Travel Checklist

Once your appointment at Ratchaphruek Hospital via E-mail: medicaltravel@rph.co.th  has been confirmed, our medical travel team will contact you within 24 hours and send you an important information you need to know before traveling.   To help you better prepare your medical travel itinerary, please take a look at this travel checklist.

Section I:  Traveling by Air  

In general, if you have the below conditions; it is prohibited to travel by air  

• Have passed 36 weeks of pregnancy (or 32 weeks if you are carrying twins, triplets, etc.).
• Have an implanted cardiac device such as pacemakers, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD); please check with your doctor before traveling by air. Don’t forget to carry your personal device identification card with you at all times.
• Have a recent heart attack or stroke. Or any type of surgery, especially stomach, brain, eye, orthopedic (bone and joint). Please check with your doctor to see when it is safe for you to travel.
• Have flu-like symptoms with or without tuberculosis like symptoms such as prolonged cough, weight loss, night sweat, fatigue, fever, and chest pain for more than 2 weeks. We strongly advise you to not travel at this stage, and for them to continue treatment with their current care team until their symptoms have resolved completely.
• Are you suffering from the below signs and symptoms, please check with your doctor to see when it is safe for you to travel.
  • Any disease that you can easily spread to other people
  • Severe sinus, ear, or nose infections
  • Breathlessness at rest, difficult breathing
  • Skin rash
  • Confusion
  • Chest pain
  • Psychotic illness except when fully controlled.
  • A fever of 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 degrees Celsius) or greater.
  • Bruising or bleeding (without previous injury)
  • Vomiting that does not go away (other than motion sickness).
  • Diarrhea that does not go away.

During the flight:

• Drink plenty of water to help prevent hydration and to help loosen your sputum and allow you to keep your chest clear from low humidity levels in air cabin.
• Keep all of your medications in your hand luggage.
• During a long-distance flight of 4 hours or longer (Also see https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/travel.html), deep vein thrombosis can occur as a result of this inactivity; make sure you get up and walk about regularly when permitted by the staff on the aircraft. Bend and stretch your legs and wiggle your feet at regular intervals (for example every 30 minutes) to encourage your circulation.
  • If you have a higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, your doctor can help you work out what measures you may need to take prior to flying. This may include graduated compression stockings, aspirin, or anticoagulants.
• If you will need oxygen during the flight, this must be requested in advance. A Medical Information Form, stating your current clinical condition and the reason for oxygen requirement, must be filled out and submitted to the airlines. It may take 3-5 working days to process and subjected to the airlines approval.

Section II: Pre-operative Preparation

• Please inform your doctor before the surgery if you have an existing medical condition for which you are taking medication and/or you have undergone any previous surgeries.
• If you have any underlying diseases: cardiovascular disease / diabetes / high blood pressure / asthma / cancer / or others including any allergic to any medications and any medicines you are taking, current treatment and correlating diagnosis, please inform physician in advance.
• If you are taking anticoagulants like aspirin, Persantin® , Ticlid® , Plavix® , warfarin, Orfarin® , heparin, and Fraxiparine® , herbal supplements, and vitamins, especially vitamin E, stop these medications/supplements at least one week before the surgery or as recommended by your doctor.
• If you smoke and drink alcohol regularly, please stop for at least one week before the surgery to reduce the chances of complications.

Download Form: Travel Advice and Assessment before Medical and Surgical Care (FM-NSO-204 Rev.00)

Section III : In addition to screening for Covid-19 infection

On behalf of Ratchaphruek Hospital we would like you to know that you must have a Covid–19 test in your country and must only have a negative result before arriving in the Kingdom of Thailand within 72 hours and come to be tested for Covid-19 at Ratchaphruek Hospital on Day 0 , Day 5 and on Day 14 ( total 3 sessions).  If the Covid-19 test is negative, the treatment plan and length of stay in the hospital will be equal to or not less than 14 days, depending on the underlying disease and other unpredictable complications.  If the treatment is less than 14 days, you and your companions must be quarantine until 14 days regarding the requirement of Alternative Hospital Quarantine issued by Ministry of Public Health.

However, if COVID–19 is detected (positive), the infected will be referred to Khon Kaen Hospital for Covid–19 treatment, which can result in serious complications leading to longer hospital stays and add cost in hospitalization, roast was inevitable. (Under insurance coverage there may be conditions)

What do I need to prepare for my medical travel?

1. Check if your passport is valid and if you need a visa to travel to the destination country.
2. Decide how you will finance your medical payment, such as cash or credit card, and make sure additional cash in the local currency. Call your bank or card insurer to forewarn them that you may process a large payment abroad. This is to prevent banks from treating the transaction as suspicious and blocking your account.
3. Ensure that you have contact information to your clinic, transport provider and patient assistant.
4. Inform your employer about your absence at work due to medical travel.
5. Check the weather forecast for Bangkok / Khon Kaen and prepare yourself.
6. Check if it is necessary for you to get certain vaccinations.
7. Remember to make your appointment at the clinic and pay the reservation fee if needed. Double check the dates.
8. Purchase appropriate flight tickets. Make sure someone will pick you up from the airport.
9. Remove any nail polish as the color of your nail plate may help indicate your health condition.