Medical Tourism
Last updated on August 28th, 2025 at 10:56 am
Medical tourism refers to traveling to another country which have developed specialized medical treatment facilities for Foreigner visitors. In many instances, medical tourists travel abroad seeking alternative treatments that are more advanced, safer and with less recovery times but still not approved in western countries.
There are many advantages to medical tourism. A few are listed here;
- Costs of procedures are significantly less, commonly, 35% to 90% cheaper.
- The quality of care provided in these medical Tourism facilities are superior from start to finish. From administrative, speed of services, quality of staffing Doctors and nurses staff surpass the service level available in western countries.
- Until recently, these medical travels were entirely tax-deductible as a medical expense, for USA travelers this has largely been changed. Making the travel costs themselves a major tax deduction. Please check with your CPA to confirm what tax benefits this can be to you today.
- The cost of pre- and post-procedure labor is often dramatically lower overseas by 60 to 95% This includes labor costs for nurses, aides, surgeons, pharmacists, physical therapists, and more.
- While you may not be covered under your current western based healthcare plan, most medical tourists find it is far cheaper to full price abroad, than pay the co-pay in western countries.
- Insurance companies are now more receptive to allowing clients to do medical tourism as this saves not only the client money but also the insurance company. Check with your healthcare coverage to see if this is available to you.
- Some medical tourism facilities provide the ultimate in private hospital suites with guests rooms for family to stay by the loved-one’s side.
Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok accommodation room with guests rooms.
Medical Tourism is relatively new
- A Brief History & Stats – Thailand has been a medical tourism destination since the early 2000s, with Bangkok’s hospitals leading the way. Each year, over 3 million international patients visit for a wide range of treatments from dental work to complex surgeries.
- Most Popular Procedures – Dental work, Optical surgeries, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, orthopedic procedures, cosmetic surgery and wellness check-ups are some of the most sought-after services. Thailand’s hospitals and clinics are internationally accredited, and many doctors have trained in the US or Europe, they also speak English well. One major advantage is the short waiting times, allowing patients to receive treatments quickly compared to the long delays in other countries.
- Cost Savings vs. the US – Healthcare costs can be drastically less expensive. A procedure that costs $15,000+ in the US might only be $2,000-$3,000 in Thailand. Even factoring in flights and accommodations, you’re still saving thousands, while getting top-tier care with short waiting times.
Note: Your quality of care and which services are available will vary from one facility to another, as will the pricing. I will provide a general guide to this later in the webpage.
Billing and pricing far simpler in Thailand than in western countries – costs of procedures are commonly posted on websites, and at our initial inquiry if you ask, ensuring costs are known before any procedures are even scheduled. Occasionally some minor extras arrive, but these are extremely minor costs compared to western medical “extras”.
Medical tourists can save anywhere from 35% to 90% in medical bills, depending on the procedure they get and the country they travel to. However, there a many other advantages of medical tourism over western medical services. There is a lot of information to discuss on this topic. Please follow the link to the full page on this topic.
Medical tourism is successful for millions of people each year, and it is on the rise for a variety of reasons, including increasing healthcare costs in the United States, lack of health insurance, specialist-driven procedures, high-quality facilities, and the opportunity to travel before or after a medical procedure.
However, there are specific risks that come with traveling overseas for surgery. If you’re thinking of pursuing a medical procedure in another country, here’s are some of the risks.
- While all doctors and most nurses speak English, some staff members do not. The administrative staff, at least a portion of the staff that speak English, but not all.
- Care in the foreigner countries general hospitals are not at the same level. Be sure to go to a Medical tourism facility. The difference in largely in the wait times being longer and the level of English spoken being less. However, the costs are also much less.
- The main disadvantage of medical tourism is the time needed to be on the medical vacation, which depending on the procedure can be longer than expected. While a treatment may only take 1 day and be scheduled months ahead, there are important follow-up visits, possible unexpected complications that may occur that require the client to stay a few weeks to a month after. It is very common that westerners become aware of secondary healthcare issues that were not known before arriving, while this is a huge bonus to become healthier as these can be addressed at the same time. It can mean a longer stay. Also, a 1-year follow-up is commonly recommended for many treatments.
- A Brief History & Stats – Thailand has been a medical tourism destination since the early 2000s, with Bangkok’s hospitals leading the way. Each year, over 3 million international patients visit for a wide range of treatments from dental work to complex surgeries.
- Most Popular Procedures – Dental work, Optical surgeries, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatments, orthopedic procedures, cosmetic surgery and wellness check-ups are some of the most sought-after services. Thailand’s hospitals and clinics are internationally accredited, and many doctors have trained in the US or Europe, they also speak English well. One major advantage is the short waiting times, allowing patients to receive treatments quickly compared to the long delays in other countries.
- Cost Savings vs. the US – Healthcare costs can be drastically less expensive. A procedure that costs $15,000+ in the US might only be $2,000-$3,000 in Thailand. Even factoring in flights and accommodations, you’re still saving thousands, while getting top-tier care with short waiting times.
Medical Facilities Basic Information
This section contains “Premium” top-level Thai healthcare facilities;
Best hospital Bumrungrad in Bangkok – covering a huge range of services, with the highest quality doctors and treatments. This is arguably the best hospital in the world.
- Here’s their website: https://www.bumrungrad.com/en
- Here is an review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDMyxH8_zCg
Bangkok Hospital – there are many locations throughout Thailand. The care at these facilities are roughly equivalent at all the Bangkok Hospitals. This is also a Premium private Hospital. Costs are a bit lower than Brumrungrad, and if you live in areas outside of Bangkok, this is a more convenient choice.
- Website here; https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en
BIDC – Bangkok International Dental Center
- Website here : https://bangkokdentalcenter.com/
TRSC – Bangkok Eye care Center
- Website here: https://www.trsclasik.com/