# Healthcare and Safety



## maryls_mom (Jun 12, 2010)

Hi All,
My husband has a chance to take a job in Pattaya. We would love this opportunity, but have to consider our 1 year-old daughter. Are 2 main concerns are healthcare and personal safety. Any and all thoughts are greatly appreciated!!


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2010)

Firstly there's a whole selection of hospitals, including top-notch ones catering for expats, given the large number of Westerners/expats in the area.

Personally I've always been more than satisfied with healthcare in Thailand, both from the local doctor who speaks good English, through to more serious hospital care. Yes you need a good expat healthcare plan, but assuming you have this you should have no problems. 'Health tourism' is big business in Thailand, a lot of people fly there for treatment because of the relatively low costs, so there is a corresponding level of expertise.

Be careful of the corner store pharmacies. Most are absolutely fine, but just as the copy DVD/games etc industry is big in Thailand, there are copy (and fake) medicinal drugs around, so make sure you get prescription drugs from a reputable place.

Sensible precautions need to be taken over protection from mosquitoes, but our baby spent the first year of her life there with no problems and great care from doctors and hospitals alike, before we returned to France. I would have no hesitation returning to Thailand with her, indeed I hope to do so in a couple of years time, permanently.

Safety? Well Pattaya has a bad reputation, but I'm told by residents that it is greatly exaggerated. Obviously at certain times of night, and in certain areas, it can be a little risky, but families are unlikely to find themselves in such circumstances. Whenever I've stayed with friends in a residential suburb, it was peaceful, and apparently very secure.

I've mainly lived in North Thailand, and I've never felt safer, at any time of day or night. Compared to places I've lived in in the UK, around Europe and North Africa, the only times I've ever felt the slightest bit threatened in Thailand has been by drunken Westerners - one Scot, and an American.


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