Ramathibodi Hospital: Premium Clinic, Costs and Access

The Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, is a large university teaching hospital at 270 Rama VI Road in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district. It is the hospital of Mahidol’s Ramathibodi medical school, with more than 1,000 beds in its main building and about 5,000 outpatient visits a day. Foreigners can be treated there. The useful questions are which building to go to, how to register, and what to confirm with the hospital before you travel. This guide covers those points using Ramathibodi’s own pages.

What kind of hospital is Ramathibodi?

Ramathibodi is a university teaching hospital. Thailand’s cabinet approved a new medical school in August 1964, King Bhumibol Adulyadej named it Ramathibodi and the foundation stone was laid on 30 December 1965, and the faculty opened on 3 May 1969. The Rockefeller Foundation supported the early years. It is the teaching hospital for the faculty’s undergraduate medical students, and Wikipedia describes it as one of the final referral centres in Thailand for complicated and rare diseases.

That profile matters for a foreign patient. A teaching hospital of this size is built around complex cases, specialist departments and research. Research areas named by the hospital include HIV drug resistance, medical genomics, stem cells, osteoporosis and coronary artery disease. Expect a busy system with many departments. Compare that model with private groups in the guide to choosing a hospital in Bangkok, or with another large public teaching hospital in Chulalongkorn Hospital for foreigners.

The buildings: main building, Queen Sirikit and Somdech Phra Debaratana

The campus has several buildings. Three matter most for a first visit.

The hospital lists centres for stem cell transplantation, minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, elderly care, child development and complicated diseases. The Child and Adolescent Healthcare Center is on the 3rd floor of SDMC, Zone N.

SDMC is also the contact point for foreigners. Ramathibodi’s international office directs enquiries about healthcare services to the Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center.

What is the premium clinic?

Ramathibodi’s international news page mentions a “Premium OPD” at SDMC: in October 2024 a delegation from National Taiwan University Hospital toured it. For services, floor, hours and fees, call or email SDMC and ask for the details in writing. Questions to put to them:

• Does the Premium OPD accept foreign self-pay patients, and for which specialties?
• What is the fee for a consultation, and what is not included (tests, imaging, medication)?
• Is an appointment required, and how far ahead?
• Are English-speaking staff or an interpreter available at the visit?

For what accreditation signals and how it compares with private and public hospitals, see JCI vs private vs public hospitals. The Thai Hospital Accreditation (HA) database lists Ramathibodi’s Chakri Naruebodindra campus (a separate campus in Samut Prakan) at level 3, valid from 28 January 2025 to 27 January 2029. Ask SDMC about the Phaya Thai campus.

How do foreigners register and pay?

Ramathibodi publishes a page on health privileges for non-Thai patients. The routes it lists:

• A registered marriage to a Thai spouse who holds civil servant or state-enterprise health rights.
• Thai Social Security.
• Health insurance at listed medical centres.
• Birth in Thailand to a Thai parent.

Self-pay patients are charged the “national treatment price” the page names. Ask SDMC for a written quote before treatment. A valid ID such as a passport is needed to verify the privilege.

Fingerprint registration is done at Medical Records Counter 6 in SDMC or at the New Patients Registration Unit in the Main Building, 07:00 to 15:00 except national holidays. Health Service Unit numbers: SDMC (66) 2200-4016-7 (06:00 to 16:00) or the Main Building (66) 2201-1362-3 (06:00 to 23:00).

Travel insurers and expat plans may require pre-approval or a direct-billing arrangement. Confirm with your insurer and with the hospital before a planned visit.

How do I book an appointment?

Ramathibodi’s app is called Rama Application. Its store listing says users can view and manage appointments and records and handle payments. To book a premium or specialist slot as a foreign self-pay patient, call or email SDMC.

Contact details published by Ramathibodi’s international office:

• Healthcare service enquiries: Somdech Phra Debaratana Medical Center, sdhealthcallcenter@mahidol.ac.th, +66-200-4336.
• Postal address of the campus: 270 Rama VI Road, Thung Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400.

The hospital also asks non-urgent patients to notify it of a reschedule or telemedicine request at least 14 days before the visit.

Which specialties and centres might matter to a foreigner?

The hospital’s pages name these services: stem cell and bone marrow transplantation, minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, advanced diagnostic imaging, elderly care, child development and a service for complicated diseases. Use these as conversation starters with SDMC, not as promises of service.

For condition-specific planning, read the guides on cancer treatment and second opinions in Bangkok and cardiac care and heart surgery in Bangkok, which cover how to prepare records and questions whichever hospital you choose.

Dermatology and the Skin Laser Center

Ramathibodi’s Division of Dermatology sits in the Department of Medicine.

The Skin Laser Center is part of the division. Clinical Professor Niwat Polnikorn founded it in 1991, and its services range from simple cosmetic peels to scars, birthmarks, wrinkles, spider veins and hair removal. It also runs laser training courses, offered since 1992. Its published number is +66-2200-4287. Call before going to ask about opening hours and booking. Cosmetic and laser treatments carry risks and are not suitable for everyone; a dermatologist should assess your skin and history first.

Is there a branch outside the main campus?

Yes. Ramathibodi Health Space is on the 3rd floor of Paradise Park mall in the Srinakarin area, near Suan Luang Rama IX MRT station (Yellow Line, Exit 2). Its first phase opened on 3 December 2023. Press coverage lists health checkups, internal medicine, weight management, orthopaedics, rehabilitation, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, physiotherapy, mammography and vaccinations, with 14 examination rooms. It opens daily from 08:00 to 20:00, and appointments are required through the Rama Application or the call centre at 0-2200-4336. Check the current service list before you go, because it dates from the opening phase.

The faculty also runs the Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, opened in December 2017. It is a separate campus and not the place for the Phaya Thai services above.

How do I get to Ramathibodi Hospital?

Ramathibodi’s own directions use SDMC as the destination and favour public transport, because parking is limited.

• Airport Rail Link, Phaya Thai station: exit toward Sri Ayutthaya Road, turn right at the intersection, continue along Rama VI Road and follow the skywalk to SDMC.
• BTS, Victory Monument station: either walk down Rajavithi Road, turn left at the Tuek Chai intersection and cross the overpass opposite SDMC, or walk down Yothi Road, turn right at the Rama VI Road intersection and follow the skywalk.
• Bus: lines 8, 44, 67, 92, 97, 157, 171, 509 and 538 stop at the Government Pharmaceutical Organization stop on Rama VI Road, then cross the overpass and take the skywalk. Lines 12, 28, 108, 515, 539 and 542 stop at the Neurological Institute of Thailand on Rajavithi Road, next to SDMC.
• Train: Ramathibodi station is behind the hospital.
• Taxi or car: SDMC parking is open 24 hours. It costs 10 THB per hour (~0.30 USD) if the parking card is stamped at OPD registration, and 100 THB per hour (~3 USD) if not (hospital page, checked October 2026).

Check a map app for your walking route. Bring your passport to registration.

Where should I stay near Ramathibodi?

If you need a base for outpatient visits, the useful anchor is the transit the hospital itself describes: stay within an easy trip of Phaya Thai station (Airport Rail Link) or Victory Monument station (BTS), the two stations whose walking routes to SDMC the hospital documents. The Airport Rail Link also helps on arrival and departure days. Check the walk to the SDMC entrance on a map before booking.

For a stay after surgery, ask the treating team what distance and support they require.

What does it cost?

The only price figures on the hospital pages used here are the SDMC parking rates above. Do not rely on third-party price lists for a university hospital. Call SDMC and ask for a written estimate that states what is included (consultation, tests, imaging, procedures, medication, room) and what is billed separately, and ask what happens if a complication extends your stay. Keep a copy.

A short checklist before you go

1. Decide whether you need Ramathibodi’s tertiary and teaching-hospital strengths or a private hospital’s service model (see choosing a hospital).
2. Email or call SDMC for appointment, premium clinic access, language support and a written fee estimate.
3. Note that the hospital asks non-urgent patients for 14 days’ notice of a reschedule or telemedicine request.
4. Bring your passport, insurance documents and previous medical records, translated if possible.
5. Plan the route to SDMC by Airport Rail Link or BTS and the skywalk, and avoid driving if you can.
6. Ask your insurer about direct billing before the visit.

Last verified: 9 October 2026, from Ramathibodi Hospital’s published pages (hospital and services, international relations contact page, non-Thai patient privilege page, pediatrics location page, Skin Laser Center page), Wikipedia, and the Thai HA accreditation database. Verify hours, numbers and rules with the hospital before acting.