I apologise if I have posted in the wrong area, but like many people previously, I am travelling to Thailand for a surgical procedure. Im only 22 yrs old, and have never left the shores of Australia, and I will be travelling alone. Are their any companies/businesses that can be suggested, who may offer a service of general assistance, such as shopping, carrying bags, finding food etc. id prefer a female, around the same age for general company, or a professional business who offers this type of service who is fluent in English, but also speaks Thai. I have already chosen my surgeon who is located in the sukhumvit rd, close to the emporium store area, so using a cosmetic travel agency isn't a suitable option, as this surgeon does not have any cosmetic surgery travel agency or guides working with him.

Thanks for your time everyone.

As Australia has Nationlised Health you presumably are here for plastic surgery, not a slur, many people get it. Just watch the guides don't take you for too much, kick backs fly left right and centre.

The OP is looking for advice and assistance. If you have none to offer then keep quiet.

This may be of some help. http://www.bangkokmakeovers.com/default1.htm

As Australia has Nationlised Health you presumably are here for plastic surgery, not a slur, many people get it. Just watch the guides don't take you for too much, kick backs fly left right and centre.

Australia has a mix of government and private health arrangements, and some procedures are very difficult to obtain without paying extra. Sticking to the basic government arrangements can also result in differential treatment when and if the procedure is done.

In my case, I have contemplated having a hip replacement in Thailand rather than in Australia, mainly because I can get the operation in the timeframe I want at a much lower price. I don't think your belief that the OP can only be in Thailand for cosmetic surgery is accurate.

It was good of Rancid to provide the warning. The OP has never been out of Australia and might be naive about some of the unscrupulous goings on in Thailand that would never be tolerated in Australia. The newspapers have been filled over the last year with stories about people who have had plastic surgery from one of the many unscrupulous and unregulated providers in Bangkok and have come to horrific grief. If it is some other medical procedure taking place at Samitivej or Bumrundgrad, then the OP has little worry.

But to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

I am sure you will be quite safe here. You may or may not pay a bit more for commissions if you use a guide (around 10% would be a guess) but if the price is ok it can be worth the convenience. By law Travel guides must be licenced and some may suggest you only use them My feeling is it will not improve safety. You will obviously be staying in a reasonable hotel so I suggest having a word with one of the girls in the office. She will surely be able to suggest a friend to go round with you so that you feel safer and probably for 1000baht or so a day I am sure you will have a good time looking round.

One word of warning. Many people fly back too early after operations. It may be best for you to extend your stay over here a bit longer than the Thai hospital will recomend to be safer. Have a talk with your doctor in Australia about how long is wise.

Hi 8l0ndey0 ,

I have just sent a pm to you . It may be of some help to you..

I think this may be best in the Health forum

If I understand your post correctly you are mainly concerned with having people who can help you with basic tasks during the recuperative period.

First of all, these things will be much more easily accomplished than you may expect. the part of Bangkok you are going to be staying in is chock full of western-type shops and restaurants. There is a 7-Eleven convenience store evry few hundred feet in the city and so forth. You will likely find you don't have much or any need for assistance after all.

But if you do, the simplest thing would be to ask the hotel to arrange it for you, or just step outside the hotel and offer any tuk tuk (motorzied pedicab) driver a small fee for fetching whatever it is you need.

For meals, there are services which will deliver take out from a variety of restaurants/food shops with online ordering and online menus e.g.

http://www.foodpanda.co.th/en/restaurants/?sort=relevance

You can probably ask them to stop and pick up small grocery items on their way as well.

For those who suggested using a medical tourism company, the OP has already stated she is using a surgeon not affiliated with any, and frankly from what I hear most of them wouldn't be of the type of help she has in mind anyhow.

I have edited the title of this thread a bit so that it is clearer and less likely to attract trolls.