Health Checks – Bangkok Hospital

Health Checks Available in Bangkok

Now there are certain things you have to take into account when long term travelling.  Things that you take for granted when you’ve been living in one country all your life.  Health checks are one of those privileges that we have in New Zealand.

Everyone has heard about the cheap medical procedures available to tourists throughout Thailand (namely the tourist mecca of Phuket).  Yes, we all know about the dentistry, optometrists, boob jobs, nose jobs, brow lifts and chin lifts.  Hell, you can even go in as a man and come out a woman.

We hadn’t even factored in complete Health Checks before.  Hence this is why I am writing this blog.  I am going to lead you step by step on how we booked for a complete Health Check up, the options, the timeframes and most importantly the cost.  We didn’t know what to expect so I hope this might shed a little light for those who might contemplate it on your next holiday package tour to Thailand.

How we Heard About It

Our hosts in one of our house/cat sits in Singapore asked if we could stay on longer.  They were flying back from their holiday in Australia, only to travel onto Bangkok for 4 days to have their Health Checks done.  This was their first time but they were going with a friend who goes religiously every year.

They were attending a private clinic in Bangkok.  We investigated our options and found that there were many locations available for a complete Health Check Package.

Why we Chose Bangkok Hospital

We had attended Bangkok Hospital the last time in Bangkok for a mole removal procedure for Scotty so we knew how to get there and a little about the process they follow.  He was also already registered as an International Patient (see later in the blog).  We were very impressed with the whole experience with state-of-the-art technology and the overall treatment he received.

Our house/dog sit in Bangkok was also within walking distance to Bangkok Hospital which is a huge bonus if anyone knows anything about the traffic in Bangkok.

Bangkok Hospital also have a Health Membership Program.  There are 35 hospitals in the Bangkok Hospital Group network which include Chang Mai, Phuket, Hua Hin and many other locations across Thailand.

What Steps to Take

Read up on the options Available

So you’ve decided you want to take the Health Check at Bangkok Hospital.

Firstly check out their website.  If you click on or search for Health Checkup Package, you will find a full list of options you can choose from.  This chart will also include prices and how much time to allow for the entire process.  Now just because you are in a particular age group, doesn’t mean that this is the package you have to take.

We opted for the 40-50 year old package.  This was going to cover pretty much everything that we wanted checked.  It left out bone density and the cardio stress test.  Of course it does come down to personal choice but we have had test done similar to these in the past couple of years so did not think it warranted paying the extra for these tests.

Make an appointment

You can request an appointment on line by clicking on the link provided in the website.  You will then receive an e-mail confirmation stating what time you need to arrive at the hospital and where you need to report to.  It will also tell you about what you need to do prior to your arrival ie fasting for blood tests, drinking water and for the females, menstruation time frames for best test results.

First Time International Visitor 

If this is your first time at the hospital, you will need to register at the International Registration desk.  If you travel by taxi to the hospital, they should drop you off at the main entrance.  The International Registration desk is to the left of the Information Desk which you will see as you walk through the revolving door.

Make sure you have your passport with you.  They will give you a form to complete, they will take your photo and then issue you with a membership card and patient number.  This you can use each time you attend the hospital and there is no need to register again in the future.

They will then direct you to where you need to go.  Now the Bangkok Hospital is HUGE!  But never fear.  There are friendly staff absolutely everywhere.  They are dotted around all over the place and they must be trained to be able to identify lost patients.

We found our way to the International Medical Services department very easily (even though it was in a completely different building).

International Medical Services 

This is where it all happens.  If you took notice of the amount of tests involved in these packages, we envisaged that we would be trekking all over this vast hospital.  You know how it works in NZ, a different department for each test.  Often not on the same day or location.

Well there is none of that here.  It is truly a one stop shop.  Spread over two floors, all of the different tests are completed with military precision. 

When we arrived at the reception desk, we were issued with hospital blues to get changed into.  Given a hospital bag with our specimen bottles to carry around (until needed!!) and shown to the changing rooms.  There were lockers where we could lock away our belongings so all we needed to carry with us was our locker key.

Within minutes of sitting back down in our very attractive hospital garb, we were separated and whisked away for our blood pressure, temperature, weight and height measurements.  Back out into the waiting room and boom, it was time for the blood collecting.

Once we were both done with these preliminary procedures, we were shown to the next floor (actually personally escorted) to where all the next lot of tests were conducted.

Everything else on the list was pretty much conducted on this floor.  We didn’t really see each other again until the end.  Obviously I had some tests which were extra to Scotty’s so he was going in different directions to me.

It just completely made sense to have everything close to each other.  All of the equipment was top notch and the staff spoke enough English to get by with the essential conversations that needed to be had.

Thorough Testing

We were very impressed with how thorough the testing was done.  The blood count tested for sugar, lipid, kidney, uric liver, thyroid and tumor markers.  Our urine and stool tests were duly collected (yes I was stressing about pooing on demand – but succeeded) and fully tested. 

We had full eye examinations complete by an ophthalmologist and hearing screened by an audiologist. 

Not only did I have a mammogram but also an ultrasound completed which is something I have not had done before.   What can I say about the Pap Smear and pelvic examination.  While it is never a pleasant experience no matter where in the world you are it’s always a necessity.  It was no worse than having a Pap Smear in NZ.  The procedure was conducted by a qualified gynecologist and she talked me through everything before and afterwards.

The ultrasound included the whole abdomen, bone density (lumbar, spine & hip) as well as prostate for Scotty .  We also had a chest x-ray and full cardiovascular investigation.

By this stage it was around 1.00pm so the process took about  4.5  hours to complete.  We were finally done.  After we had changed back into our civilian clothes, we were advised that we needed to come back in one hour for our consultation with a doctor and receive our test results.  We were given a food voucher to spend at any of the cafe’s within the hospital so we spent the next hour at Starbucks.

The Results

Sure enough, just as we got back to the clinic, our names were called and we were in to see the doctor who had all our test results back (apart from my Pap Smear which I needed to go back in 3 days time for the results).

I will spare you all the details of our full medical history but the things that flagged up, were conditions that we were already aware of.  It was reassuring that all other tests came back as normal BUT…………(don’t you just hate it when there is a BUT)……….. unfortunately my ultrasound showed that there was a ‘mass’ on my right kidney.  The ultrasound was not clear enough to be able to diagnose what sort of mass so the doctor recommended that she refer me to a specialist for either a CT or MRI Scan. 

I have to be honest – my heart did sink at this news.  You do automatically think the worst possible scenario.  Suddenly, NZ felt so far away.  We were shown out to the waiting area to receive our appointment time (thinking that it would be probably at best be a week away).  The nurse came back to us after 10 minutes and said that we could make our way to the Urology Department for my Specialist Appointment.  I said ‘so my appointment is now?’  Thankfully it was, so once again we were escorted, this time to a waiting electric cart.  WHAT – I thought that this was only for the sick and elderly!!!!  The cart whisked us away down corridors to the appropriate department.  We could have walked it in about 10 minutes but it was a nice touch. 

CT Scan

After a quick consultation with the Specialist (who’s English wasn’t quite as fluent as I would have liked it to be) he confirmed what we already knew.  I would need a CT Scan to ascertain what, if any further treatment would be necessary.  I was given the option of a MRI Scan but this was going to be twice the price and the nurse reassured me that a CT Scan would be sufficient.

So it was back to hospital again the following morning.  I’ve never had a CT Scan before so I can’t compare or comment on how good or how bad it was compared to those in NZ.  I can say that the staff were amazing and I was fully informed on what to expect and the nurse injecting the fluid into me had a lovely bedside manner.

We needed to wait another 1.5 hours to see the Specialist again for the outcome.  That did seem like a very long 1.5hrs to be fair.

The outcome was probably the best we could have hoped for.  He explained the mass and that it was bleeding (which I thought was worse) but apparently it’s the ones that aren’t bleeding that you have to worry about.  Long story short – I need to have another CT Scan in 3-6 months to check the size and shape and to monitor any changes.  There was also another spot on my left kidney that needs to be monitored.  

I did ask if it was ‘lifestyle’ related but apparently it is something that is quite common with the aging population……oh great!!!!

Costs

We received a full written report of the outcomes of all the tests carried out.  We also received a CD with copies of the x-rays and ultrasounds.  This also includes details of my CT Scan.  This enables me to have the follow up scan anywhere and have all the information on hand.

We were also e-mailed a full version of the reports so that we can keep it stored safely.

All costs are quoted in NZ dollars and have been converted from Thai Baht.

Health Check – Scotty $532     Linda $776

Specialist Consultation Pre CT        $36

CT Scan + Consultation Post CT   $872

This was not a particularly cheap exercise for us to go through.  We are still glad we did it though.  We do not know when we are due back in New Zealand.  Who knows when we will get the opportunity for even basic check ups.

Was it Worth It

Some people believe that ignorance is bliss – that you are better off not knowing if something is wrong.  Most of the checks we’ve had done, we would never have had in NZ under normal circumstances.  Test are usually carried out when something is wrong.  By that stage – it is too late.  Early detection is everything with some aliments.  Now we know that we are good to keep going (health wise) with no worries about our health. 

The same thing could be said about investing in Travel Insurance.  Some travellers take a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude and decide to risk it. Getting a health check done or not is taking the same risk as travelling without insurance.

The cost of our Health Check cannot be covered by our Travel Insurance.  I am however, awaiting a decision on a claim I have made for my specialist and CT Scan.

Our first appointment was on a Tuesday, my CT Scan and Specialist appointment was on Wednesday and I went in for my pap smear results on Friday.  So for us the entire process took 4 days. Luckily we had the luxury of time so it wasn’t an issue.  If you think you won’t have this amount of time when on holiday, the entire Health Check and results are done in a day.  If you have a Pap Smear, the results could easily be e-mailed to you with a full report and any follow up treatment recommended.

I hope that this blog helps if you are ever contemplating doing full Health Check ups whilst holidaying in Thailand.  So many people make time to have their teeth and eyes done.  They never think of the most import procedure you will ever do for yourself.  Heck, it may be a decision that could save your life.