Koh Samui Hospitals

Picture from Beyond the Sea at the ShaSa Resort

In recent years, medical tourism has grown to become an important segment in the travel and tour industry in the island of Koh Samui located in the Gulf of Thailand, about an hour’s flight from the Thai capital Bangkok.  Substantially lower hospitalization rates, coupled with the island’s resort ambience, makes Samui an attractive destination for patients seeking either minor or major treatment.

Indeed, a lot of savings can be realized by those who opt to have a major operation, cosmetic procedures or dental work during their stay at ShaSa Resort. For a heart bypass, for instance, the medical expenses which a patient will incur in the island can approximately be only about 10% of the cost of a similar procedure in the States. Similar lesser-priced services are available too in Bangkok and Phuket, but still the best deals can be had in Samui.

Available choices

The medical facilities in the island are at par with the high Western standards. The local hospital’s staff members, particularly its doctors, are fluent in English. Some are even conversant in French and German, having taken their schooling in reputable medical schools overseas.  Bangkok Hospital Samui is a popular choice for expats and foreigners seeking treatment in the island, precisely because of its English-speaking doctors, superb facilities, and value-for-money services.

There are at least two other suitable alternatives should doctor appointments are a bit heavy at Bangkok Hospital Samui. An alternative is the Thai International Hospital, one of the newly established facilities in the island. It has a convenient location too, as its campus straddles the boundaries of the Lamai and Bophut districts in Koh Samui.

Resort-like alternative

Up-to-date facilities await those who choose to avail of the hospital’s highly professional services. Besides an A&E trauma center available 24/7, this hospital also has a haemodialysis center. Cosmetic surgery is one of the specializations at this hospital which a resident plastic surgeon under its employ.

Samui International is another new private hospital in the island which has already elicited high ratings among patients from overseas. It specializes in both inpatient and outpatient treatments. Confinement in this hospital is like a resort stay as it has a swimming pool onsite. Pediatrics, orthopedics, gynecology, and dental treatment are among the hospital’s services.

Koh Samui Early History

ShaSa is the finest hotel in Koh Samui

Like many island destinations in Southeast Asia, the settlement of communities in Koh Samui owes much to its protected coast hospitable to seafarers. Its early settlers were either Malays or of Chinese descent who found the Samui coast a haven suitable for fishermen and island-hopping traders. The island’s name, in fact, is thought to have been derived from the Chinese word saboey which translates into “safe haven.”

Besides fishing and trading, growing coconuts also contributed to the growth of the early settlements in Koh Samui which traces as far back as the 17^th century. The warm, tropical climate in the island likewise encouraged the cultivation of other crops, such as fruit-bearing trees which became another source of livelihood for the early inhabitants. To this day, fruit exports contribute significantly to Samui’s economy, thanks to such produce as the lang san, a tiny, lychee-like fruit, and the durian, a pungent but sought-after fruit by its aficionados.

Rich economic and cultural mix

Rubber plantations constitute another income source which helped shape Koh Samui as it today. As the years rolled by, the island became one of the important sources of rubber raw material and coconut produce in Thailand. Given these products’ economic potential, enterprising businessmen from the mainland soon came into the picture in Samui.

Settling permanently in the island is only but practical for these early entrepreneurs, as sailing from the mainland in Surat Thani in the early days can take from seven to eight hours. With the ensuing rise in migration, the island’s cultural mix has been enriched to include Muslims, although Buddhism remained as the principal religion.

Tourism spark from backpackers

Tourism only started to have its presence felt in Koh Samui during the 1970s. These early visitors were mostly Europeans, young and adventurous backpackers who were drawn by the unspoiled natural environment and laid-back lifestyle in the island. Accommodations in Samui were pretty basic then, but these are hardy visitors who sure don’t mind and even relish such Spartan conditions.

Subsequently, Samui’s fame as an escape from well-trodden tourist destinations spread to the mainstream travel industry with resorts like ShaSa Resort & Residences. Slowly, infrastructures encouraging more tourists to come, such as a regular ferry service, were established. These developments culminated in the construction of an airport, eventually resulting in Koh Samui earning its rightful spot in the world’s tourist map.

Visiting Koh Samui: Should I Take Malarials?

Beware of the mosquitos in Koh Samui 

There is no need for you to take malarials if your trip to Thailand is confined to a stay at ShaSa Resort on Koh Samui. This resort island is one of the major Thai tourist destinations wherein visitors and locals face an extremely minimal risk of contracting the mosquito-borne malaria disease. Major Thai cities like the capital Bangkok and other travel hotspots such as Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai are also malaria-free.

However, there’s a possibility of encountering malaria in other places, such as in Koh Pha Ngan, an island north of Koh Samui. Travelling to Thai rural areas, particularly those bordering Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, could also bring you into contact with malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and hence, it would be advisable for visitors taking a trip to these places to take malarials.

Follow what the doctors say

Seek the advice of a qualified or certified medical professional on the best malarial to take if your Koh Samui itinerary extends to areas that are risk-prone to malaria. Be sure to obtain medical advice a good number of days prior to your trip, as some anti-malaria solutions need to be taken early enough in order for them to be effective.

It is also important to consider that malarials don’t provide total protection from the disease. What some solutions can give you is the lead time to go to a hospital and seek further medical treatment should the malaria virus invade your system.

Plain common sense works

Some simple precautions can also be adopted to lessen the risk of contracting malaria or other mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever. One logical approach is wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts. It is also advisable to avoid wearing dark-colored and bulky clothing.

Applying insect repellants on exposed areas of the body, particularly on wilderness visits, is also advised. Give preference to well-kept accommodations which observe the rudiments of household pest control. Lodging in rooms, which are adequately screened or sealed, is another smart move.

When staying in mosquito-infested areas, sleeping inside mosquito nets would be another common-sense approach to lessen the risk of malaria infection. Mosquito coils and similar insect-control devices can also be life-savers as malaria can be fatal if left untreated.

Koh Samui Prison Project

Gorgeous view from the ShaSa resort

Doing a good deed while on a holiday in Koh Samui has become an option for many visitors at this popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand. Thanks to the creativity and concern of local socio-civic leaders, a project to help rehabilitate female inmates in the Samui jail has been launched and is now going strong with the conspicuous involvement of those visiting the island.

PKN Legal & Business Consultancy, a local legal agency, organized this undertaking, called the Samui Prison Project (SPP). The local Rotary Club is also a prime mover in this highly focused rehabilitation effort for female offenders via training, education, and community support.

Exclusive cells for mothers

Among the early SPP beneficiaries are the 'nursing female inmates' or those with babies aged below one year old. Through the assistance of the Sisters of Samui, a mother and baby unit has been created in the local detention facility.  This unit is a separate cell which provides a clean and safe environment for mother-inmates and their infants to stay in.

Another important facet of the SPP is the skill-building programs for female detainees. The training given to them includes baking and massage to improve their livelihood opportunities once they are released from detention.

Helping hand from Aussies

A mothers’ group from Australia, the Sisters from Another Mother, is one of the most avid supporters of the SPP. This group has been organizing garage sales to raise funds to support the inmates’ livelihood training activities, particularly in the baking program. With their assistance, inmate-trainees now have an oven, a food mixer, and a commercial-sized ref for their baking classes. More of such facilities can be expected in the future.

Cash donations to support SPP are just one way which Samuivisitors can participate in this laudable project. They can also serve as volunteers in the English training for the inmates as part of their skill-building. The Samui Rotary club has already initiated a fund-raising program to build a classroom for English lessons to be conducted by volunteers.  Other training programs, such as those in women’s health and computer skills, are also being eyed for this classroom.

Seasons Guide for Koh Samui Visit

 

You can't always expect fun in the sun in Koh Samui

As in visiting any tourist destination, a trip to Koh Samui, one of the leading travel destinations in Thailand, will have to take into account the local climate and when is the best time for a visit. Samui weather is generally hot and humid throughout the year. The more dramatic change comes during the monsoon season, which affects not only Thailand but also its Southeast Asian neighbours, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

There are two systems, which prevail during the times of the monsoon. These are the northwest and the southeast monsoon systems. During the southeast monsoon, which occurs from October to December, tropical storms can be expected across Indonesia and the Philippines, weather systems that eventually veer towards Malaysia and Thailand, including Koh Samui.  The island isn’t affected by the northwest monsoon that much which sweeps in from India from June to early August. The Thai mainland serves as a buffer zone for Koh Samui for any weather disturbance during this monsoon season.

Typhoon season

Nonetheless, heavy showers lasting for some 30 minutes can be expected during this season, particularly in the early afternoon up to early evening. More worrisome are the powerful effects of the southeast monsoon, which can bring in strong typhoons with high winds and heavy rainfall lasting sometimes up to a week. Several storms can be expected to develop and pass the island during this season. But in-between these typhoons, spells of the warm, sunny weather can also be experienced.

At this time of the year, most service-oriented tourist facilities like the ShaSa Resort at Koh Samui’s southern point are prepared for any contingency that the inclement weather may bring. The prolonged torrential rains can cause flooding from waters flowing from Koh Samui’s central, mountainous area. This can result in some inconvenience for visitors staying in the coastal towns, like Chaweng, which is one of the tourist centres of Koh Samui.

Some remedies installed

Besides flooding, the tourist hubs in the island, including those at Bophut, Lamai, Maenam, and Cheong Mon, may also be affected by road closures and power outages. Thankfully, many of the better-prepared tourist and travel facilities in the island have already secured emergency power sources to somehow ease the situation in case a strong typhoon hits the island. The drainage system of Koh Samui has also been vastly improved so that whatever flooding occurs subsides reasonably quicker than before. 

Getting the Most Out of a Koh Samui Holiday

 

Gorgeous view of some islands in Koh Samui

The popularity of Koh Samui in Thailand as a tourist destination has grown tremendously in recent years such that this island too has become a playground of the rich and famous. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that it will now cost tourists an arm and a leg to spend their vacation or holiday in the island. For one thing, it is still possible to find Koh Samui hotel rates, which are quite affordable.

With some common sense and a bit of planning, visitors can enjoy a vacation in the island and have the best value-for-money deals in local tourist establishments like the ShaSa Resort, which is located at the idyllic southern point of Koh Samui. Besides this top-rated facility, there are also ideal options in the island’s Fisherman Village, one of which is the Carpe Diem Hotel.  Another possibility for hotel room accommodations at bargain rates is at the Fisherman’s Cove. The choice here can gravitate toward the Anantara Bohput Resort where spa services are likewise available.

Package tour discounts

Attractive rates can likewise be had at the newly built Arisara Place Hotel, a 30-apartment complex carved out of a hillside. In particular, tourists from Western countries will be delighted to note that their dollars and euros stand to go a long way once exchanged into the local currency, baht, for a holiday at Koh Samui. It is as equally delightful that local tour operators, travel agents, airlines, and hotels are coordinating efforts for the packaged tourist services that would appeal to those budget-conscious about their holiday spending.

There’s a merry choice, therefore, on package tours, which put together either stays on luxurious hotels like the Bophut Resort & Spa or having accommodations at the less expensive cottages of the Como Beach Resort at Buddha Bay. Some of the prized finds to look out for are discounts on early booking, some schemes of which are further sweetened with a “no deposit” requirement. Those lucky enough can also avail of last-minute calls to fill out slots in a packaged group tour, yet another opportunity to bag a substantial travel discount. 

Avoid the peak season

Taking advantage of off-season rates provides another alternative to enjoy an inexpensive Koh Samui vacation.  Essentially, the peak seasons to be avoided are Christmas and Easter, as well as school summer vacations. Outside of these periods, tourist traffic to Koh Samui is relatively lighter. As a result, airlines, tour operators, and hotels often conduct promos and provide discounts to generate a more even flow of revenue and maintain profitability, which becomes an advantage too for travellers who want to make the most out of their budgets.