Annual Health Check-Ups At Bangkok Hospitals

[OJAS]

I would welcome information from anyone who has undergone an annual health check-up at a Bangkok Hospital about:-

(1) what a check-up covers (in particular, is there a check for cancer of the colon of which there is a history in my family?);

(2) how many hours would need to be set aside for a typical check-up appointment; and, most importantly,

(3) the cost.

I recently had a one-off check-up at my local Bangkok Hospital for life insurance purposes, but this seemed rather superficial to me. Presumably their annual check-ups are more comprehensive?

[ChiangMaiThai]

It's all listed on their website:

http://www.bumrungrad.com/package/health-screening-center/index.aspx

3 to 6 hours depending on the test.

I'm going in the next week or two. I'll let you know how it goes!

[metisdead]

I've always used Samitivej Sukhumvit for my checkups.

http://www.samitivejhospitals.com/price_package.aspx?sortid=4&sort=type&lid=en

Usually in by 7AM so they can draw blood and to do the other tests that need to be done before food intake. Then a breakfast break followed by the rest of the tests and usually done well before noon with a written report.

[Sheryl]

Regardless of where you go:

1. The various packages on offer do not limit options as additional tests can be added on. And, the packages are not always very well designed and will certainly not meet the needs of every individual. Unfortunately I have not found any hospital to do a good job of advising patients on what tests to get. So you need to do your own homework first and come in knowing exactly what tests you need/want. It will often be more economical to get a low end package and "add on" specific tests than to go for a high end package which may still omit tests you should have while including many elaborate and unnecessary ones.

2. I have not found any major hospital that does not do a good job performing the tests, but I find most to be very deficient in the thoroughness and quality of the physician review of results. Personally I go to Samitivej for exactly that reason as they are thorough and thoughtful, analyzing results in the context of the individual's history etc. I haven't had any experience with Bkk Hospital (plus not sure which Bkk Hosp branch you are thinking of going to -- and they do differ dramatically in their quality of care and qualifications of their staff).

Anyhow, wherever go go, do not rely solely on what you are told, especially if it was a cursory discussion without much in the way of specifics. Go over each test report yourself and query any that show a result outside normal range. And if the answers you get seem vague, follow up with a relevant specialist.

3. Time and cost will both depend upon the specific tests that are done.

4. With a family history of cancer of the colon you should have a colonoscopy for sure if you are over 40 or in any way symptomatic. If younger and symptom free could still get a colonoscopy but at a minimum get a stool test for occult blood and a CEA (blood test for tumor marker) and then colonoscopy if either of those positive.

Colonoscopy will be the most costly of the tests and also the most time consuming. Costs range from 15,000 - 25,000+ baht depending on the hospital (sometimes a bit less if part of a check-ip package) and inclusive of the prepartion will take the better part of a full day. Several hours to cleanse the bowel via laxatives and then after the procedure, a few hours to recover from the sedation given during. Depending on what else you are getting done, might or might not be possible to do this and rest of check up in a single day.

[jfchandler]

4. With a family history of cancer of the colon you should have a colonoscopy for sure if you are over 40 or in any way symptomatic. If younger and symptom free could still get a colonoscopy but at a minimum get a stool test for occult blood and a CEA (blood test for tumor marker) and then colonoscopy if either of those positive.

Colonoscopy will be the most costly of the tests and also the most time consuming. Costs range from 15,000 - 25,000+ baht depending on the hospital (sometimes a bit less if part of a check-ip package) and inclusive of the prepartion will take the better part of a full day. Several hours to cleanse the bowel via laxatives and then after the procedure, a few hours to recover from the sedation given during. Depending on what else you are getting done, might or might not be possible to do this and rest of check up in a single day.

Sheryl, what's the current medical thinking/guidance on this subject above for a person 50 and over, with no family history or symptoms?

Also, I was hearing/reading some about some kind of colonoscopy done thru CT/MRI... But I couldn't get a clear sense of whether it was considered as effective as the traditional approach... And I don't know if that kind of procedure is done anywhere in BKK???

Thanks much....

[Sheryl]

The American cancer Society's recommendation for persons with no family history or clinical symptoms is as follows starting at age 50:

Tests that find polyps and cancer

* Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*, or

* Colonoscopy every 10 years, or

* Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years*, or

* CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*

Tests that primarily find cancer

* Yearly fecal occult blood test (gFOBT)**, or

* Yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year**, or

* Stool DNA test (sDNA), interval uncertain**

* If the test is positive, a colonoscopy should be done.

** The multiple stool take-home test should be used. One test done by the doctor in the office is not adequate for testing. A colonoscopy should be done if the test is positive.

The tests that are designed to find both early cancer and polyps are preferred if these tests are available to you and you are willing to have one of these more invasive tests."

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/FindCancerEarly/CancerScreeningGuidelines/american-cancer-society-guidelines-for-the-early-detection-of-cancer

Note that the "vitrual colonoscopy" by CT, which is what you refer to, will still need to be followed up by a colonoiscopy if it shows any sort of mass, in which case double the expense.

Bottom line (no pun intended) is that yes, you should have a colonoscopy. They are not a bad experience these days thanks to improvements in sedation. Just costly and take up most of a day. But, if negative, need not be repeated for a number of years.

[jfchandler]

Thanks Sheryl....

[OJAS]

Many thanks to Sheryl and the other respondents to my original posting. It is the colon cancer aspect which is of particular concern to me and which, for me, would be the primary (and preferably sole) focus of any health check. I had a colonoscopy performed on me 8 years ago in the UK (where I come from), which, fortunately, proved negative.

However, following my 60^th birthday last year I was forwarded a letter from the UK NHS with a test kit under their Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. This home test was aimed at checking for signs of abnormalities (such as polyps or cancers) in the bowel.

This looks like the yearly fecal immunochemical test (FIT) to which you refer in your 2^nd posting, Sheryl, and, as the first (and hopefully only) step, I would now like to arrange for a similar test to be performed on me here in Thailand. Do you (or anyone else) know how much such a test would be likely to cost me?

And would it be possible for me to arrange for such a test in isolation (rather than as part of a wider health check)?

It would appear that the title of my original posting may have caused some confusion, for which I should apologise.I had in mind medical institutions located throughout Thailand under the “Bangkok Hospital” banner rather than hospitals located solely in Bangkok. My local “Bangkok Hospital” is the one in Rayong which, I am assured by my Thai wife, is the best private hospital in the area, if a little expensive. I am very satisfied with the manner in which they are currently treating me for a high cholesterol level on an outpatient basis.

At first sight I am drawn to Bumrungrad’s “regular” package to which ChiangMaiThai has kindly drawn attention. Since the current cost is only 2,600 baht and includes a stool examination with occult blood, this might be worth a day trip to Bangkok, even with transportation costs on top. However, can anyone confirm the nature of this particular test (i.e. is it a single one done by the doctor in the office, which, according to Sheryl, would be inadequate)?

[Sheryl]

Yes, the stool test included in Bumrungrad (and all the other hospitals) check-up package is just a single test.

You don't need to get a complete check-up to get this test done. Any hospital lab can do it and can just be requested as a stand-alone test. You'll have to specify that you want 3 consecutive tests, not just one, but that shouldn't be any big problem.

If this is all you want doen, no need to come to Bangkok for it, should be able to get it done where you are. If there is a health screening dept, go there. Otherwise try direct to the lab or through your regular doctor.

These tests typically cost just a few hundred baht.

However if your last colonoscopy was 8 years ago, at age 60 and with a positive family history you should get another one within the next 2 years anyhow. If you want to put it off a year or so, the stool test is a reasonable interim measure, but don't let it go more than 2 years.

Can certyainly get a colonoscopy at bangkok Rayong, I don't know hwo the cost will compare to hospitals in Bkk.

[jfchandler]

Sheryl, I want to do the right things, and safeguard my health. But I'm also a bit of a nervous nellie about hospitals and in particular invasive procedures, including having one done away from my home country where the reason is purely preventative...

With that in mind, can you offer any guidance on how to choose between the four options you lay out below, and if all of them are actually available in BKK, including the CT approach. I want to do something that is accurate and really protects my health, while at the same time being the least invasive possible.

The American cancer Society's recommendation for persons with no family history or clinical symptoms is as follows starting at age 50:

Tests that find polyps and cancer

* Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*, or

* Colonoscopy every 10 years, or

* Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years*, or

* CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*

[Sheryl]

The first 3 are all available here but also equally invasive so you might as well go for the more accurate of them.

Not sure if CT colonograophy available here but if it is, will be quite costly and still will need colonoscopy on top of it if it shows anything.

If you really want to avoid an invasive procedure and you have no family history or bowel symptoms then consider the stool test for occult blood.Of course, if it is positive you then have to follow it with a colonoscopy but unlike CT it is very cheap and takes no time at all, you just drop off a specimen. And it is vompletely non-invasive.

Mind you it does not give the level of assurrance that a colonoscopy does, but it is certainly better than doing nothing.

[OJAS]

Sheryl – many thanks for your reply to my follow-up posting.

jfchandler – my experience of the colonoscopy performed on me in the UK in 2002 was nowhere near as horrific as I had been expecting. Sure I found the procedure invasive, but I recall being given a mild sedative which made it all fairly painless. And, if I have understood Sheryl correctly, there have been improvements in sedation since 2002.

The only thing is that a colonoscopy might leave you feeling groggy for a few hours afterwards, so best to have someone accompany you or at least come to collect you from the hospital. Indeed, I recall the UK hospital refusing to discharge me until a friend had come to collect me and remain with me at home.

As regards the pros and cons of having the procedure done here rather than in your home country, my experience of being under the knife here for the removal of some varicose veins 2 years ago was generally positive, if that’s of any comfort to you.

[jfchandler]

Thanks again, Sheryl, for a prompt and complete answer.... And to you too OJAS.

I'll give the test a try, see about the results, and go from there... Also will use that opportunity to find and chat up a good gastro-ENT doc for consult on the broader topic....

Edited September 16, 2010 by jfchandler

[ktamp]

I'm a colon cancer survivor. There is no substitute in my opinion for the colonoscopy. I would not consider any sort of CT image. For me the CT only revealed a slight wall thickening of the bowel and I had an 8cm mass.

My cancer was diagnosed at bangkok pattaya hospital. I would be happy to give you the name of the doctor who diagnosed it via colonoscopy. She saved my life. I had been to many doctors at various hospitals for over a year before my cancer was diagnosed. Cost was very reasonable. About 20,000 thb for the colonoscopy, EGD, and sedation.

My experience with the packages is that you end up with a bunch of crap you don't need. You can add whatever you want but it is more cost effective to just ask for the tests you want and skip the packages.

[wpcoe]

Sheryl, I want to do the right things, and safeguard my health. But I'm also a bit of a nervous nellie about hospitals and in particular invasive procedures, including having one done away from my home country where the reason is purely preventative...

I realize you may be apprehensive about someone sliding something up your backside, but there apparently a few options:

(1) you can be sedated, but still conscious, so you won't freak out

(2) you can be totally knocked out with anaesthesia, and won't know a thing

(3) you can do the test un-aided by drugs/anaesthesia and survive to tell the tell

I included option 3, because that's how I did it at BNH Hospital about 5 years ago (which means I'm perhaps over due for another one). I hadn't read these message boards to hear tales of terror from people who had colonoscopies. I was ignorant, just went in, took my trousers/underwear off, put on the hospital gown, laid down, and away the went. They even have a monitor so you can watch the little camera's imgages live. They only disconcerting part of the entire transaction was when they inserted air bubbles. But, after a minute or two, I even got used to that.

That all said, I'm a big sissie with pain. I'm surrently taking 5 types of pills daily for a few things, including a herniated disk. I hate pain. I also squirm at the sight of someone else's blood. But, the colonoscopy was not a bother at all.

And, of course, YMMV.

Perhaps option (1) might be enough for you?

Oh, I almost forgot: The *worst* part of a colonoscopy is the laxative you have to take 2 or 3 days prior. Boy, does it clean you out! Plan on staying in, because when the urge strikes you *have* to get to a toilet pronto.

[jfchandler]

Thanks for the advice, Wpcoe... I'm becoming aware of the options, including the ones you laid out above...

Actually, I'm not too excited about any kind of invasive procedure, but having the thing up my rear end and the whole preparation process certainly doesn't add to the appeal.

This will be my first time to deal with this subject, since I'm just now reaching the recommended age... I can't tell you how excited I am at the prospect...

One thing I do know, though, is I think it unlikely I'll take the "commando" approach you opted for... I think I can be content to have the doctor tell me about it...afterward.

[SurfRider]

.

I avoided a colonoscopy for 12 years because of the various "horror" stories I heard from others. Everything from doctors who use NO sedatives to others who knock you out so you don't feel anything. I talked to doctors who won't use the knock-out because they want you awake enough to alert them if you feel any pain or discomfort.

I found a doctor an Bangkok-Pattaya hospital who uses a "cocktail" of sedatives that puts you in a state where you're aware of what's happening and you can watch it on the video monitor, but you don't really care about the procedure and it's over in about 20 minutes.

I had looked at doing the virtual version, but the considerations were radiation exposure as well as the aspect that-- if they find something, you'll need the regular procedure anyway, so they can take tissue samples. The "virtual" is also not without some invasive aspect, in that they must inflate your colon with air before the procedure, and I'm sure you can imagine how that's done!

In my case they found many polyps and took 12 samples. Fortunately, all were found to be non-malignant and of a variety of two different classifications of polyps which have only a 4% chance of becoming cancerous.

They give you DVD of the whole procedure, so you can take it home and enjoy endless replays on your computer - not to mention that you have detailed medical information in case you might want a 2nd opinion-- had they found something that needed attention.

My suggestion to anyone would be to find such a doctor who uses the "cocktail" method and you'll wonder why the process ever seemed so daunting.

.

[OJAS]

I'm a colon cancer survivor. There is no substitute in my opinion for the colonoscopy. I would not consider any sort of CT image. For me the CT only revealed a slight wall thickening of the bowel and I had an 8cm mass.

My cancer was diagnosed at bangkok pattaya hospital. I would be happy to give you the name of the doctor who diagnosed it via colonoscopy. She saved my life. I had been to many doctors at various hospitals for over a year before my cancer was diagnosed. Cost was very reasonable. About 20,000 thb for the colonoscopy, EGD, and sedation.

My experience with the packages is that you end up with a bunch of crap you don't need. You can add whatever you want but it is more cost effective to just ask for the tests you want and skip the packages.

ktamp – I would be most interested in the name of the doctor who diagnosed you, on the off-chance that she also practises at the Bangkok Rayong Hospital (which, of course, is not a million miles away from the sister establishment at Pattaya).

Sheryl – I have attached the info on health checks which I have now received from the Bangkok Rayong Hospital (and which is not (yet) on their website), in case it is of interest to you and other TV members. However, like ktamp (and, I suspect, you as well), I think that detailed tests focused on specific areas of concern are more likely to prove effective in both cost and diagnosis terms.

Healthy Program.pdf

Specialist Program.pdf

Edited September 19, 2010 by OJAS

[Sheryl]

AFAIK all the hospitals here use a good drug cocktail which will let you sleep peacefully through the procedure with virtually no memory of what went on.

OJAS I can't recommend what tests without knowing a bit more e.g. your age, family history, smoking and drinking history and current practice, when you last had a physical check up and what those results were, and any particular health issues/symptoms you have at present. If you can tell me all that I can indicate what tests would be warranted. Whether or not it will work best to get a package plus add ons or do it all as add ins is a matter of cost, need to add it up yourself and see.

If you don't feel comfprtable posting all that can send me a PM

[twix38]

SurfRider, could you give the name of the Bkk Pattaya Doctor who did your Colonoscopy?

Sheryl or anyone in the know.

I had my stool test for occult blood today and it was positive, so I am getting a Colonoscopy. I have an appointment at Memorial Hospital, Pattaya tomorrow to see Sayam Thaiudom M.D. and imagine my Colonoscopy would be a few days later.

I wondered if I should stick with Memorial or go to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. I have no idea on level of expertise, equiptment etc other than Memorial will be cheaper at around 19,000 Baht and no overnight stay as I can be collected and go home after.

Any recommendations?

Edited September 21, 2010 by twix38

[SurfRider]

.

Her name is Dr. Jaruwan -- she's the 4th one down in the list here:

http://www.health-to...1&searchphrase=

I highly recommend her. Here's a presentation she gave at the Pattaya City Expat Club:

http://www.pattayama...unity.shtml#hd4

They occasionally have promotions where you can get various procedures at 50% off regular prices.

You can inquire here:

E-mail: [email protected]

.

[twix38]

Thanks SurfRider,

Just phoned BKK Pattaya and told Dr Jaruwan is on holiday and phone back next Thursday.

I have app't with Memorial Dr Sayam Thaiudom tomorrow, so will keep that and as Jaruwan is away and nobody has said anything about changing hospitals or cautioned against Memorial for a Colonoscopy then I guess I will proceed there.

Thanks for your help though

Edited September 21, 2010 by twix38

[SurfRider]

.

"nobody has said anything about changing hospitals or cautioned against Memorial for a Colonoscopy then I guess I will proceed there."

If I were in your shoes, my considerations would be price and the DVD.

I don't know whether or not the 15,000 price at BPH is still valid vs. the 19,000 you mentioned at Pattaya Memorial, but probably worth checking.

I've found the DVD that BPH gives you to be very worthwhile-- to be able to go back later and see vivid color video of what was found what they did with it.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

.

Edited September 21, 2010 by SurfRider

[twix38]

Understood.

Actually my main consideration is competancy and doing a good comprehensive job with at least adequate equipment and staff. i.e. removing all polyps and accurate results.

I went to Bumrungrad in Bangkok after research only to have my pre-canerous Barratt's Epithelium condition missed and found back in UK when I went to GP and referred on to Hospital. Bumrungrad stopped at endoscopy and gave me anxiety pills!! GP in UK told me I needed a Gastroscopy and then voila!!

Cost comes 2nd for me and DVD a nice to have.

I'll stick with Memorial and keep fingers crossed. Didn't do me much good last time in spending quite a few days getting recommendations and researching best intl hospital

Thanks for info and hope I don't regret that Dr Jaruwan was on holiday ;-)

Edited September 21, 2010 by twix38

[Sheryl]

I'm afraid I have never gotten any feedback, positive or negative, about Memorial.

I can give a positive recommendation for St Louis Hospital in Bkk, where my sister's recent colonoscopy cost was just 12,000 baht plus meds, forget grand total but still under 15,000 and quite a bit less expensive than most places. The room where you stay while being prepped is a ward and not luxious but IMO adequate enough and there was nothing at to fault in the procedure or the interpretation, the doctor was extremely thorough. It's a good alternative for those paying out of pocket.

The doc who did her procedure was Dr. Thanakorn Hansomboon There is also an Australian trained doc there named Dr. Somsak, but he was unavailable on the day she needed to have it done. Dr. Thanakorn did a fine job and speaks good English.

[twix38]

Thanks Sheryl,

St Loius sounds like a good recommendation. However I am happy to stay in Pattaya and Memorial seems fine. I have used them before. The Dr is Sayam Thaiudom and he also works at BKK Pattaya. I assume it is a fairly routine checkup and he confirmed the Memorial's equipment was good, so although the cost is around 18,000 baht in total if no polyps found and probably around 24,000 with polyps removed, pathology and medicines, I will go ahead.

I checked the Bangkok Pattaya and they have a special program colonoscopy for 12,500, but there are always additions and a surprise bill with this hospital and sure enough removal of polyps is another 10,000, Pathology 1,500 per polyp, 1,000 to 3,000 if a clamp is needed plus medicines which are expensive here etc. If I am polyp free the BKK Pattaya should at least in theory be cheaper, but as my Stool was positive for occult blood, I am working on the theory that there is something to be found and dealt with and in the past Memorial have given me a price and charged me less.

Is it possible your sister's bill may have been higher if she had had any polyps removed unless she did or you know otherwise?

I'm afraid I have never gotten any feedback, positive or negative, about Memorial.

I can give a positive recommendation for St Louis Hospital in Bkk, where my sister's recent colonoscopy cost was just 12,000 baht plus meds, forget grand total but still under 15,000 and quite a bit less expensive than most places. The room where you stay while being prepped is a ward and not luxious but IMO adequate enough and there was nothing at to fault in the procedure or the interpretation, the doctor was extremely thorough. It's a good alternative for those paying out of pocket.

The doc who did her procedure was Dr. Thanakorn Hansomboon There is also an Australian trained doc there named Dr. Somsak, but he was unavailable on the day she needed to have it done. Dr. Thanakorn did a fine job and speaks good English.

Edited September 23, 2010 by twix38

[SurfRider]

.

"Bangkok Pattaya and they have a special program colonoscopy for 12,500, but there are always additions and a surprise bill with this hospital and sure enough removal of polyps is another 10,000, Pathology 1,500 per polyp"

I can assure you that you've received some seriously erroneous information!

In my case, they found 12 polyps and they went to pathology - That would be 18,000 for the polyps alone, plus 10K, plus 12.5K, so my bill would have been 40,500 for the entire procedure. I don't recall the specific amount, but I can assure you that it was well under 20,000.

If you want the true facts, I'd suggest contacting Dr. Jaruwan directly, or Dr. Iain Corness at BPH and ask him to get the factual information for you. Dr. Iain is BPH's Expat liaison doctor-- A Brit who can cut through the Thai/English barrier. What was your source of the erroneous information?

.

[twix38]

Hi,

It was one of the ladies (older) at reception in the Gastroenterology Dept.

She even told me of a guy who had 12 polyps and his total bill she said was around 60,000 from memory. Ordinarily I would fully accept her pricing data as it's in line with what has always happened to me there. Clearly 60,000 is extreme, but I got the impression that it was perfectly possible with a couple or more Polyps to end up paying a total fee between 25k to 35k depending on what was needed. i.e. a clamp, if needed, was between 1k and 3k extra. This sort of "if I breath, that's another 200 baht" pricing policy is not to my liking.

Who knows, but the quote given, the uncertainty of the final amount and previous cost experience there has put me well and truly off this hospital. At Memorial I will pay a maximum of 24k with any number of Polyps and 18,700 package cost if none found. That may end up being more than BKK Pattaya or less, but there is some certainty as to a maximum and medicine prices at BKK Pattaya are usually very high in my experience.

A quick story. I was at BKK Pattaya about 3 months ago as I had a pins and needles sensation in both hands. The doctor expected I had Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and wanted me to have an electronic test by some machine that cost 5,500 Baht. Plus the doctors fee and nursing costs made the total slightly over what I had on me. I asked to see doctor's note and he recommended a drug to take assuming his diagnosis was correct. So I did not do his electric test and I read up on the internet about the drug. It had quite bad potential side effects, was addictive and could not be stopped suddenly. It must gradually be reduced.

What did I do. I did what he should have told me to do first off. I stopped playing the piano which I had told him all about as the likely cause. I did not take the medication. I got a hand brace for each hand and used them day and night and I don't know if it did anything but I took vitamin B supplements and gave it time to see if it went away by itself first. Guess what? It disappeared after about 2 weeks It was gone from both hands. I have had no problem for over 2 months now. It's gone for good, unless I play the piano again perhaps ;-). No expensive electric test. No drugs with big potential downside. These drugs also cost 1,200 Baht in an outside pharmacy, so god knows what that hospital charges. I don't think I got the best advice in the circumstances.

Just one of my experiences of Thai hospitals, but BKK Pattaya always quote a price and then +++++++ in my experience. A friend told me they have a lady whose job it is to negotiate and deal with bill complaints. She is quite busy I hear.

Edited September 24, 2010 by twix38

[SurfRider]

.

"A friend told me they have a lady whose job it is to negotiate and deal with bill complaints. She is quite busy I hear."

Hearsay is not generally accepted as a reliable source of information - especially when it's easy to get the facts.

From your various comments in your posts in this thread, it's obvious that you have a severe bias against BHP - apparently justified in your mind.

Myself and many friends have used this hospital for years. It's well known that it's generally a bit more expensive than the other two Pattaya hospitals ( but not always ). It's the only one that is certified to meet USA hospital standards. Unfortunately, for Pattaya-Memorial, they're at the bottom of the Pattaya heap. It's the one where they take the Thais that are scraped off the road after a motorbike accident - they're transferred to BHP if they need serious care that Memorial can't provide.

I don't know whether you had a language barrier problem with the old lady who gave you the information, but she's either clearly WRONG or she and you didn't understand each other.

Several of my friends have also had colonoscopies there and their experiences are similar to mine, so my preference would be go with empirical evidence and facts rather than hearsay.

I've already told you how to obtain the accurate factual information, it's up to you whether or not you choose to do it.

.

[twix38]

Well you may be right and I will let you know my experierce at Memorial. I've have enough at BKK Pattaya.

In fact the Dr who [not a Dalek in sight ;-)] will do my Colonoscopy at Memorial also works at the BKK Pattaya and Pattaya Intl as well as at Memorial so the Dr is one of the same ones I would get anyway and he told me the equipment at memorial was up to date and fine for this procedure.

Funnily enough just back from a Pizza with a friend who had a Colonoscopy at BKK Pattaya about 9 months ago with the lady Dr there. He paid somewhere under 15,000 and no polyps or anything found (as I expect it would have been more otherwise). However he had a general anesthetic and woke up during the Colonoscopy in pain and more or less went back to sleep again. He asked the Dr later if he had a correct memory of waking up and she confirmed he did as they had a bit of difficulty getting past a point in colon. Great!! waking up under a general anasthetic!!

Go in to BKK Pattaya and ask yourself for the costs and see if it's a basic price plus 10,000 for Polyp(s) removed etc etc. Make sure you insist on being told and getting the full picture as it is not usually very forthcoming first off without a bit of pressure and persistence.

The experience I have personally had and also told first hand from trusted friends are not that great and yes, the cost is higher, but what really irks me is when the cost is asked for in advance and when asked for ALL the costs -the final maximum total. It can still turn out to be more than what's been advised, though nothing more has been said meanwhile. I have used BKK Pattaya 3 times.

My 3 times.

1. Asthma test - machine didn't work properly and I had to redo the test 3 times. I had no faith in the result. Total bill higher than told at outset, even though I double checked for a total, including everything.

2.Heart palpitations. Tests were fine. Costs were high, but as a package it was on target at final bill time. However Dr giving results had no time, was rushed and made it obvious. "All ok - no problem except Cholesterol a bit high". I looked and my Cavi score in my right leg. I had a score for a man in his 60's and I was 45 at the time! Was thjis a problem then? Other readings from blood test were out of range and no time was spent going through the results or discussing anything. I felt like I was being a nuisance in wanting to understand and discuss my results and the test wasn't cheap at around 12,000 Baht including stress test, ECG, Cavi, etc

3. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - already detailed

The women negotiator was used when a friend's wife gave birth there and the quoted cost increased dramatically for extra services which were not explained as being extra at the time. It came to light only when he was presented with the final inflated bill and refused to pay all the extra costs.

These are all not hearsay but actual certainties.

What general conclusion would you reach?

Ok, my experience and my friends has generally been different from you and your friends and the other stories I have heard can, if you like, be put down to hearsay if you prefer. Though there was an infamous and widely reported road accident of an American young man who went to BKK Pattaya hospital after being knocked off his motorbike on Sukhumvit, I believe they didn't have his blood type and sent him on to another hospital without properly checking and stabilising his condition. He died on route of internal bleeding.

It can happen that people get different experiences I suppose. Most of the Doctors at Memorial who specialise (not the accident and emergency roadkill) also work at BKK Pattaya and/or Pattaya Intl, as does mine who works at all 3 hospitals.

Thanks thanks for your help, irrespective of our differing views on BKK Pattaya hospital. I do agree with you though that my bias is justified in my mind out of personal and 100% trusted first hand experience, ignoring stories I can't substantiate, but tend to expect hold at least some truth to them.

Edited September 25, 2010 by twix38