Post by Katie Koppy

I am envious of the health care that is offered here in Thailand. Today we went to the Ministry of Health here in Thailand and learned about the differences between our health care system to Thailand's. I was feeling a little groggy from my sinuses so I was zoning out a lot during this presentation. After the Ministry, we went to the biggest hospital in Southeast Asia: Bumrungrad. When we first walked in, it looked a lot like a shopping mall or an airport. We then had a lecture with the CEO Mack Brunner. I learned a lot about the amenities of the hospital and medical tourism. It was a very persuasive presentation, and it made me think twice about receiving health care in the United States. The doctors at Bumrungrad have all studied in the US and the quality is either the same or better than the US, yet health care in Thailand is 20- 50 % cheaper. We got the opportunity to tour parts of the hospital, and it resembles a luxury hotel. The supreme rooms offered for health care and the stay in the hospital look like high class hotel rooms, and they are only offered for 600 US dollars a night. In the United States, a luxury such as this would be thousands and thousands of dollars. Cost of living here is a lot cheaper, but health care costs in the United States are outrageous. Especially after coming to Thailand, costs seem to be extremely high in everything America has to offer. Going home is going to be a huge reality check for me and my expenses as well as my lifestyle.