On my bucket list is to get myself a thai driving licence.

Realising one of the pre requisites is a doctor certificate I recall one of you chaps saying it can be had at the McKean hospital.

As its in walking distance from our house today I went to check it out.

The place itself, I felt like I was in an old colonial war hospital in the middle of India, so old, so peaceful, infact a great place to die!

I enquired about general health checks for myself and the wife but was advised that the main hospitals are better geared up to do blood tests, mammograms and cough and drop tests but they can do the certificate for driving licence.

Do I need appointment? No, we can do now.

So off I went and registered myself with a receptionist. Then went to see the doctor, an old boy, in the best medical tradition, wire rimbed specs,steth around his neck, big photos of himself on the wall.

I was weighed and my blood pressure taken.......that was it....did that make me healthy enough to drive? The fact that I was alive.

And the fee 80bt.

Certainly an interesting 20minutes, I saw three nurses,one receptionist one young boy in a wheelchair, and four security guards,no onr else it was deserted. hence my reason to post.

Worth a visit if you need this health certificate,a hassle and stress free method.

Well done; most of us go to Klaimore where it costs 100 Baht !

The fact you can get out of the car, walk into the office and inquire about getting a medical certificate is proof enough that you're fit to drive!

Hadn't thought about getting a certificate at McKean, though. I'm out there from time-to-time. Well done!

Yes, McKean Hospital is a beautiful relic from another time. As they told you, it's no longer a full service hospital, but a rehabilitation center. It's a great place to go if you're recovering from an orthopedic injury. They have a fantastic PT and OT dept. If you live alone, and needed a hip or knee replacement, it might be difficult for you to return straight home after discharge from hospital. A couple weeks in-residence at McKean could make all the difference in having a full recovery after major surgery.

Also, they can provide nursing home services, say for someone who has had a stroke -- someone who doesn't need acute care in a hospital, but rather needs continuing care. We're fortunate to have this resource here in Chiang Mai

Did you see Dok Kaew, the new assisted living center a few hundred yards from the hospital? That's a modern facility, but the residents can use the facilities at McKean and enjoy walking the many low-traffic roads on the beautiful tropical island. Many of the trees are old growth and labeled in English. People come to the island come to photograph and birdwatch.

Edited April 24, 201412 yr by NancyL

I was taken by the splendour of this building. If any of you are into badminton how would you like this to be your match court.....the concrete floor is a bit hard mind.

The care facility there was very akin to ones I used to build in the uk so I guess that was designed by uk architects.

Will go back for another nosey around later this week.

I was taken by the splendour of this building. If any of you are into badminton how would you like this to be your match court.....the concrete floor is a bit hard mind.

1398338593060.jpg

The care facility there was very akin to ones I used to build in the uk so I guess that was designed by uk architects.

Will go back for another nosey around later this week.

Had a friend stay there for a month of recovery time when they first opened. Visited him once and was highly impressed. Next month a friend of mine is coming in from Pai and greatly interested in seeing it. I am also as it is now fully operational. When I was there they weren't even sure what they were going to do for TV.

Also the setting is beautiful. Lots of walking trails I am told.

Did you see Dok Kaew, the new assisted living center a few hundred yards from the hospital? That's a modern facility, but the residents can use the facilities at McKean and enjoy walking the many low-traffic roads on the beautiful tropical island. Many of the trees are old growth and labeled in English. People come to the island come to photograph and birdwatch.

sounds like an interesting place. whereabouts is it? i did look at their website but didn't see a map.

McKean is located south of town, along the east side of the Ping River.

Wikimapia site: http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=18.733871&lon=98.987267&z=16&m=b

For the last couple of years, my wife and I have been going to this old health clinic (don't know the name) going east on the moat past Chiang Mai Gate. It is on the left side of the street before you can make the next right going across the moat. The cost has been 30B. They only have morning hours and it has been always empty. Less than 10 minutes to get the certificate. I don't know how they make any money. We were there this past January.

Edited April 25, 201412 yr by vagabond48

The fact you can get out of the car, walk into the office and inquire about getting a medical certificate is proof enough that you're fit to drive!

Hadn't thought about getting a certificate at McKean, though. I'm out there from time-to-time. Well done!

Yes, McKean Hospital is a beautiful relic from another time. As they told you, it's no longer a full service hospital, but a rehabilitation center. It's a great place to go if you're recovering from an orthopedic injury. They have a fantastic PT and OT dept. If you live alone, and needed a hip or knee replacement, it might be difficult for you to return straight home after discharge from hospital. A couple weeks in-residence at McKean could make all the difference in having a full recovery after major surgery.

Also, they can provide nursing home services, say for someone who has had a stroke -- someone who doesn't need acute care in a hospital, but rather needs continuing care. We're fortunate to have this resource here in Chiang Mai

Did you see Dok Kaew, the new assisted living center a few hundred yards from the hospital? That's a modern facility, but the residents can use the facilities at McKean and enjoy walking the many low-traffic roads on the beautiful tropical island. Many of the trees are old growth and labeled in English. People come to the island come to photograph and birdwatch.

Is there a brochure outlining their various services and the costs?

Right now the Australian administrator of McKean is out of the country. Unfortunately, they don't have a good website. Here is a good article in City Life about Dok Kaew -- the assisted living center when it first opened. http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/viewfa.php?id=2761

Thai clinics will provide you with a health certificate for licence purposes, 30 baht ,been that price for as long as I can remember.

Mostly they will take your BP and ask you "do feel you ok ?" and that's it.

Obviously if you need a serious check up you don't go to one.

I was driving on the superhighway eastwards a couple of weeks ago and just before Lanna Hospital on the same side I spotted a small clinic so parked up on an impulse and went in to get a health certificate (for driving license renewal).

Sitting at the front desk were two old boys - one looking inebriated - and a young girl. No one else was in view. I told the girl what I wanted. She got out a rather crude photocopied standard health certificate form, copied my name from my passport onto it, got one of the old boys to sign it, and put a stamp on it. The cost was 50Bt, it took less than five minutes. Nothing else happened.

Edited April 25, 201412 yr by 15Peter20

20 baht last time i went between chiang mai gate and the corner to moon muang,a seventies looking yellow concrete ribbed building.in one minute the ancient doctor will check you with the stethoscope, women 1 1/2 min, morning times only.no joke.

A Japanese lady I know told me that the basic charge at McKean was B38,000 per month for one of the chalets.

24 Hr care on site, weekly bedding change and sheet wash. 3 Meals a day, plus your necessities, Toothpaste, soap, shampoo and a once a week trip to CM supermarket.

john

Thai clinics will provide you with a health certificate for licence purposes, 30 baht ,been that price for as long as I can remember.

Mostly they will take your BP and ask you "do feel you ok ?" and that's it.

Obviously if you need a serious check up you don't go to one.

This thread is about getting a certificate for clerical not health reasons. The clinic I was referring to doesn't examine you at all. I tried a Thai clinic 2 years ago and he wanted 100B and would go down any lower with no customer in sight.

As it was my thread I will say what it was about.

The point was that the mckean is another optional place to go to get a signature to enable you to apply for a driving licence.

But as with most threads we diversify and all learn something new along the way.

So we now all know about the rehab place, the care home, the lovely grounds, the monthly residence cost, the architecture, and where the place is.

So whilst I appreciate you asking to keep on track, I think on this occasion a bit of diversity is justified.

I was driving on the superhighway eastwards a couple of weeks ago and just before Lanna Hospital on the same side I spotted a small clinic so parked up on an impulse and went in to get a health certificate (for driving license renewal).

Sitting at the front desk were two old boys - one looking inebriated - and a young girl. No one else was in view. I told the girl what I wanted. She got out a rather crude photocopied standard health certificate form, copied my name from my passport onto it, got one of the old boys to sign it, and put a stamp on it. The cost was 50Bt, it took less than five minutes. Nothing else happened.

Sounds like you could bring a corpse in there and they would pass the health check!

Not exactly true. A friend told me how he brought a Thai speaking friend with him to a doctor's office to help him get his health certificate. The friend got off the back of his motorbike, went into the doctor's office to tell them what he wanted. They said he had to get off the motorbike and walk into the office before they'd issue the health certificate!

The doctor that I saw was obviously old skool

After the obligatory weight check and blood pressure wrap he asked me to put my palm on the desk. He looked at it for 30seconds and then turned my palm over.

His verdict after looking at me was my passport was wrong and I am at least 10 yr younger than I claim..

Don't they say a good doctor can tell exactly your health by looking in your eyes and inspecting your fingernails?

We will see, I am going to do the Rajavej premium full health check tomorrow, that's got to be money well spent.