We had another day at Bumungrad International Hospital - both for Gwyne's experiences, dental in the am and her ortho doctor in the pm.  Staying at Bumrungrad Hospital Suites, right around the corner, was the right choice for us - Gwyne is pretty much immobile and they have porters to take you to the hospital in a wheelchair.   I also kind of like the guys at the front door who click their heels when you come in - they have metal in the inside of their shoes to make that smart sound when they snap them together as they greet you.  During Gwyne's dental appointment, I went in and picked up our physical results.  Finally, a victory for me - I knew I had high cholesterol, but Gwyne's is higher!  Everything else was just swell - the report lists all of the results and ranges so you see where you fall.  I did not need to travel to Thailand, however, to be told the color of my stool is brown and the consistency is soft.  Could have told you that from Kuwait. Yeah, that was kind of a tough one, traveling for a few days, routine out of whack, and they hand you the containers for urine and poop and motion towards the bathroom.  It's tough to produce on demand.

The orthopedic experience in the afternoon was uneventful, but I love the processes.  At the end of the appointment, they wheel you over to the cashier, the cashier processes your insurance (or takes your money), then the medicine the doctor has prescribed is shot up or down - from a vacuum tube from somewhere - at the counter right behind you.  A very efficient process.   In and out quickly.  For me, the medical tourism experiment was a bust.  Teeth whitened, physical, visit with the dermatologist - all things I could have done in Kuwait, and with the insurance, no real extra cost.  We came because we didn't trust the level of care in Kuwait for a major operation. Medical tourism works if you don't have insurance or what you want done isn't covered by insurance - like the sex change I mentioned in a previous post.  Gives me the shivers.

And of course, medical tourism really only works if you have the money to afford it as there is still the cost of the plane ticket here, transportation and a place to lay your head.   The food can be as cheap as you want or as expensive as you can afford - the economy in Thailand has been doing well, although just like the U.S. not everyone is making out like a bandit.  The CIA fact book for 2010 puts Thailand at number 93, with a GDP per capita of $8,700 - compare that with the U.S. number 9 at $47,200, and also look at Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo - tied for dead last, number 193 GDP per capita of $300.  It's all about perspective, but judging by the number of braces on the teeth of Thai people and the many, many expensive apartments, cars, restaurants whatever else you want to spend your money on, Thailand is doing quite well, thank you.  And in the end, you get what you pay for.  When I was a young lad traveling through SE Asia, I was in Singapore and was looking for a Walkman knock off (yes, that's how old I am) - I found one for $10.  I asked the gentleman of Indian descent if I could open the packaging and listen to the sound quality of the player.  He wagged his head disapprovingly at me and said, "Baba, if you are going to pay $10, you are going to get $10 quality."  Point to the proprietor.  The analogy in Thailand is that you can eat off of the street food for a little over a dollar a meal, or you can spend some serious coin - just saw the Valentines Day specials - $150 for a set menu/couple.  It's all about perspective.  I remember talking with my Canadian family once, and the question came up, what was the most you've ever spent on a meal out.  One of them had spent $900.  I think our entry at that time was $100, for a family of three.  Perspective.

Dried something or other at one of the Chinese shops on the way to Wat Po

The picture I took of the monk some 25+ years ago was next to one of these statues.

Today, I took some time off and took a trip down memory lane, kind of.  Like I said, I used to stay on the hippie/traveler side of town.  A jaunt to the other side of the city, usually to get a visa for somewhere, was a big deal that involved a number of non air conditioned buses and pretty much the entire sweaty day.  And now?  Whisked away on the BTS, transfer, the cheap boat up the river and I'm on the other side of town, and back before 12:00,  more than a few baht poorer, but then again, you get what you pay for.  I went to Wat Po, where I visited in my youth - one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand that even if it is very touristy today, it is still so beautiful, and shouldn't be missed.  I met an unconventional monk there in 1984 who was not wearing the standard ochre robes, his were green and tattered.  He carried a begging bowl, like the other monks and he had a large staff.  I asked him if I could take his picture, he said, "Yes, but I won't show up on film."  And there he is, seems like the rascally rogue monk didn't have superpowers after all.