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Related articles about health issues : Hospitals in Bangkok | Dental Services | Eye Clinics | Pharmacies | Shortcomings of Thai Healthcare
The most important incentive to choose medical treatment far away from home (and family and friends) is its lower cost. Other considerations are the overall attractiveness of the selected foreign country (stage of development, tourist attractions, distance).
The cost of treatment in Thailand is only a fraction of what similar treatment would cost you in the United States. Of course, not every condition is suitable for treatment abroad. Mostly people will consider medical tourism for elective procedures. Need we remind you that it is not advised to travel long distance by plane if your medical condition is not stable. The elected procedure itself is what will determine the cost. It will cost less than in your home country. What is especially cheaper are the room rates when staying in hospital (including stay in intensive care or coronary care units). Staying in a comfortable hospital room in one of the major hospitals in Bangkok will actually cost less than staying in fancy 5-star hotel rooms.
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Dental Hospital on Sukhumvit Road, Soi 49. |
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There are other choices than Thailand when considering treatment in Asia. India is actively developing its medical tourism and Singapore was a destination for treatment before Bangkok put itself on the map.
If just so happens that Time magazine (at least the Asian edition) covered this issue in an article in the late summer of 2006.
Prices were compared for some major procedures between USA, India, Thailand and Singapore. We summarize the data below.
India seems to offer the cheapest services, while Singapore is only slightly more expensive than Thailand. When choosing between India and Thailand, well for us, that would be a no-brainer in favor of the latter. That the prices in Singapore are not higher really is amazing, since that small country can hardly be called a developing nation (except for the fact that its people live in very cramped conditions).
| Procedure : |
United States |
India |
Thailand |
Singapore |
| Coronary Angioplasy |
31,000-70,000 $ |
11,000 $ |
13,000 $ |
13,000 $ |
| Heart Bypass |
66,000-150,000 $ |
10,000 $ |
12,000 $ |
20,000 $ |
| Hip Replacement |
22,000-53,000 $ |
9,000 $ |
12,000 $ |
12,000 $ |
| Gastric Bypass |
33,000-58,000 $ |
11,000 $ |
13,000 $ |
13,000 $ |
[Source : Time Magazine 31 July 2006 ; prices as suggested by one surgical tourism agency ; the first price quoted for US is the average of Insurer's cost price ; the second price for US is the average for retail cost]
Personal experience and/or as related from friends :
Arthroscopic Surgery of one knee cost us about 2,500 US $ (including one-day stay at hospital). Long-term stay in a VIP suite in Bumrungrad Hospital (VIP suite consists of a bedroom and a sitting room, total area about 70 square meter) at internal medicine department, costs around 15,000 baht per day (about 400 US $). This included room rate (you can deduct a few thousand baht, if you select the actually very adequate standard room), food, doctors fee, medication.
While we do not want you to 'believe' the above mentioned costs just like that (please recheck with the hospital you consider, or with your medical tourism agent), they do hopefully give an indication of the price difference between treatment at US facilities and in Asia. Prices quoted may increase if complications arise, or with prolonged recovery stage.
Related articles about health issues : Hospitals in Bangkok | Dental Services | Eye Clinics | Pharmacies | Shortcomings of Thai Healthcare
More : Medical Tourism in Thailand | Health Statistics | Cost of Medical Treatment in Thailand
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