Comprehensive Check-Up at Bumrungrad. Promo/Discount Info?

[Pantherz]

I'm planning to schedule a comprehensive wellness check at Bumrungrad. Their packages look pretty impressive, especially since they include preventive tests meant to identify potential health risks or conditions you might be at risk for developing later in life.

I know some of you might be inclined to tell me that I could do these tests for less at smaller clinics, labs, or more affordable hospitals. I totally understand that, but I prefer Bumrungrad and am comfortable paying for the experience. That said, I still want to make sure I’m getting the best price possible.

I’ve compared Bumrungrad’s packages with those at Samitivej, BNH, Bangkok Hospital, and Bangkok Christian Hospital. Bumrungrad is the only one I found that offers a package including the specific preventive medicine diagnostics I’m interested in.

I came across some information online about older promotions, like a 25% discount for Thai Airways passengers who showed their boarding pass, although that seems to have expired. I also read that guests staying at Ascott properties can get a 15% discount by showing their room key at the hospital.

If anyone knows of any other current offers like these, preferably ones that don’t involve signing up for a local Thai credit card, I’d really appreciate the info.

I’d also love to hear about the experiences of anyone who has done executive check-ups or comprehensive wellness tests at Bumrungrad or other hospitals in Bangkok.

Thanks in advance.

[Marc308]

Hi Panther bro,

I know of no specific "special" going on at Bumrungrad or elsewhere at the moment. You usually see the discounts in August, during the lowest point of the low season. That's when the best discounts usually appear. Yes, Bumrungrad is a medical marvel, boasting very high US- and European accreditation and its services overall are excellent, surpassing those of many hospitals in far more advanced countries. The price differential however continues to narrow and I suppose in not too many years they may approach those in Singapore or Dubai.

I did want to comment a bit on the efficacy of wellness packages, aka multi-phasic screening: Some years ago, Kaiser-Permanente, the big US-based HMO, did a large-scale study doing screenings each year on nearly half its members, and not doing them on the rest. The results were discouraging: (Symptom-less) cancers were not discovered earlier, cardiovascular events were not predicted earlier, mortality rates were unchanged, etc. The reason? There were way too many false-positive test results: Mysterious spots on the liver or lungs turned out to be birthmarks after being biopsied or, worse operated upon, for example.

The key word here though is symptom-less. By all means if you experience even minor symptoms such as tightness in the chest, a drop of blood in the urine or stool, etc. by all means get checked out. But beware of false-negatives.

Hope this helps.
Marc

[PeterRS]

5 hours ago, Pantherz said:

I’d also love to hear about the experiences of anyone who has done executive check-ups or comprehensive wellness tests at Bumrungrad or other hospitals in Bangkok.

For at least a dozen years I did the annual executive check-up at Bumrungrad. It was a bit like a production line. You arrived around 07:00, changed into the hosptial gown and then went from one station to another ending up with a rectal prostate examination. After finally being able to eat something, you received the detailed report in print and a CD.

I did my last one just before I changed my medical plan around 2012. Since then, I have realised that these check ups involved no CAT or MRI scans, merely ultrasound of the abdomen. There was all the usual blood work which is obviously useful in preliminary checking for some cancers and prostate problems. But the entire test was not anywhere as good as I now believe it could have been.

I now visit two hospitals when required - BNH and the King Chulalongkorn Public Hospital. I think BNH is a better hospital and considerably less expensive than Bumrungrad - only my opinion! With covid having eaten massively into profits, four years ago it had very large discounts of over 60% for double procedures. I purchased two - heart MRI and corotid artery ultrasound, and endoscopy coupled with colonoscopy. BNH continues to offer package discounts but they are normally in the first 2 months of the year.

Difficult if not impossible for visitors to register for the public hospital but I was really surprised that it was there a few years ago that a simple CAT scan revealed a very small cyst on the pancreas. That had been missed at a previous scan at Bumrungrad (although to be fair I have no idea if cysts develop quickly or not)! With pancreatic cancer being difficult to diagnose due to its placement behind the stomach and one of the most deadly, my excellent doctor (who works at a private hospital two days a week) said she wanted an MRI done to check if anything was going on under the cyst. I have since had these done annually and the next one is due end of next week. Thankfully nothing has ever been found. But I often wonder why at least CAT scans are not included in executive check ups at most hospitals, especially for older people. Certainly checks for any pancreas problems should be included. 

[Pantherz]

5 hours ago, Marc308 said:

I did want to comment a bit on the efficacy of wellness packages, aka multi-phasic screening: Some years ago, Kaiser-Permanente, the big US-based HMO, did a large-scale study doing screenings each year on nearly half its members, and not doing them on the rest. The results were discouraging: (Symptom-less) cancers were not discovered earlier, cardiovascular events were not predicted earlier, mortality rates were unchanged, etc. The reason? There were way too many false-positive test results: Mysterious spots on the liver or lungs turned out to be birthmarks after being biopsied or, worse operated upon, for example.

Thanks Marc, I really appreciate your perspective. I agree that too much testing can backfire. I’ve put a lot into preventive care over the past decade, with regular check-ups and tracking my results over time. It helps me catch any changes early and adjust my lifestyle if needed. Good to know you feel the same way about Bumrungrad. That’s reassuring.

[Pantherz]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

I now visit two hospitals when required - BNH and the King Chulalongkorn Public Hospital. I think BNH is a better hospital and considerably less expensive than Bumrungrad - only my opinion! With covid having eaten massively into profits, four years ago it had very large discounts of over 60% for double procedures. I purchased two - heart MRI and corotid artery ultrasound, and endoscopy coupled with colonoscopy. BNH continues to offer package discounts but they are normally in the first 2 months of the year.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Peter. I imagine CT scans and MRIs aren’t usually done without a clear reason, partly because they’re expensive and the equipment is probably in high demand at major hospitals. Plus, CT scans involve ionizing radiation, which can raise cancer risk over time. MRIs seem much safer in that regard, though they can be tough for people who struggle with claustrophobia. I’m curious… do you get these tests as a way to screen for anything that might be wrong, or are they recommended because of an existing health condition?

[PeterRS]

1 hour ago, Pantherz said:

I’m curious… do you get these tests as a way to screen for anything that might be wrong, or are they recommended because of an existing health condition?

Anything that might be wrong. But they were not merely started at random. A CAT scan for a simple abdominal ailment revealed a cyst on the pancreas which that particular scan can not see underneath. I was told that usually if a cyst is 5 mms or less there is no need to check, but mine is slightly larger. So an MRI was recommended merely to check there was nothing cancerous underneath. As you suggest, these scans  are long - around 75 minutes - and if you do not like being in a tube for that length of time it could get awkward. Since my cyst has grown very slightly larger, I have one MRI every year.

If pancreatic cancer is found sufficiently early, it can be surgically removed (leaving the patent either cured or in remission for a long time). But as the organ lies behind the stomach, many doctors at first misdiagnose the condition as being stomach- or back-related. And if that type of cancer has first spread to other organs or a major blood vessel (which I understand occurs in approx. 50% of patients), the survival rate is poor. We should realise that pancreatic cancer, along with liver cancer and brain cancer, has one of the lowest survival rates (according to the Cleveland Clinic). It is essential that it be caught early. 

Some celebrities who have died of the cancer in the last 20 years include singers Aretha Franklin and Luciano Pavarotti, actors Parick Swayze, Sir John Hurt and Alan Rickman, Apple founder Steve Jobs, musician Quincy Jones, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, movie director Wolfgang Petersen, broadcasters Jerry Springer and Magnus Magnusson, soccer superstar Gianluca Vialli.

[PeterRS]

6 hours ago, Marc308 said:

But beware of false-negatives.

Very true. Some years ago I had a routine X-ray of my abdomen. When I saw the doctor for the result, he was concerned at a spot on my lower right side. He said he would need a second X-ray to check. He also suggested that the spot could be nothing more than "nipple shadow"! (Well, he was cute and he did turn me on!) So when I had the second X-ray, the technician first taped down my nipples. Turned out the spot was indeed a nipple shadow LOL