Knee replacement · Thailand
Knee replacement in Thailand: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
We found 1 published price for a knee replacement in Thailand, from ฿220,000, or about £4,880 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £16,910 at the providers we checked.
- Published price
- ฿220,000about £4,880 · about €5,820 · about C$9,120 · about $6,520
- Price is for
- one primary total knee replacement on one side, with the implant and hospital stay. Partial knees and fees without the implant are shown but not compared
- Where
- Khon Kaen
- Providers
- 1 (Ratchaphruek Hospital)
- Time there
- About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule
- NHS England wait
- 61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics) (August 2026)
Published knee replacement prices in Thailand
Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ratchaphruek HospitalKhon Kaen | ฿220,000about £4,880 · €5,820 · C$9,120 · $6,520 | Total Knee Replacement Package, one kneeIncludes physiotherapy with the rehabilitation team (Thai product line). Excludes prior diagnostic procedures. Self-pay only. Both knees 350,000 THB. Implant and length of stay not stated. Valid 1 March to 31 December 2026. | Ratchaphruek Hospitalread 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Some Bangkok hospitals publish lower package prices that are only for Thai nationals and foreigners living in Thailand. MedPark Hospital's colonoscopy package, for example, says “The price is exclusively for Thai nationals and expatriates residing in Thailand” (MedPark). We leave such prices out. The Bumrungrad surgical prices here come from a 2025 sheet hosted by an insurer, so ask the hospital for its current price.
Compared with waiting or paying at home
The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the Thailand price converted to that currency. The Thailand figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home | Here, converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 61.1% within 18 weeks (all orthopaedics)England, August 2026 | £16,910 | £4,880before flights and hotel |
| Canada | Median 146 days; 1 in 10 waited over 361 daysCanada (national), 2025 | Not verified | C$9,120before flights and hotel |
| Ireland | About 35% waiting over 6 months (all orthopaedic surgery)Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026 | Not verified | €5,820before flights and hotel |
| US | No national figure | $29,1002021 hospital data or a dental school | $6,520before flights and hotel |
Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for Thailand next to your wait and your price at home.
How it works for a visitor
- Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the knee replacement and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goSend recent X-rays and a list of your medicines, and ask for a written, itemised quote with the implant named.
- Before you goArrange physiotherapy at home for after you return before you book.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers planned surgery abroad and a delayed flight home. Most standard policies do not.
- LanguageThai; the large Bangkok private hospitals work in English and many other languages.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- After you returnGive your GP and physiotherapist the operation note with the implant details.
- After you returnA hot, swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness after the flight need emergency care straight away.
Can your public system pay for it?
NHS and HSE schemes do not reach Thailand. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Treatment in Thailand is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.
When not to travel for a knee replacement
- Anyone whose home surgeon has not confirmed that a knee replacement is the right operation.
- Serious heart or lung disease, or a recent blood clot, unless the hospital’s anaesthetist has reviewed you in advance.
- Anyone who cannot keep up daily exercises after surgery or has no help at home.
How to compare knee replacement quotes
A total knee replacement resurfaces the worn ends of the thigh and shin bones with metal and plastic parts, usually for arthritis pain. Recovery takes weeks of daily exercises, and some stiffness is common at first. A partial (one-compartment) knee replacement is a smaller operation with a different price, so compare like with like.
- Check whether the price is for a total or a partial knee, and whether the implant is included.
- Ask for the implant make and model in writing, and how many nights in hospital and physiotherapy sessions are included.
- Robot-assisted surgery usually costs more. Ask what it adds in your case.
- Ask when you can fly and how blood clots are prevented during the trip home.
Providers on this page
We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.
- Ratchaphruek Hospital, Khon Kaen: ฿220,000
Related comparisons
- Knee replacement abroad: all 5 countries compared
- Knee replacement in Mexico
- Knee replacement in Turkey
- Knee replacement in Poland
- Knee replacement in Hungary
- MRI scan in Thailand
- Colonoscopy in Thailand
- Health check-up in Thailand
- Cataract surgery in Thailand
- Laser eye surgery in Thailand
- Dental implant in Thailand
- Veneers in Thailand
- Hip replacement in Thailand
- IVF in Thailand
- Treatment in Thailand: every procedure
- Wait or Fly home: the calculator
Knee replacement in Thailand: questions
How much does a knee replacement cost in Thailand?
The published prices we found range from ฿220,000, about £4,880 or $6,520. They come from Ratchaphruek Hospital. Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.
Is a knee replacement in Thailand cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Before travel, the prices here work out at about £4,880, against about £16,910 at the UK providers we checked. Add a return flight and 10 nights in a hotel before deciding; the calculator on the home page does the sum.
Will the NHS or HSE pay for a knee replacement in Thailand?
No. The NHS S2 route and the HSE schemes cover planned treatment in Europe only. Thailand is outside them, so you pay yourself or through a private insurer that agrees in advance.
How many days should I plan in Thailand?
About 10 to 14 days in many cases: 2 to 4 nights in hospital, then physiotherapy near the clinic until the surgeon says you can fly. Ask for the clinic’s own rule. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.
What should I check before booking a knee replacement in Thailand?
Check whether the price is for a total or a partial knee, and whether the implant is included. Ask for the implant make and model in writing, and how many nights in hospital and physiotherapy sessions are included.
Sources
- Total Knee Replacement Package. Ratchaphruek Hospital, Khon Kaen. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Colonoscopy package. MedPark Hospital, Bangkok. Read 26 October 2026.
- Bumrungrad International Hospital: top surgical packages 2025 (sheet hosted by FWD Insurance Thailand). Bumrungrad International Hospital, via FWD Insurance, 2025. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.