Cosmetic Surgery Travel - the premier "medical tourism" company in Asia

The doctors we work with are among the best in Thailand.

In the past four years, we have met, interviewed, and worked with, dozens of doctors in Bangkok. We have observed them as they work, in hospitasl, with their colleagues, their patients, and our clients. We know them professionally by reputation and by their work, and sometimes, personally.

Some are on the medical faculty of Bangkok's famous Chulalongkorn University and other top medical schools. A few are making their own scientific contributions in the international arena and contribute scholarly articles to professional journals in Thailand, the U.S., and the U.K., among others.

A number of the doctors have international reputations, built earlier in their careers or because of current achievements. Many have taken fellowships or other post-graduate studies in the U.S., Australia, and Europe.

Some are American board-certified or board-certified in other leading countries.

All the doctors we work with are licensed and board-certified in their specialty by the respective Thai examining board.

About Thai medical education

Thai medical education is excellent. Because there are relatively few openings each year, and entrance standards are very high, some Thais choose to attend a medical school in a foreign country.

Thai medical education is 6 years – 3 years of pre-clinical and 3 years of clinical studies, at the end of which all medical students must pass the national examination. After medical school, Thai graduates must spend 2-3 years of internship and practice in rural areas before they can apply for hospital residency in a specialty field.

Thus, after 8-9 years of medical training, he or she may apply to a residency program. Once in residency, each specialty board has its own requirements and examinations. In the American system, a medical student is eligible for residency after 8 years of training.

CST client with her nurse.

Patient-centered care

Thailand’s doctors and nurses still believe in the old-fashioned notion that the patient is Number One.

Patient-centered nursing care, combined with Thai cultural and Buddhist beliefs in the importance of family, in the value of life, and in non-judgmental acceptance of the individual provide a palpable atmosphere of caring and comfort that has no parallel in other cultures and countries.

For many Cosmetic Surgery Travel clients, no matter how excellent the medical attention they received, this is their most lasting and cherished memory.

Board certification

To achieve board certification in plastic surgery in Thailand, for example, a doctor will have completed 6-7 years of specialized residency and sat the board exams. To achieve board certification in plastic surgery in the United States, a doctor will have completed at least 5 years of specialized residency and sat the board exams.

Many doctors in Thailand have studied beyond board certification, and have taken post-graduate fellowships in many distinguished hospitals, centers, and schools of medicine including Johns Hopkins, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Harvard, U.C.L.A., Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and notable institutions in Europe and Australia.

What is “American board-certified”?

In the United States, one hears a great deal about a doctor being “American board-certified.” Especially with plastic surgeons. The practice of cosmetic surgery in America is considered a lucrative endeavor that some individual states regulate quite loosely. In addition, many specialty medical and other doctors have created official sounding titles and member associations or “medical boards” that are primarily marketing organizations. Understandably, American surgeons and physicians want to make consumers more aware of this practice.

This is a cautionary note for medical travelers. In so much as one has no other information and no other contacts, choosing a doctor primarily on the basis of American board-certification may be a reasonable starting point. For those of us at Cosmetic Surgery Travel who are “on the ground” and working closely with so many excellent and highly qualified doctors daily, board certification, whether American or Thai boards, is merely the starting point to identifying the right doctor for each client. Once we have ascertained the baseline of proper qualifications of the doctors we work with, their experience, skill, specialty, and outcomes become most important. That is what our clients expect from our medical support team.

Plastic surgeons

The plastic surgeons we work with are all board-certified by the Thai Board of Plastic Surgery.

They are also members of the Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons of Thailand and the Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Thailand.

They may also be members of other professional societies including

Some are American board-certified in plastic surgery. Many have received fellowships in U.S., Australian, Canadian and European hospitals.

Most of the surgeons have received additional training by the American Society of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Society of Liposuction Surgery, the International Academy of Aesthetic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine, the European Society of Aesthetic Surgery, and numerous programs offered in Australia, England, France, Switzerland, and the United States.

These surgeons are all on staff at the top private hospitals of Thailand. Even though some may have their own private clinics, we do not use their clinics.

Because some of our doctors prefer to not be listed on any web site by name as this may constitute solicitation of business, which is against the rules of the Medical Council of Thailand, we no longer name any doctor on our web site. Instead, they request that inquiries be directed to them through our team.

We provide you with information about your doctor's medical background, and professional qualifications and experience upon request.