Dr. Pong Chaing Mai Thailand

[jimmybald]

Does anyone have any information on this surgeon? His prices and website look great but I'm worried it could be to good to be true. I'm in South Korea so I am enticed by the distance and cost. Thanks for your input.

[bigcow]

Yes,it is.Most of us including myself want to find a cheaper alternative to save somer cash but problem is 99% of the time we get hacked by unknown surgeons and it ends up costing more to repair the damge caused.

if your wanting to do it in Thailand then i dont know why you just dont go to Dr.PATH,hes one of the best surgeons worldwide and his prices are reasonable for a coalition surgeon and golden follicle award 2010 winner.

most other thai surgeons have worked under him or watched him but Dr.Path has 20 years more experience than them and NOT A BAD WORD said about him only praise,what does that tell you.

i dont work for him and my views are my own ok,but i did have 1 successfull ops with him past 2 years,GOOD LUCK

[tarepanda]

i went to a local doctor for my HT, not exactly cheaper but more convenient as i don't have to travel. 6mths later, i regretted my decision.

 

we should not be restricted to cost and travel when doing HT. its gonna be a impact on our daily life.

[synz4]

Hi

 

I had my HT with Dr Pong on the 1st December 2010 for 2800 grafts. The reason why I am posting this is because I had a positive experience with him so I feel I am obligated to spread some sort of good word for him. I know this is my first post so i've put on my flame suit in case some of you reckon I work for him etc etc. I'm sure the moderators of the forum can trace my IP and see that I actually live in Sydney, Australia.

 

I am in the process of putting up my blog/photos but i've been flat out busy with work after my HT and haven't had time to get some decent photos up.

 

Nov 30th - Arrived at Chiang Mai. Checked into a nearby hotel (Furama) which cost me about $90AUD for 4 nights through expedia (there are cheaper alternatives but $90AUD for a 4 star is not bad. I walked to the clinic which took about 10 minutes to have a in-person consult with him. I had previously sent him a few photos and got a rough estimate on the no. of grafts needed but this was more of a 'sus out the place visit'. During the consult, we discussed my goals for the next HT (such as desired hairline), my proposed hairstyle and medical history etc. He showed me a photo of his previous patients which were not on his website which had similar receeded hairlines to me and what they achieved with a similar graft count to what I was getting. Whilst I was waiting, there were two ex-patients there getting their hair washed. Based on what I saw, they seemed very happy but they spoke in thai so I had no idea what they were saying. BTW, Dr Pong is pretty good at English but the techs are not as good. One of them is not bad and we talked alot during my hairwashes.

 

Dec 1st - I arrived at 8:30AM to get started. Got a HIV prick test (apparently you can get the result in 10 minutes or something), got changed and met with Dr Pong again. Went upstairs to the op room to get started. First was the anesthetic which actually didn't hurt as much as my first HT. He used a piece of ice (i think) to numb the area before injecting the needle which took some of the sting out. Next was the stitches. He used some technique (forgot the name) but apparently it was suppose to minimize the scar. The strip was extracted in the same location as my previous scar and was closed via absorble stitches and staples. I then got up to have lunch (rice + chicken + soup). The time was about noon by that time.

 

I then returned to the chair again to begin work on the receipient area. Actually I forgot whether there were more injections this time as I was a little out of it. I do remember though that there were 4 techs sitting at a table working on the grafts with microsopes, two techs working on me and the Dr himself was present for about 90% of the time. He did give me a guided tour of my grafts before work was started. By the time I was finished which was around 5PM, I was sprayed with some fluid which sounded like someone deep fried something on my head. I was given a headband and a free hat. I also had a choice of a bandana but it was not my thing. Also got a bunch of instructions and some meds (valium, tynenol (panadol if your an Aussie), madol? and some antibiotics).

 

Dec 2nd - I arrived at the clinic at 8:30 again for a checkup with Dr Pong and had a hairwash with a tech.

 

Dec 3rd - Same as above.

 

Dec 4th - Same as above but got the staples out. Flew out later that arvo to Bangkok and then to Sydney. Before I left, I also purchased a few boxes of fin off him.

 

I am now 17-18 days post op and here are my observations. Compared to my first HT, about 60% of the grafts have stayed and are growing but I think they will shed eventually. Also, the absorbable stitches have dissolved at the knot areas and for the most part, it feels fairly smooth and based on my gf who is a RN, is healing well.

 

I will get some photos up by Monday to give you and idea of what it currently looks like. I know, this thread is useless without photos.

 

Edit: He actually quoted me with 2500 but ended with 2800 for the same price.

Edited December 18, 2010 by synz4

[Blake Bloxham]

Jimmy,

 

If you're looking to stay in Thailand for your procedure, I highly recommend Dr. Pathomvanich. He's extremely respected within our community, and was recently inducted into the elite Independent Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Please, feel free to ask any additional questions. Good luck!

[RodG]

Hi synz4,

 

Thank you for providing your story to our forum. I too considered having my HT done by Doctor Pong but there was not information for me to take the chance and go thru with a procedure. I eventually went to DHT clinic which by the way costs a bit more than Doctor Pong.

 

It would be really useful to have this information posted on a weblog to encourage other members to consider Doctor Pong. It is an anxious wait to see the end results and I'm sure if you post the results that you have it will be a useful resource.

 

I am post operation 4 months after my procedure. I know that I need another one in the future to finish the job.

 

Thanks

 

Rod

[jimmybald]

synz4- Thanks for that reply.

 

I know all about Dr. Path but his prices are more than double that of Dr. Pong. I am also considering Dr. Madhu because of his competitive prices. Right now I am going to choose between Madhu and Pong. I know that Dr. Madhu is a recommended doctor here so I will probably choose him, but I really wanted to see Thailand for vacation and a surgery at the same time. I'm having surgery in Jan or Feb so I will be sure to start a blog and document the entire experience.

[tarepanda]

hi jimmy

 

if u decide to choose Dr Pong, maybe u can help to document ur progress. there are not much recommended doctors in asia.

[largechris]

Hi

 

I had my HT with Dr Pong on the 1st December 2010 for 2800 grafts. The reason why I am posting this is because I had a positive experience with him so I feel I am obligated to spread some sort of good word for him. I know this is my first post so i've put on my flame suit in case some of you reckon I work for him etc etc. I'm sure the moderators of the forum can trace my IP and see that I actually live in Sydney, Australia.

 

I am in the process of putting up my blog/photos but i've been flat out busy with work after my HT and haven't had time to get some decent photos up.

 

Nov 30th - Arrived at Chiang Mai. Checked into a nearby hotel (Furama) which cost me about $90AUD for 4 nights through expedia (there are cheaper alternatives but $90AUD for a 4 star is not bad. I walked to the clinic which took about 10 minutes to have a in-person consult with him. I had previously sent him a few photos and got a rough estimate on the no. of grafts needed but this was more of a 'sus out the place visit'. During the consult, we discussed my goals for the next HT (such as desired hairline), my proposed hairstyle and medical history etc. He showed me a photo of his previous patients which were not on his website which had similar receeded hairlines to me and what they achieved with a similar graft count to what I was getting. Whilst I was waiting, there were two ex-patients there getting their hair washed. Based on what I saw, they seemed very happy but they spoke in thai so I had no idea what they were saying. BTW, Dr Pong is pretty good at English but the techs are not as good. One of them is not bad and we talked alot during my hairwashes.

 

Dec 1st - I arrived at 8:30AM to get started. Got a HIV prick test (apparently you can get the result in 10 minutes or something), got changed and met with Dr Pong again. Went upstairs to the op room to get started. First was the anesthetic which actually didn't hurt as much as my first HT. He used a piece of ice (i think) to numb the area before injecting the needle which took some of the sting out. Next was the stitches. He used some technique (forgot the name) but apparently it was suppose to minimize the scar. The strip was extracted in the same location as my previous scar and was closed via absorble stitches and staples. I then got up to have lunch (rice + chicken + soup). The time was about noon by that time.

 

I then returned to the chair again to begin work on the receipient area. Actually I forgot whether there were more injections this time as I was a little out of it. I do remember though that there were 4 techs sitting at a table working on the grafts with microsopes, two techs working on me and the Dr himself was present for about 90% of the time. He did give me a guided tour of my grafts before work was started. By the time I was finished which was around 5PM, I was sprayed with some fluid which sounded like someone deep fried something on my head. I was given a headband and a free hat. I also had a choice of a bandana but it was not my thing. Also got a bunch of instructions and some meds (valium, tynenol (panadol if your an Aussie), madol? and some antibiotics).

 

Dec 2nd - I arrived at the clinic at 8:30 again for a checkup with Dr Pong and had a hairwash with a tech.

 

Dec 3rd - Same as above.

 

Dec 4th - Same as above but got the staples out. Flew out later that arvo to Bangkok and then to Sydney. Before I left, I also purchased a few boxes of fin off him.

 

I am now 17-18 days post op and here are my observations. Compared to my first HT, about 60% of the grafts have stayed and are growing but I think they will shed eventually. Also, the absorbable stitches have dissolved at the knot areas and for the most part, it feels fairly smooth and based on my gf who is a RN, is healing well.

 

I will get some photos up by Monday to give you and idea of what it currently looks like. I know, this thread is useless without photos.

 

Edit: He actually quoted me with 2500 but ended with 2800 for the same price.

 

No flaming from me! Your story sounds completely credible and thanks for posting, please stay on these boards and keep us updated.

 

(Seeing as you are an Aussie, yesterday us Poms were just making the next 2 tests a bit more exciting...

- Rest of the World this is about cricket please don't worry about it - )

[wb280]

U sound like a genuine patient and congratulations to u as u seem to have an uneventful surgery! Do post more pictures! Like Rod has mentioned, there are just too few cases of Dr Pong in this forum or others for that matter so it would do potential patients good if u can show case your result. Happy growing!

[synz4]

Hi Guys

 

I've updated my blog/website to include 3 week photos. I am in the process of emailing Dr Pong for photos he took right after post op. Once i get them, i'll also update my blog.

 

Hair Restoration Site for synz4

[RodG]

Hi,

 

Pretty good photos that show the status of your HT. Don't get disillusioned when the grafts fall out because it happens in the vast majority of cases. At two months it looked like I had never had a HT and it is a frustrating process to go thru.

 

I am a bit over 4 months and I am seeing results so far.

 

Good luck I hope it works out well for you and please keep us updated. I'm not sure whether I can afford to have another expensive HT and Doctor Pong might be an affordable option.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[jimmybald]

Nice blog Synz4

 

I'm started to lean towards Dr. Pong. He emailed me back promptly answering my questions. He has been exclusively practicing transplants for 10 years and has done over 1000 surgeries. His techs have all been there for around 9 years which I know is very important to the outcome. I am also between work and have an opportunity to relax in Chiang Mai for a month as I heal. Madhu or Pong that is the question.. Anyways I have to book it within the next two weeks so I will keep this updated

[wb280]

Jimmybald, i have not seen too many of Dr Pong's work but as far as i remember, i have come across a couple of examples showcasing relatively good results. However, if money is not that big a concern, i would urge u to seriously consider Dr Pat as he was just inducted into the coalition and has won the golden follicle award this year. His patients speak very highly of him and i myself give him and the team the thumbs up as well.

 

Anyway take your time to research and settle for a surgeon u really feel comfortable with!

 

Best of luck!

[tarepanda]

hi jimmy

 

if u got the opportunity, maybe u can have a face to face consulation wif him before deciding whether u r comfortable wif him doing HT for u.

 

anyway, keep us updated.

[jimmybald]

Dear fellow balding community, I am officially booked for an appointment with Dr. Pong in Chiang Mai. I just sent my deposit and I will have the surgery Jan 25th. I hope the new year brings more hair for all of us! I know that I'm taking a risk by not going to a coalition member on this board but I have gut feeling that I will have a solid outcome. I will be detailing the entire experience. It's exactly one month away and the butterflies are already churning, Wish me luck

[RodG]

Hi Jimmy,

 

I really do wish you luck and sometimes in life you just have to take a chance. HT's are very expensive and whilst the collective wisdom appears to be not to consider price for the majority of middle income wage earners it really is a consideration. The forum does appear to receive a number of posts from new members who go for a HT with Doctors who we have never heard of and they are really worried after their procedures.

 

I paid quite a bit for my HT in Bangkok and I know that I will need a second one but I cannot justify spending the equivalent amount again.

 

Please update the forum how your HT progresses and perhaps encourage Doctor Pong to post some of his results. Apparently he was trained by Doctor Pathomvanich.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[tarepanda]

hi jimmy

 

good luck for ur HT

 

rodg is right... if Dr Pong can showcase his patients results here, we will feel more assuring

 

i am staying in spore, so i am interested in the quallity of HT docs in Asia

[synz4]

I second that Dr Pong was trained under Dr Path during one point in time.

 

On another note, whilst I was at his clinic eating lunch, I was flicking through a Thai cosmetic surgery mag and there was an interview with him (had his picture). Unfortunately, I can't read thai so can't tell you what it said.

[Aibot]

Hi guys,

 

I had a HT of 2000 grafts with Dr Pong in December 2010. Dr Pong and his staff at the THC were absolute professionals. Overall I had an excellent experience in Chang Mai - a really really nice time; I'm not sure if it was because I'd finally managed time off work, (arranged the cheap international airtickets), money for HT and the ability to do it without others knowing about it...or it was the perfect weather, cheap food and friendly Thai people. I have a lot of good things to say and am just a patient that used to read this forum to make my decision so I need to give back to the forum - I have no affiliation with Dr Pong beyond that.

 

I'd prefer not upload photos of hairline progress but still I want to help others who are deciding (I can email if requested)! I feel I owe my support Dr Pong as he treated me well and his staff at the THC were great. I had a very positive experience! So rather recount my story step by step I will just reveal a few things I discovered of Dr Pong that seem unaddressed on this forum, of which I asked him on my visit:

 

- Dr Path vs Dr Pong?

Dr Pong trained under and is a close friend of Dr Path. I asked him and he said that, they are in no means in competition rather they occasionally recommend the other doctor when they are too busy. Dr Pong has a picture of him and Dr Path on the wall. Please realize Dr Path works in Bangkok and Dr Pong works in Chang Mai which is the northern region. He seemed genuinely excited talking about Dr Path's fame. Buddies!

 

- Why doesn't he promote his skills and rates on this forum?

Dr Pong seems aware of internet forums regarding hair transplants and how they could raise his status, as I mentioned Dr Path is well known on forums such as this one. However he seemed quite ambivalent to seeking out new markets online, I guessed because he has no shortage of customers (I had trouble booking a day 3 months in advance and his calender on his desk looked very full, with many western surnames). To this extent I don't think he see's a great need to reach out as he is doing really well as it is....As you can see with all the examples on the Thai Hair Clinic webpage. When discussing my hair line he tried to find a similar example with previous patients, so I got so see his windows file pages and just let me say this had many many folders of previous patients (where as the website only has around 150 examples) so a lot goes un-published on his public webpage.

 

- Why is his website so dated and old looking?

Didn't have to the guts to ask this one. I think he is just too busy to think about these things. He's probably not a net surfer type.

 

- Why he is so much cheaper but still high quality?

I couldn't answer this one clearly but I'll give it a go, this is just me speculating from research. I think it has to do with him setting his prices at domestic Thai standards rather than international HT price trends. Thailand has a lot of business and experienced surgeons in the plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery market - I suspect this is due to the high local demand (ladyboys). To this extent from what I could gather from my research of other Thai cosmetic surgeons is that they do a range of operations from plastic surgery, genital surgery as well as hair transplants. Dr Path's hospital from what I can remember had a general range of cosmetic 'products' as well. Dr Pong however only specialises in hair transplants but is still competing with these general cosmetic operation companies and their prices - so this is my first guess at why he must remain so competitive to sustains domestic customers.

My other guess is that he is located in quite a remote area (very nice area) which is not central like Bangkok...Maybe this regionality is another factor effecting his pricing.

 

However to the contrary he gets many customers domestic and international from what I could tell so he can afford to raise his prices? hmmm mystery

 

On the flipside maybe western doctors are just overpriced and charge too much because they can.

 

- My experience:

As this is first HT I planned only to have a smaller change to my hairline in case it looked unnatural or something went wrong. I had 2000 grafts performed for the front of my hairline, however he only charged me for 1500:)! I may return for another HT in 6-10 years time depending on how it recedes.

 

The operation went from 8:30am til about 1pm just after lunch. I slept half the time and basically felt no pain (except when he used ice to ease the pain on the skin of the injections). The main nurse was talkative and friendly and eased any concerns I may have had. I left the clinic smiling as I'd finally got it done. I was staying in a bed and breakfast place called The Nest which was basically next door, so I just walked back in and rested. Let me recommend The Nest if you chose to go with Dr Pong. Around $30 a night and Pam the manager picks you up at the airport...huge antique style rooms, free buffet breakfasts, free internet.

 

- It's not in American or Europe so it must be dodgy standards:mad:!

If you are worried that it's in southern asia and it's not up to first world standards, I suggest you travel a bit more and not stereotype. Dr Pong has been trained under the reknown Dr Path and personally Dr Pong has had 5 hair transplants himself from the early 1990s when the technology was not as advanced as today. He said he lost a lot of his donor hair at the back of his head was wasted (due to grafts not being cut finely etc) to this extent he seemed dedicated to having the best quality technology for his patients.

 

- Dr Path or Dr Pong which to choose?

Both seem awesome but Dr Pong is cheaper however he is the student.

 

- Can you list any weaknesses in Dr Pongs operation?

1)When in his office on consultation day he seemed to sketch the purple hair line for my new hair very quickly, and at first it was a bit too low than we'd discussed. I am a bit of a perfectionist and like to explain things in detail of how I imagine (even if I have no experience as a hair doctor), I was worried of a wall like hair line fringe. To this extent we made some irregularities in the hairline and all was fine. I suggest you have a clear idea in your mind of what type of hair line you hope to have especially if you want to lower it to possibly unnatural looking levels, as he works fast.

 

2) He seems to work too hard, and may rush the spoken consultations unless you direct the discussion. Please have specific questions ready to go.

 

3) In the correspondance emails I think they may have been a bit cut'n pasted responses rather than free written prose, to this extent I wonder how detailed the first examination of my hair line actually was. I think he saved the more accurate measurements for how many hair grafts are needed once you're in his office. Unlike his writing speak English very fast and fluently.

 

3) It was quite tricky getting flights to Chang Mai without doing stop overs at other airports. The place could take a while to get to.

 

So in conclusion I am on month in to my hair transplant don't yet know how it will turn out but can say this:

If you're on a budget choose Dr Pong.

If you live in the Asia region or Australia I suggest you choose Dr Pong.

 

I am happy to answer any questions or emailed questions but I don't often check this site now I've had the job done.

 

Thanks

[jimmybald]

Thanks for the elaborate write up. I am leaving for Chiang Mai this Sunday, so this definitely helps put my ming at ease. I will be staying in the area 9 days after surgery. Do you think that us enough time to heal in order to wear a beanie hat on the airplane back to South Korea? Thanks again

[synz4]

Chiang Mai airport is generally quiet.

 

Bangkok airport is massive but I purposely timed it so i'll be there late at night/early morning so there were very little crowds. I also stayed at the day rooms there to get some rest/check on my grafts.

 

I did have to take my hat off at the security checks but they weren't really paying attention. Not like coming back through customs in Sydney where there were massive lines and they make you take your hat off in front of everyone lol.

[synz4]

oh FYI, it should only cost you 120 baht to get to the centre and nearby hotels. pay for the taxi up front at the booths inside the airport to avoid getting ripped (there are 2 booths near the exit)

[Aibot]

Thanks for the elaborate write up. I am leaving for Chiang Mai this Sunday, so this definitely helps put my ming at ease. I will be staying in the area 9 days after surgery. Do you think that us enough time to heal in order to wear a beanie hat on the airplane back to South Korea? Thanks again

 

As long as the beenie is fairly loose, I think it would be fine to wear it even 1 day after the operation (but I only had 2000 grafts so you might need to be more careful if you receive more). Keep in mind you need to wear the post op head band for about a week to prevent swelling, so if the beenie fits over the top it should be fine. Dr Pong provided me with a bandana that I wore for 3 days after the operation (with the headband underneath). I wore it to the markets and tourist sites and looked like a surfy hippy tourist - lols - if you are opposed to this style I say bring some of your own loose caps. No one at the airport or anywhere really looked twice at my head gear (in fact I even hooked up with a girl on one of the tours who asked me out to dinner/market date - it was bizzare). I had a few cheap massages at the markets but just had to tell them not to touch my head.

 

Not that you asked but I suggest you choose the hotel wisely, get one of the ones close to the T.H.C like the ones suggested on his web page. If you haven't chosen one yet I recommend The Nest. Pam the owner speaks great English and can pick you up and return you to the airport. She said that she gets many of Dr Pongs patients staying at her hotel, she was very supportive and friendly and my room was huge and classy (all antique interiors). When I was there I didn't run into any other guests for the first 2 days. About The Nest Hotel

 

I didn't have to catch any taxis but just got tuk tuks, you show the exact location negotiate the price, if they say an amount you don't like you can just change tuk tuk before leaving. I never had to do this as they were always so cheap.

 

While you are there I also recommend you check out the Muay Thai boxing tournaments!

[bigcow]

Hi there,nice clear post from your ht experience with Dr.Pong.

Well after my 2 ops with Dr.PATH,all i can say is the truth will be told when we see your 10 month results,versus similar graft number results from Dr.PATH.

Dr.Pong and some others,YES did train with Dr.PATH yyears ago,then they opened their own clinics now to do their own thing.

All i can input really is to say,Dr.PATH trained them to do open harvest technique etc,but Dr.PATH has refined his technique over past 20 years so has it off to a fine art,and he knows exactly what does/doesnt work,also some of his techs have been with him for 10 years or more,that helps a lot also.

You can be assured that everything he does will be top notch,not saying Dr.Pong doesnt but EXPERIENCE does count and we only have a limited amount of donor to play with,and he must be cheaper for that reason.

Good luck,