Thailand Medical Tourism and Travel Blog Finalist

A bi-product of the Soviet space  programme, whole body vibration therapy(WBV) is now used  in both medical and cosmetic beauty treatments. As the name suggests the whole body is subjected to vibration whilst the patient stands on a machine and does nothing other than perhaps listen to their favourite piece of music.

Whole body vibration was developed to help astronauts overcome the effects of long exposure to weightlessness and specifically for Russian cosmonauts, who spent long periods of time orbiting Earth on the space station, to help their bodies deal with loss of bone density and muscle fatigue. However it was also around before the time of space travel and I can remember it was popular back when I was a boy, in those days, a large vibrating belt that was wrapped around your middle, was connected to a machine. The idea being that it helped remove excess fat.

Nowadays the person requiring the workout usually stands on the platform of a body vibration machine which allows vibrational impulses to travel throughout your whole body.  Simply put this twitches the the muscle fibres to help stimulate growth. A benefit of this muscle twitching is that the process also burns calories thus aiding weight reduction.

It is therefore not unusual to find whole body vibration machines in gyms and other places people go for a physical work-out.  However over the last few years WBV machines have been used in clinical applications in an attempt to help sufferers with osteoporosis, arthritis, rheumatism and lower back pain. They are also sometimes used to help people who have conditions that make it impossible to do normal exercise such as angina sufferers. Although such use should always be under medical supervision.

Spas and places offering beauty therapies have also tried to exploit  WBV for cosmetic purposes by including them in their anti-ageing programmes. Here they are often used for the treatment of cellulite, excess body fat and to relieve symptoms of stress. Many sources suggest however that such treatments are only really beneficial when accompanied by other exercise in conjunction with a whole body vibration therapy session.

Thailand Trivia File: Did you know that the Apple Guava is called a farang in the Thai language? The word for a foreigner in Thailand is also farang.

To be honest before I visited the Dr Orawan Holistic Institute in Bangkok I had never heard of using thermage for younger looking skin. In fact I had never actually heard of thermage.

So what exactly is thermage? Well as I have since discovered its the use of radio waves or radio frequency waves in a none invasive procedure that is designed to help tighten saggy skin, restore contours and generally smooth skin to restore a youthful look to the area being treated.

Given that most of us as we get older suffer from wrinkles around the lips and eyes with the worst case scenario being what my dear old mum used to refer to as turkey neck. In fact she always used to say that the easy way to tell a persons true age is to look at their neck.

Well my mum’s method of detecting a persons true age may not work so well any more since thermage can be used on the neck to help you look more like a spring chicken than an old broiler. Thermage can also used on other areas of the face to help smooth out facial jowls, eye bags and the hooding associated with ageing. While it is also works effectively against other areas of the body where for example a person might have excessive cellulite.

The thermage process works by stimulating the collagen rich layers of your skin using the heat generated by the RF waves. This has the immediate effect of tightening the skin and the longer term benefit of encouraging new collagen production. In short this means that the positive effects of a thermage treatment can last for many years without the need for invasive surgery like when you have a face lift.

The process itself is not unpleasant and it is not painful.  Most patients report that they feel a heating and cooling effect when the thermage device is applied to the skin. There are no side effects and no down time after a treatment.

If you want to explore thermage for younger looking skin in Thailand then you can always contact the Dr Orawan Institute:

There are also several thermage promotions available on the Healthy Beauty Holiday site.

Thailand Trivia File: The national flag of Thailand is red white and blue. Each colour has a specific significance to the Thai people who are particularly attracted to colour symbolism. The Thai name for the flag is Thong Trairong, or tricolour.

Getting around Thailand is quite easy since there is a well integrated system of public and private transport. This is a boon for the independent traveller whatever their reason for visiting the country since Thailand runs some 1600km North to South and 700km at its widest point making domestic travel planning essential.

Broadly speaking the choice of transport for getting around Thailand for the budget concious traveller can be broken down into the following options. Domestic air travel, rail travel, long distance bus services and private mini-van services.

Thai Domestic Airlines.

There are several airlines in Thailand that offer a relatively cheap and convenient way to to visit places that are a long distance apart. If you are short on time it is probably a good option to use a domestic airline as opposed to completing a journey by bus or Thailand Railways. continue reading……..

Thailand Railways.

The State Railway of Thailand(SRT) is responsible for running Thailand railways. Because the rail system is single track metre gauge with frequent passing points it means travel by train in Thailand is relatively slow. There are over 4000 km of track connecting the main centres in Thailand with Bangkok. continue reading……..

Long Distance Bus Travel.

One of the cheapest and quickest ways of travelling in Thailand is by bus. Inter-city bus services are extensive and cover all areas of the country. In Thailand bus travel come in three main classes of interest to the visitor, VIP, First Class and Second Class. Each class offers a different level of comfort and journey time. continue reading…….

Private Mini-Van.

One of the quickest and most cost effective ways of travelling in Thailand is by using a private van service. In the main the vehicles used in such services are modern, air conditioned and reasonably comfortable, although they are designed for getting the maximum number of passengers on board. continue reading…….

On the other hand travellers staying in Bangkok have several options of mass transit available to them which include the airport link, MRT(underground) and BTS(Sky Train) systems.

Bangkok Airport Rail Link.

The airport rail link  now connects Bangkok’s major international airport with the city centre on a 28.6 km high speed line.  The services are a commuter line(stopping) and an express (non-stop)service with trains utilising the same track. The elevated track is built above the current Eastern Thailand Railways route. continue reading……..

Bangkok Skytrain and MRT.

The city has two mass transit systems that can help overcome this problem namely the Bangkok Sky Train(BTS) and the Bangkok Metro(MRT) which serve large parts of the conurbation. continue reading……

For international passengers online booking facilities(in English) exist for all domestic airlines and for Thailand Railways. Booking long distance coach travel and private mini-van services is usually completed at the departure terminal.

Getting around Thailand is also very cheap compared to the West with several low cost carriers  amongst the domestic airlines, while road and rail travel are also very competitively priced.

Thailand Trivia File: Do you know what species of monkey is born coloured orange? Its the Spectacled Langur. These monkeys are found at several locations in Thailand.

Sadly like many people in my age range I suffer from excessive abdominal fat which is often referred to as belly fat, beer belly or pot belly.  While I have always been happy to put this down to the ageing process it wasn’t till I had a medical check up at the Bangkok Hospital, on the familiarisation trip that was part of the Thailand Medical Blog Contest, that I realised that the condition can indeed be life threatening.

Simply put excessive abdominal fat comes in two forms, subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.  The former is normal fat that makes up around 80% of your bodies fat content and is just below skin depth while the latter type of fat is found around the bodies vital organs and cavities. Visceral fat is harder to the touch and can be dangerous.

Visceral fat around the heart and blood vessels as well as other vital organs can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes and  sleep apnea/apnoea.

Abdominal fat is not just something that happens because of the ageing process nor does it necessarily have anything to do with beer since it is a sign of  central obesity and can appear in all age groups many of whom are tea total.  Poor diet and lack of exercise are the biggest causation factors although there can be clinical and medical reasons for these symptoms of obesity. Diagnosing visceral fat is not easy and the only truly accurate way is by the use of an MRI scan.

However there is a a much simpler and cost effective way of getting a fairly accurate assessment. By carrying out a waist/hip ratio measurement where the circumference of the waist is divided by that of the hips. The results should be  >0.9 for men and >0.85 for women. Anything above these figures indicates central obesity and therefore may well indicate the presence of visceral fat.

Fortunately despite the dangers of abdominal fat/central obesity the cure for most folk is relatively easy since altering diet and exercise patterns is usually enough. Providing of course that the object of the diet and exercise is tailored to losing weight.

So if your mates, friends or family joke with you about your beer belly, pot belly or belly fat perhaps its time to do an honest assessment in front of the mirror and consider the dangers of abdominal fat.

Thailand Trivia File: Thailand Blogs has been voted top Thailand Blog for the month of January 2011 on Thailand Voice.

During the course of the last few weeks I have already dealt with several factors you might want to consider when planning your medical tourism trip to Thailand including reviews of several international class hospitals, spas, dental and eye clinics.  You will also find suggestions in this blog on places to stay and things to do in Bangkok should you choose Thailand’s capital as your medical tourism destination.

We have also taken a look at the pros and cons of using a medical tourism facilitator as well as some suggestions as to how it is possible to do things yourself.

One thing that has not however been covered so far is when to come and visa requirements for medical tourists to Thailand.

When to come to Thailand is governed by a lot of factors not least your availability, but assuming you can travel any time I would offer the following advice that relates to the countries climate/seasons and tourist high and low seasons which will affect your comfort and ultimately the cost of such things as flights, hotel accommodation and any add on tours you might chose.

Thailand is a tropical country that generally speaking has three defined seasons although this is more apparent  heading northward from Bangkok. The hot season is from March/April to June, the wet season from June to October and the cool season from November to February/March, although the terms hot, wet and cool should be taken to mean very hot, very wet and not as hot, since except in the extreme North you are unlikely to ever feel very cool in Thailand.

The humidity is also a factor potential medical tourist should consider given that it is often 100% in the hot and wet seasons and only really declines from November to January. April and May are certainly not months that I would recommend for visiting Thailand since daytime temperatures can reach 40c with 100% humidity.

Look here more details on Thailand’s Climate and Weather.

Accommodation, flights and tours are priced highest from November until March/April which is classed as high season by airlines, hoteliers and tour operators in Thailand with premium prices being charged particularly during recognised holiday periods like Christmas and the New Year.

Visa requirements for Thailand are quite relaxed compared to many countries and most medical tourists can arrive in Thailand and take advantage of the Visa Exempt or Visa on Arrival schemes. In the former citizens of 41 countries+Hong Kong can be granted a stay of 30 days by immigration officials on arrival by air or 15 days if arriving by land. While the citizens of the 28 countries covered by the visa on arrival scheme are entitled to a 15 day stay whether arriving by land or air.

Given these restrictions in time medical tourist would probably be better advised to apply for a Thai Tourist Visa in their home country before travelling.  At this moment in time a 60 day Thai Tourist Visa is free from Royal Thai embassies and consulates worldwide.

For more information and a full Thailand Visa Overview click here.

Of course health tourism promoters from Thailand also have special offers running like the healthy beauty holiday promotion from the Tourism Authority of Thailand which covers both high and low seasons during 2011,  so you could easily set about  planning your medical tourism trip to Thailand to take advantage of both this promotion and low season prices.

Thailand Trivia File: Did you know that Thailand has two anthems. One is called the Royal Anthem and the other the National Anthem.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand-TAT, has recently launched  its “Amazing Thailand,” mobile application to run on iPhone, Blackberry and Android, as well as popular devices such as iPad and iPod Touch. The move further reiterates TAT’s intention of promoting tourism through online marketing,  with events like the Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest already under way to help raise the organisation’s profile in the digital world.

Mr Suraphon Svetasreni, Governor of TAT said:

“We introduced the “Amazing Thailand” mobile application because of our success in promoting tourism online to reach the digital world through digital marketing and social media marketing.”

Key functions of the Amazing Thailand App are:

Varied Content – There are more than 10,000 pieces of information about tourism in Thailand, most of which can be found on the ‘Destination’ and ‘Events’ menus. The Destination menu highlights the top 10 destinations and features another 89 destinations throughout Thailand. Each destination guide consists of how to get there, where to go, where to stay, where to eat and shop. The Events section provides information about events and festivals in Thailand, listed by month.

Geo-Localization Search – Search for a destination on a mobile map by using GPS technology in a smart phone. This enables tourists to search for nearby tourist attractions with the search results being displayed on the map. There is also a search menu that enables tourists to search by keywords.

User Experience – Tourists can share their travel experiences on mobile
phones via social networks, ie. Facebook or Twitter, or by e-mail.

TAT is also extending its digital reach through Twitter and there is a dedicated page for foreign tourists @ThailandFanClub. This is a great place to keep up with tourism developments in Thailand as well as news and information on future TAT competitions.  With over 120,000 fans on their “Amazing Thailand” Facebook page already I think this venture into using Twitter and the introduction of the mobile app provide clear evidence of TAT marketing strategy in 2011.

This seems to be confirmed in the press release accompanying the launch:

As for the future development of the “Amazing Thailand” mobile application, this will target all platforms and devices popular among tourists. TAT will focus on the ease of use, and provide a variety of information to match each group of users in the key niche markets such as weddings or diving. Furthermore, features such as a review and rating, personal travel planning, flight schedules, hotel reservations, real-time real-location promotional activities, and check-in will also be developed in the near future.

Personally I welcome these moves from TAT which in my opinion are long overdue. The use of social media has shown a huge growth during 2010 and its nice to see the organisation acknowledging this through its marketing strategy.  Perhaps soon they might also recognise the value the numerous Thailand based blogs that also contribute to marketing Thailand as a tourist destination and somehow incorporate them into their promotions.

Source Information

Thailand Trivia File: This year, 2011,  in the Chinese zodiac will be the “Year of the Rabbit,” since many Thais are related to ethnic Chinese it will be most welcomed after the turbulent “Year of the Tiger.”

Twitter Trivia Thursdays from AsiaWebDirect.com offers you the opportunity to win a hotel stay in an Asian travel destination. All you have to do is follow @AsiaWebDirect on Twitter and then on the first Thursday of every month at 10.30am Indochina Time(UTC +7)look out for the Tweet containing a trivia question and of course reply with the correct answer.

Replies should be sent in the following format, “@AsiaWebDirect (your answer here)”

You have 30 minutes to send your answer and the winner will be drawn from a list of all those returning the correct answer.

The next hotel stay offered as a prize in the Twitter Trivia Thursdays giveaway on Thursday 6th January 2011 is:

Golden Tulip Mangosteen Resort & Spa in Phuket
Win a 2-night stay in a Superior Garden Room inclusive of breakfast for 2

Relax and rejuvenate at this beautiful hotel which offers panoramic views of the Andaman Sea. Pamper yourself with various massage and spa treatments, or soak away your tension in the private Jacuzzi’s. Get ready for the holiday experience you’ve always imagined.

Of course Asia Web Direct is not just about giving away free hotel stays, nice as that is, indeed the company which operates a huge web based travel portal are also one of the sponsors of the Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest.

The Asia Web Direct travel portal covers all Asian countries and brings together the best deals from the region:

AsiaWebDirect.com is the Asia travel specialist. We connect travellers with Asian destinations long before they arrive.

Millions of travellers seeking inspiration and local expertise, have made their Asian holiday a reality starting here with the great discounts on rooms at our trusted range of partner hotels and resorts.

We are passionate about helping you make the right choice, so we provide helpful reviews from our community of travellers, customised maps, inspirational photos and guides, and 24/7 phone support from our Asia Travel Experts.

In the words of Mark Twain “Explore. Dream. Discover”.

So if you have a Twitter account, don’t forget  to sign up for Twitter Trivia Thursday when you are checking out the great deals to be found on the Asia Web Direct web portal, you never know you might get a free hotel stay that you could use with other travel arrangements that you have booked through the portal.

Who said there was no such thing as a free lunch?

Thailand Trivia File: Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport’s Airport Link will open and operate its check-in service for the first time on Jan 4 2011. Initially three airlines which will begin check-in services at Makkasan Station on Jan 4 are THAI International Airways, Bangkok Airways and Lufthansa.

On the final day of the familiarisation trip that was part of the Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest we took lunch at the Cafe G on Ploenchit Road, Bangkok. Cafe G is part of the Holiday Inn Hotel complex that is just around the corner from Siam Paragon and Centre World while the Erawan Shrine is across the road.

Cafe G specializes in a wide range of cuisines from around the world and the buffet style layout allows diners to eat as much as they like. There is a a nice mix of the best of Asian food along with popular Western dishes that include pastas and salads.

The open plan design also includes open kitchens and food preparation areas and features nicely presented serving areas. The spacious seating area which affords views outside onto the busy street is comfortable and tastefully furnished. It is also tranquil, relaxing and not overcrowded.

The staff are helpful and attentive,  which in my case even included retaining my reading glasses for later collection, when I inadvertently left them behind after lunch.

Cafe G is popular with both locals and tourists and with an eat as much as you like buffet that serves quality food for 229 Baht per person I can see why. Add to this its convenient location and it certainly makes an ideal lunch spot when you take a break from shopping or visiting tourist attractions in the area.

Cafe G is open from breakfast until around 8.30pm and can be found in front of the Holiday Inn Hotel at:

971 Ploenchit Road Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Phone: +66. 2656 1555
Fax: +66. 2656 1666

Thailand Trivia File: “Khao Laam” is a Thai sticky rice sweet cooked in bamboo tubes and flavoured with different things including coconut milk and black beans. You can see khao laam being cooked here.

In Thailand skin tattooing is common although it is not usually applied as a form of body art like in the West. In fact most people who have a tattoo in Thailand wear the adornment for religious, spiritual or superstitious reasons. However there is also a growing trend for cosmetic tattoos in the country from both Thai and international medical tourists.

So what exactly is a cosmetic tattoo? Well its certainly not something that we might associate with the adornments worn by biker gangs for example and its not something you might want to apply to your skin to show your undying love for your mum. No, cosmetic tattoos are in fact more in the realm of plastic surgeons than back street tattoo artists and are used for both therapeutic and beauty reasons perhaps to help mask a disfigurement or enhance facial features.

Therapeutic tattoos can be used for masking scars like in the case of areola(area around the nipple) reconstruction after breast surgery. While facial cosmetic tattoos use very subtle colours aimed at naturally enhancing  your beauty for example by better defining your lips or giving you darker and better looking eyebrows. This type of tattoo is often refereed to as permanent makeup.

The term permanent makeup is actually a slight misnomer since over a period of time the inks used may fade as they are absorbed into the skin or affected by such things as sunlight. However the effect is immediate with quite short recovery times.

Clearly, like with any invasive procedure, cosmetic tattooing should be carried out using correctly sterilised instruments. It also follows that in order to avoid disappointment and possible complications that some thought is put into choosing a suitable practitioner.

In Thailand for example the Yanhee Hospital which is one of the countries main centres for plastic surgery has a specialist centre for cosmetic tattoos which are performed by a doctor.

Yanhee Hospital

Tel: +66 2 879 0300

Email: info@yanhee.net

Address: 454 Charansanitwong Road, Soi 90 Bang-o, Bangplad, 10700 Bangkok,  Thailand

GPS: Lo  13o47’58.45″ N La  100o30’40.54″ E

Web Site: www.yanhee.net

Thailand Trivia File: Many leading Thai tattoo artists are Buddhist monks, using traditional bamboo needles, to form sak yant tattoos on the bodies of their subjects(see photo above), these tattoos have their roots in Khmer history as well as in the Hindu and Buddhist religions .

I had not heard of precious stone aura therapy until I visited the S Medical Spa in Bangkok on last day of the familiarisation trip that was part of the Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest. Although I had heard snippets in the past about the use of crystals in healing and also about the aura that surrounds our bodies.  To be honest I had just put it down to old wives tales with no place in modern medicine.

So when a member of staff at the spa asked me to put my hand on a machine so she could observe my bodies aura I was a little sceptical but went along with the request anyway. Well I didn’t feel anything but apparently the machine did its work and I was duly presented with a printout that was said to show my bodies aura.  Mine as you can see was orange and yellow which indicated that the different parts of my body were out of balance.

Unfortunately time did not allow for me to explore exactly what all this meant and its connection with precious stone therapy, since I was due a relaxing facial in another part of the clinic. However I kept the printout and decided to do some private research when I had time.

Firstly I discovered that precious stone aura therapy is an alternative medical technique for spiritual, emotional and physical healing using various forms of natural crystals. Where each crystals is said to contain specific therapeutic qualities. Now for the treatment to work I also found out that the crystals have to be placed in the area of the bodies different chakra centres and massaged along the meridian.

Chakras are seven centres in the human body that are connected to the aura as defined in Indian Ayurveda(medicine). So in order to return balance to my aura(and thus my body) the relevant crystals needed to be applied to the appropriate chakra since each crystal has a different frequency and vibration to help restore this balance.

As I said earlier I did not have time to try precious stone aura therapy, other than getting an image of my aura, but if you would like to explore this form of holistic medicine further the S Medical Spa in Bangkok use the latest most advanced form of aura imaging technology that will help specify the crystals which can help to harmonise your inner state of well-being.

S Medical Spa
2/2 Phakdi Building Wireless Road
Lumphini, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330 Thailand
+66 (2) 2253-1010

Web Site: www.smedspa.com

Thailand Trivia File: Thailand is a huge country but often our time for holidays is limited. Here is a two week holiday itinerary that gives a good mix of what the land of smiles has to offer.