Change for the Better

Change for the Better
June 16, 2005
Bangkok Post
There is a dental clinic on Sukhumvit Road that carries the ambience of a spa.
``Last year, our clinic was like a tourist attraction with a lot of foreign customers coming to see us,' said Dr Watchareewon Porncharoen, also known as Dr Lily, the founder of Bangkok Dental Spa Clinic.
Since arriving at the concept, she has seen a marked rise in the number of foreign patients calling on her services compared to the past 15 years during which it operated as a dental clinic.
``Now almost all our customers are foreigners. They come from America, Canada, Scandinavia, Europe, Middle East and neighbouring Asian countries. We have a lot of Americans who work in Iraq coming here as well,' she said.
Happy though she is, Dr Lily has now set herself a new goal.
Her next ambition is to make Thailand the regional centre for dental implant surgery _ a level of expertise available in only a few countries. It means employing the services of dentists with the highest levels of skills, maxillofacial surgeons and prothodontists.
She herself is undergoing advanced training. This year, Dr Lily has been busy travelling attending international workshops. Her most recent trip was to Los Angeles where she met experts in the field from all over the world.
``It's my ambition but it's not just for my own sake. I want to help promote Thailand as a hub for medical tourism,' she said.
We wish her well.