Planning treatment in Thailand

Build the trip around recovery

CDC advises that flying after surgery raises your risk of blood clots, and suggests delaying air travel for 10 to 14 days after major surgery, particularly surgery on the chest. Your surgeon should give you advice specific to you. Ask before you book your return flight, and make sure your ticket can change.

CDC also says to find out which activities are not recommended around the time of a procedure, such as swimming or hiking, and to plan for that. If a holiday is part of the trip, ask your surgeon whether it should come before treatment.

Plan who will be with you too. Someone who can stay with you after surgery, and who can speak up when you cannot, is often the most useful thing you can bring.

Checking a hospital in Thailand

1. Ask which accreditation the hospital holds and the exact name of the site you will be treated at. Groups can have several sites.
2. Check JCI status directly using JCI’s list of accredited organisations, which has a filter by country.
3. Ask about national certification. The Healthcare Accreditation Institute is the public organisation that sets standards and certifies the quality of hospital services in Thailand.
4. Ask for your surgeon’s qualifications, and how often they perform your particular procedure.

CDC advises checking the qualifications of clinicians and the credentials of facilities, since requirements vary between countries. It also says accreditation does not guarantee a good result, so use it as a starting point.

Visas, in general terms

Thai missions publish their own requirements, and these differ by country, so apply through the mission that covers where you live, or the official Thai e-Visa site. Published guidance from Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes a Tourist Visa “MT” for treatment of up to 60 days, and a Non-Immigrant “O” for treatment of up to 90 days.

Documents differ by mission, but can include a treatment record from your local hospital, an invitation or appointment letter from the Thai hospital, proof of flights and accommodation, and a passport valid for at least 6 months. Do not book flights on the basis of this summary alone.

Before you leave, and after you are back

• Book a pre-travel consultation. CDC suggests one at least 4 to 6 weeks before you go.
• Agree what follow-up will happen, who will provide it and how you will reach your surgeon.
• Take copies of all your records, including the operation note and a list of any implants.
• Tell your doctor at home what was done. CDC notes that follow-up care for complications might be expensive and might not be covered by your health insurance.

Back in the UAE, call 998 for chest pain, severe breathlessness, or sudden swelling and pain in one leg. A fever or a wound that is getting redder or more painful also needs medical attention quickly.

What medicAI can do

medicAI lists Thailand for areas including orthopaedics, aesthetics and wellness recovery programmes. Care managers can explain the hospitals that may suit your case, coordinate your travel and admission, arrange an interpreter, and set up follow-ups by video. Treatment comes from independent hospitals in Thailand, and they are responsible for it. You can read about treatment abroad and wellness programmes.