Plastic Surgery in Bangkok for International Patients

With Dr. Rushapol Sdawat, M.D., Thai Board-Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

Dr. Rushapol Sdawat treats patients travelling to Bangkok from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries. Consultations are conducted in English, assessment begins by video before you travel, surgery is performed at Intrarat Hospital in Bangkok, and a post-operative review is scheduled before you fly home. This page sets out the whole pathway, step by step, so that you know what to expect before you commit to anything.

The international patient pathway

1. Online consultation. A live video consultation with Dr. Rushapol in English, usually six to twelve weeks before travel. It covers what is achievable in your case, what is not, which procedures are indicated, whether staging is required, realistic recovery timelines and the risks that apply specifically to you. Photographs are reviewed beforehand, but photographs alone are never the basis of a surgical plan.
2. Medical assessment. A full medical history and medication list, including aspirin, anti-inflammatories, supplements and any anticoagulant, and honest disclosure of nicotine use in any form. Baseline blood tests and, where indicated, an ECG are arranged at home or on arrival.
3. Written treatment plan and quotation. You receive a written plan naming the specific procedures, the facility, the anaesthesia, any staging, the required length of stay and an itemised cost. What is included, the revision policy and what happens if the plan changes at in-person examination are confirmed in writing before you commit.
4. Travel planning. Arrive at least one to two days before surgery. Book flexible return flights, because clearance to fly follows recovery, not the calendar.
5. In-person assessment and hospital admission. Examination by Dr. Rushapol in Bangkok, pre-operative bloods and an anaesthetic assessment the day before surgery. Surgery is confirmed only after this examination.
6. Surgery. Performed personally by Dr. Rushapol at Intrarat Hospital, a full hospital with intensive care on site, under general anaesthesia administered by a hospital anaesthetist.
7. Post-operative care in Bangkok. Admission to the hospital ward after surgery rather than same-day discharge. Dressings are checked in the first days; stitches are removed between about day seven and day twelve, usually over more than one visit. Recovery accommodation is arranged nearby with transport to every appointment.
8. Review before you fly. A scheduled in-person review clears you to travel. You leave with a written operation note, medication list, scar-care plan and a direct contact route.
9. Return home. Around two weeks in Bangkok is typical for facial surgery; combined procedures may need closer to three. Flying earlier increases swelling and stacks the clot risk of surgery on top of that of a long flight.
10. Remote follow-up. Structured video reviews at roughly one week after you return, then at six weeks, three months and a year, with extra calls whenever something is unclear. Photographic review at six and twelve months.

Where surgery takes place

International patients are operated on at Intrarat Hospital, Bangkok. It is a full hospital rather than a day-surgery clinic: an anaesthetist is present throughout, there is overnight capacity, and intensive care is on site. That matters for anaesthetic safety and for the management of a rare early complication such as a haematoma requiring return to theatre. Read: hospital or clinic: what to ask before cosmetic surgery overseas.

Procedures for international patients

Facial surgery is the centre of the practice: deep plane facelift, neck lift, blepharoplasty, brow and temporal lift, rhinoplasty, lip lift, facial fat grafting and facial feminisation surgery. Body and breast procedures including tummy tuck and liposuction, post-pregnancy combinations, arm lift and breast lift and augmentation are also performed. See all procedures.

How to verify your surgeon

Ask for the surgeon's full name and Medical Council of Thailand licence number in writing, not the clinic's name. Dr. Rushapol's is 17689, and it can be checked on the Medical Council's public register independently of anything on this website. Confirm Thai Board certification in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, not a general medical licence or a "cosmetic surgery" diploma. Confirm a qualified anaesthetist is present throughout and that surgery is in an accredited hospital with an overnight stay. Read: is cosmetic surgery in Thailand safe? An honest answer.

If something goes wrong after you get home

Most complications after surgery abroad are minor and appear in the first one to two weeks, which is why you stay in Bangkok for that period. Later problems can usually be managed by video review with Dr. Rushapol combined with simple local care. Before you travel, tell your GP exactly what you are having done and ask whether they will see you for wound checks afterwards; bring your complete written records home. Travel insurance generally excludes elective cosmetic surgery and its complications, so a contingency sum is sensible. Read: complications after cosmetic surgery abroad: what to arrange before you travel.

Cost

You receive an itemised quotation after consultation covering the surgeon's fee, anaesthetist, hospital, garments and follow-up. Return flights, a companion's travel, and insurance are separate. Indicative ranges are published in deep plane facelift cost: Australia vs Thailand and why cosmetic surgery is cheaper in Thailand. A very low quote is usually a gap in surgeon experience, hospital standard or technique, and that is not where to economise.

Frequently asked questions

Request a consultation

Consultations are available by video before travel and in person in Bangkok. You receive a written treatment plan and an itemised quotation afterwards.

Request a consultation

Medically reviewed by Dr. Rushapol Sdawat, M.D., Medical Council of Thailand licence No. 17689. Last reviewed: 7 September 2026. All surgery carries risks. Individual results vary and are not guaranteed. A consultation and assessment with your surgeon is required before any procedure. Discuss any planned overseas surgery with your usual doctor before travelling.