After MRI and X-Ray at Bangkok Christian Hospital it was recommended that I need Shoulder Arthroscopy surgery. This is some sort of keyhole sugery to repair a torn tendon.

The price was the real shock. From 300,000 THB at BCH to 450,000 at Bumrungrad - thats between 6,000 - 9,000 pounds stirling. So then I enquired through the BUPA UK website and was quoted simiar prices in London private hospitals between 5,000 to 7,000 GBP

I always thought medical procedures were considerably cheaper in Thailand but now I am wondering. Anyone else had similar experiences ?

Go to Malaysia and you will get good treatment for a lot less.

Thailand's top private hospitals aren't for Thais anymore, they are for Medical Tourism, five star hotels catering to five star customers. You can thank the man from Dubai for that. The public hospitals are a lot cheaper, but even they are expensive when you figure out how much they pay the staff. I have a friend who needed a stent at the University Hospital in KK, he was in for 2 days and the cost was ฿200,000 which seemed high to me.

I had a stent implanted eight years ago, at Bumrungrad, the package price was THB 150k (non-medicated stent).

The quote I received from Spires UK was GBP 13k plus travel/hotel/consultant costs!

I suspect exchange rates have a bearing on todays numbers, THB is quite strong at present.