Health, Insurance, and Finding a Hospital in Bangkok

If you find yourself in need of medical attention and a hospital in Bangkok or Thailand in general, relax you are in good hands. This is one of the great things about Thailand, its health care system.

Doctor and hospital visits are so cheap; you almost don't need insurance at a lower to mid-range priced hospital. You can check into a very good hospital emergency room, see the doctor, and leave with medication pills in hand all for about $25 usd with-out insurance.

It seems to me that a great deal of doctor’s offices and hospitals in the U.S. and the West in general, just don't seem to really and truly care about the patient and their problems.

When my Thai wife came to see the doctor in America about some issues, she thought it was a joke. Rush in, rush out, just a number. This has been one of her biggest complaints since coming to America, doctor visits.

I believe one of the main reasons Thai doctors and Bangkok hospitals seem to care is because of that typical Thai hospitality that you get from the the smiles on the street to the doorman at your hotel. It's CALLED service and respect, something that's missing in other places.

Whenever I would see a doctor in Thailand I always felt like I mattered and they were very interested in finding root causes of any problems I had.

The VIP Gold card you see here is the AIA Health Insurance I used at various hospitals. I tell you when I whipped out this card people actually took note and on top of that it was pretty cheap.

In most cases the service is beyond anything I've seen in the West.

Medical tourism in Thailand is big business as well. Many foreigners escape the high medical prices of their own country and get major work done in Thailand. The medical tourism in Thailand and plastic surgery in Bangkok section goes into this subject deeper.

One of my favorite Thai hospitals was Bumrungrand but I also liked and would refer anyone to Yanhee, Bangkok Hospital General, Praram 9, BNH Hospital, and many others.

Contrary to popular believe, you don't need any mandatory shots before coming to Thailand. Malaria and those types of things are out in the deep country. However, you should have your normal vaccinations like hepatitis shots and such before arriving in Thailand.

A few words on Food and Drink,

I ate from the food vendors on the streets of Bangkok for years and never got sick once. However, every time I went to Mexico and "played it safe", I always got sick.

Most Thais are very clean and take showers often (more than some Westerners) but many Thais live in the slums and sometimes don't have the best hygiene.

You should drink bottled water only, no tap water and be careful of unpurified ice.

What about the Bird Flu virus in Thailand!

This scare was highly over popularized by Western media as usual. I know because I was right in the middle of it all during the so called "pandemic". I think my friends and I ate more chicken during that time than any other.

Some have said be careful of shellfish in Thailand because it can make Westerners very sick but I've never personally had any problem at all.

Bathrooms

Many bathrooms in Thailand do not have soap. This was something that always bothered me and I never understood. Carry hand sanitizer if you must. The most important thing to remember is to try not to touch hand rails or common areas and wash your hands every chance you get.

I had some kind of eye infection that finally went away after months of irritation. If I would have been more careful I believe I wouldn't have gotten it.

Motorbikes...

are a hazard to your Health! Only use motorbikes when you absolutely must, otherwise you might be taking a side trip to a Bangkok hospital. I use them but only on occasion.

Overall Thailand is safe but remember you ARE in a foreign country and anything that you’re not expecting can happen.

One More Thing,

If you cherish your mind and body please do not use drugs. If you live in Thailand long enough you will most likely be offered some kind of drug by someone. In America the drugs of choice seem to be marijuana and cocaine. Marijuana by itself doesn't seem too bad but that drug almost always leads to something else. In Thailand the drugs of choice seems to be marijuana (called yaba), crank or crystal meth (called ice) and ecstasy (e) mixed with ketamine (k).

These drugs have devastating effects on the brain and nervous system as I have personally witnessed firsthand. It seems fun at first but it will catch up to you. I know people in Thailand who died in their sleep, jumped off balconies, had heart attacks or worse, went mentally insane in a jail cell. What a terrible waste.

I don't know why so many Westerners come to Thailand and lose all sense of control. I'm not preaching but I just miss some good friends and I don't anyone to end up like that.

If you stay in the party scene too long and are not strong willed, you will be a user. If you want to have fun stick with alcohol, it's not perfect but there is a REASON it's legal!

We don't want to see you in a Bangkok Hospital if it can be avoided.

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