Cosmetic Surgery Travel - the premier "medical tourism" company in Asia - Medical tourism and medical care in Thailand

Modern medical care in Thailand is a century old. King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), the present King Bhumibol's grandfather, established the first public hospital. The Medical Association of Thailand was founded in 1921.

The royal family paid to send young doctors and nurses to study abroad. Some studied at Harvard, M.I.T. and other international scientific and medical centers of excellence. They returned and planted the seeds of today’s exceptional medical network in Thailand.

The demands on Thailand’s medical system particularly during the 1960s and the days of the Vietnam War turned it into a mature medical and health delivery system that is unique in Asia.

The international expatriate community made Bangkok the destination of choice for specialized treatment. A national system of hospital certification and review, modeled on the Canadian system, was created by the government.

Thai nurse.

Patient-centered care

Thailand’s doctors and nurses still believe in more...

Thailand delivers sophisticated modern medicine.

The medical system in Thailand has much in common with that of the U.S. and Canada. Many excellent English-speaking doctors and specialists in Bangkok have studied or trained in leading medical centers in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K. Canadian medical consultants participate in Thai government regulatory activities.

Today, Thailand has a universal health program for its citizens and more than 600 hospitals and 400 medical facilities. Bangkok’s private hospitals are financially secure, investing in facilities expansion and in ultra-modern specialized technology. In 2005, they served more than 1.4 million foreign patients, up by 10% from the previous year.

Thailand has an excellent medical education program, similar to that of the U.S. While many Thais continue to train and practise overseas in places like Britain and the U.S., they often do so after they have completed their medical studies at home in Thailand.

Other countries are not equal.

Thailand’s place as the medical hub for the region, although is being challenged, is not threatened. It will take many years still before other countries that are energetically proclaiming their leadership as medical tourism destinations will develop the reliable and comprehensive medical resources and infrastructure (power grid, sewage and water treatment facilities, public health) that Thailand has and that the medical traveler can rely on without hesitation.

Nor do most countries have a national system of hospital or clinic certification and review.

The government of India, for instance, has stated its intent to create such a system but recent news reports suggest this is still a very long way off, as many leaders in government and medical circles believe the country’s priority should be on bringing more and better care to the Indian population as a whole.