Medical Tourism

In recent years, "medical tourism" has become the new buzzword for the development of Thailand's tourism industry. What this means is encouraging people to come to Thailand, have a little elective surgery, and then recuperate on some nice beach. The idea is not as crazy as it may sound. Some of Thailand's private hospitals are capable of world class healthcare, accredited according some of the toughest standards around. While they might be expensive for many Thais, these hospitals are still able to offer a high standard of care for far less than a hospital stay in most western countries will cost.

We're not talking about critical care, such as transplants. Medical Tourism is targeted at elective and non-emergency treatments, such as cosmetic surgery or hip replacements. Such are the cost savings that some insurance companies will not only cover the costs of treatment, but some of the travel costs as well, to have work done in Thailand.

Thailand's low cost health care is not limited to medical treatment. Thanks to tight government price controls, most medicines cost far less than they do in western countries.

Chiang Mai Hospitals

Here's a short list of hospitals that specialize in treating foreigners. They all have staff who speak English, as well as many other languages. All of the institutions below are based in Chiang Mai.

Lanna Hospital

Provides 24 hour health care with English speaking staff on duty at all times. Offers cosmetic treatments including Carbon Dioxide Laser, Botox, etc.