What should people consider before deciding on surgery?
Patients should remind themselves that they live in reality. A perfect face does not come with a snap of the fingers. There are complications in every procedure. Expecting too much and paying less attention to the risks is not a safe bet.

Is a hospital always better for plastic surgery?
Getting the surgery in hospitals doesn’t mean you’ll get better results than in clinics. Some clinics have great standards that some hospitals can’t contend with. The strength that hospitals have is equipment and standardized facility sanitation.

How can I choose the right doctor?
There are so many plastic surgeons available now, due to public demand and the money they can make. It’s a little harder for us to be confident in Thailand because our system is more open. Any doctor can say they’re a plastic surgeon. Doctors that have actually been trained in plastic surgery are the ones certified by the Board of Surgery Association. Ask for certification and make sure it’s the right one. It should state the particular doctor was trained in plastic or cosmetic surgery, not something that sounds similar.

What other research should people do?
Asking for advice from friends who have had treatments isn’t adequate research. The best thing is to talk with your potential doctor and not let any of their persuasion or any type of commercializing affect your logical thinking. Doctors are not supposed to be salesmen and are required to answer all your questions. Good doctors won’t push you to do something that’s too risky, and not worth trying. My advice is to trust doctors that are honest enough to tell you both possible outcomes.

What do you think of so many Thais going to Korea for plastic surgery?
I can definitely say that Thai surgery was developed long before Korea. There is evidence of this and you will probably get the same answer from all Thai doctors. I think the fact that some Thais are flying to Korea for surgery is simply a trend. If they’re satisfied with the results, then that’s great. My advice is to make sure that if there’s a problem, you can also fly back to Korea and have it fixed.”