When we discovered that Savvy was pregnant with twins, it raised some questions that we had not considered when we thought we were only adding one more child to our brood. Chief among those was, “Should we go on a beach holiday to Thailand before the twins arrive?” I took a survey of the three members of our household (Savvy voted on behalf of the twins) and the overwhelming response was “duh”.
So it was decided that Reina, Savvy, and I should go to Phuket and Phi Phi Island for a week of sun, rain, sand, and, fun. Yet as I began to make reservations and book tickets, I recalled that many people go to Thailand for health checks and medical procedures due to the quality and affordability of the healthcare. With that in mind, I checked with our hotel staff and booked an appointment for Savvy’s 18-week check up with the OB/GYN at Phuket International Hospital. When we arrived at the hospital, I was immediately astounded by the size of the place – huge compared to Beijing hospitals and it had a bright airy feel about it. Unfortunately, our doctor was in an emergency delivery and the delay was going to disrupt our afternoon plans. After consulting with Savvy, the receptionist called Bangkok International Hospital (just 10 minutes away) and booked an appointment for us there just half an hour later.
Once again, I was surprised at how big these Phuket hospitals are. How could two such large medical institutions co-exist in such close proximity? I’m guessing it must be the medical tourism as we did see a lot of foreigners there. Bottom line, the procedures for checking in, seeing the doctor, and paying were all smooth, efficient, and first rate. The doctor was great and she was more than happy to try and determine whether or not our sleeping twins were boys or girls. The entire experience was yet another reason why I asked my beloved a hundred times on the trip, “Why do we live in Beijing and not here?” The total cost was about 20% of what we paid for our last check up at a Beijing international hospital. Best of all, we were still able to return in time for our afternoon appointment to go on an elephant ride – something Beijing does not offer at all.
Photo courtesy of Christopher Lay
