Medical and Dental Care on Phuket:
Hospitals, Doctors, Dentists, Medicine and More

Only in Bangkok could you find better medical care than on Phuket.  While Phuket provides good quality care, Bangkok is home to Bumrungrad Hospital and Bangkok Hospital - both world class medical centers.  Bumrungrad is said to be the best hospital in Asia and you will see people from around the world seeking treatment there.

On the island -  Bangkok Phuket Hospital (BPH) and Phuket International Hospital both offer good quality care.  My personal preference is for Bangkok Phuket Hospital.

 Phuket International Hospital, in the same area as BPH, is a smaller hospital with fewer specialized clinics.  It is, however, less expensive.

The price of first quality medical care in Thailand will surprise you!  If you are from America - you can guess that any procedure will cost only 15-35% of what you might pay at home, generally with no sacrifice in the level of care.

Dental Care on the island is also excellent.  If you want cosmetic dentistry for teeth whitening and more, you've found the right place.  Prices, again, are much cheaper than we are used to in the Western world.  Ask around about the quality of specific clinics and dentists.  My personal favorite is Dr. Srisuda at the Bangkok Phuket Hospital.  She is a trained periodontist and provides gentle first-class care.  Personally, I enjoy dentistry about as much as having my fingernails pulled off, but if anyone can make it a less anxious experience, Dr. Srisuda can.

For people who take relatively expensive medicines on a daily basis, consider purchasing them at Super Cheap - where you'll find them at almost half the price of the hospital pharmacies.  The doctors here will habitually write your prescription to be filled before you pay for your doctor/clinic visit - it is okay to tell them to write the Rx for just a week - rather than for a month or months (I sometimes buy for several months if I am heading out of the country for a while).  You can save a significant amount of money - better spent on a good meal or enjoyable evening out.

If you are prescribed a common drug such as Lipitor or glucosamine sulphate - and would like to reduce your costs even more, ask if there is a local generic equivalent (there often is).  Also ask your doctor if it is appropriate.  Most clinics and doctors assume that all foreigners are wealthy and don't care about the price of their medicines.  This thinking even extends to the vet who will want to sell you expensive foreign medicine and products when locally produced goods are probably just fine.

What is really expensive is to have a serious medical problem and no, or lousy, coverage.  Yes, you will find that some policies offered by major insurance providers quite expensive.  But there are some reasonable alternatives. Two traditional companies that offer "instant quotes" on line are MultiNational Underwriters and Good Health.

I'd like to recommend the health insurance I use: KW Batten in the UK.  I selected this company about ten years ago after a several year search.  Many companies seemed way overpriced or provided lots of coverage that I didn't need or didn't want. 

Batten's International Teacher's Portfolio covers about what I need - for the most reasonable rates I have ever run across.  They have covered my family's medical problems in Taiwan, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand with never a problem.  I suspect it is the personal service we get from their consultant - Fiona Lavery.  I am a big fan of hers!  Their coverage takes the worry out of living overseas.  They don't have a website, but you can e-mail their consultant Fiona Lavery at h.f.lavery.t21@btinternet.com and she can e-mail you the information and rates.  They don't pay me to recommend them - not a penny - but good piece of mind is worth pursuing. (Currently, I believe you must be a UK citizen, ask to be sure).