Seoul or Bangkok?: What Singaporeans Should Know About Getting Aesthetic Treatments Overseas

There has been growing online discussion in recent years about whether it’s worth flying to Seoul or Bangkok for aesthetic treatments. From forum discussions to documentaries, more Singaporeans are sharing their experiences with aesthetic treatments overseas.

It’s not difficult to see the appeal. With the Singapore dollar punching well above its weight against other Asian currencies, getting aesthetic treatment overseas can feel like a great bargain. Add in a mini holiday, and it’s easy to see why aesthetic tourism has become such a trend among Singaporeans.

After a decade in the aesthetics field and after treating a growing number of patients who’ve had to fix unsatisfactory work done overseas, I think it’s time for an honest, doctor’s opinion at what “cheaper” really costs.

You might have noticed that I haven’t included Johor Bahru in the conversation. If you have never been to JB for aesthetic treatments, you might be surprised to learn that prices in JB are often not significantly cheaper than clinics in Singapore. Because Singaporeans are the primary target clientele for many of the aesthetic clinics in JB, prices tend to be matched to rates in Singapore. In fact, we have quite a number of Malaysian patients residing in Singapore who are regulars at our clinic instead of getting treatments back home due to the lack of significant cost differences.

So let’s talk about Seoul and Bangkok, the two popular medical tourism spots for aesthetic treatments in Asia. Both have earned their reputations for good reason. Korea is a genuine pioneer in aesthetic innovation, especially for skin boosters. Thailand, is a close second, being home to near 10,000 aesthetic clinics as of 2026. It’s precisely because so many patients are drawn in by this reputation, that it’s worth understanding how that scale and demand actually plays out on the ground — because it isn’t always in the patient’s favour.

In many of the popular tourist clinics in Seoul and BKK, the business model is built around volume. Patients are scheduled back to back, with multiple treatments stacked in a single visit. A single sitting can consist of 6 of more treatments: laser, filler, HIFU, BTX, skin booster and LDM all in a day to fit the tourist’s limited schedule.

From a clinical standpoint, this raises some red flags. Combining multiple energy based or injectable treatments in one sitting increases the risk of compounded downtime and unpredictable interactions between treatments. Should any adverse reactions happen, it also becomes much harder to identify which treatment is responsible for it.

Such volume driven modus operandi has knock-on effects. Based on accounts by patients who’ve had treatments in popular tourist clinics, doctors often move quickly from room to room during treatments. The process tends to feel rushed through with little time for conversation, let alone tailoring the treatment to their specific anatomy, concerns and goals.

It’s also worth remembering: non-invasive doesn’t mean risk-free. A laser or energy-based device set incorrectly for your skin type can cause burns, scarring, or worsened pigmentation — problems that are far harder to reverse than they were to cause. Your medical history, drug allergies, lifestyle habits and skin sensitivities need to be discussed properly before any device touches your skin, not rushed through as a formality.

Follow up matters just as much. Certain treatments like fillers and BTX are not “one and done”. To avoid an overdone look, especially for first time patients whose response to these injectables we don’t yet know, I typically start conservative and schedule a review 1-2 weeks post-treatment for any potential touch ups. The effect of these treatments takes some time to show and isn’t always apparent right after treatment. If your doctor is based overseas and something settles slightly asymmetrically or if the results isn’t quite what you intended, travelling again just for a touch up may not be a realistic option for many.

From time to time, when a patient returns from an unsatisfactory filler treatment overseas with uneven or overfilled areas, they come to us specifically to have it dissolved and redone. While we are happy to take these cases on, correcting someone else’s work is actually more complex than doing it right the first time, especially when we do not have the original treatment records and exact dosage used.

Whereas aesthetic clinics in Singapore tend to err on the conservative side, Korea and Thailand’s aesthetic industry tend to be more trend-driven, which is part of what makes it exciting and innovative for many. However, the latest viral treatments might not always be the most appropriate for a patient. Sometimes the latest, in-trend treatments that has yet to be supported by conclusive studies are aggressively pushed out to consumers as clinics vie to obtain a first mover advantage.

Personally, my view is that aesthetic doctors are first and foremost, medical practitioners. Putting safety at the forefront when recommending treatments, should be the most important criterion. Secondly, aesthetic treatments should not be a one-size-fits-all approach and recommended to patients simply based on what’s in-trend, but rather, with respect to an individual’s aesthetic concerns, unique facial anatomy and skin type.

Most clinics catering to foreigners do provide translators, and many are no doubt competent. But nuance matters enormously in medical consultations and this can get flattened in fast, transactional interpretation. When medical history and treatment information are relayed through a third party under time pressure, important details can slip through the cracks.

Korea has built a genuinely booming medical tourism industry around aesthetics, drawing patients from across Asia with heavy marketing around “star doctors” and the newest trending procedures. But there’s a darker side that’s been reported on extensively by international media: the practice of so called “ghost” or “shadow” doctors.

Here’s how it can happen. A clinic markets a well-known, in-demand doctor to attract patients. But that one doctor cannot realistically perform every procedure booked under their name due to the demand. So once a patient is sedated, the marketed doctor may step out to consult with other patients, while a more junior, less experienced (and cheaper) doctor actually performs the procedure. Because sedation in Korea does not require a specialist anaesthetist the way it does in Singapore, many clinics are able to offer it more freely, which unfortunately also makes this kind of substitution easier to carry out without the patient’s knowledge.

This isn’t a fringe concern. It became such a significant public issue that South Korea’s National Assembly passed a law mandating CCTV cameras in operating rooms for patients undergoing procedures under general anaesthesia, following years of advocacy from grieving families of victims and patient rights groups. The requirement took effect from 2023, and has continued to evolve since, with additional recordkeeping requirements introduced more recently to track exactly which medical personnel are involved in each procedure. Tellingly, the Korean Medical Association itself has acknowledged that clinics substituting unlicensed or junior staff for the marketed doctor is a documented practice —it’s precisely why the law exists in the first place.

A recent investigative documentary by 60 Minutes Australia shed insights into Thailand’s booming aesthetic industry. The documentary follows several cases of severely botched procedures and highlighted how difficult it can be for foreign patients to seek remedy or compensation for procedures gone wrong afterward.

The lack of action by authorities can come as a rude shock to Singaporeans, who are used to local authorities taking swift action against reports of errant doctors. Clinics in Singapore are governed by stringent regulations from the Ministry of Health and Health Sciences Authority even down to how a clinic words its advertisements. Other countries in contrast, have regulations that are considerably more lax.

For example, IV sedation that is popularly offered in Korean aesthetic clinics, are not generally offered in Singapore as it can only be administered by a specialist doctor i.e. a board certified anaesthetist. In Korea, there is no such requirement and only approximately 3% of beauty clinics in Korea reportedly has a professional anaesthesiologist at their practice. Procedures offered in the market are also less regulated. Certain procedures that are popular in Thailand, such as vampire facials and whitening IV drips are in fact prohibited in Singapore due to their potential risks.

While SG’s stricter regulations are not a guarantee against botched procedures, there are established channels and avenues for seeking recourse in Singapore in the event something goes wrong, whereas options for seeking recourse overseas may be limited, slow and costly to pursue across borders. Cost and skill are usually top considerations while recourse is not a factor people tend to consider when seeking out beauty treatments. However, having proper avenues for recourse makes a world of difference when patients find themselves stuck in such a sticky situation.

None of this is meant to scare you away from Korea, Thailand or any destination. I want to be clear this isn’t an indictment of Korean or Thai clinics as a whole. Korea has some of the most innovative aesthetic doctors and my intention here is simply to flag the specific risks that have been documented so you know what to watch out for, and how to ask the right questions so that patients can make a more informed choice.

Here are a few practical safeguards I would advise Singaporeans who are seeking treatment overseas:

• Ask for the name of the doctor who will actually be performing your treatment. Confirm it in writing if possible and be wary of vague answers.
• Be cautious of rushed consultations under 10 minutes and ensure the doctor takes time to address your concerns before agreeing to treatments.
• If you are getting sedation, make it known prior to treatment that you would like a copy of the CCTV footage of the procedure to be shared to you after the treatment. Clinics in Korea are obliged to provide this upon request.
• Research whether the treatment you are getting requires follow-up and factor that into your decision.
• Research the clinic’s digital presence and reviews. Check if there are locals who go to these clinics or whether the entire target audience are foreigners (if locals don’t actually go there, find out why).

With aesthetic treatments marketed as quick and non-invasive, people sometimes forget that ultimately, these beauty treatments are still a medical procedure. A good outcome starts from an accurate diagnosis, honest assessment of what is suited for you and a clear discussion of the goals and expected outcomes. Depending on the concerns, this sometimes involves a plan for follow-up care.

Wherever you choose to have your aesthetic treatments done, never be afraid to ask questions and understand what exactly you are agreeing to. Most importantly, looking good should never come at the expense of safety.