Patient Vacation, LLC was formed when the theoretical crashed, literally, into the practical.

In 1998 Robert Cooper, founder of Patient  Vacation, was abruptly dropped by his health insurance carrier after paying obediently year after year and never making a claim.  Money down the drain and left out in the cold, Cooper had his fill of the American medical/insurance/pharmaceutical rip-off.  Believing that this group cares as little for his health as fast food restaurants care about his nutrition, he decided to look for alternatives-to take his healthcare and well being into his own hands.

In 2005, Cooper decided to go to Bangkok and get a complete physical.  He did some research on the web, found an ultra-modern hospital, and, in January of 2006, walked into what appeared to be a five star hotel.  This was a hospital unlike any he had seen in the USA.  From the moment he entered the door, he observed that servicing the needs of the patient was of prime importance.  The physical exam was thorough, professional, and efficient.  All the lab work was completed within hours!  Cooper's initial blood test indicated a problem and he was immediately escorted to the hematology clinic for a consultation with a specialist.

After studying his papers and talking with Cooper, the doctor clearly explained what the results could indicate. He recommended that Cooper undergo a series of tests.  Within another hour, the tests were done.  Two days later, Cooper had another consultation with the doctor and, luckily, nothing was seriously wrong.  The price for all this was about 70-80% less than what it would have been in the US, except that in Bangkok time spent with the doctor was unrushed and he was treated by all with respect and courtesy.

Two weeks later on a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand, Cooper had an accident that changed his life.  Falling from a motorcycle, he broke his clavicle in three pieces and tore all the ligaments in half. The theoretical was now a practical emergency! The doctors at a small hospital on the island arranged for Cooper to get a free flight to Bangkok (imagine anything like that happening in the U.S.).  He ended up back in Bangkok, on the operating table in same hospital where he had been for his physical.

Dr. Winyou Ratanachai, an exceptional orthopedic surgeon, operated on him utilizing a new technique to remedy the difficult break.  The results were, to Cooper, nothing short of miraculous.  He had 100% motion back in three months and total strength back a few months later.  The modern hospital room, the treatment and care of the nursing staff, the doctor's follow-up, and the entire facility exceeded all his expectations.  The price was about 75% less than a similar operation and hospital stay in the U.S.  If the proof is in the pudding, he thought, look no further.

Robert Cooper graduated from Cornell University in 1973 and has worked in the construction field for the past 35 years in Ithaca, N.Y.  During the harsh winters, when work was scarce, he fled Ithaca for sunnier climes.  Beginning in 1976, with a six month overland journey from Ithaca to La Paz, Bolivia, he has traveled extensively throughout world.  Cooper first concentrated on the South American continent, spending at lest a month and in many cases 3 or more, in Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru.  After exploring Central America and Mexico over multiple trips, he ventured to the other side of the globe.  Since 1986, he has spent extended lengths of time in Indonesia, Thailand, India, Denmark, Morocco, Egypt, the Philippines, Cambodia, Australia, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Jordan, France and Kenya.

In 2006, while making a presentation to some hospital administrators, Cooper was lucky enough to find a kindred spirit-Sompoach Vuthikornudomkit.  Sompoach had been Senior Marketing Manager at Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok.  He is a licensed veterinarian, and has a masters in business administration and attended graduate school at Arizona State University.

In the past 3 years, Cooper has been back to Thailand to gather more information on the medical, dental, varied therapies and spas found there.   Together, Cooper and Sompoach are constantly visiting  hospitals and clinics to make sure that their clients have the best care possible.  Sompoach's vast and varied network of healthcare workers -doctors, nurses, administrators-allows Patient Vacation to be on top of who are the best doctors and what the latest medical trends are in Thailand.

Whether you want essential or elective surgery, medical exams or cancer screening, cat scans or MRI's, Patient Vacation wants to help you to take your health and well being into your own hands.  Why not get exceptional medical care at affordable prices and recover on a tropical island or in the mountains?  We will give you the tools to take care of your health.  We will aid you in implementing a plan to achieve your medical goals and maximize your vacation experience.

You owe it to your health!  Do it for yourself!