As a visitor in a foreign country, you never expect to need medical care, but health emergencies can happen at any time. Knowing there is quality medical care available can give you peace of mind.
When it comes to Thailand, you can expect to get exceptional health care services. The country is home to many different hospitals and hospital systems. Finding the best hospital in Thailand for foreigners requires you to take the time to learn about some of the top options.
We’ve put together a list of hospitals in Thailand that we feel are the best of the best. They each have something unique about them that makes them stand out. While many of them are in Bangkok, we made sure to include hospitals in other areas.
Plus, many of the hospitals on the list are part of a hospital system, which means they have branches around the country.
Thailand Hospital for Foreigners
1. Bangkok Hospital
Bangkok Hospital has been around since 1972. It is a private facility with a wide range of branches throughout the country. Some of the other affiliates include the Wattanosoth Cancer Hospital, the Chiva Transitional Care Hospital, and the Bangkok Heart Hospital.
It is one of the best hospitals in Thailand because it has specialists in all major areas of healthcare. It also dedicated itself to offering the highest level of specialized tertiary care in the country. This excellent healthcare system provides a level of care that often exceeds North American standards. It holds accreditation from the Joint Commission International.
Bangkok Hospital has a long history of treating international patients and has translators available for multiple languages. It is a leader in cutting edge technology. It is home to many world-renowned doctors with a nursing staff that trains in the best hospitals in the world before coming here to offer an outstanding level of service to patients.
2. Samitivej Hospital
Located in Bangkok, Samitivej Hospital has a range of specialty centers that offer care for every imaginable healthcare situation, from newborns and pediatrics to liver and digestive issues. As a leading private hospital in the country, Samitivej Hospital treats patients with the highest level of care.
Amenities at the hospital include 24-hour nursing, digital TV, refrigerators, microwaves, sofa beds, and high-speed wireless internet. In addition to ensuring patient comfort, the hospital has access to state-of-the-art equipment and a staff of more than 2,000 health professionals, with 400 of them being specialists. It is well-known for performing advanced and complicated surgeries.
The hospital has various branches throughout Thailand to ensure you always have access to a hospital within its system. It gets accreditation from the Hospital Accreditation Board in Thailand and has won national awards for excellence in service.
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3. Bumrungrad International Hospital
Bumrungrad International Hospital is one of the largest in the country, and it features state-of-the-art facilities. Located in Bangkok, this hospital has 200 beds and is quite popular for medical tourism.
The hospital also holds JCI accreditation and has won recognition awards for excellence on a global level. It offers everything from general services to major surgeries. Bumrungrad is a private facility that is on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Patients can expect low wait times and access to highly trained professionals. The multidisciplinary teams that treat patients work hard to make the hospital a cohesive and collaborative experience. The diverse staff is fluent in English, so if you ask, “do doctors speak English in Thailand,” you don’t have to worry.
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4. Yanhee General Hospital
The Yanhee General Hospital holds JCI accreditation. It’s known for being the top hospital for cosmetic surgery in Thailand. Located in Bangkok, general medicine is the backbone of the services, but the offerings are quite diverse.The hospital is another one known for medical tourism. It focuses on serving an international community of patients.Every department at the hospital has someone who speaks English on staff.
The hospital has 400 beds and offers services at competitive prices. It is a private hospital, just like many of the choices on this list. You may wonder what the difference is between private and public hospitals. The main differences are in wait times and costs. The overall quality of service you receive is comparable between private and public facilities.
Private hospitals often have short wait times with appointments typically available on a walk-in basis. The wait times at public facilities can be quite long. However, public hospitals cost significantly less than private ones. Also, private hospitals often have more conveniences and amenities that add to your overall comfort during your stay.
5. Siriraj Hospital
Siriraj Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Bangkok. It features 2,000 beds and offers services from many specialists. It does have the distinction of making referrals for specialists for the whole country. Another stand-out fact is this is the hospital offering care to Thailand’s royal family, which is the founding family of Siriraj Hospital.
The facility is a public hospital and serves as the teaching hospital for the Mahidol University. It is also home to museums that give insight into the history of medicine in Thailand.
You may have some questions, such as “how much does it cost to see a doctor in Thailand,” or “how much does a hospital visit cost in Thailand.” The average costs for medical care or a hospital stay are one-third of the cost in the U.S.The best thing is that pricing is clear and straightforward. You will know upfront how much anything will cost. This will allow you to find the right hospital to suit your needs and your budget.
6. Pattaya International Hospital
Pattaya International Hospital is an 80-bed facility. It’s a private hospital with a cutting edge specialty center. Services offered include plastic surgery, orthopedic, dialysis, eye car, oncology, obstetrics, and radiology.
You’ll find this hospital in the center of Pattaya. The staff speaks a variety of languages, which helps make it easy to find someone who speaks English. The hospital prides itself on focusing on the patient and the overall quality of care instead of focusing on profits.
The hospital works to stay on top of the newest developments in medicine, providing patients access to new equipment and technology for the best possible care. It offers highly skilled staff members, affordable services, and patient-centric approaches.
7. Srinagarind Hospital
Srinagarind Hospital is a teaching hospital for Khon Kaen University. It is in the Mueang Khon Kaen District and has 1,466 beds. The hospital has been in service since 1975, making it one of the oldest healthcare facilities in the country.
This public hospital also has ties to the royal family. King Vajiralongkorn opened the new addition to the hospital in 1995, and it gets its name in honor of Princess Srinagarindra.
The hospital offers a range of services from different specialties. It’s often in the news for research studies completed at the facility, which helps to inform the medical community about new treatments, diagnosis approaches, and other essential topics that allow medical professionals to provide a high level of care to all patients.
8. Kasemrad Sriburin Hospital
Kasemrad Sriburin Hospital is in the Chiang Rai Province of Thailand. It opened its doors in 1993 and is part of the Kasemrad Hospital group. The facility offers full services 24 hours a day and provides a range of specialty services.
Patients can get almost every healthcare need handled at this hospital. For example, it features a fully functional dental clinic. It’s also relatively easy to get to off Highway 1.
Kasemrad Sriburin Hospital is a private facility. It provides patients with the latest in technology and services. The facility has 120 beds.
9. Bandon International Hospital
The Bandon International Hospital is in Bophut with branches in various other areas within the country. It is an older hospital and lacks some updating of equipment. It also does not have as many services to offer that other hospitals on the list do. However, it is a very orderly facility with a high level of patient care.
The staff is very attentive, and wait times are well under control. This private hospital has a large number of highly-qualified doctors on staff that have exceptional bedside manners. With a focus on general medicine, the facility provides a comprehensive health check program.
Some of the branches have full staffs of English-speaking doctors. As with most places in Thailand, many staff members will speak English as well, and the hospital will have translation services available.
10. Central General Hospital
Central General Hospital is the last on the list, but it has a unique approach that most other hospitals do not use. The facility takes a holistic approach with a focus on the patient’s mental needs in addition to physical needs. Treating the whole patient is an essential aspect for every medical professional at this hospital, allowing them to give one of the best levels of care of any hospital in the country.
Central General Hospital is small compared to the other hospitals on the list. Despite the size, it is still able to provide patients with a high level of quality care. It does hold accreditation from the Hospital Accreditation Board in Thailand.
The facility offers a range of specialty services. Clinics are available for different services, including heart, skin, surgery, geriatric, neurology, dialysis, internal medicine, dental, eye, weight loss surgery, and endoscopy.
11. Bangkok Nursing Home Hospital
BNH Hospital is a modern 120 bed facility with a reputation for serving high quality healthcare to international patients. It has royal ties as King Vajiravudh opened the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Wing in 1912. The facility offers many specialists and has some of the most up-to-date technology in the country.
BNH Hospital is an excellent example of how safe hospitals are in this country. Those who wonder, “are hospitals in Thailand safe,” just need to look for the JCI accreditation. This non-profit and independent organization with world-wide recognition that helps to check the safety and quality of healthcare. When a hospital earns recognition from the JCI, it is a seal of approval that lets you know to expect the highest level of service.
Many hospitals also have accreditation from the Thailand accreditation board. This is another thing for which to look, as it will also indicate a high-quality facility.
12. Bangkok Christian Hospital
Bangkok Christian Hospital is a private facility, but it is modest with lower costs than many other private hospitals. It is known for quick service of minor health issues, but it can handle more serious problems as well since it does have various speciality units.
BCH has been around since World War II. It got its start in 1949 after a purchase by the American Presbyterian Mission and the Church of Christ in Thailand.
One point to make, though, is that while many doctors speak English, support staff may not always be fluent. However, the hospital should have translators available that can assist you in communicating with other staff who cannot speak English. You may want to ask about English-speaking staff or translation assistance upon entering a facility. Clear communication between you and the medical professionals taking care of you has to be a top priority.
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Final Words
These twelve hospitals only represent a fraction of the facilities in Thailand. We couldn’t possibly cover every hospital, but we do want you to know that the level of quality medical care in this country is quite high. If you find yourself needing medical care and cannot get to a facility from this list, you will likely still be able to get fantastic care and service from any hospital you end up at.
Still, we stand behind our picks as being the cream of the crop and suggest that you seek out these facilities to find the one that will be the closest to you when you are in the country. Know the locations of these hospitals so that should you need care, you can quickly seek one of them out.
Have you visited any of the hospitals on our list? Do you have opinions on which one is truly the best hospital in Thailand for foreigners? Share your thoughts in the comments.
