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Medical Tourism

A surgical vacation? It might sound strange, but if you have to undergo a medical procedure, why not do it where you can get both first-rate hospital care and the pleasures of an exotic destination. For just one example, Thailand’s largest healthcare provider, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, has 12 hospitals in locations ranging from Bangkok to the tropical islands of Phuket and Koh Samui. The prices are relatively affordable (upper and lower eyelid surgery for $1,500; face and neck lift, $5,600; liposuction of the thighs and buttocks, $2,500) but the rooms are plush. Some of the patients’ suites come with a living room, flat-screen TVs, and an overstuffed lounge chair next to the bed. You’ll pay an additional fee of up to $400 a day for your accommodations, including nursing care and room-service meals.