International Patient Guide

1. International Patient Guide This would help you prepare yourself. So you can make the best decision regarding your medical holiday in Thailand. 

2. How to prepare yourself for a medical trip? • What to research before making your decision • How to choose a doctor and hospital  • What to ask the doctor and hospital • How to make an appointment  • How to plan your travel to Thailand  • What to do after treatment 

3. What to research before making your decision? • Your own condition and medical history • The background and experience of the doctor • The facilities of the hospital where the physician is employed. • Treatment options and alternatives, potential complications of each treatment option • The recovery processes following particular medical treatments • Patient testimonials • Compare the different services, treatments, prices and credentials of various medical providers • To find more information about medical conditions : • http://www.thailandmedtourism.com/TreatmentSec/45/Medical-Treatments

4. How to choose a doctor and hospital? • Prepare a comprehensive list of questions • Get accurate information about the hospital facilities, • the physician who will perform the treatment, the costs involved, the • time frame for scheduling your treatment, and recovery process    • See medical packages offering, but patients should be aware of the • recommended times necessary for a physician or surgeon to confidently • discharge. • Remarks: • Hospitals are often unfamiliar with the logistics of arranging travel plans before • and after medical treatment and may unknowingly schedule follow up • appointments for dates that are on a medical holiday • Better to use a medical travel broker who is familiar with such issues, • provided.  

5. What to ask the doctor and hospital? • What qualifications do you hold and where did you receive them?  • Are you certified with local, national, and/or international health • organizations? • What is your experience in performing this type of procedure? • How many operations of this type have you performed on previous • occasions? How frequently? • What is your personal success rate for this procedure?

6. What to ask the doctor and hospital? • Will I need to undergo anesthesia during this procedure? • If so, what type of anesthesia will be required? • If so, have you and the anesthesiologist worked together before? • If so, will the anesthesiologist perform a pre-operative and/or post- • operative evaluation?

7. What to ask the doctor and hospital? • What happens if something goes wrong and I need additional treatment or another operation? • Who will be required to pay for any additional fees? • Who will be required to pay for any additional hospital costs? • Do you have any ‘before and after’ pictures of patients you have personally treated? • How long will I be hospitalized? • How soon after the procedure can I fly home? • What is included in the price of the procedure? What is not? • Is there any insurance coverage for this procedure?

8. How to make an appointment ? • Major hospitals in Bangkok have 24 hour emergency rooms • Doctors’ appointments should be scheduled between 8:00 am and 6:00 • pm, Monday - Friday. (Some larger hospitals offer off-hours and • weekend services.) • Options of scheduling the appointment: internet appointment scheduling • telephone, or walk-in scheduling. • It is advisable to contact a hospital several weeks to several months in • advance to guarantee that you can receive treatment from the doctor • you prefer to provide your medical treatment.

9. How to plan your travel to Thailand? After deciding upon which doctor and hospital, and having made an appointment. Here is our recommended steps: Schedule return air travel, reserve accommodation, and book any tour packages. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to rest post treatment, and take this into consideration when booking your return flight. Contact the hospital to determine what medical information/documents they will require from you and prepare these documents.

10. How to plan your travel to Thailand? 3. Prepare the following documents to keep convenience located while travelling to Thailand: • Emergency contacts, including relatives, friends and your home physician. • Map of the locations and telephone numbers of your home embassy in Thailand, the hospital where you will receive medical treatment and the hotel at which you are intending to stay. • Copies of your passport, air tickets, medical prescriptions and other essential medical paperwork.

11. What to do after treatment? • You may opt to remain in the area where your treatment was • provided to schedule follow up examinations at the hospital. • If possible, you may also take advantage of your time in Thailand to • do some shopping, visit a spa or check out some of the country’s • cultural or historical attractions. 

12. What to do after treatment? • Some other factors to consider:  • How much pain can I expect after the procedure? • How long will the pain last? • What complications can occur during or after this kind of procedure? • How soon after the procedure can I have visitors? • Will I need physiotherapy after the procedure? • For how long? • Where will this take place? • What help will I need at home after the procedure?

13. What to do after treatment? • Some other factors to consider:  • For how long will I need help? • How long should I wait before I can go back to work? • What restrictions will there be on my normal activities after the • procedure? • For example, will I be able to drive/climb stairs/run/play sports/have • sex/take a bath? • When will I need to come back for a follow up appointment?

14. Medical Tourism Destinations Bangkok ChiangMai Pattaya Phuket Koh Samui Photos provided by Tourism Authority of Thailand

15. Post – Treatment in Thailand Sightseeing Shopping Dining Beaches Spas Photos provided by Tourism Authority of Thailand

16. Thanks to

17. www.ThailandMedTourism.com A Global Center of Excellence For Medical Tourism