Last updated on January 25th, 2024 at 12:04 pm

My Experience Having a Baby in Thailand

Okay well, not I personally. Being a man, that would all be entirely impossible. My wife however I admit did all of the hard work. Of all the years of expat living here in Thailand I knew one day I would have a child born here. I’ve been married to my Thai wife for nearly 8 years after all.

Even to the point my wife was at the 10-month mark, yes 10 months my wife was carrying our child it was not until I waited until the ninth month to see what would I need to do as a foreigner. Because I’ve never had a baby in Thailand before. Nor anywhere else as a matter of fact.

As a foreigner living in Thailand, I didn’t know if I needed to bring any particular documents to the hospital, besides my US passport.

However, during our last prenatal check, I was asked to bring a translation of my passport. Which was an odd request. Which any case wasn’t needed in the end. More about that later on.

Choosing the Right Hospital

Pick the Best Hospital Near You – It’ll Make a Big Difference

We chose a hospital already called Synphaet Lumlukka which is a 5-minute drive from our house. It’s a newly opened JCI-accredited private hospital. My wife found it while doing hospital research in Bangkok for the birth of our firstborn.

Luckily, there are several really good private hospitals in our neck of the woods to pick and choose from.

But we chose Synphaet Lumlukka for 3 key reasons:

• JCI accredited (since 2010)
• Has English-speaking doctors and nurses. Even though my Thai language skills are getting up there, I’m not at the level of understanding Thai medical terminology.
• It’s only a 5-minute drive.

As a side note, we looked for hospitals that did not handle COVID-19 patients, which is not difficult as most private hospitals in Bangkok do not.

Pre-Check Up

Under the advice of my wife’s obstetrician, we opted for a scheduled C-section. Originally we planned for a natural birth hoping the birth date would be around the 9-month mark.

That never happened and as we neared month number 10 and an ultrasound checkup our doctor noticed our baby’s weight was hovering around 4 kilograms (8.88 pounds). Our doctor, just doing her job, informed us of a list of birth complications that may arise from large-sized newborns.

Though I have to admit, we did get freaked out, even though it’s not the doctor’s intention.

So we chose birth by c-section and scheduled a date and time. That might’ve worked out better as my wife isn’t too keen on pushing out a 9-pound baby.

The cost for a natural birth at Synphaet Lumlukka is B32,000 which includes a two-night hospital stay. For a c-section, the price jumps to B44,000 and includes a three-night stay. The price you see below the birth package is for a hysterectomy.

The Big Day

We picked the first and earliest time available. We were advised to show up at 5:30 am and the c-section procedure promptly started around 9 am.

This is also the day to handle paperwork in preparation for a birth certificate. As I mentioned earlier, during our last prenatal examination I was asked to bring a translation of my passport. I was a bit confused about that.

Until I realized what they wanted was a translation of my first and last name into Thai. This makes absolute sense as the names that appear on a Thai birth certificate are only printed in Thai.

My English name was already translated to Thai when I went to get a Thai marriage certificate. So we gave them a copy of our Thai marriage certificate which has my name in Thai on it.

I also handed a marriage affidavit which states I was never married. Me, as a US citizen, I can download a form and get it notarized by the US Embassy in Thailand. In my case, I went to the US embassy in Bangkok and this service cost $50USD. On top of that my marriage affidavit must be translated into Thai. I used a translation service near the Bangkok US embassy, though I forgot how much it cost.

Never hurts to bring along as many documents as needed.

If You Don’t Have a Thai Marriage Certificate…

Then you will have to get the name on your passport translated. Your name must be translated into Thai so it can be added to the birth certificate.

As soon as my wife was prepped, 9 am crunch time was rolling in faster than a lightning storm. It’s time to meet my firstborn daughter.

I was shown a waiting room filled with chairs, magazines, and a big TV. I just stared at the wall. I tell you, early mornings inside a Thai private hospital feel like one of the loneliest places on earth.

There’s nothing to do but wait and try to get some quick shut-eye.

Childbirth Delivery Package in Thailand

Public Hospital VS. Private Hospital

The only experience that I had with a Thai government hospital regarding childbirth was when one of my employees who is a single mother went into labor.

Public hospitals in Thailand are full of patients. Due to the free to low-cost hospital care and treatment is the major factor.

Our employee stayed at the hospital for a total of 3 days in a maternity ward with 5 other new moms. Her total hospital bill was around B10,000 which included jaundice treatment for her newborn. Hospital service she said she was treated well.

You see, public hospitals in Thailand have a not-so-stellar reputation. I don’t think it’s all that bad. Though my wife’s sister who gave birth at a public hospital near her part of town had a horrible experience.

She had a c-section so had to have a urine drainage bag attached to her through a catheter. Which a family member had to dispose of. Which was supposed to be the nurses’ job. When she was discharged she was still in pain from the c-section. And she has a zig-zag scar from the incision.

There were other bits of stories about the nurses’ attitudes that left a bad impression, that I won’t get into. Let’s just say her sister wasn’t all too happy.

The cost of Quality Hospital Care is Higher in Thailand – Yet Lower Compared to the West

Thailand’s private healthcare system is one of the best in Southeast Asia. But I didn’t know what to expect. My only experience with a private hospital in Bangkok was for a serious case of gout.

All private hospitals in Thailand offer childbirth delivery packages. The closer you are to central Bangkok the higher the price tag for services and procedures.

The price of our package for a cesarean section set us back B44,000. But if we went to Bumrungrad Hospital in central Bangkok it’ll cost us B149,000. We could have three babies for that price.

Most private hospital childbirth packages include private rooms for a two-night stay for a natural birth and a three-night stay for a c-section procedure. And also included is a birth certificate filed for you, with the nearest governmental office of your instruction.

Not having to go into a government office is a huge bonus for us. We all know how much fun waiting around a government office is.

Ask Questions – It’s Free After All

You should go in and speak with hospital personnel about childbirth delivery package services. Ask for a tour of the private rooms as well as the nursery facility in all the hospitals you visit. We visited three different hospitals and chose Synphaet Lumlukka because we felt confident they could take care of our needs and do a good job on our important day.

Time Flies When You’re Waiting for Your Newborn

My daughter was officially out into the new world 10 minutes past 9 am. I saw her briefly along with a pediatrician assigned to her, where she was immediately taken to the nursery ward. I couldn’t accompany them yet because there were still checkups that needed to be done. Which meant more waiting for me.

But at least I could do so in the private room we’ll be staying in for 3 nights for my wife to rest and recuperate.

Synphaet Lumlukka Nursery Ward

When you’re paying for private hospital care in Thailand you’re paying for semi-personalized care. There’s an around-the-clock watch on newborns, while mom rests in her private room. The babies are fed, diapers changed and bathed by a squad of nurses.

A pediatrician comes in and does some routine check-ups to make sure babies are as healthy as can be. As well as look for warning signs and concerns. For instance, a pediatrician detected a heart murmur in our baby. A cardiologist was called in and an ultrasound was performed.

Fortunately, it’s a minor heart defect that could heal as our baby grows. But in any case, it was non-life threatening and required no treatment. That heart check-up added about $100 to our final bill though.

Private Hospital Rooms

I’ve stayed inside quite a few hospital private rooms in Bangkok. To this day, I equate Thai private hospital rooms to Thai serviced apartments.

Minus the swimming pool and bar.

There’s a small kitchen with a mini-fridge stocked with a few cans of soda and boxes of juice. Which gets replenished daily. A microwave in the room with an electric kettle for making hot coffee and Ovaltine was also provided by the hospital.  Even a small sink for dishwashing.

The bathroom has a large shower room. The entire bathroom is spacious. Plus a hygiene care kit is also supplied, even towels. So no need to bring stuff from home except clean clothes and undies.

Wi-Fi internet was fast and big screen television with plenty of channels.

I’ve done plenty of hotel reviews in Asia as part of my travels. I never thought I’d be making a review about a hospital room.

Holding My Baby for the Very First Time

I was super anxious to see my firstborn inside the nursery. My wife was resting and being that she’s tied to her catheter she couldn’t go with me.

Newborns are kept inside the nursery for 24-hour care. Where their heartbeats and breathing are checked.

And the security measures are really good. The hospital nursery requires fingerprint scans from authorized personnel to go in and out. It was the only way for me to get inside and exit.

I also had to take my shoes off but Crocs were handed to me and a hospital robe also. Plus I had to wash my hands thoroughly. It’s good to see they take cleanliness seriously.

The nursery is cozy with plenty of space for parents to get acquainted with their newborns. But the nursery at Synphaet Lumlukka also doubles as a space to educate first-time parents on newborn care.

There’s a room where nurses show new parents hands-on care from breastfeeding to how to properly bathe a newborn.

The main reason why we chose a private hospital is because I can stay with my wife in a private room. A sofa which doubles as a bed is what I slept on for 3 nights. Blankets and pillows were provided when they knew I was staying over.

At a public government hospital that wouldn’t be possible. Unless you’re paying for a private room.

But it’s a hospital which means nurses have to make their rounds. So in the middle of the night while sleeping you will be woken by nurses coming in and out to administer blood pressure checks.

Private Hospital Care Has Its Advantages

There’s a reason why private hospitals charge more. The care provided is more personal. And a lot more comprehensive. I can’t compare it to my employee’s experience while giving birth at a public government-run hospital in Bangkok.

Most importantly there’s a private room where I can stay with my wife. No need to share with complete total strangers including people who visit.

Our daughter’s birth certificate was taken care of by the hospital as part of the childbirth delivery package. A photo is taken as well along with the certificate placed in a neat little portfolio.

Sure, a childbirth delivery package at a private hospital is more expensive than a public one. But I don’t think expecting parents can put a price tag on peace of mind.