My Experience at BNH Hospital

I just wanted to put this out there for anyone who may be seeking medical treatment in Bangkok: I had a very good experience at BNH Hospital, located on Convent Road in Silom. Yes, they are expensive but in this case I definitely got what I paid for! If you can afford it or your insurance covers it, I would highly recommend going to them for any medical issues. I am briefly outlining my experience with the diagnosis and treatment of an ovarian cyst below in case anyone wants to know more.

I had been experiencing moderate abdominal pain on and off for many months and had put it down to various reasons: indigestion, lactose intolerance, a stitch from running too fast, just one of those things, etc. However, after it occurred three days in a row this February, the husband and I decided it was time to have it checked out. Our insurance carrier recommended BNH Hospital, as did many Thai colleagues. So off we went to meet a GP on Sunday morning.

The hospital lobby resembles a hotel more than a regular hospital. It's clean, spacious, and very calming. It's the kind of hospital I'd generally make fun of ("What is this, a spa or a medical facility?!") but to be honest, the soothing atmosphere really helped later in the day. The folks at the information (reception?) desk at the entrance had us sign up, answer a few basic questions about what was wrong, and led us to the waiting room. We had only a 10-minute wait before meeting the doctor. Unfortunately, it was not "nothing" as we had been hoping. The doctor felt a large "mass" in my abdomen during his examination and proceeded to look rather worried. I was sent for a pregnancy test immediately, after which I was escorted for an ultrasound. After this, we were led to the Women's Health Centre to meet a gynaecologist. 

Of course, I was in a complete panic by this time, so the calm demeanor of the staff and the pretty gardens next to the exam rooms were very welcome. The results from the ultrasound were given to the gynaecologist very quickly and we were able to meet him after a brief wait. He confirmed the presence of a large fluid ovarian lesion (I wasn't able to feel it because it was fluid!), and recommended a pap smear, CA 125 test (cancer marker), and CT scan. The pap smear and blood test were conducted immediately, and I came back the next day for the CT scan. The entire experience was scary and awful, of course, but it would have been far more horrible without the kind English-speaking nurse who explained each step to me, the clean surroundings, and the fact that my gynaecologist met the radiologist as soon as it was over and confirmed the fact that the cyst was completely fluid-filled (good news because cancerous cysts are usually solid or complex).

Still, I wasn't out of the woods yet. Because my cyst had grown so large, I needed surgery to remove it without which I was at risk for rupture or ovarian torsion. The husband and I scheduled the procedure for 10 days later, giving me enough time to wrap up work commitments and free up 6 weeks for post-op recovery. My gynaecologist was going to perform the surgery and he took the time to explain everything quite clearly. I really liked the fact that he was very upfront with me without creating panic. He said the mass was "most probably" benign but that it was only possible to confirm this once the pathology lab was able to examine the cyst. He also explained why a laparoscopy was not possible in my case, as well as why he recommended a spinal block over general anesthesia. Once we confirmed the surgery, a hospital representative asked us about our insurance details and said they would get in touch with the company to sort out the details.

Ten days later, we were back in the hospital, checking into a clean, spacious room. The comfy sofa was great for my husband to crash on. There was even an in-room dining menu! The process was very smooth, and surgery prep went off without a hitch. The nurses are friendly and competent for the most part. There were a few communication hassles due to the fact that not all of them speak fluent English, but miming usually helped things out. My surgical procedure went off smoothly, although the anesthesiologist threw a small spanner in the works just before the procedure by suggesting that general anesthesia may be more suitable. However, having done my own research and being convinced of my surgeon's rationale, I opted for the spinal block.

I was in the hospital for three days after surgery and had a good experience, overall. They weaned me off the heavy-duty painkillers very quickly (a little too quickly for my taste to be honest) and the doctor came by every day to check up on me. I wasn't harassed continually throughout the night as is the case in some hospitals; instead, the nurses would come at regular, well spaced out intervals to check my blood pressure and temperature. The food was decent enough, too. After all, how exciting can anyone make bland soup? Their "real" food was very good though - excellent roast chicken and pad thai! 

My only (small) complaint was that I had to remind them to give us fresh sheets and towels a couple of times, but it was a really small thing compared with the otherwise excellent level of care in the place. All in all, I was a very well looked after patient all the way up until the smiling hospital attendant helped me from the wheelchair into the car that was taking me home - and beyond, in fact! I have been back once for a dressing change, and will return once again after a few weeks for an ultrasound.

Anyway, I hope that none of you ever face any health issues at all - but in case you do and you are in Thailand, BNH Hospital should certainly be on your list of shortlisted healthcare facilities. (Also, if you're a woman and have recurring/constant abdominal pain, please have it checked out sooner rather than later!)

Waxing at La Nature: So Far, So Good

Having heard all kinds of horror stories about waxing in Bangkok, I did my research very carefully. Strip: Ministry of Waxing and The Waxing Bar sounded brilliant but way too expensive. There's no way I will pay Western rates for body hair removal in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand!

Eventually, I ended up going for my first wax job to La Nature, a hop, skip & jump away from the Lumpini Metro station. The salon is located in the Lumpini Park View Condo building. Its pricing is mid-range. It's certainly less expensive than the fancy salons, but substantially more costly than the small neighbourhood salons one passes in Silom and Sukhumvit.

Street view of the building in which La Nature is located

The website outlines the rates, wax types and methods clearly. It also promises NO REUSE and NO DOUBLE DIPPING of wax -- I hear this is a massive issue in Bangkok. I was keen to try roller wax, which was available. The surrounding were neat and clean; the girls were courteous. Two of them did my waxing together and the whole ordeal was quick, efficient, and no more painful than expected. 

I was so inspired by my excellent waxing experience that I opted to have a facial treatment right after, which turned out to be a mistake! Obviously, the forte of these beauticians is waxing. The facial was confused and rather short -- my face didn't feel soft and glowing, like it ideally should. :(

I've been thrice more to La Nature since then, and have been satisfied with the waxing each time. I recommend it highly for anyone who wants a hygienic and efficient wax job without breaking the bank!

Rabbit Card Discounts

So, it turns out the BTS Rabbit Card offers some great discounts if you shop and eat in Bangkok! You can check out the complete list on their website, but here's a quick look at the three discounts I have been using like crazy these past few weeks:

Tops discount coupons: Ever noticed those little kiosk machines (pic on the left) at every BTS station? The machines are stationed right where we enter/exit the station. Swipe your Rabbit Card to print out some excellent deal coupons. E.g., you can get a THB 65 discount for every THB 1000 you spend at Tops Supermarkets across Bangkok. The coupons are available for purchases of various denominations: THB 400, 1000, 1500, 2000 and so on. The savings really add up!

Costa Coffee discount coupons: The same machines give you a bunch of coupons for Costa Coffee as well. My fave is the 'one plus one coffee' -- perfect for a weekend frappe treat with the husband!

Coffe Club discount: Show your Rabbit Card to get a 10 percent discount on food and drinks (not including alcoholic beverages) at Coffee Club. A great discount for the minimal effort of pulling out your card!

Finding a Condo/Apartment in Bangkok

Finding a condo/apartment in Bangkok can be a real ordeal for expats, as my husband and I discovered shortly after we commenced our accommodation hunt. There are, of course, many ways to go about looking for your perfect pad...different strokes for different folks! In this post, I will talk about what worked for us and what didn't.

To begin with, we got in touch with a number of brokers. Our budget was THB 30,000-35,000 (approx. USD 920-1070) and we were looking for a fully-furnished two-bedroom & two-bathroom condo in Central Bangkok (Ratchadambri, Lang Suan, Ploenchit) or the lower Sukhumvit Sois (1-15). One of our biggest priorities was proximity to a BTS station -- we wanted to be within a 5-7 minute walk to the skytrain since we don't plan on buying a car.

We were shown many properties by many brokers, but most of them were far from ideal. The majority were too far from the BTS line. Others were in the zones we wanted but WAY out of our budget (above THB 45,000 in some cases). Still others were perfect in terms of budget and location but had only one bedroom or one bathroom. We were extremely keen on the two-bedroom & two-bathroom clause because family and friends visit us quite often.

Eventually, after two fruitless weeks of driving around the city with brokers in tow, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We started walking around the areas we had shortlisted as suitable, and approached the apartment buildings on our own. That's when we found out that you don't really need to hire a real-estate broker in Bangkok at all! Nearly every apartment building has two great ways of finding out about condos for rent: a juristic/sales office plus a noticeboard in the lobby. The building management or guards often know which condos are for rent/sale and are more than happy to show you around. The noticeboards have numerous "For Rent" announcements and provide contact details for you to reach out directly to the owner/point person.

So we spent a week wandering around the condos of Central Bangkok....and it paid off! We found the perfect place in the perfect location. The rent was a couple of thousand baht over our budget but the condo's proximity to our workplaces meant we would save far more in travel costs. The best part? We dealt directly with the owners, right from negotiating the price and asking for a few additions & repairs, to ironing out contract details and signing off on the paperwork.

My husband's employer's lawyer took a look at the contract before we signed to be on the safe side. The landlords took two months rent as deposit and one month's rent in advance -- this is fairly standard. The contract included a list of items in the apartment, which we cross-checked along with the owners before finalising the contract.

We also did find a number of promising listings online. However, many of these were already off the market when we called to check, which leads me to believe the listing are often not up to date. In other cases, we got in touch with the real-estate brokers whose numbers were listed but they kept trying to show us unsuitable properties instead of the ones we had identified online. However, I do know some people who found their condos through websites so it's definitely worth pursuing if you are internet-savvy.

To sum up, here are my top twelve tips if you're looking for a condo or apartment in Bangkok:

1. DON'T hire a broker right off the bat if you're not in a tearing hurry.
2. DO think carefully about the kind of area you would like to stay in. (quiet? residential? close to a school? close to your workplace? off the beaten path? city centre? lively? close to lots of restaurants? close to the metro line?). Decide which 2-3 points are top-priority for you.
3. DO your research about which neighbourhoods in Bangkok fit your criteria. Use the internet, check out expat discussion forums, talk to locals...get pro-active!
4. DO put on comfy walking shoes and start walking around in your chosen location, checking out promising apartment buildings. (Even if you think the area might be expensive, PLEASE take a look for yourself. We found a reasonable apartment in one of the classiest, safest areas in the city, even though brokers told us it was impossible!)
5. DO check with the juristic office if there are apartments for rent.
6. DO read the notice-board and reach out to prospective renters.
7. DON'T settle and take the first place you see if you're not 100% happy with it and if it doesn't meet your top 2-3 priorities.
8. DO remember to check if the building has facilities like a fitness centre, pool, sauna, etc. (Remember to factor these in when calculating budget. E.g., if you're going to save THB 3000 in gym fees because you'll have access to a great fitness centre then add THB 3000 to your budget.)
9. DO negotiate with the owners to add any essential gadgets/furniture you feel are missing. (Our landlords put in a new AC and washing machine for us. If you don't ask for it, you won't get it!)
10. DO check if the condo includes things like internet, cable, garbage disposal, phone line, etc. (Our condo had a phone but we had to set up our own internet and cable. Most apartment buildings will take a fee for the initial setup of such utilities -- this is over and above what you pay your internet and cable service providers.)
11. DO make a list of any and all questions that come to mind. (E.g., can you put up pictures on the walls? Can you keep a pet in the building? Who will be responsible for fixing the appliances/lights/etc.? How much notice is required before moving out? Is there a penalty clause if you move out before the contract term is completed?)
12. DO remember to check all the lights, appliances, taps and faucets before signing the contract. (We found one malfunctioning tap and a fused bulb, which the owner replaced before we moved in.)

Best of luck with your apartment/condo hunt!

The Basics of Grocery Shopping in Bangkok

Thailand is well-known for its bounty of vegetables, fruits and meats, which makes it a grocery-shopping paradise. If you plan to cook at home, there is a plethora of fresh produce as well as imported ingredients out there.

For a wide range of groceries (local, imported, organic & regular), head to Foodhall at Central Chidlom or Gourmet Market at Siam Paragon. From affordable local produce & prepared foods to prohibitively expensive imported exotic items, you will be spoilt for choice at these massive supermarkets!

For a less mind-boggling yet upscale & well-stocked store, head to Villa Market, one of the oldest grocery store chains in the city.

For everyday grocery shopping that exerts minimum strain on your wallet, check out Tops Supermarket or Big C.

I would recommend avoiding 7/11 for anything except emergency purchases -- from what I've seen the items in their stores are highly marked up!

Try and stick to stores that are close to your workplace/home if you plan on stepping out multiple times a week to pick up fresh ingredients. The last thing you wan to do is get stuck in Bangkok's horrendous traffic snarls while the spinach wilts and the fish defrosts in your shopping bags! If you are a once-a-week shopper, then explore all the markets and choose your favourite for a marathon weekend shopping session!

Remember to start using a suitable loyalty card once you've decided on your regular haunts. Big C and Tops both have their own loyalty cards -- each time you spend you earn points, which can be redeemed later. With the Tops Spot Card, you also become eligible for various product discounts within the store. At the Central supermarkets you can use "The 1 Card" for expatriates (this also gives you discounts at a few other Central stores). I will be writing more in-depth pieces on this topic as I use each of these cards, so stay tuned!

Bangkok Basics: Essential Etiquette

Whether you're coming from another country in Asia (like me) or from the West (like many of the expats here), the Thai way of doing things will be somewhat unfamiliar. Asians might feel slightly more at home, while for Westerners it is often something of a culture shock (or so I hear!).

Here's a quick list of essential "dos and don'ts" while interacting with people in Bangkok. As I learn more -- from conversations, cautionary tales, books, and my own (mis)adventures -- I will add to it.

Meet & Greet. Use the following Thai phrases and gestures liberally:

• Sawasdee (pronounced suh-wah-dee) - means welcome, hello, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, goodbye
• Khob Khun (pronounced khob-khun) - means thank you
• Add Ka (pronounced kaa) if you're female and Krab (pronounced kraap) if you're male at the end of both the above phrases. These words don't really mean anything in particular, they are simply an indicator of sweetness and good manners.
• Master the Wai (very similar to the Indian Namaste, if you're more familiar with that). As you can see, even Ronald McDonald can do it! When someone greets you with a wai, a response in kind is much appreciated.
• Bonus points if you do these with a smile!

Steer Clear. Avoid talking about the following topics with the Thai unless you are good friends with the person.

• The Royal Family. Seriously, don't talk about them. Especially if you're from the "why do we need kings and queens anyway" school of thought. Thailand's royal family is loved and revered by pretty much every single person in the country - old, young, rich, poor, men, women. So do yourself a favour and never ever criticise the monarchy. Better yet, just don't talk about them. Badmouthing the royal family is a jail-able offence. (Click here to know more about this law.)
• Thai politics. Apparently, the Thai are rather uncomfortable discussing domestic political issues with outsiders. Knowing about the political situation of the country and having an opinion on it will not earn you brownie points. (I will write more about this when I have a better insights and advice!)
• Controversial topics in general. As any and every book will tell you, the Thai despise conflict with their colleagues, acquaintances, and friends. (This attitude is in direct contrast to the attitudes of many shopkeepers in wholesale-style markets by the way, where the refusal to buy can often incite a heated tirade against you!) Avoiding controversial topics, direct refusals, and arguments is in general a good idea. It's also a good idea to not display frustration or anger even when it is not directed towards the Thai person -- simply being in the presence of such emotions is extremely upsetting for Thai people. Restraint is my new best friend in Bangkok! :) 

Holy Moly. There are some important religious sentiments you may like to keep in mind as you navigate life in Bangkok.

• Treat the Buddha with respect. While Bangkok is a very cosmopolitan city, Buddhism forms a deep and significant part of its landscape. Treat anything to do with the Buddha with respect and care, and your Thai acquaintances and friends will love you for it.
• The head is considered sacred, so do not touch a Thai person's head. This includes a tap, a pat, ruffling hair and so on.
• Conversely, the feet are considered dirty, so make sure they never point at anything that should be treated with respect, e.g., a figure of the Buddha, a photograph of the King, etc. I've also been told not to point your feet at people (although I cannot imagine a situation in which one would do so in any case!).
• Small Buddhist shrines and temples (like the one above) dot the city. Like with any religious space, it's great to go exploring while being sure to observe and mirror the locals' behaviour.

Bangkok Basics: The Facts

Sawasdee ka, Bangkok! 

(That's hello in Thai, Bangkok newbies.)

Just two weeks in this city of extremes and I'm already addicted. So much to discover, see, do, eat, drink...and so much to share! But first, here are the absolute basics for someone who's on their way here. 

Bangkok, Thailand's capital and most populous city, lies (in a way) in the centre of the country. Locally, it is known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, or simply Krung Thep.

A few facts about the city:

• Population: approx. 8 million
• Language: Thai (and some English)
• Time zone: UTC+7
• Currency: Thai Baht (see today's conversion rates in the sidebar)
• Modes of public transport: Taxi, bus, skytrain, subway
• Climate: varies from warm to hot, with heavy rain from June-September
• Voltage: 220-240 AC, 50 Hertz
• Plugs: not standardised (best bet = universal adapter)