Healthy alter natives to hospitals by Andrew Hiransomboon, illustrations by Thanyarat Thongmanee

R emember when health care used to suck? Going to the hospital was painful, stressful, inconvenient and smelly. You’d only endure the harsh lighting, uncomfortable waiting rooms, bawling babies, bitchy nurses and distant doctors when you were really ill or in a lot of pain.

Well, maybe it wasn’t quite that bad, but today’s hospitals are nothing like those of even two decades ago. Now there’s much more thought given to the overall experience, not just the treatment. Stylish interiors, gardens, plush loungelike waiting areas, Starbucks, cheer y staff in smart uniforms and rooms seemingly modeled after hotel accommodation—it’s all there, for those who can afford it.

The whole notion of health care is changing. The buzzword is “wellness,” which symbolizes a new approach—prevention as opposed to treatment only when you’re sick or injured—and a wider scope—it’s also about improving your quality of life, even when nothing is “wrong” with you. Now, not just the most expensive hospitals but also many middle-level institutions
offer wellness programs, some of which incorporate elements of what were once considered
“alternative” medicine: vitamin therapy, weight-loss, anti-aging, Chinese medicine, chiropractics and the like.

And it’s not necessar y to go to a hospital to get treated, either. We can expect to see more and more standalone wellness centers as demand grows. Some of these are owned by multi-property healthcare groups, like Piyavate Hospital’s TRIA (998 Rimklongsamsen Rd., 02-625-6699, www.triaintegrativewellness.com); others, like the Holistic Medical Centre—The Bodhi (20/F, 253 Bldg., 253 Asoke Rd., 02-640-8090) and HydroHealth (4/F, Erawan Bangkok, 494 Ploenchit Rd., 02-250-7800. www.hydrohealth.co.th), are completely independent. Some are in fact located inside hospitals, such as Bumrungrad International Hospital’s Vitalife clinic (33 Sukhumvit Soi 3, 02-667-1000, www.bumrungrad.com).

Stylish Health

Like many Bangkokians, I’ve had an itchy, phlegm-y cough for weeks. I’ve been to an ear, nose and throat specialist, gone through a course of prescribed antibiotics, another course that was self-prescribed (my bad) and a bucketful of lozenges (Fisherman’s Friend is my best friend these days), and still I can’t shake it. Which is why on this day I’m getting pins stuck into my arms, hands, legs, feet and head. My tormentor (just kidding) is Dr. Promsaka na Sakolnakorn, a.k.a. “Doctor Apple,” one of the 30-strong team of physicians, therapists, counselors and CAM practitioners at TRIA, a gleaming new 13,000-squaremeter, B500 million wellness center behind Piyavate Hospital on Rama 9. It is by far the largest and most advanced of its kind in Thailand, and one of the largest in Asia.

Though a unit of the hospital, it’s a separate facility and it looks more like a stylish country club or resort than a health care facility. In addition to airy Scandinavian-style consultation rooms, laboratories and “clean” rooms where they run tests and create custom herbal remedies and supplements, TRIA is also home to a luxurious spa, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool and restaurants, such as one that specializes in tea and Chinese herbal soups. There you can speak to a counselor or life coach, get a facial, do yoga or Pilates, sit
in an infrared sauna, learn how to meditate, have a chiropractor straighten out your back or just get something to eat.

TRIA is Piyavate’s expansion into integrative medicine, which combines conventional medical practices with non-conventional and “alternative” medicine. Though patients can choose individual tests and treatments, the central tenant of TRIA is a holistic approach. “The body is one thing, not a machine that can be separated and repaired, part by part,” explains Dr. Apple. “Your mind, your body, your spirit—it’s all connected.”

Thus, while my cough might result from an infection that can be treated with antibiotics, we
should look beyond the symptoms and consider why I’m susceptible to throat infections. Stress could be part of it, which contributes to difficulty sleeping. My “The Finer Points” acupuncture session (B1,300) is intended to help me relax as well as give a boost to my immune system. I don’t know if my immunity is any stronger, but three minutes after she inserted the last needle, Dr. Apple says, I was snoring away on the examination table.

All Under One Roof

One of the many ways wellness centers such as TRIA differ from conventional hospitals is that they bring together doctors and experts from different disciplines under one roof, who then are able to work together for the good of the patient. Acupuncture is one way to treat my cough; another is with herbal remedies, supplements or diet changes. For this I have a consultation with naturopath Alicia Tan (“Naturally Inclined,” B2,700 for 50 minutes). After I fill out an extensive questionnaire about not just my health but also my lifestyle, diet and other aspects of my life, she recommends I lay off certain foods and prescribes a blend of angelica root, licorice, Siberian ginseng and thyme (B1,500 for 100ml) for “stress, immunity and cough.” This comes from TRIA’s in-house dispensary, which is said to be the only one in Bangkok that specializes in western herbs.

The Faster, The Better

Are you the impatient type? Like TRIA, the Holistic Medical Centre and The Bodhi, are modern wellness centers offering something very different from hospitals—but here the emphasis is on speed. “Speed wellness” is the concept—from testing to treatment to the way the place is set up, everything is as fast and efficient as possible. On the HMC side, there are blood and imaging tests that are completed—analysis included—in minutes, as opposed to hours or days. In the Bodhi, there are vibration and vacuum machines that will cut your workouts in half (at least).

New to You?

A great deal of the treatments, tests and equipment available in modern wellness centers you won’t find in hospitals. Some are still not accepted by mainstream medical science (and some never will be). Proponents say that this is because they are so new and cutting edge. For some skepticism, visit www.quackwatch.org or skepdic.com.