Test & Review: Bangkok Hospital on Koh Phangan (Thailand)

A few days ago, I wasn’t feeling well and the pain kept me from sleeping. I watched a series almost all night to forget the discomfort.

JB and I decided to get up as early as possible and head to Bangkok Hospital, a private hospital with branches all over Thailand. We were recommended this hospital because they have another one on Koh Samui. In case of emergency, Bangkok Hospital even has a speedboat to transfer patients to the larger Bangkok Hospital Koh Samui.

This is the second time I’ve “tested” the Thai healthcare system. The first time was during a food poisoning in Krabi 5-6 years ago.

We’re the only ones in the hospital. It’s only 8am. The nurse asks me about my symptoms and decides to run a test. 20 minutes later, they tell me the sample is contaminated and they need to do another one. 20 minutes later, we get the results and I’m invited into an “emergency room”. Each patient is placed in a corner hidden by curtains, and I lie down on a bed, surrounded by a doctor and a nurse.

I find the care truly impressive. Everyone speaks English, and even the results are in English.

The doctor shows me the results and explains line by line what they found / didn’t find. She explains that the test is considered reliable because they measured a certain index, which is within normal values, so they can say I have this or that condition. It’s very professional and well explained; I like that they don’t treat patients like idiots.

Then they run a second test, and I wait for the results in the waiting room. I’m called back to explain the results of the second test, as well as the doctor’s prescription and how to take the medication.

I pay everything at the counter: consultation, medication… by card. The symptoms, diagnosis, prescription… are again written in black and white, which makes it easier to claim from my international insurance.

I looked at the amounts in detail, and they charge for absolutely everything, even the gloves used or the pipette. But the total remains very reasonable for foreigners. 5,200 baht, with a 10% “discount” for some reason.

The medications are individually packaged with my name, what condition they treat, and the daily dosage. You can’t go wrong. And most importantly, you only buy the exact quantity needed, so there’s no waste.

It will take me a week or two to fully recover, but the good news is it’s treatable, and treatable well.

Thanks for your messages on Instagram, don’t worry about me.

However, getting sick like this clearly shows a drop in immunity and I’m not happy about it at all!

We arrived at 8am, and by 9:40am we were out with results from two tests and the medication. Honestly, if I were in France, I would have waited hours in the ER, or the whole process would have taken two doctor’s appointments, a lab visit, and maybe 24 hours to get the right meds. For this specific case, I’m delighted to have been treated quickly in Thailand, on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere.

So I took a day off and went to recover at the lovely café Tomorrow. The food is very varied, and the view is stunning!

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