Author: Patrick Marsek


Source: articleage.com





A look into the system of healthcare abroad
Medical tourism is a fascinating concept, gaining quick recognition in the United States. Although the practice of traveling abroad to receive medical procedures is decades old in Europe, and has been practiced for hundreds of years in Asia, it is still quite new to Americans. So, in an, thailand hotel, effort to help explain the benefits and pitfalls of this relatively new industry, please allow me to share some of my first hand experiences with you, a potential medical tourist.
There are four basic groups of North Americans who are most interested in medical tourism and the cost savings, thailand hotel, it provides:
ท 45 Million Uninsured Americans
ท 250 Million Insured Americans with restricted coverage,, thailand hotel, thailand hotel, due to pre-existing conditions, resulting in out-of-pocket expenses
ท 32 Million Canadians receiving socialized medicine and enduring long wait lists for many popular surgeries
ท Potentially,, thailand hotel, 332 Million North Americans seeking elective cosmetic and/or dental surgery
As you can see, the market potential is huge, but, unless a well organized, comprehensive, individualized program facilitating the healthcare needs and travel desires of North American consumers has been structured, medical tourism will only remain a vision and not a reality.
Quality and Safety of Healthcare Abroad
There, thailand hotel, is much to consider before experiencing a successful medical retreat. One of the first issues to investigate would be the quality and safety of healthcare abroad. You can perform a quick search on the internet, thailand hotel, and find a host of foreign hospitals, doctors, even government organizations, thailand hotel, marketing directly the worldwide consumer with hopes of attracting them to their country. CONSUMER BEWARE! Marketing rhetoric and posh photos can be very deceiving. I can personally vouch for this type of misperception. In my travels to 11 destinations within 7 countries around the world, I have seen these misrepresentations more often than not. This presents a very interesting question;, thailand hotel, how do you know who is telling the truth and who is fabricating information? The truth is, you don't until you have either experienced it first hand or know of a trusting source that has had the experience.
In reality, it's impossible for most people to know first hand, because they haven't traveled to a foreign country to inspect the quality of healthcare. So, what's the next step? Find someone you can trust who has had the experience, thailand hotel, and is willing, thailand hotel, provide an objective point of view. Good luck in your search! This may not be an easy task to accomplish. Hence the need for a bona fide, professional, medical tourism service agency in the U.S. to help consumers make these difficult choices. By utilizing the knowledge and expertise, thailand hotel, of an unbiased medical tourism specialist, you will better guarantee your safety and comfort while traveling abroad for your surgery.
To date, there is only one American owned company that offers a complete and thorough service to guide patients through the intricacies of this complex course of action. The organization is called MedRetreat,, thailand hotel, an American company facilitating the healthcare needs and travel, thailand hotel, desires of North Americans. You can visit http://www.medretreat.com for a very comprehensive education about the entire process. MedRetreat has inspected and verified the efficacy of their hospital affiliates. Most healthcare providers in the network are, thailand hotel, either JCI accredited, or, are in the process of accreditation, thailand hotel, . And, many of the, thailand hotel, doctors are board certified by the U.S, U.K. or Australia.
My personal advice, thailand hotel, - don't go through the process alone. Utilize the experience of a company, thailand hotel, like MedRetreat who has performed their due-diligence on your behalf. It's like trying to bake a cake for the very first time. Without the help of an experienced, thailand hotel, baker, like good old grandma, you're sure to make some mistakes. Traveling abroad for surgery, without the necessary knowledge, is much too important to take the chance of making any mistakes.
Cost Savings
Once you feel comfortable about the quality of healthcare overseas, then it's time to research another important factor in considering medical tourism as an option for your surgical procedure…the cost savings. Due to two, thailand hotel, main factors, the cost is as low as 1/10th of the price in the U.S. Here are two main reasons as sited by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger:
1. "Many workers in the health care industry are basically getting paid to shuffle paper around. The health insurance companies are paid to deny health claims and the government workers at Medicare and Medicaid offices are paid to find new ways to deny payments to doctors and hospitals for services rendered. Thus, doctors' offices and hospitals have to employ entire armies of people to sit around and reclassify procedures in ways that can get paid by insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid. It's a massive waste of time, money and effort."
"As a medical tourist in another country, you eliminate these paperwork shufflers. And right there, you can save as much as 80% right off the bat. Because now, your dollars are actually going to the surgeons, anesthesiologists, thailand hotel, and other hospital workers who are attending to you during, thailand hotel, your surgical procedure. Whereas in the United States, your money is going to the insurance company and then the insurance company money is being used to pay paper shufflers."
2. "Another reason these surgical procedures are so much more affordable, thailand, thailand hotel, hotel, in Asia or other regions of the world is because of the liability issue. In the United States, doctors and hospitals must carry extremely expensive, thailand hotel, medical malpractice insurance policies. And patients seem to love to sue in the United States. In contrast, when you undergo a surgical procedure as a medical, thailand hotel, tourist in an offshore hospital, you sign paperwork that says you agree not to sue under certain conditions. Thus, you save a fortune by essentially not funding the legal fees, settlements and malpractice insurance costs normally found in a U.S.-based healthcare practice."
Mr. Adams goes on to say; "when you combine these two savings - the paperwork shuffling reduction and the medical malpractice lawsuits - you get an incredible deal for your dollar."
The Medical Tourism Experience
Now that we've, thailand hotel, covered, thailand hotel, the two most important aspects of medical tourism, quality and price, let's briefly touch upon on the experience of traveling abroad.
Although choosing your destination is not the most important feature of your medical care objective, you should ultimately be pleased with your selection. After all, you'll be spending anywhere between 2-4 weeks overseas and should be able to enjoy your recuperation process. There are many alternatives, but, you should definitely choose a destination that specializes in your required procedure. Of the many locations available, I've found that Malaysia,, thailand hotel, Thailand and Brazil are the most popular. Make sure your service agent representative educates you, thailand hotel, about the country and culture, thailand hotel, before you go. This will prove to be, thailand hotel, a valuable investment of your time. Education is the key to a successful medical tour.
Researching and planning your recuperation period can be an exciting and adventurous process. It helps to relieve your thoughts about your surgical procedure and focus on the enjoyment segment of your medical retreat. Please be advised, depending on your surgery, you may not be able to enjoy certain activities,, thailand hotel, so, my best advice would be to look into physically inactive forms of enjoyment.
Destination Program Management
With the exception of Penang, Malaysia, which, thailand hotel, is an English speaking destination, and very easy to navigate on, thailand hotel, your own, all other destinations should, thailand hotel, offer the assistance of a Destination Program Manager (DPM) to help navigate the terrain and explain the nuances of the, thailand hotel, culture. A DPM will be your friend away from home. They will take care of all your personal needs while visiting. Remember, you will be recuperating from surgery and in most cases, not in the best physical and emotional condition to take care of the necessary details of a new environment. Here are some of the services a DPM will offer to guaranty your comfort and enjoyment:
ท Meet and greet arriving customer at the airport
ท Private transportation to the hotel
ท Pre-arrange hotel check-in
ท Private transportation to-and-from doctor consultation
ท Private transportation to-and-from medical procedure
ท Interpretation, thailand hotel, assistance at hospital or clinic if needed
ท Provide communication assistance, such as cell phone or 24 hour contact number
ท Check on recuperating patient daily once procedure is performed
ท Provide emotional support if necessary during visit
ท Assist with local tour and excursion arrangements
ท Provide information about local dining, shopping, and pampering facilities
ท Provide information about local culture and, thailand hotel, customs of destination
ท Assure that customer is comfortable and content at all times
ท Deliver, thailand hotel, customer to airport for, thailand hotel, departure
ท Assist customer with baggage check-in upon departure
ท Arrange for Airport medical assistance upon departure if necessary
So much to do…so little time
Because a successful medical retreat requires between 35-40 hours of planning, all facets of medical tourism cannot be discussed in one article such as this.
There is much to learn. The question is; how much is your time worth? Don't waste time trying to reinvent the wheel. It would be very time consuming and cumbersome to piece together all the available information about medical tourism on the internet, thailand hotel, . It can also be very confusing and overwhelming.
There are companies perfectly capable of helping you through the process. And, some will not even charge you for their services. They receive compensation from their overseas partners for their role in the process. In fact, in many cases, you will spend less by using a professional medical tourism service, thailand hotel, agency. If you find the right organization, they will have negotiated more favorable pricing on your behalf and pass along some of the savings to you. So, in essence, you will not be able to receive a better price - even by going direct to the hospital yourself. The choice is yours. Choose well.
So, the question remains; is medical tourism for you?

Author: Peter Shannon


Source: isnare.com





How about a vacation stay in prison. They have made a few improvements since the shackled, thailand hotel,, thailand hotel, inmates last shuffled in the doors but Malmaison Oxford Castle, in England still has enough jailhouse ambiance to put a shiver up your spine. Carpets, curtains and soft mattresses, thailand hotel, not withstanding, you, thailand hotel, will be sleeping in the original cells with the original doors and bars. Creepy, unique and maybe that perfect honeymoon idea you've been looking for.

Maybe you would prefer a more open setting - like in the seventy foot high tree-tops of the Amazon jungle. That's where you will find the Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, in Brazil. As long as you don't have a fear of heights this could be the hotel stay of a lifetime. Hand-feed the monkeys and parrots. Traverse the rainforest canopy, thailand hotel, on the, thailand hotel,, thailand hotel, 4 miles of sturdy wooden catwalks.

At the Imperial Boat House, in Ko Samui, Thailand they have taken 34 teakwood rice barges, dragged them up onto one of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches around, Choeng Mon, and turned them into luxury suites. This gives your room a nautical ambiance that sets it far apart from the chain hotels. As for the setting, well that's just pure tropical, thailand hotel, beach-style paradise.

If cave dwelling is your, thailand hotel, idea of a unique vacation idea then you better head to the Cappadocia Cave Hotel in Yunek Evleri, Turkey, thailand hotel, . Here you can, thailand hotel, make like Fred and Wilma Flintstone in a cave room that was carved into the mountainside back in the 5th or 6th century. Fortunately the amenities are not stone-age. Located in the Cappadocia region in the center of Turkey, you can easily take off and explore the region's elaborate underground, thailand hotel, cities, hidden cavernous churches and enchanting rock terrain.

The middle of a desert may not sound like the ideal place to visit but a trip to the Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa will prove otherwise. Set in an oasis in the middle of the Dubai Desert in, thailand hotel, the United Arab Emirates, this is a luxury vacation spot like no other. You get an unobstructed panoramic view of the sky, desert sand dunes and the Hajar Mountains with all its indigenous flora, fauna, Oryx and gazelles. This is a world-class resort that has won 11 international awards.

In Quebec, Canada you can stay at a hotel that is made out of ice. That's right, the Ice Hotel Quebec is actually made from over 15,000 tons of snow and ice. Open from January to April, this unique vacation spot has 36 ice rooms with 18 foot high ceilings. There are two art galleries, an Ice Lounge and an Ice Chapel... Oh and don't forget the fireplaces. This could be the ultimate winter experience.

Author: Adam Singleton


Source: articlesbase.com





Autumn is just around the corner, but, thailand hotel, winter will be here well before you know it. For many, winter is the ideal time of year to travel - whether it’s, thailand hotel, to visit family for the holidays, or to take advantage of a generally less touristy time of year. Whatever your, thailand hotel, reasons for travelling this winter, it pays to make your travel arrangements well ahead of time. Doing so will ensure you find some of the best travel deals available, not to mention help you forego the stress of last minute travel planning. Of course, if you’re visiting family over the holidays, your travel destination is likely already set. If you’re looking to take a wintertime holiday, you’ll need to choose a travel destination. Think, thailand hotel, about what you’d like out of your winter, thailand hotel, holiday. Are you looking to escape the winter chill in a far-off destination, or would you prefer to explore a locale that’s closer to home? Are you dreaming of, thailand hotel, lounging on golden beaches, or would you be happier gliding down snow-covered peaks on a pair of skis? Once you have, thailand hotel, an idea of what type of destination, thailand hotel, you’d like to travel to, you can start searching for deals on travel and accommodation. It’s a generally well-known fact that the earlier you book travel, the more likely you are to snap up the best available offers - so don’t, thailand hotel, be afraid to actively pursue "early bird" specials, thailand hotel, . Many airlines and hotels will even offer winter travel specials, family travel deals, romantic getaway specials, and more - so it’s worth asking what they have on offer with regard to the type of holiday you’re planning to take. Another way to go about booking your winter travel - and to make the overall process much simpler - is to book travel packages. For instance you might be able to find a great package deal on airline tickets and hotels, or you might find you can purchase discount package tickets for activities at your destination of choice. Generally, travel services cost less if you purchase them together - so research package options before settling on transportation,,, thailand hotel, thailand hotel, accommodation, or holiday activity arrangements, Ultimately, it’s not impossible to find last minute deals, - but it’s much less off a risk to book your travel arrangements well, thailand hotel, in advance. Doing so will ensure you get a seat on a given flight or a hotel room where and when you want it - usually for less than if you book at the last minute. So whether you’re planning to fly to the beaches of Thailand, or simply searching for Blackpool hotels, make sure you book early and get the best available deals on the travel market.

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Author: Anonymous


Source: free-articles





SINGAPORE, 3 January 2001 - NASDAQ-listed chinadotcom corporation (chinadotcom) through its subsidiary china.com Studios Inc (CCS) is, subject to certain criteria being met, to invest $1.25 million in ZingASIA Pte Ltd (ZingASIA), a wholly-owned unit of Panpac Media.com Limited (Panpac), and a global Internet-powered leisure and travel business.



The investment by CCS will form part of the $10 million in new funding, which ZingASIA is seeking to raise through the issue of new ZingASIA shares to strategic partners and investors, to fund its global expansion.



In February last year, Panpac and chinadotcom did a share swap, which, thailand hotel, resulted in chinadotcom holding a 10.04% stake in the enlarged share capital of Panpac.



Said Mr Ricky Ang, Panpac's Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer: โ€œWe are at various stages of discussion with several potential local and overseas investors and strategic partners, to co-invest in ZingASIA, and we hope to raise in aggregate at least, thailand hotel, $10 million within the next three, thailand hotel, months.โ€



โ€œAlso, our relationship with chinadotcom has always been excellent. This deal, thailand hotel, is further testimony of the partners' desire to further strengthen the prevailing close ties at the operating level. chinadotcom's direct investment into ZingASIA will no doubt assist in accelerating its growth and its global expansion plans,โ€ added Mr Ang



Concurrent with the signing of the Subscription Agreement, the parties also entered into a Product Sale Agreement, under which ZingASIA will acquire from chinadotcom, US$250,000 (S$435,000) worth of software and tools to enhance the functionalities and stickiness of its www.ZingASIA.com portal.



In addition, the parties,, thailand hotel, thailand hotel, have entered into an Advertising Agreement, whereby ZingASIA will allocate a part of its marketing budget to advertising on china.com portals,, thailand hotel, namely www.china.com, www.hongkong.com and www.taiwan.com at preferential, thailand hotel, rates, to enhance its presence in the Greater China markets. The advertising deal is worth in aggregate, US$200,000, thailand hotel,, thailand hotel, (S$348,000).



Chinadotcom is the holding company of CCS and a substantial shareholder of the Company, holding 10.04% of the issued capital of the Company. The total value of the transactions under the three aforesaid agreements, thailand hotel, represents more than 5% of the latest audited net tangible assets of the Company based on the audited accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 March 2000.



Accordingly, the transactions fall within the ambit of Chapter 9A of the SGX Listing Manual for which shareholders', thailand hotel, approval is required.



โ€œThe software acquired from chinadotcom will enable ZingASIA, thailand hotel, to quickly deploy common-feature functionalities which are robust, tried and tested. Our own technical team can then focus on other important functionalities which will uniquely give us the competitive edge,โ€ said Paul Chong, Executive Director & Exco Chairman, ZingASIA. โ€œThe preferential, thailand hotel, advertising rates, which ZingASIA have secured from chinadotcom will help ZingASIA acquire traffic and, thailand hotel, e-commerce, thailand hotel, sales in the Greater China markets cost effectively,โ€ added Mr Chong.



For further information, please contact Mr Ricky Ang at Tel 3939 889 or Mr, thailand hotel, Paul Chong at Tel 3939 703.





About ZingASIA



ZingASIA is an Internet-powered leisure and travel business. It offers a comprehensive one-stop information resource on leisure, travel, lifestyle and living in major Asia Pacific cities, complete with on-line travel products, including airline tickets, hotel bookings, tours and ground services.



Currently, ZingASIA covers 19 locations in the region, spanning Australia, Greater China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.



For additional information, please log on to www.ZingASIA.com





About Panpac Media.com



Panpac Media.com is one of Singapore's leading homegrown magazine and multimedia publisher. Formed in October 1994, it currently publishes over 40 magazines and periodicals in three different languages in Singapore, and Malaysia, and operates two major complementary Internet portals www.AsiaStockWatch.com and www.ZingASIA.com.



Additional information on Panpac Media.com and its products and services are available at its corporate website at www.panpacmedia.com





About chinadotcom corporation



chinadotcom, thailand hotel, corporation (NASDAQ: CHINA; Website: www.corp.china.com) is a leading integrated Internet company offering e-business solutions, portal and e-marketing services. Through its three-dimensional business model, chinadotcom provides a full range of Internet services around the world that; 1) build e-business strategies and solutions (chinadotcom e-solutions), 2) distribute content via its portal network (chinadotcom portals), and 3) sell services through online marketing (chinadotcom e-marketing).



Fuelling the growth of these three business units is a synergistic investment strategy (chinadotcom ventures) that leverages on chinadotcom's, thailand hotel, existing operational and cost infrastructure. By partnering, thailand hotel, with companies that have proven and successful track records, chinadotcom is well, thailand hotel, positioned to create long, thailand hotel, term shareholder value through its investments.



The company and its subsidiaries have offices in more than 10 markets, including Japan, Korea, Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, UK and the USA. For more information about chinadotcom corporation, please visit www.corp.china.com

Author: Pushpitha Wijesinghe


Source: articlesbase.com





Bangkok is intermingling of something old and something, thailand hotel, new, between its mega malls and endless streets full of shopping avenues lay relics and powerful reminders of the past. Thailand is referred to as a ‘land of smiles’, and its capital is its powerhouse. Bangkok beckons people from all walks of life, and wallets of varying, thailand hotel, sizes. Known to be one of the most travelled to and most desired tourist destinations, Bangkok won’t disappoint, thailand hotel, you. Of the many wonderful things to appreciate about this nation in all her unrestrained glory is their world renowned Thai silk. The origins of silk itself was set to have come from, thailand hotel, China. Empress Si Ling Chi was seated under a Mulberry tree in her garden when a silkworm cocoon fell in to her tea cup, and while she was removing it, she noticed that fine, thailand hotel, strands of silk thread that unravelled as she pulled. Silk is known to have been around for over 3,000 years. Traditional Thai silk comes from a silkworm known as Bombyx mori. It takes a Mulberry leaf meal diet of one year to form one cocoon. There are several types of, thailand hotel, Thai silk available, each of them is distinguishable by the peacock emblem on them, which ensures the consumer that they are authentic and of a high standard. The gold peacock denotes that the silk is Royal Thai Silk, made from native silkworms and hand woven, thailand hotel, . Royal Thai Silk is of the highest quality and hence the consumer will have to pay a higher price. The silver peacock means that the silk is made, thailand hotel, from specific breeds of silkworm and hand woven. The blue peacock denotes that material is made from pure silk threads but no specific mode of manufacture is defined and the material may come in many colour variances. The green peacock shows that the material is made from a mix of different threads and no specific colour is determined. The best possible place to buy Thai silk is whilst in Thailand itself. Some of, thailand hotel, the most reputed manufacturers can be found in Bangkok. Ask the advice of your hotel in, thailand hotel, Bangkok prior to your purchase. Bangkok Grand President provides some of the best Sukhumvit apartments, thailand hotel, and will be a great place to start exploring Bangkok in your search for the best Thai silk. Staying in a Bangkok serviced apartment created by this reputed hotel, will undoubtedly give you levels of service and facilities that are superlative.

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

Author: Bobby Zgonina


Source: ezinearticles.com





For tourists throughout the world, Koh Samui is one of the most preferred destinations. Based in Thailand, this island is highly renowned for its loveliness and tranquility. The best characteristics and other Koh Samui attractions are its white sandy beaches, clear waters, large coconut plantations and vibrant night life.

The locals on this island, thailand, thailand hotel, hotel,, thailand hotel, are also very friendly and so the tourists do not experience any type of problem when searching for appropriate Ko Samui accommodation. Since the availability of the Koh Samui villas, the tourists have experienced a lot of convenience due to their economical rates and relatively better services. The amenities of Ko Samui villas comprise of big rooms with lovely glimpse of the ocean, total privacy, lovely, thailand hotel, swimming pools with deck facilities, bar and restaurants offering all kinds of drinks and tasty Thai cuisines. The employees of the villas of Ko Samui are professionals and wait on the visitors with total warmth.

Villas in Samui are conveniently situated near the beaches and the market places. You can also spend time in the swimming pool, thailand hotel, or have a drink on the deck with your other half. If you are a regular traveler to Koh Samui, it is advisable to buy a villa in Ko, thailand hotel, Samui. You can also rent it out to other tourists and earn money from your investment. Samui is the best place for investing in real estate in Thailand. Thousands, thailand hotel, of visitors come to the island to enjoy the natural beauty. There are lots of hotels in Samui, but Park Samui Hotel is the best.

You are welcome to hyperlink the article along with the hyperlinked URL: Samui Hotel.

Author: Felix Burke


Source: articlesbase.com





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