simpsonc510

Thanks for the details! I guess I had the "comprehensive" rather than the "exec" exam. I know I had "all of the above" done to me... lol

BH is certainly a United Nations of patients. I agree!

Now, rest up, and maybe we'll meet up in another week or so, if you are still in BKK.

Carol

thursdaysd

Wow, those prices are quite remarkable, very tempting! But the dental bit sounds pretty bad - would they have given you knock-out anesthesia if you'd asked? Hope you're recovering quickly from the surgery.

Kathie

Do you mind telling us how much the tooth extraction cost?

I've been getting regular dental work done at Bumrungrad for a number of years now. I have a regular dentist I see each time I'm in Bangkok.

The tooth extraction sounds grim, but I think they all are when they are that complicated. I recently broke a tooth and had it extracted here in Seattle. It was not as complicated as yours (fortunately)... an old root canal, but not a back tooth.

Shanghainese

Ok, the "I Feel Fat" part has been discussed, now I understand the "So-so" part, dental work and cosmetic surgery? Guess you are preparing your entry for Ms SF Chinatown.

Take good care of yourself, rest up and enjoy the rest of your trip!

Femi

Eeek! I love reading trip reports because it puts me right at the scene of action, but now I'm having flashbacks to the dentists chair!

I had a back tooth yanked, and I told the dentist that I had thought there would be a little more grace involved in the activity, and he laughed. There's just no other way to get them out but brute force.

rhkkmk

thanks for all the details and related prices....

do you feel that the thai procedures would differ from what you might expect from an american dentist or doctor?? forget the price part...

easytraveler

Gpanda: did you know - you must know - the panda is a favorite animal in Thailand? See lots of them around - evenn on Thai websites!

Kristina: thank you! Yes, I'm taking real good care of myself!

Carole: looking forward to a planned mini-GTG with you. Maybe possible date is Feb 4?

thursdaysd: about he anesthesia. i would assume that the dentist would do whatever is necessary to relieve pain. After the tooth was pulled, all he prescribed was Tylenol and that's really all I needed.

Kathie: thank you for your well wishes! Costs section coming up.

S'hainese: Wish I were that young - and pretty - to run for Ms SF chinatown! Actually this has been a "minor" problem and the cosmetic surgery was a nice way out.

Femi: you're right! Brute Force. Yah!

rhkkmk: longer answer coming up.

easytraveler

COSTS:

Here are the costs for what I've incurred so far:

Initial Dental Exam: 1320 baht

Tooth pulling: 2000 baht

Physical: 15,300 baht

Cardiac Exam: 4000 baht (Echo cardiogram etc.)

Cardiologist: 5005 baht

Blepharoplasty (cosmetic surgery): 34,000 baht

Medicines after surgery: 556 baht

Visit to nurse to wash eyes out: 150 baht

These are so astonishingly reasonable!

easytraveler

For rhkkmk: Comparison between US and Thai doctors and procedures.

Please understand that this is not objective, just one person's experiences and not very extensive oones at that!

My entire initial reason for coming to BH was to get that broken tooth taken care, nothing more. In the US, over the years, I've had really bad experiences with a series of dentists. My current US dentist is a sweetheart but he's a big guy and it's like having the Jolly Green Giant work on my teeth. On top of everything, my mouth is exceptionally small. That's why the idea of coming to BH, where hopefully the dentists' hands would be smaller, first took hold several years ago.

So, in comparison - the technology (equipment) is probably 5 years behind my US dentist's equipment. My dentist's x-ray machine is one of those which does a semi-circle of the face and takes a continuous shot of all the teeth. The Thai x-ray machine is still the single x-ray inserted into mouth sort of thing.

The dentists - better than the US ones, except for my current US dentist. At least their hands fit into my mouth! They do get the job done and done well. I have had no twinges of pain post tooth removal and have only taken two Tylenol every 4 hours as a precaution - plus an antibiotic every 6 hours.

The dental assistants - below US levels. In retrospect, I think it's the dental assistants who seemed more inexperienced. The reason that one piece of broken tooth lodged in my throat was because the dental assistant didn't suck it out as she should have. Also she would leave the sucking thing stuck sucking on a random tooth as if she had forgotten that piece of equipment was there in my mouth!

I'd give the dentists an A, the dental assistants a C - which makes for a B level experience.

Hope this helped!

easytraveler

LODGINGS:

I've found something even better and closer than the Unico.

BH runs its own "hotel".

There's the BH Hospitality Residence:

Studio Apartment 1,565 baht per night (1-2 people)

1 bdrm Apt 2,270 baht 1-2 people

2 bdrm apt 4,790 baht 1-4 people

Extra bed 380 baht/night

email: [email protected]


There's also the BH Hospitality Suites:

1 bdrm apt 2,908 baht a night

2 bdrm apt 3,713 baht a night

3bdrm apt 6,666 baht a night

Extra person 500 baht

The per night rate goes down the longer one stays, with a weekly rate and a monthly rate.

email: [email protected]


These BH "hotels" must be booked at least 2 months in advance.

I tried to do a booking through Diethelm Travel which is the recommended travel agent on the BH website. They didn't even respond. Not a very good travel service far as I'm concerned.

easytraveler

LODGINGS 2:

Also right next door to the BH Residence is the Sara Inn. This is at the cheaper end

Room rates:

Single 1 person 1000 net baht/night

Dbl/Twin 1-2 persons 1,300 net

2bdrm 4-5 persons 6,500 net

2bdrm VIP 7,500 net

EXTRA BED

Notice the "net"

simpsonc510

Easyt
Can't meet up on the 4th of Feb as I am arriving late that night on the UA flt from NRT. Any other options?
Carol (no e)

Kathie

Thanks for your very thorough report on medical care and costs!

One of the things that struck me about dental work at Bumrungrad was that the dentist cleans your teeth. That was a suprise to me the first appointment. Given your comments about the dental assistants, it occurs to me that dental assistants in Thailand may well have much less education/training/responsibility that do dental assistants and hygenists in the US.

By the way, I recently paid over $3000 to have a tooth pulled and an implant post put in. The crown will be more than half again as much. I should have put my money into a couple of trips to Thailand.

Craig

Verrrry interesting report - keep it coming. I'm one of those regulars that doesn't read Bangkok reports (there are so many) until there are about 50 posts.

Not sure if BH is much of a bargain for those that have some sort of health/dental insurance at home.

Kathie

Craig, it's true that if you have health/dental insurance at home you'd be unlikely to go to Bumrungrad for procedures that are covered by your health or dental insurance. I just read that something like 80% of people in the US do not have dental insurance. Of course, medical insurance does not cover cosmetic procedures, so for those things it may be worth thinking about medical tourism.

wintersp

I'm one of the lucky ones with dental insurance. My dentist is recommending some crown and filling work. He submitted this to my ins. and after ins., I will owe $1200.00.
I then submitted the work to Bumrungard and they quoted me - without ins. - $600.00. Sounds like a trip to BKK is in sight for me!

Kathie

Sounds like a plan! (I wish I could have done it!)

rhkkmk

thanks for the info....

it was just about what i expected...

easytraveler

Carol: my apologies for misspelling your name!

Maybe we could plan the miniGTG privately? Please email me at [email protected], an email address that I had set up for an earlier GTG. Still hoping we can get things together!

Kathie: sorry about your implant, but that's a totally different story. Sometimes, because of the complications that could develop (rejection of the implant, etc.) it may be better to have that sort of dental work done at home. Maybe what you did for yourself was money well spent.

Craig: thank you!

wintersp: Best of luck to you! I hope your experiences at BH will prove to be as great as mine have been so far! BTW, I got a great airfare by asking on this board. Fodorites are the best!

Also give yourself a bit of time in Bangkok. If the dental exam finds more work than just the one tooth, you may want to give yourself sufficient time to have the rest of the work done as well. Their appointments are packed back to back and they may not be able to squeeze you in immediately.

rhkkmk: you're welcome!

easytraveler

Last night it rained.

Then it poured.

Then it poured some more this morning.

Round about 11 am, the sun seemed to be peeking out, so I thought it good time to walk across for my 11:30am dental appointment.

Walked out the hotel to curbside and - are you ready for this?

Are you SURE you're ready for this?

Soi 1 was flooded. The entire narrow street was under 4 to 5 inches of water.

I started giggling. All the other hotel guests congregated at curbside and starring in disbelief at the river in front of us, they all turned around to look at this crazy person wearing dark glasses (have to wear dark glasses to protect my eyes) with thunder clouds overhead and - giggling.

I thought it uproariously funny that I had chosen this hotel because it was so close to BH and then this morning can't get across the street because it's become a river overnight.

The guard(?) came over to me and because he had seen me walk across to the hospital every day, he started waving his arms around, I nodded and waved my arms around and we both understood that I needed to get across to the hospital.

He said "40 baht". I said "OK". He waved over a brilliant orange cab and the cab drove up on the hotel driveway where it was dry, i got in, the cab sloshed its way onto the street, drove the ten yards to BH and turned into their driveway where I got out. I handed over the 40 baht for the shortest taxi ride of my entire life. LOL!

But the taxi got me to my appoointment on time - which was the whole point, right?