If you are from overseas (not a local thai resident) and have read or heard about the advantages of having dental treatments done in Thailand. You may be read stories about medical tourism and dental tourism. Wondering do you do next? How do you plan or go ahead travelling abroad for treatment?

Here is a guide of how to go about seeking and planning for dental treatments.

1. Research on Your Dental Choices

There are many clinics, hospitals and agencies globally making recommendations. With so many choices its hard to pick the one that suits you. Standards on sterilization, qualifications and services in Thailand can on vary by a large spectrum.

So the first basic items that you can research on to make you’re decisions are:

1. General website information on accreditations and doctor / dentists qualifications
2. Patients feedback on YouTube, websites and reviews and social media (Make you’re judgetment who you may believe)
3. Treatment Prices
4. Other personal factors and needs

2. Provide Information About Your Questions to Your Provider

Once you have narrowed down on your choices of clinics or hospital, send an email enquiry to the provider. The standard information to provide are:

1. Your medical or dental concerns
2. Any photos or x-rays of your concern area
3. How to contact you back (normally just your email address)

If you are uncomfortable to provide photos or x-rays. You may like to wait for a response first before providing additional information or provide a more detailed description of your needs or concern areas.

3. Analysing timeframe and costs

After providing your medical needs or dental concerns, your clinic or hospital will normally provide you with some reference information or request for any additional missing information before informing you on the draft timeframe for travel and costs.

Please do note that the quotes given by the clinics or hospitals at this point are estimates and is by no means a guarantee of treatment or confirmed timeline. Most clinics and hospitals will work within their given quotes and timeframe. The draft quotes are based on photos and basic information you have provided. In reality, when your doctor or dentist checks on your actual condition on actual examination, things may differ. Scenarios, treatment plan and its corresponding timeframe may vary. However the draft quotes and timeline should provide you with an idea whether you might consider traveling to Thailand.

4. Book your hotel and airticket

Having decided on the possible treatment plan. Take a look at your trip’s calender to see which is the best time to make your trip to Thailand. We would recommend avoiding 2 main periods of public holidays whereby many businesses and labs will be closed :

• New Year : 31st Dec and 1st Jan
• Songkran Festival : 12th and 13th April

Most businesses, clinics and hospitals operates normally during Christmas and thanksgiving that may be good timings for overseas travel with time off from work.

You are able to book your hotel and air-ticket via online booking portals that normally provides you with the flexibility and control on changes to your bookings and costs.

5. What to bring along during your appointment

During your first visit, hospitals and some clinics will ask you for some documents that we would recommend that you bring along:

• passport or any identification card
• any current medications list you are taking, relevant medical records or recent x-ray on hand (if not already emailed to your provider)