A step-by-step checklist for confirming that a Thai surgeon is licensed and trained for your procedure, and that the hospital where you will be operated on is licensed and, ideally, accredited.
1. Confirm the doctor's medical licence
Every doctor practising in Thailand must be registered with the Medical Council of Thailand. Ask for the doctor's full name as registered (in Thai and English) and their licence number, and check it on the Council's website.
2. Check specialist training
A medical licence alone does not show specialist training. Ask whether the surgeon holds Thai board certification in plastic and reconstructive surgery, or in another relevant surgical specialty such as otolaryngology for facial plastic surgery, and where they trained. Membership of a professional society can be checked on the society's own website.
3. Check where the operation takes place
Private hospitals and clinics in Thailand are licensed by the Department of Health Service Support of the Ministry of Public Health. Many also hold voluntary accreditation. You can search HA Thailand for Thai hospital accreditation and the Joint Commission International directory for JCI accreditation. For major operations, ask whether the facility has an intensive-care unit or a transfer arrangement.
4. Get a written, itemised quote
Ask what the quote includes: surgeon's fee, anaesthesia, operating room, implants or grafts, hospital nights, medication, garments, follow-up visits and transfers. Ask what happens, and what it costs, if a complication or revision is needed.
5. Agree aftercare before you travel
Find out who you contact after you return home, how remote follow-up works, and whether your records and operation notes will be given to you in English for your local doctor.
Sources
- Medical Council of Thailand. Medical Council of Thailand. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Department of Health Service Support. Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Healthcare Accreditation Institute (HA Thailand). Healthcare Accreditation Institute (Public Organization). Accessed 2026-09-23.
- Find JCI-accredited organizations. Joint Commission International. Accessed 2026-09-23.
This page is written by our editorial team from the sources above. Independent review by a licensed surgeon is being arranged; until then it is marked as review pending. See our medical review policy.