Don't you often wonder what the American expats who live in Thailand think about the glitzy medical tourism hospitals, like Bumrungrad, and about the quality of the healthcare experienced by the people who live there?

Your healthcare experience living in Thailand "is just absolutely convenient and inexpensive," says American expat Cynthia Crowder, "the doctors even work on Sunday."

And although Crowder has medical insurance through her husband's U.S. employer, healthcare in Thailand so inexpensive they rarely bother with the paperwork and just pay out of pocket. 

Crowder says walking into Bumrungrad Hospital is "like walking into a five-star resort.  There's Au Bon Pain, Starbucks; it's absolutely gorgeous."  And there's no long wait to see a doctor.  Usually you can go in the same day you call for an appointment. 

"If you go to Bumrungrad for a doctor appointment you may have to wait 15-20 minutes, but you won't have to wait much longer than that," said Crowder, "They get you in, they take care of you, you pay your bill, they give you the drugs right there, and you're on your way." 

"I'm taking my daughter to a specialist today for a sinus infection," said Crowder, "She'll go in and maybe have an X-ray done of her sinuses, and then a scope, and then she'll probably get an antibiotic, and we'll walk out of there for less than $100."

Crowder said people who have been in Thailand for a long time often go to Samitivej Hospital instead of Bumrungrad, "just because maybe the prices are a little bit higher and there are so many people who are coming in to Bumrungrad from around the world, said Crowder, "It's kind of a 'tourist' hospital. 

"The tourists come in and stay at resorts and have all kinds of things done," said Crowder, "You see a lot of Middle Eastern people at Bumrungrad.  So in that way it may be a little busy and hectic, but nothing compared to how hectic hospitals are in America." 

Listen to Crowders lifestyle experiences as an American expat living abroad.

You can live a very simple lifestyle in Thailand and still enjoy a lot of amenities.  "A lot of people come to visit and then figure out a way to stay," says American expat Cynthia Crowder, "and most of the expats that live here came to visit and never left."   

Living in Thailand is inexpensive.  Renting a 3-bedroom house with maid quarters and a cute yard might cost you 8,000 BOT (about $800/month).  Eight-to-five domestic help, five days a week might cost you $300/month.  A nice apartment living in downtown Bangkok might be $500 â�� $1,000/month.

A lot of people start working in Thailand by teaching English.  "Another thing that is really enticing here, said Crowder, is it's a Buddhist country; not a Muslin country, so the political climate is quite mild. 

"There's not a lot of crime in the city," said Crowder, "and safety here is a big plus."  "Compared to the big cities in the States I've lived in; Seattle, Dallas, New Orleans and Houston," she said, "I've felt much, much safer in Southeast Asia then I ever did in the U.S." 

Listen to Crowder's 1st-hand account of healthcare in Thailand.   

The enriched world view, the access to quality health care, and the downside of living out of suitcases during summer school breaks as they return to the States to visit extended family.  This is the 1st-hand report of an American expat Mom raising a family abroad.   

Since 1991, Cynthia and Scott Crowder have lived in Sumatra Indonesia, Ho Chi Min Vietnam,  three years in Paris France, and now Thailand for four years.  Their teenage kids grew up as '3rd culture' kids more at home with foreigners than in their home country. 

In this telephone interview with Cynthia in Thailand, she talks about some of the other countries they've lived in, how they managed their healthcare and which countries they would consider returning to for another assignment or to retire. 

To hear more about the Crowder family's experiences living in Indonesia, France and Viet Nam, tune into her live pod cast interviews posted in the lifestyles and living abroad sections of traveling4health.com.  To hear more about the healthcare in Thailand tune into the pod cast posted on healthcare abroad.

 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like as an American working in Thailand, raising and entertaining a family?   An American describes her family's experiences living in Bangkok, Thailand; popular middle eastern customs like Shisha, five-star movie theaters, and the amount of time they spend traveling for school sporting events and for fun. 

To hear more about the Crowder family's experiences living in Indonesia, France and Viet Nam, tune into her live pod cast interviews posted in the lifestyles and living abroad sections of traveling4health.com.  To hear more about the healthcare in Thailand tune into the pod cast posted on healthcare abroad.