British woman dies at Thai cosmetic surgery clinic

BANGKOK

 A Thai cosmetic surgeon was charged Friday with recklessness causing the death of a British patient, local media reported.

The 24-year-old woman visited the clinic in Bangkok to have buttock implants removed died during the operation Thursday night.

Sompob Saensiri, the surgeon and owner of the SP clinic, denies the charge, insisting he strictly followed appropriate medical procedures, the Bangkok Post newspaper said.

He faces a maximum jail sentence of ten years and a $620 fine.

Police Colonel Chaliang Inthip told the newspaper the patient, whose name was withheld until her family have been notified, failed to recover from an intravenous anesthetic.

The doctor said he tried to save the woman’s life after realizing she had not regained consciousness.

The body has been transferred to the Institute of Forensic Science so a cause of death can be determined.

Thai health authorities have closed the clinic for 60 days pending further investigation. Police said the SP clinic has a licence for cosmetic surgery but was operating at night, which is illegal.

In the last 15 years, Thailand has become a hub for foreigners wanting to undergo low-cost cosmetic surgery. People travel from across the globe to a country where doctors are generally well qualified but costs are a fraction of what they are in the West.

While Thailand’s government-regulated hospitals are recognized as delivering world-class services, the thousands of clinics at every corner of the capital, which cater to everything from in-vitro fertilization to sex-change operations, are almost totally unregulated.

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