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Healthcare in Thailand has developed considerably over the last 20 years. Bangkok offers several world-class private hospitals that provide general health care alongside top dental, cardiac and other specialized clinics at a level of quality and price that amaze the foreign visitor. This combination of quality and sensible fees has made Thailand the leading medical tourism destination in the world, whether for a heart bypass, bridgework, cosmetic surgery, or even a sex change.
A considerable number of doctors in the private hospital system are foreign trained, so English and other languages are widely spoken and procedures are up to date, including extensive physiotherapy. All equipment in private hospitals is top-notch and mostly brand new, so you can expect health care as good as you get in your home country - usually with shorter queues. Even the government hospitals are surprisingly good (and amazingly inexpensive) for basic health care, though sometimes there is a bit of a wait. All accept BUPA or Blue Cross health insurance, which can be had in Thailand for a very reasonable annual fee.
While the top hospitals are centered mostly in Bangkok, other well-touristed locations have received top priority for new hospitals, including Pattaya, Koh Samui and Phuket, as more tourists keep coming and more foreigners settle down in these places.
Ambulances are affiliated directly with a given hospital, so it is important to keep the number of the nearest good hospital handy. Helicopter evacuation is also available from a couple of different companies to ensure you can access the best emergency medical care possible wherever you are. They will even evacuate patients from neighboring countries, where the quality of health care is not to the same standard.
Thailand's healthcare system is a bit different from the West. Because it has traditionally served people from many income levels in public and private hospitals, medical care tends to be hospital based.
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As such, most doctors, surgeons, and other medical personnel are specialized and most hospitals don't usually provide the traditional 'general practitioner' who looks after the whole family on an ongoing basis. Instead, one visits the hospital for the annual checkup or for specific ailments.
Alongside western medicine, Thailand has also opened its doors to traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture. Over the last decade, practitioners have been licensed by the government for this 'alternative' treatment, and there are now numerous clinics dotted around the country.
Many visitors expect tropical Thailand to be a hotbed of exotic diseases, but this is not the case. No vaccinations are required, though it is a good idea to have yourself inoculated against hepatitis.
The worst you can expect for the most part is the very occasional case of "the runs", and this may simply be from indulging too heavily in the chilies that Thais love to put in many of their dishes. If you are sensitive to chilies, be sure to learn the Thai for "not too spicy please" ("Mai chawp phet").
Pharmacies are on practically every second street corner in urban areas and if you require regular or occasional (such as antibiotics) "prescription" medication, and know exactly what you need, you can often pick it up at your local pharmacy - again at prices far lower than in Western countries, though even most local hospital dispensaries are a bargain as well.
Original branded medicines from all of the major pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Bayer, Glaxo, etc., are all available at a fraction of the cost in Western countries. There is also a large range of generic products that cost even less.
A wide range of Traditional Chinese herbal medicines and treatments such as acupuncture are also widely available.
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