Every year, millions of people visit Thailand. Some are here to relax beside the beach in resort hotels and tropical islands. Some are here to have their big adventure. And many are here to get medical care.

Lots of people don’t know this, but Thailand is one of the world’s most popular and affordable countries for medical tourism. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come here for plastic surgery, dental work, laser eye surgery and hundreds of other procedures. The biggest draw is the cost (it’s much less expensive to get medical treatment in Thailand than in the USA or Australia) but another draw is the surprisingly high quality of medical care in Thailand.

Thailand might not sound like the kind of country where you’d expect to find world class hospitals. After all, the traffic in Bangkok is beyond description, pollution is a serious problem, and many of the country’s most popular islands are becoming overdeveloped at a scary pace. But despite this, Thailand’s hospitals (at least the private hospitals tourists have access to) aren’t just not bad; they’re really good.

Two of Bangkok’s biggest international hospitals are Bumrungrad, which is near Nana BTS Station, and Samitivej. Both have outstanding facilities that go beyond the expectations of their clients (think of pianists and personal limousines, for example) and both deal with tens of thousands of patients every year. Bangkok has a large variety of other private hospitals, all vying for part of the international medical trade.

It’s not just hospitals that are competing for foreign customers. Dentists in Bangkok are increasingly marketing to foreigners, especially for procedures like crowns and veneers. Like the country’s hospitals, Thailand’s dentists are qualified for the job, with some of the country’s clinics reporting an impressive 91 to 98% success rate for dental implants and other cosmetic procedures.

So, if you’re in need of high quality medical care, particularly for cosmetic and other elective treatments, give Thailand a try. While most are familiar with the appeal of low prices that Thailand offers, the country’s medical and dental industries also have a great deal of expertise to offer.