A few months ago, I had my second Botox treatment in Bangkok, Thailand. I go to Apex or to KTop Clinic which are two of the more upscale spas in downtown Bangkok, but you can go to most of the licensed spas and clinics in Thailand and get the same procedure.
I had always wanted to get Botox injections for the wrinkles on my forehead and for frown lines, but because of the expense in America I had never actually done it. In the United States, the cost of Botox at a licensed clinic is around $600 to $800 per treatment.
In Thailand, at a licensed clinic, the cost of Botox injections is $130 to $180 per treatment. You get the same treatment in the same standard of clinic, but at a fraction of the cost of the United States.
When I got my first Botox treatment, I was understandably nervous. I didn’t know anyone who had had Botox injections and didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised therefore when I was shown into an examination room, sat in a comfortable chair, was dealt with incredibly professionally and was ready to leave in less than 20 minutes.
So, for your first Botox treatment in Bangkok, here is what to expect.
1. Timely Treatment. Unlike the United States, in most Bangkok clinics you will be shown into an examination room as soon as you arrive. There are no long waits, no doctors suddenly dealing with ‘an emergency’ and no waste of your time. You will most likely be in and out in less than 30 minutes, and experience professional treatment from highly trained staff.
2. Clinic Staff Speak English. In most clinics in Bangkok, the staff will speak enough English to be able to answer any of your questions and to make sure they give you exactly the treatment you require. In some clinics, the staff will have been trained in the West (in the US or Europe) so they will usually speak excellent English.
They will also be friendly, polite and helpful (Thais always are!), so you’ll have a great experience from the minute you walk through the door.
3. Safe and Professional Botox Treatments. The licensed clinics in Bangkok are as safe and professional as Botox clinics in the US or Europe. Many of the clinicians and doctors are trained in the West, so have the same standards of treatment and care.
**A word of warning though – make sure you avoid the very cheap clinics as some of them use a Botox substitute but do not tell you this. It is not as effective and, in some cases, can be dangerous. So choose a larger licensed clinic either at one of the many malls in Bangkok or at a Thai hospital.
4. Getting The Botox Injections. At a licensed clinic in Bangkok, you will be shown into an examining room. There they will clean the area to be treated with Botox with an alcohol-soaked cloth. Then you will be asked to frown so the clinician can determine where the lines and wrinkles to be treated are.
The actual treatment literally takes about a minute. All you will feel is a small pinprick as the clinician inserts the needles. Then a small bit of pressure. They will then tell you to make sure you don’t lie down for at least 4 hours, so that the Botox does not move to a different part of your body than intended. And that’s it.
About two hours after the treatment, you will start to feel pressure on the area treated. I had my frown lines and forehead lines injected with Botox. For around a week afterwards, I could feel distinct pressure on my head, and I could only move the affected area with effort.
After around a week, the pressure went away and the Botox injected area felt normal. The effects of the Botox treatment for me lasted around five months, then my frown lines began to slowly reappear. With continued treatment though, they will definitely stay at bay.
Look for clinics in Bangkok at most of the major malls. Siam Paragon Mall, Emporium Mall, Siam Discovery Center, Central Ladprao Mall, and Central Pinklao in Bangkok all have clinics or spas where you can get safe and effective Botox injections. You will also usually be able to get an appointment quickly, sometimes the same day.
Botox treatments in Thailand are inexpensive, safe and you are treated like a person and not like a number. The clinics are usually comfortable, friendly places with a relaxing ambiance and professional staff.