Beauty Link wrote this Thailand and Vietnam comparison in October 2026. We only work in Vietnam, so we are not neutral, and the page leans on what governments and medical bodies say. No doctor has reviewed it, nothing in it is medical advice, and your surgeon is the one to ask about your body.
Sources: Smartraveller
Thailand and Vietnam side by side
Smartraveller and New Zealand's SafeTravel give advice for each country. Here is what their pages said in October 2026.
| Thailand | Vietnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Smartraveller level | Exercise a high degree of caution overall, due to security and safety risks. Higher levels apply in some areas. | Exercise normal safety precautions. |
| SafeTravel level (New Zealand) | Exercise increased caution, with higher levels in some areas. | Exercise normal safety and security precautions. |
| Medical facilities | The standard varies. Private hospitals in major cities have high standards of care, and most doctors there speak English. | Uneven, and on the whole below Australian standards. Most public hospitals give poor care, worse outside the two main cities. |
| Paying for care | Before they admit you, hospitals need a deposit, proof of insurance and a valid visa. Otherwise you may pay cash up front. | Doctors and hospitals expect payment before they treat you, even in an emergency. |
| If you become very unwell | Hospitals in Bangkok and other large cities can treat serious illness and accidents. | You may need to be evacuated to Bangkok or Singapore. |
| Rain and storms | The wet season runs from May to November. | Storm season is usually June to November. |
Two notes help. Thailand's advice level is about security and safety, not surgery. The medical care rows describe each health system in general, public hospitals included. They do not rate any single private hospital. Smartraveller says to read this health advice, then research the hospital and doctor too.
Sources: Smartraveller, SafeTravel
What Smartraveller says about medical tourism in Thailand
For surgery in Thailand, Smartraveller's Thailand page says medical tourism, including cosmetic surgery, is common. It says to avoid discount and uncertified providers. Their standards can be poor, and serious complications can result.
It also says some hospitals and clinics there have refused compensation to patients who were harmed. Its general advice is to learn your legal rights in any destination. Find out if you could take legal action if things go wrong. That is worth asking in Vietnam too.
Sources: Smartraveller
Risks that apply in both countries
The risks of surgery overseas apply in Thailand and in Vietnam. The NHS says safety standards abroad may not be as high as at home. An overseas clinic may not provide follow up care.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons lists these concerns about cosmetic tourism:
- first consults are often run by staff with no medical training, who ask for money up front
- language barriers can get in the way of proper informed consent
- an infection caught overseas may be hard to identify and treat
- extensive surgery followed by a long flight raises the risk of clots
- problems that show up later are likely to be treated in Australia
Smartraveller adds that the quality of care may not be what you are used to in Australia. Some hospitals overseas may have low training standards for doctors and nurses. It also says that being young, fit and healthy does not take away the risks of a medical procedure.
Sources: NHS, Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, Smartraveller
Checking a hospital and surgeon in either country
Whatever the country, the checks are the same. You might be planning a facelift or eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty). It might be rhinoplasty, a breast augmentation or a breast lift. Or it might be a neck lift or a tummy tuck. Bangkok or Saigon, Smartraveller's checklist stays the same:
- has a local authority accredited the hospital?
- is the surgeon qualified and accredited? Many countries list this on an official website.
- do the surgeon and the hospital both carry indemnity and malpractice insurance?
- caution if the risks you are quoted sound far lower than Australian advice
The NHS suggests asking about the surgeon's training and experience: how long they have practised, and how many procedures like yours they have done. It says to have two consultations with your surgeon. Avoid meetings with sales people only.
In Vietnam, Beauty Link works only with hospitals licensed and registered with the Ministry of Health. That licence is a starting point, and your own questions still matter. For a ready made question list, see choosing a Vietnam plastic surgery hospital.
Sources: Smartraveller, NHS, Beauty Link team records
Language and support
A surgeon you cannot understand cannot explain your operation or answer your worries, which is why the NHS says to make sure you share a language.
In Thailand, Smartraveller says most doctors at private hospitals in major cities speak English. In Vietnam, Beauty Link gives English speaking support before, during and after your trip. On the Vietnam side, an advisor sits in your WhatsApp chat with the hospital and translates.
Sources: NHS, Smartraveller, Beauty Link team records
Flights, recovery and flying home
The NHS links major surgery and air travel to a higher risk of clots, which can be life threatening, and gives these general waits:
- liposuction or breast surgery: 5 to 7 days on the ground
- facial cosmetic surgery or a tummy tuck: 7 to 10 days on the ground
These are general periods from the NHS. Your surgeon will tell you which one applies to you.
If you plan a holiday around your surgery, plan your rest with care. Beaches in either country will have to wait. The NHS says going straight from surgery into a holiday is not realistic and adds to the risk. Rest means no alcohol, no sunbathing, no sightseeing and no swimming. Smartraveller also notes the rainy season in both countries can disrupt flights, so check the season before you book.
Sources: NHS, Smartraveller
Aftercare once you are home
Before you book, the NHS suggests finding out where check ups will take place and what the plan is for complications. Think about how easily you could get back to the city where you had surgery, if more surgery is needed.
Smartraveller says Medicare does not cover you overseas, and basic travel insurance rarely covers medical tourism. Look for cover that includes complications and evacuation, it says, and bring a support person. If you get breast implants, the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons suggests taking the Australian Breast Device Registry form overseas. Once the hospital has completed it, you submit it to the registry after you return.
For Vietnam patients, our advisor keeps in touch as you heal, in the country and at home, while the hospital team handles your care.
Sources: NHS, Smartraveller, Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons, Beauty Link team records
How Beauty Link fits in, if you choose Vietnam
We are a concierge and do not operate. If Vietnam wins, we help you weigh licensed cosmetic hospitals there, and we work only in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. You pay nothing; the hospital covers our fee.
We ask that hospital to write out your plan and what its quote covers. There is airport pickup in Vietnam. Andrew Lam, Co-founder, runs Beauty Link. Still weighing other places? See plastic surgery in Korea vs Vietnam, or Thailand vs Vietnam for a face lift.
Sources: Beauty Link team records
Questions
None of our sources puts one country above the other. Standards vary from hospital to hospital within each country, as Smartraveller notes. So compare the hospital, the surgeon and the aftercare plan you are offered, not only the country.
Smartraveller says medical tourism, including cosmetic surgery, is common in Thailand. It says private hospitals in major cities have high standards of care. It also warns against discount and uncertified providers, so check the hospital and surgeon you are offered.
Smartraveller says medical facilities and care in Vietnam vary in standard, and are generally below Australian standards. It is a country wide view, not a rating of any single hospital, and our partners all hold Ministry of Health licenses. For more, read whether plastic surgery in Vietnam is safe.
It should name the procedure, the surgeon, the hospital nights and every cost in the quote. Read it all before you decide. Smartraveller says to plan for the cost of fixing a complication too, and to check what your insurance covers.
Probably not by default. Medicare stops at the border, and basic travel cover rarely includes medical tourism, says Smartraveller, which points you to a specialised policy with complications and evacuation included. Read the policy before you book.
No. Our work is limited to Vietnam. It is a concierge, and clinical questions go to your surgeon.
Sources: Smartraveller, NHS, Beauty Link team records