The Truth about Hospital Accreditation: Medical Tourism in Thailand

Affordable Medical Tourism at Accredited Hospitals

Anyone who visits Thailand to take advantage of low cost laser teeth whitening, plastic surgery, or knee replacement surgery is usually comforted by the knowledge that the country takes accreditation very seriously.  Bumrungrad International Hospital, for example, was one of the first hospitals in Asia to receive accreditation from the Joint Commission International (the same agency that accredits US hospitals).  Physicians from many other hospitals (Bangkok Hospital, Phyathai Hospitals Group, etc.) also have physicians and nurses who were certified and trained in Europe and the US.  In addition, a number of US hospitals have teaching relationships with hospitals in Thailand.  For example, Johns Hopkins University, Research Institute for Health Sciences has a partnership with Chiang Mai University.  Thus, any concerns about quality should be more closely examined.   

Thailand’s Rich Tradition of Quality Healthcare

Thailand’s Royal Family deserves some credit for the long tradition of quality medical care in the country.  The present King’s father, Prince Mahidol, graduated with an MD from Harvard Medical School as a young man.  When he returned to Thailand from his studies in the early 1920s, he secured a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to help with the cost of erecting medical schools so that the country could one day attract medical tourists who wanted laser teeth whitening, hip replacements, etc.  The nurses and doctors who studied in these facilities became the first instructors for the contemporary Thai medical system. 

Government-Sanctioned Medical Tourism

Need proof about Thailand’s quality?  Just ask your government.  The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office states that Bangkok has “excellent international hospitals.”  Similarly, the US State Department states that in Bangkok, “excellent facilities exist for routine, long-term and emergency health care.”  International accreditation is just one reason why Bangkok is known for being a quality medical tourism destination.  And it doesn’t hurt that this mega-city is only hours away from some of the most beautiful beaches and mountain ranges in the world.