Bumrungrad Hospital offers a rhinoplasty (nose job) procedure for approximately US$2,500. The same procedure in the UK will cost about US$5,000 while in the United States will cost about US$6,000. Breast augmentation is an extremely popular procedure in the US and can range from US$5,000 to US$8,000 while the cost in the UK is about US$6,500. You can have the same procedure done at Bumrungrad Hospital for US$2,250.

Bangkok Phuket Hospital, on the island of Phuket, can perform a Heart Bypass surgery for approximately US$12,000. The price for the same procedure in the US begins at US$66,000 and can easily rise to US$150,000 and in the UK the procedure can actually cost upwards of US$200,000.

Gastric Bypass surgery is tremendously popular in the United States and is gaining popularity in the United Kingdom. As Americans are dealing with the issue of obesity, this procedure is gaining widespread appeal. You can expect to pay anywhere from US$33,000 to US$58,000 to have this operation in the US with the UK being in the same price range. In Thailand, you can expect to pay approximately US$13,000 for the same surgery.

Liposuction is a procedure that can help sculpt the body by removing unwanted fat from specific areas. This is a very popular procedure in the US as well as the UK. Liposuction is on offer in Thailand for approximately US$1,600 whereas the price in the US begins at US$2,500 and can go as high as US$10,000 which is comparable to the cost in the UK.

Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck) is an operation that removes excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen and tightens the muscles of the abdominal wall. This procedure in the US can cost as much as US$8,000, while in the UK you can expect to pay from US$6,000 to US$10,000. Thailand offers this procedure at US$3,500.

If you are considering diagnostic imaging such as a CT scan or an MRI scan, the price for this procedure can be very expensive. For example, a private MRI scan can cost upwards of US$1,500 in the UK whereas in the United States the scan can cost upwards of US$1,600. An MRI scan costs around US$700 in Thailand.

Medical tourists have also shown an interest in elective dental procedures such as dental implants, dental veneers and laser whitening. You can have a tooth extracted in Thailand for US$30 while you can pay US$400 in the US and US$300-$400 in the UK.

Hip Replacement surgery can cost over US$40,000 in both the US and UK. In Thailand, you can have this surgery for just US$13,000. Knee Replacement surgery will also cost over US$40,000 in both the UK and the US, whereas Thailand is offering the same surgery for about US$10,000.

Hair Transplants are another popular procedure with medical tourists. The procedure can be performed in Thailand starting at US$2,000 (less than 1,000 grafts). While this procedure is very common in the US for both men and women, it has remained an extremely costly procedure with beginning costs of $US5,000 (less than 1,000 grafts). The UK has a starting price of approximately US$6,000 (less than 1,000 grafts).

Many people will consider medical tourism in Thailand for elective and medical procedures due largely to the fact that the price is only a fraction of what similar treatments would cost in Western countries. However, not every condition is suitable for treatment abroad so make sure that your condition allows you the flexibility of long distance travel.