui

[eutin45]

Which is the best on reasonably priced hospital on Koh Samui? Bangkok Samui Hospital or Samui International Hospital or what else is there?

[happylarry]

My wife has been a nurse in both hospitals that you mentioned.

Bangkok Samui is definately the best but you pay for it twofold, but if you are on insurance then its the place to go.

Samui Inter is an older building but is also very good for the service you get and would be my choice if I was paying cash.

Hope this helps.

HL

[SamuiRes]

Which is the best on reasonably priced hospital on Koh Samui? Bangkok Samui Hospital or Samui International Hospital or what else is there?

Bangkok Samui is one of the two new modern hospitals with very good facilities and staff who speak good English. It is nevertheless the most expensive. They have a wide range of medical specialists and the accommodation and service in my experience is good. However, like anywhere you have to take into account the ability of the Doctors. Generally they are pretty good here, they have a very good heart specialist and the primary health care is good. The only one I have an issue with would be the ENT specialist who is OK but as I have regular ear problems would rather go to Dr Ning in Nathon.

Samui International is one of the two original private hospitals and I have found them to be very good for basic problems such as minor injuries. No experience of anything serious there, but the staff speak good English and they are not that expensive.

Bandon is the other original private hospital where unfortunately I have spent a few days following an accident. It happened to be the nearest to the scene of the accident so I did not have much choice. It has a poor reputation amongst most local expats, partly deserved but not entirely. Being older the building and rooms are of lower quality and not well maintained and the restaurant menu is severely lacking in choice of non-Thai food. However the Irish Times is just across the road and you can order out. The staff are OK but only a few seem to have reasonable English. I cannot complain about my primary treatment and they are not expensive. Three nights including X-rays, MRI, drugs and treatment was Baht 59,000 which the Insurance company paid without question.

Thai International - I have no experience of this one so cannot comment.

Nathon Government Hospital - strictly for non insured locals although you can go as a foreigner but only the Doctors speak English and facilities are limited. Obviously much cheaper and if you work here as an expat and pay Social Security the treatment is basically free. However, I do not know any expat who would go there voluntarily.

[sayitaintso]

i know several expats that can, will and do go to nathon gov't hospital voluntarily.

as one of the expats that pays SS here, i am one of those that does.

Same doctors, lower price (and a correspondingly lower level of farang type appearance/service)

[happylarry]

I have never been to Bandon Hospital myself but a friend went there after a fall down his stairs. He had xrays and an examination and was told nothing was amiss and was sent home.

After enduring a night of intense pain he visited Samui Inter the next day and had xrays again and was told he had broken three ribs, he was then given the appropriate medication (painkillers) and immediately felt relief and was able to recover.

HL

[SamuiRes]

I have never been to Bandon Hospital myself but a friend went there after a fall down his stairs. He had xrays and an examination and was told nothing was amiss and was sent home.

After enduring a night of intense pain he visited Samui Inter the next day and had xrays again and was told he had broken three ribs, he was then given the appropriate medication (painkillers) and immediately felt relief and was able to recover.

HL

There are too many stories like that about Bandon and I would not have gone there voluntarily but at the time did not have any choice. Much depends as far as I can tell about the competence of the Doctor on duty and I seem to have been lucky this time. I suspect if my accident had occurred on the west of the island I would have been just as happy to have gone to Nathon but in my condition last week a 40-50 minute ambulance ride was not really an option.

[nod]

Just to add to the confusion, I have been using Thai Inter Hospital for some years now and have not yet found fault with them. I don't use my insurance option for day to day things as I can't be bothered with the paperwork and when they know you're not taking the insurance option, they are very reasonable. The Doctors speak good English as do many of the nurses. I have not had any in patient treatment, but I believe the care is quite good and the rooms are acceptable. There is one Doctor who works there (Dr Chaikitch) who had 30 years experience as a GP in the USA. He is mature and a very pleasant fellow with obviously good English skills. I have had a few occasions to use their A & E dept and have to say that although these are never pleasant experiences, the staff were very professional and thorough in wound cleaning/care etc. If I were to suffer an accident and was in a position to ask, this is where I would chose to be taken. If however I were having a heart attack and using the insurance option I would possibly ask to be taken to Bangkok Samui Hospital.

Cheers.

[suegha]

I must add that although I heard bad stories about Bandon, I had a 3 day stay there after an accident and can only say good things about it. The doctor was very good, discussed the options with me in near perfect English and visited me every day to up-date me on progress. The op he performed was obviously well done and caused me no long term problems. There was also an English girl working there who dealt with the insurance queries, so all went smoothly. Can't remember what I paid but remember it was very reasonable!

[danw]

Thai International - good, modern, english speaking and half the price of Bangkok Samui.

[NALAK]

depends what your problem is if it is serious i would go to Bangkok, they offer good discounts for residents that make it in line on price with Thai inter. basics like blood tests i have always used Thai Inter. i would never go to Bandon again.

agree with previous post about Dr Ning, that would be my first stop for ENT or skin problems, been there a few times and her and her husband are first class.

[OnTheSnap]

Thai Inter (near Tesco)- great service and reasonably priced.

[Boo]

took my son to the pediatric department last year at Bangkok- Samui & was a fantastic service. Once they reliased he was half thai they gave him a resident discount card & his treatment (consult with pediatrician & diagnosis) cost 1k baht, compared to the £200 gbp per hour for eqivilant private consult in UK. Would def use them again for any treatment for my son. Never needed hospital care myself in samui so can't comment on any others.

[frankman]

Thai-Inter near Tesco is the place to go.

[samuijimmy]

The Samui Hospital in Nanton, is good, I had a week's stay there & the care was great. I reckoned the nurse ratio was 5 to 1 patient...at least in the Semi Private ward.

Very reasonable cost too (for those without Insurance) Lovely location too, right on the beach.

I been for several blood tests and various things and have always been impressed with how efficent they are... What would take days or a week in Canada, takes only a few hours at Nanton Hospital... in one visit...

A Brit friend that came to visit, reckoned it was better than some hospitals in the UK.

It's not an "up market" hospital, but very reasonable & most of the nurses do speak English... Doctors too.

[Birdman]

Better don't have a serious operation at any of Samui's hospitals.

[frankman]

Which is the best on reasonably priced hospital on Koh Samui? Bangkok Samui Hospital or Samui International Hospital or what else is there?

Bangkok Samui is one of the two new modern hospitals with very good facilities and staff who speak good English. It is nevertheless the most expensive. They have a wide range of medical specialists and the accommodation and service in my experience is good. However, like anywhere you have to take into account the ability of the Doctors. Generally they are pretty good here, they have a very good heart specialist and the primary health care is good. The only one I have an issue with would be the ENT specialist who is OK but as I have regular ear problems would rather go to Dr Ning in Nathon.

Samui International is one of the two original private hospitals and I have found them to be very good for basic problems such as minor injuries. No experience of anything serious there, but the staff speak good English and they are not that expensive.

Bandon is the other original private hospital where unfortunately I have spent a few days following an accident. It happened to be the nearest to the scene of the accident so I did not have much choice. It has a poor reputation amongst most local expats, partly deserved but not entirely. Being older the building and rooms are of lower quality and not well maintained and the restaurant menu is severely lacking in choice of non-Thai food. However the Irish Times is just across the road and you can order out. The staff are OK but only a few seem to have reasonable English. I cannot complain about my primary treatment and they are not expensive. Three nights including X-rays, MRI, drugs and treatment was Baht 59,000 which the Insurance company paid without question.

Thai International - I have no experience of this one so cannot comment.

Nathon Government Hospital - strictly for non insured locals although you can go as a foreigner but only the Doctors speak English and facilities are limited. Obviously much cheaper and if you work here as an expat and pay Social Security the treatment is basically free. However, I do not know any expat who would go there voluntarily.

Are you sure they have a MRI, or was it a CT scan? Would be nice to know because I need a MRI.

Cheers

[SamuiRes]

Are you sure they have a MRI, or was it a CT scan? Would be nice to know because I need a MRI.

Cheers

Good question. It was the small circular one, not the long one if that helps! Sorry not an expert in these things.

To up date on my previous comments re Samui hospitals as I have had the misfortune to need their services again.

Had some disturbing heart palputations and pain in my left arm one night a few weeks ago and went to the nearest which was Samui International just after midnight. Doctor did ECG and was not happy with what she saw and referred me immediately to the specialist at Bangkok Samui. Wanted to take me there in an Ambulance, but having driven to SIH I figured my wife could drive me to BKK Hospital. That alone knocked about Baht 1000 of the SIH bill!

BKK Hospital did ECG and blood tests and eventually decided they wanted to keep me in Intensive Care. This was about 4am by now and they wanted Baht 46,000 to do so! I asked if I was having a heart attack and they said no, we just want to observe you! I paid the bill (Baht 7,500) and left.

In the morning I went to Nathon Hospital with all the paperwork from the previous night. I have to say I was actually quite impressed. I saw a doctor within two hours having had further blood tests. She looked at the ECG's and decided she wanted to keep me in over the weekend for observation. Did I want a private room at Baht 1200 a night? Yes please. More ECG's and blood tests. Next morning about 10, she came in and said you can go home. The palputations are due to stress and lack of sleep. No heart damage. Blood pressure normal, if a little low. All tests show you are basically healthy just need more exercise.

Bag full of medicine - pain killers for the arm, muscle relaxants, vitamins. Come back in a week for a check up. Total cost Baht 1200 for the room. Week later more tests, everything fine but come back anytime if you are worried. No charge.

Could not have asked for better service. Rooms were excellent, balcony and sea view. Nursing staff friendly and efficient although many, but not all, lack good English. Food however pretty poor. And take your own towels as they do not provide them!

So in summary

SIH - knew they had something they were not capable of dealing with and made a sensible referral.

BKK - no diagnosis or opinion given once they knew I was not staying, just wanted to keep me in at an exhorbitant cost in ICU.

Nathon - basic, good service and a clear diagnosis.

If you pay Social Security as we do, standard day care out patient treatment not covered by insurance, head to Nathon.

[limbos]

Have experiences with all hospitals on Samui over the last 10 years, although I never had to stay over myself.

In my humble opinion, BKK-Samui is indeed the most modern equipped option but expensive. Go there for serious things and if you have insurance or can afford it.

SIH, was good and always liked it there, but recently tend to not go there anymore. Service not as good as it used to be imho.

Thai Inter, used this for outdoor patient a few times and knew various people that stayed overnight here. Basic but good.

Bandon, didn't use to like this at all but recently had to change my opinion a bit, just had my son and wife released from there and they received good treatment and adequate, good English speaking nurses and doctors. They went up a notch again in my book.

Nathon, both our children were born there and excellent service. Well organised hospital and afaik good staff.

In general the staff in all the hospitals speaks reasonable enough English and the doctors in general are capable, some are better than others!

Edited August 28, 2009 by limbos

[Mark Wolfe]

Check out the threads on the horror stories of the various hospitals, including the ever-so-expensive Bangkok Samui.

[frankman]

Tell me , where I can find these stories, please.