Pregnancy & Birth. Private Bkk Hospital Prices And Opinions.

[siampreggers]

Hi guys,

My (Thai) wife is in the early stages of pregnancy, we live in Bangkok and I'm starting to look for pricing info on private hospitals, and opinions of them.

I've been here 6 years and know the names of the big and best ones, but we're not on an expat package, but have a decent middle-class Thai salary and life.

Anyway...

If you had pregnancy and birth in a private Bangkok hospital, can you post the name, the approx. cost, and your opinions on it?

Thank you very much.

[Mario2008]

a lot information here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/128127-having-a-baby-in-thai-hospital/

Don't look for a hospital, look for a recommended doctor which you will also find at government hospitals.

[siampreggers]

Thanks, I had found that thread via google. There isn't a lot (or really any) of the info I'm looking for in it though. Most of the posts are outside of BKK and/or don't mention prices.

[mogandave]

We had our boy at Bangkok Hospital and we both thought it was great.

He was 6 weeks premature, so they were in the hospital a total of six nights, and the total was about 80k.

We had planned to use Camillion which was much cheaper, but when we showed up with a premie they told us to go to Bkk Hosp.

Edited August 13, 2012 by mogandave

[mogandave]

Oh, but that was 8 years ago so I'm not sure what the price might be now. They do have a website that includes prices for a lot of procedures.

[siampreggers]

Thanks.

We ended up at B.Care Medical Center which seems very nice, and also close.

http://www.bcaremedi... index home.htm

The first program is for the 9 months of pregnancy which includes all doctor appointments, monthly classes, ultrasounds, one free pregnancy Spa and Swimming session etc etc. 9,000thb payable in three installment.

Birth will be 24,000 normal or 34,000 for C-section if needed. 3 days 2 nights in a private suite.

We're both happy with it so far and it looks alike a very child/mother centered private medical center.

Edited August 19, 2012 by siampreggers

[brit1984]

My wife gave birth to our second kid a few weeks ago, at Bangkok Christian Hospital on Silom Road.

The price was around 60k including C-section (3 weeks premature) and 3 nights in a private room.

Compared to our experience with our first kid's birth (NHS hospital in London) we were very impressed.

[siampreggers]

Thanks. I'm a member at BCC and had some work done there years ago. Good hospital with good reputation that isn't massively expensive. If we were still living close by we would have been checking it out for sure.

[Neeps]

We just had a baby at Samitivej Sinakharin hospital. My wife was told by many of her friends that the doctor there was very reputable. I think his name was Dr Masakan. When we first went there about a year ago true enough, his photo was plastered all over the Samitivej signs on the road and inside the hospital.

Our pregnancy had no problems so I am not sure if the sh%t hits the fan he can live up to his reputation. Look at 100,000 baht for prenatal care, scans etc, delivery (cesarean, she was 4 kg at birth)and 3 months of check ups after (immunisations etc). Luckily my insurance covered all.

Looking forward to #2 and will definatley go back to same doctor

Neeps

[VintageTQ]

My wife recently gave birth at Phra Mong Good, near Victory monument.

Wasnt a straightforward birth but they really took care of her. Price for the birth and 2 nights in hospital was only 6,000 baht.

They really took care of her and the baby and although she stayed in a ward with other people for an extra 1k baht a night you could have a private room. My wife was happier staying in a ward with other people.

i dont see the point in paying the inflated prices at these top hospitals. There are good and bad doctors in every hospital and just because you pay more doesnt mean you are getting better care.

[bkkjames]

has our 2nd a month ago at St.Louis 3 nights, c-section including everything totaled 47k. Exact same at Rama 9 hospital 3 years ago for our first was 59k. If i had to do it again, would go for St.Louis. Same service / care

[siampreggers]

Nice info,thanks.

i dont see the point in paying the inflated prices at these top hospitals. There are good and bad doctors in every hospital and just because you pay more doesnt mean you are getting better care.

I think it's a case of the mother being happy and comfortable in a place, that is also near. Traveling when pregnant and thus inconveniencing the mother just to save a some baht isn't really worth it imo. Having seen some Thai government hospitals I would not put myself or a loved one through one, but that's just my opinion from my experiences. I'm sure there are good ones out there that are on par with private hospitals, but I haven't seen them.

[dave111223]

Wife had one baby at Vibhavadi Hospital

And one at Bangkok Hospital (in Hua Hin)

Both were good experiences. Bangkok Hospital is a bit more plush (and a bit more expensive).

Also both have English speaking staff and English signage everywhere so you (as a foreigner) never feel lost or out of place.

[siampreggers]

Thanks. I was considering Viphawadee as it's not massively far away.

Do you recall how much it was for the birth? (private room with 3 days 2 nights I presume). Thanks.

[fletchsmile]

We had both our kids at Bumrungrad. First was part of a company package, second I paid myself. The second was around THB 55k for a normal birth including couple of days in hospital, and registering the birth etc. Wouldn't go anywhere else.

A friend had a baby in Saint Louis hospital at Sathorn about 3 years back. That was THB 25k or so. We use the hospital too from time to time for less serious things and find them good value for many things.

If you are working in Thailand and have been paying national insurance (think it's a year but something like that), you will also be able to claim back about 11k from the social security office. This would cover the lion's share of costs in many state/govt hospitals.

Think also about the facilities they have if there are serious complications. That's why we went to Bumrungrad, and do so for anything serious

[dave111223]

Thanks. I was considering Viphawadee as it's not massively far away.

Do you recall how much it was for the birth? (private room with 3 days 2 nights I presume). Thanks.

Think it was about 35K-40K

[mogandave]

Make sure that wherever you decide to go is equipped to handle premature births

[Sheryl]

+1 to the above, and not only premature but also any other type of newborn complication, i.e. has a fully equipped NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). . While a hospital without one would if necessary transfer the baby to another hospital the delay could be life threatening.

other things to take into consideration in choosing doctor is:

1. Whether you want to be present at the birth -- if so, this probably rules out government hospitals, you'd need to go private and choose a doctor who is comfortable and supportive of the idea.

2. Whether you want to avoid c-section unless medically necessary. Elective c-sections are extremely common in Thailand and in fact the norm for those who can afford private care, and many Thai women prefer it (cultural thing). If you and your wife do not want this, and will deliver in a private hospital, make sure you chose a doctor who understands and supports your wishes. In a government hospital this is not an issue.

[siampreggers]

Thanks.

What about breastfeeding in the first 24 hours. I hear a lot of hospitals pretty much forbid this and keep them separate for the first day. I think there's a regulation signed by many hospitals that say they have to allow Mother and Child be together after birth and breastfeed naturally, but a lot do not.

Anybody know the name of this regulation to check that the hospital adheres to it?