Nearly half of the travelers staying at Amari Residences Bangkok are either accompanying family or friends seeking treatments at nearby Bangkok Hospital – or former patients at the hospital needing a convenient place to recuperate.
Medical Tourism
Most of travelers staying at Amari Residences Bangkok for medical reasons are accompanying patients being treated at the main branch of nearby Bangkok Hospital.
But some patients stay at the hotel after they have been discharged from Bangkok Hospital to recuperate. While the hospital is clearly within walking distance of the Amari Residences Bangkok, it sends tuk-tuks to the property in order to pick up patients as well as family and friends.
“We have a special relationship with Bangkok Hospital,” says Wim Fagel, general manager, Amari Residences Bangkok.
“Guests staying at the hotel get a special discount for some treatments at Bangkok Hospital such as for medical checkups. For a full checkup they get 50% off.”
Growth Industry
If Thailand has a growth industry, medical tourism is it. Patients from around the world are attracted by the high standards and low costs of medical checkups and medical procedures in the Land of Smiles.
Hospitals have state of the art equipment, and staff are not only well trained – they are also both warm and attentive.
“The doctors at the hospital in Thailand are well educated, quite often in the United States or Europe,” Fagel says.
“They offer good service, they are efficient, they don’t overcharge, they don’t do things that are not necessary.”
Short Waits
Another key draw for medical tourism in Thailand is the shorting waiting times at the country’s hospital and clinics. Patients rarely have to wait more than a few minutes when running tests. And operations and other medical procedures can be often be scheduled within days – if not hours.
“They are fast,” Fagel says. “There is no waiting time. In other countries it can take a few months. They keep you in the hospital only as long as necessary. Especially at Bangkok Hospital, one person is always with you.”
Multilingual Staff
A visit to an international hospital in Thailand is like a trip to the United Nations. Corridors are lined with women in burkas and men in short pants and sandals.
Doctors can also speak English, and many also speak Arabic, Japanese, Russian, or other languages. Bangkok Hospital, for example, has special sections for Arabic and Japanese speaking patients.
“Most of the hospitals have staff that speak several languages,” Fagel says.
“They also have translation services. They will call you the day before a procedure to remind you. There is follow up with doctors. The equipment is up to European or American standards. They have a lot of ne equipment so they can work faster. It is cheaper than in Europe – even including the cost of getting here.”
Click here for a first hand account: Getting a Medical Checkup at Bangkok Hospital.
To Be Continued
Copyright: Michael Taylor Pictured: Amari Residences Bangkok
Nice resident for medical tourists