Thailand’s Health Tourism Boom – A DIY approach with a Stupendous Spa Finale!

As husband and wife, we had been posted to Thailand with my company for ten years towards the end of the 1980s and 1990s. It was a boom time for tourism in the country but it was great to live in a place that we fell in love with.

Having returned to the UK we still harbour dreams of retiring in the Land of Smiles one day. 

But this blog is not about that but about the emergence over the last twenty years of Thailand as a health and wellness destination par excellence. There is also a recommendation for a spa in Patong (Phuket) in one of the best hotels we have ever stayed in. 

Thailand these days is renowned for high-quality healthcare. 

Whether it’s in elective procedures or more complex surgeries there is an abundance of highly trained professionals in every conceivable field. Many are trained outside the Kingdom and throughout the sector English proficiency has improved markedly since I dabbled in teaching there!

Cosmetic procedures as well as dentistry are highly regarded. The great advantage of going to Thailand is that compared to NHS waiting you can get what you need quickly and cost-effectively. This is why many people are going there for health and wellness programs as well as specific reasons.

Oh, and the country is one of the most beautiful on earth with an island in the South called Phuket that has beaches to die for.

Now I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like package tours. I prefer to do my research and this has been our watchword in the adventure tours we have arranged.

Unfortunately, a minor accident while climbing had resulted in a niggling knee operation that my wife needed and following the recommendation of a friend we booked into a five-star hospital in Bangkok that would be our first priority on what was a winter stay. (Thailand has a cool season too though their cool is still 28C!).

I needed some dental procedures and these were as easy to arrange yourself as booking an air ticket and a number of hotels and AirBnBs that would form the basis of our two-month health and wellness sojourn in Asia.

Everything went so smoothly and the trip to Phuket – the Pearl of the Andaman 820 kms from the Thai capital  – was meant to be an R and R for the wife’s knee but ended up being a highlight of the trip.

The 5-star luxury where we stayed was renowned for a spa centre that offered far more than massages. The highly trained therapists could offer personalised programs and there were packages for couples that added to the experience for us. 

The four hands massage, hot candle wax and hot stones treatments left us invigorated and refreshed during our stay.

In conclusion whether you organise yourself or go for a package having health procedures in Thailand is something to seriously consider combining a great holiday with pampering and improved well-being.