Having access to medical care in Thailand it’s not a problem. One of my concern was how would I get medical treatment should I need it. Lucky for you I have had the Hospital Visits And Medical Treatment In Thailand experience already. I’ll outline here how easy it is to get great quality medical treatment in Thailand.
Welcome To Thailand … Try Our Medical Care
After arriving in Thailand I came down with an ear infection. After trying a couple of rounds of amoxicillin pills from the pharmacist I was ready to see a doctor. It was a Saturday night when I decided to go to the hospital. Having a good friend here in Thailand, I was able to get a ride to Thai Nakarin Hospital. Thai Nakarin Hospital is quite large and they have an international section. Depending on what language you speak you get a liaison to lead you through the hospital and filling out any needed paperwork. Thai Nakarin hospital is split up into different divisions. After you meet with the liaison for in processing they will then take you to the correct division of the hospital for you.
A Hospital With Specialists!
Each of the divisions of Thai Nakarin Hospital contains specialists for that field of medicine. There are no “General Practitioners”. In my case I went to the Ear, Eye, Nose and Throat specialists. When you get to the division of the hospital a team of medical staff will take your vitals. Once they have your blood pressure temperature weight etc. you sit down and wait for the Doctor. Depending on time of day you may wait longer. In my case the wait was only 15 minutes.
The Doctor Speaks English
Once I got into the doctors office I was relieved to learn that he spoke English. After greeting me he checked my ears and make the diagnosis of an ear infection. He took the time to explain to me how to take care of the issue and wrote me a proper prescription. I booked a follow up appointment for two weeks after my initial visit to the hospital.
To The Pharmacy, Another Division Of Thai Nakarin Hospital
When the examination was complete I was then able to make my way to the pharmacy. Thai Nakarin Hospital has a pharmacy right there on site just steps away from the hospital divisions. When you arrive at the pharmacy they automatically know what prescriptions to get for you. Once they have the prescriptions you pay for your doctors visit. In my case the doctors visit cost ฿2100 Baht.
Follow Up Visit
When I came back for my follow up visit two weeks later it was much of the same expedient, pretty well organized service. In Thailand you do not get a set appointment time you get an appointment range. In my case I was able to arrive anytime between 1 PM and 7 PM on Saturday afternoon. I got to the hospital at approximately 3 PM and my wait was only 10 to 15 minutes. The doctor quickly check my ears again and gave me instructions on continuing self-care. He also wrote me an extra prescription to have on hand in case I started experiencing problems in the future. I made my way to the pharmacy and cashier. This time for the prescription it was ฿1252 Baht. You have to admit that’s not too bad for a doctors visit!
Thai Nakarin Hospital Food Is No Joke
Making my way out of the hospital I noticed a delicious looking croissant sandwich go by. I decided I couldn’t hold back and went searching for the source. There was this great little booth there with a wide variety of sandwiches cakes and coffee’s. I did get the croissant sandwich along with the delicious slice of cake. Not only a great hospital visit but a lovely lunch as well.
5 Things To Expect At A Thai Hospital
So in short the top five things that you can expect from visiting a Thai hospital.
1.) If you are in the city chances are if the hospital will have a translator.
2.) Inner city Thai hospitals have divisions of specialists rather than general practitioners.
3.) Thai hospitals have prescription counters located in the hospital.
4.) Thai hospitals in the city have much of the same modern equipment that you find in the United States.
5.) Chances are you’ll find a delicious lunch!
If you take away nothing else from this article and video know that you will have outstanding hospital visits and medical treatment in Thailand. For some the medical care here in Thailand will be better than you receive in America. Rejoice and retire easy!
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