Child Birth In Bkk

[BasementCat]

I have read stories by TV members about childbirth related experiences in Bangkok hospitals. There are positive as well as negative opinions regarding the biggest private hospitals (Bumrungrad, Samitivej, etc.), and I don't want to go into much detail about said hospitals in this thread. I also see people highly praising government hospitals like Siriraj for highest quality medical services (surgeries, cancer treatment, etc.) with an additional benefit of lower price.

I would be grateful if someone could contribute any information about child delivery in Siriraj, Praram 9 and Ramathibodi. I suspect some members will say "Why not do it for free in any provincial government hospital". I want to stress that the most important factors for me are availability of high-tech NICU (newborn intensive care unit), advanced medical staff (where at least a doctor speaks English) and encouragement of natural delivery. Then goes the cost factor.

I sent e-mails to all of the hospitals in question, but received no reply so far. Would be happy if somebody here enlightened me. Thanks in advance.

[Lumumba]

I have been around (not a whore naa), if you can afford it the buck stops at BNH.

[BuddhistDruid]

I can not really comment on Ramathibodi or Param 9.

Siriraj I have only positive things to say about. My wife had her laproscopy done there and we found the staff extremely competent and helpful. If things had gone normally with the birth we might have elected to have the delivery done there as well, however things deteriorated for us and we wanted to get checked out right away.

We selected Chulalongkorn at the last minute because it was closer with more convenient highway access. You may find your baby influences your decision more than you would otherwise like when things get right down to it. I would say both Chulalongkorn and Siriraj are excellent hospitals with equivalent levels of competence.

I know alot about NICUs now. The NICU at Chulalongkorn was excellent. My twins were born 8 weeks premature, and my son spent 19 days there and my daughter 23. Many of the doctors spoke English. Some did not. One resident there actually went to school in the US and spoke excellent English. Unfortunately I only saw her twice, but she was very good.

The simple fact is though, the hospital you go to may not have any free space in their NICU, and in that instance they may send you anywhere else in the area. This is extremely common so be ready for it. NICU beds in Bangkok are scarce. We were lucky that Chulalongkorn happened to have 2 free, and only because they had just recently opened back up and sent all their patients to surrounding area hospitals. Otherwise, the procedure is that the staff will call around to different hospitals in the area to find an open bed. They can not do this early though. They have to wait until it is a life threatening emergency, and if you try and call around asking if anyone has a free bed they will all say no. You only find out when the emergency actually occurs. But the hospital staff will take care of all this for you.

The hospital will need to coordinate approximately 20 people including a specially equipped ambulance and 2 doctors to do a move after delivery of your baby. There are special teams at each hospital which are trained at how to do NICU transfers. It is not at all unlikely that if you truly need an NICU, you will not wind up at the hospital where you checked in. If there are absolutely no NICU beds at any government hospital in the Bangkok area, then as a last resort they will send you to a private hospital. Be advised that you will be responsible for payment in this case, but if you can not pay, then the government hospital will be forced to pay the bill on your behalf. They really don't like to do this though, so this is the very, very last thing they will do if it can be avoided.

I would just keep the paucity of NICU beds in mind when making your decisions on hospitals. You may want to go to Siriraj, but when you start thinking an NICU may be required, you are rolling the dice. You'll wind up wherever there is room.

One government hospital I would recommend avoiding is Thammasat University in Pathumthani. The staff there were truly atrocious. It is an experience I would not wish on anyone. We were forced there because the riots were going on in Bangkok when the preeclampsia symptoms first started. We were admitted and stuck there for almost a month, but got lucky they discharged us a few days before the delivery giving us a chance to go elsewhere. I felt much, much better at Chulalongkorn.

If you want the absolute best and a guaranteed NICU bed at the hospital of your choice, then a private hospital is the place to go. Do keep in mind though that a stay in the NICU is around 30,000 baht per day at a private hospital and I have never found a maternity rider on a Thai insurance policy yet that actually pays for this. Budget for it if you are considering going that way.

[BasementCat]

BuddhistDruid, thank you for pointing out these most important facts about NICUs. I am sorry though you had to learn them from your personal experience. Wishing best of health to your family.

[soundman]

Just to add another option.

We had all three of our children at Vichaiyut hospital on Rama 6.

I have nothing but great things to say about their care right through from pregnancy diagnosis through delivery (all 3 by C section in our case), through immunisation program to current point in time.

The level of care has been superb, the doctors highly skilled IMO (and most speak passable English due to having studied abroad), and the prices whilst not cheap, are no way outrageous.

Website.

[ExpatJ]

As a father my advice would be pay for the best hospital you can afford including getting it done in your home country potentially. My wife and i live in Thailand but actually went to New York (where her folks are ) to give birth- one of our kids was delivered with complications (cord around the neck which is not uncommon) and needed a team of doctors/nurses who rushed down from elsewhere in the hospital - a 'code blue'- im not sure that would happen in hospitals over here so efficiently to be honest (hes perfectly fine now because of that emergency response). The cost for standard birth delivery in that NYC hospital was 16,000 US$ including 2 nights stay - though our insurance covered 80% of it. Don't skimp on your baby!

[BasementCat]

Thanks for Vichaiyut hospital, Soundman. I don't see a NICU mentioned on their website, do they happen to have one?

Going back to my home country is not an option, because there our chances to have a healthy baby will drop dramatically. Corruption in hospitals and no responsibility/qualification from staff, no matter how much one is paying (and if one is not paying cash directly to doctors and nurses, expect to be treated like an enemy). I am happy your baby was saved in the States, ExpatJ.

So is there anybody who had a baby in Siriraj, Praram 9? Please people, share your experience.

[kannon99]

"encouragement of natural delivery"

What sort of natural delivery do you want? That can narrow down hospitals considerably.

[BasementCat]

If there are no complications, I would try to stick to natural birth without epidural. Home birth is not an option.

Sorry Kannon99, you are a doula, aren't you? Your advice would be priceless.

[Wiley]

Don't know about your chosen hospitals, but we (husband- US, wife- Thai) had an excellent birth experience last year at St Louis Hospital on Sathorn. It was our second child. Our first was born at a good Seattle hospital, but St Louis was comparable (if not better) in quality of care. My wife speaks Thai, but much of the staff spoke English to me. My wife is fairly westernized in birthing philosophy as far as wanting natural birth, no epidural unless requested, c-section as the very last resort, etc. Her female doctor understood what my wife wanted and supported her thinking. I don't remember the name of the doctor, but can get it for you if you are interested. The birth was fast and flawless (she had requested an epidural, but the baby came out before it could be performed), so I don't know about NICU or other topics. It cost around 30,000 baht and the food is awesome.

[BasementCat]

Just in case somebody is interested, I received a reply from Praram 9 today. Very short indeed, but nevertheless:

• yes, English speaking obstetricians are available,
• yes, Praram 9 does have a NICU,
• yes, Praram 9 does encourage natural birth,
• the cost for natural delivery package is THB 39'000 (2 days stay in the hospital),
• the cost for C-section package varies THB 65-75'000 (4 days stay).

[JimmyTheMook]

If Siriraj is in your area then also consider

http://www.thonburihospital.com/en/

[BasementCat]

Update for expecting parents: Ramathibodi Hospital at Mahidol University generally is not providing delivery packages to foreign patients (I am quoting their Head of International Affairs here). He also suggested that I addressed Phayathai Hospital II or Bangkok Hospital for package deals. As for other concerns,

• most of staff in ob/gyn dept is able to communicate in English,
• NICU price range for 1 newborn for 24 hours is approximately 10,000THB,
• no special support for natural labor, everything depends on mother and child conditions

[bkkjames]

Wife had ours at rama 9, tried natural first but then went for c section (boy has a big head).

Prices quoted above are accurate. No complaints. Like all major hospitals has shops and restaurants to keep a waiting dad busy.

Son continues to go there for his scheduled check ups and innoculations etc.