Thai Health Care

If you have to get sick, I think Thailand is the place to be. I had this notion confirmed when I went to the dentist this morning ( Sunday morning) for those that may be reading this some time in the future. You read it right...Sunday morning. Last week, I did something incredibly stupid...ate a soft boiled egg and part of my molar feeling fell out. You may remember from my last blog I got to see a dentist immediately in Pukhet but since he told me I needed a crown I said I would wait until I got back to Bangkok.

When I met this dentist today I asked him if he ever took time off since he was working Sunday. He said he did take off two days a week. When I asked him what he did on those days he said he prepared his lectures and wrote his columns. When I asked him what he prepared his lectures on, he said his speciality which was facial reconstructions. He apparently lectures widely on that subject. He also writes movie reviews for both Thai and American papers and cleans up the house for his wife. When I told him he would certainly be included in my blog, he said to link it to his impressive web site www.rudsooparb.com. Here you will find his moview reviews and so on. When he did get to my tooth, he used the same vocabulary as well as instruments that my dentist uses at home.

When I asked him why he returned from Thailand from practicing in the United States where he actually earned more money, he told me the usual story...he needed to be closer to his parents as they were getting older. I heard the same story from my massage lady who comes from Issan. She lives on the floor in her apartment without running water, yet supports her sister at school, has bought three buffalo for her parents, chickens and a car. This is a very common story in Thailand and one I believe to be true. The sense of family is overwhelming and permeates every aspect of society.

Later on, once I upload some pictures, I will show you what I did in the afternoon, post filling. p.s. I do not need a crown and my filling cost 2000 bhat...about $60. Try getting a filling in Toronto for $60 from a dentist that does movie reviews!