Anybody tried it?
Or is this just asking for trouble?
With the dollar so low, is it even that much of a savings anymore?
Lex
Or is this just asking for trouble?
With the dollar so low, is it even that much of a savings anymore?
Lex
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Los Angeles
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Re: LASIK in Thailand?
06/27I haven't had LASIK done there, or anywhere, but I have had other (much more invasive, emergency) surgery in Thailand and been completely satisfied with the results.
So I have great confidence in the quality of medical services offered virtually anywhere in the country--at the very least, I wouldn't worry that you're "asking for trouble." I'd say the quality of medical care offered in Bangkok, for example, will be as good as anywhere in the world, although there will likely be a number of superficial differences in how medical facilities look and feel.
As for the price, I'm not sure--you'll have to comparison shop! Prices on medical procedures are generally significantly lower in Thailand (my ten-day hospital stay, appendectomy, and postoperative antibiotics cost me a total of around 1/5 what they would have in the States), but LASIK doesn't cost that much in the U.S. anymore. So it might wind up being cheaper to get it done at home once you factor in your travel expenses.
This may not be that helpful; sorry if not. But I just wanted to endorse the Thai medical system in general. -
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Re: LASIK in Thailand?
06/27i say ditto to what daniel says - i haven't had lasik but have had all kinds of medical and dental treatment here, as well as some cosmetic laser stuff, and it has been top rate -- i personally generally go to the fancier places in bangkok, the ones that serve the rich folks here, and they cost about 1/3 of what they'd be in the states -- and there are new places opening up all the time... it's a big business here, catering to foreign folks, so you should be able to find what you want.
and yes, check to see if the price difference is worth the travel expense, but if you're coming anyway, then it usually is a big savings. -
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Re: LASIK in Thailand?
06/28Thanks for the votes of confidence, you guys.
Yep. Definitely coming anyways, so the cost of the plane ticket isn't an issue. After doing a little research, it looks like getting both eyes done in BKK's going to be about $1800, whereas it's about $1500 per eye here in LA.
My only concern is that the procedure occasionally requires "touchups" 3-5 years later, and most of the places who do the original surgery offer a "free lifetime warranty," making it perhaps more reasonable to do the surgery in one's hometown.
(On the other hand: Crap. Another reason to go back to Thailand. I hate that.) -
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Re: LASIK in Thailand?
06/28yeah, that's the horrible catch... you have to come back to thailand again in a few years ;^)
when i did my dental implant, i had to come three times.. um, not that i wasn't going to anyway, lol. oh, and those trips are a medical writeoff, since they still cost less than doing it in the states. can't bea\t that, really. -
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Re: LASIK in Thailand?
06/29Boy, I would HATE to have to come back to Thailand every couple of years to get medical or dental work done. You'd have to fly to Thailand, get your procedures taken care of, and then be obligated to spend a couple of weeks recuperating on a beach, or on a mountainside, or in a guesthouse somewhere along the Mekong... sounds like a real drag.
I'm kidding, of course. A good friend of mine is actually getting a very extensive series of dental procedures done in stages in Bangkok (several implants, a bunch of oral surgery, and eventually a complete set of veneers), and he's got a pretty wonderful schedule set up around it. He's basically obligated to get back to Thailand every nine months or so for the next three years.
I'm actually so impressed with what he's been doing that I'm planning a cosmetic dentistry holiday for next spring, when I've got a six-week sabbatical from my job coming up. I like wearing glasses, so I probably won't go the LASIK route, but I will have to get a few new pairs of specs at Top Charoen while I'm in the country.
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