Facelift
in Thailand.
Facelift in Thailand is a 10–14 day trip: surgery with a Thai-board-certified plastic surgeon, drain and suture removal in Bangkok, then home once your surgeon clears long-haul travel. Our Bangkok team books the clinic, the surgeon, and a recovery hotel 15 minutes from your follow-ups. We've personally visited every clinic we recommend.
Last updated April 2026
“Half the US quote, proper surgeon.”
Linda H. · Seattle, US
Facelift in Thailand — about half the US price.
SMAS and deep-plane facelifts at ThPRS-certified Bangkok clinics run $5,500–$9,000 all-in; premium JCI-hospital care at Bumrungrad, BNH, or Samitivej runs $9,000–$16,000. The US national average surgeon fee alone is $11,395 per ASPS 2024 statistics, and all-in US quotes reach $20,000–$40,000. The technique and implant-grade sutures are the same — only the overheads change.
🇹🇭Thailand
$5,500–$16,000
all-in, SMAS to deep-plane
- Plastic surgeon and anaesthetist fees
- Operating theatre and overnight admission (premium tier)
- General or local-with-sedation anaesthesia
- Drains, dressings, and prophylactic antibiotics
- 1–3 post-op reviews in Bangkok (drain removal, sutures, pre-flight)
- Scar-management supplies for the first week
Other Countries
- Deep-plane premium adds 20–40% at same clinic
- Neck lift and adjunct procedures quoted separately
- No concierge or travel coordination
Is a facelift in Thailand safe?
Yes, when you choose a plastic surgeon certified by the Thai Board of Surgery and a member of ThPRS or ISAPS, operating in an accredited facility — not a cut-price cosmetic clinic.
Thailand hosts more JCI-accredited healthcare organisations than any country in Southeast Asia — the same international accreditation body behind top US hospitals. Its standards cover over 1,200 patient-safety and quality measures, re-audited every three years.
Bumrungrad International Hospital, the first hospital in Asia to earn JCI accreditation in 2002, is now on its 7th re-accreditation cycle and operates the plastic and cosmetic surgery centre where facelift surgery is performed. For facelift specifically, the surgeon's specialty credentials matter more than the clinic's branding — board certification through the Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand plus membership of ThPRS is the standard to insist on.
Nat
Co-founder, ClinicPins
1.1%
had a hematoma out of 11,300 patients — the biggest modern facelift safety study, with 0.3% infection and 1.8% any complication at all
94.4%
were happy with deep-plane results across 2,896 patients; SMAS sits at 87.8% in the same review
10.9 yrs
average gap between facelifts for deep-plane patients who came back for a second one, based on one surgeon’s 30 years of cases
Surgeon credentials that matter
Medical Council of Thailand + Thai Board of Surgery
Every doctor practising in Thailand has to hold an active Medical Council of Thailand licence. For facelift, the surgeon also needs to be certified by the Thai Board of Surgery with a plastic-surgery sub-specialty. You can confirm any surgeon's registration yourself on the public licence-check tool.
ThPRS or ISAPS membership
Senior plastic surgeons hold specialty society credentials on top of the basic medical licence: ThPRS (Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Thailand — only open to board-certified plastic surgeons) or ISAPS Active Member status. ISAPS membership requires specialty-board certification plus sponsors from existing members — peer-verified, not self-declared.
JCI-hospital privileges and facility accreditation
Premium-tier Thai facelift surgery happens inside JCI-accredited hospitals — Bumrungrad (JCI-accredited since 2002), Samitivej, BNH, Bangkok Hospital. Hospital-grade sterilisation, on-site anaesthetists, and overnight admission cover the two times when things are most likely to go wrong: the first 24 hours after surgery and the first wound check.
What the research says
The biggest modern facelift safety study — 11,300 patients — found 1.8% had any complication at all, with hematoma (a blood collection under the skin) at 1.1% and infection at 0.3%. The things that raise your risk: being male, being overweight (BMI 25 or above), and having more than one procedure done at the same time. A 2025 review of 10,766 patients across 47 studies put hematoma at 2–3% and confirmed that permanent nerve injury is rare. Bottom line: facelift is a low-risk outpatient operation in experienced hands, and hematoma is the one number worth understanding — it is not the same as "something went seriously wrong."
On how long results last and how happy patients are, a review comparing deep-plane vs SMAS puts deep-plane satisfaction at 94.4% vs SMAS at 87.8%. And one surgeon's 30 years of deep-plane cases show that when patients came back for a second facelift, the average gap was 10.9 years. If they had their first deep-plane before 53, that stretched to 12.4 years on average. Deep plane scores a bit higher on satisfaction and a bit higher on short-term complications in the combined data, which is why the right technique comes down to your anatomy, not a marketing preference.
Risks to be aware of
Facelift is a safe outpatient operation in experienced hands, but it is still surgery. The main things to watch for, in the order they come up most often: hematoma, which is a blood collection under the skin ( 1–3% in large studies, the most common thing to go wrong and the reason you stay overnight at premium-tier hospitals); temporary facial-nerve weakness (under 3%; permanent injury under 0.5% according to a recent research review); scars behind the ear that heal badly; and skin healing problems (skin-flap necrosis). Smoking is the single biggest risk you can do something about: active smokers are roughly 12.5× more likely than non-smokers to have skin that does not heal properly after surgery. No nicotine for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after is non-negotiable.
How to minimise risk:
- Choose a plastic surgeon certified by the Thai Board of Surgery and a member of ThPRS or ISAPS — not just a clinic with low pricing
- Stop all nicotine (cigarettes, vapes, patches, gum) for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery. Skin healing problems are roughly 12 times more common in active smokers
- Keep your blood pressure below 140 (top number) in the week before surgery and the 72 hours after. High blood pressure is the single biggest trigger for hematoma
- Stop aspirin, ibuprofen-type painkillers, and fish oil 10–14 days before surgery. List every supplement and herbal product with your anaesthetist
- Plan for 10–14 days in Bangkok and stay nicotine-free the whole time. The first 72 hours and the stitches check at day 7–10 are when surgeons catch problems early
Pricing
How much does a facelift in Thailand cost by country?
Select your home country
You could save $6,500–$14,000 saved
Price ranges by clinic tier
Prices based on our 2026 clinic research, cross-referenced with published Thai hospital service pages (Bumrungrad, Samitivej). Ranges are for a standard facelift; deep-plane and combined face-and-neck lifts run at the upper end or with a separate premium. All-in figures include surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre, and overnight admission where applicable.
Budget Clinics
$3,000–$5,500
Save 65–80% vs 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺🇨🇦Independent plastic-surgery clinic, ThPRS-member surgeon, day-surgery facility. Suits mini or short-scar facelifts when the surgeon has verified credentials and the case is uncomplicated. Deep plane and combined face-and-neck work rarely offered here.
- SMAS or mini facelift only
- Local anaesthesia with sedation
- Day-surgery discharge
- 1–2 post-op reviews
Mid-Range Specialty
$5,500–$9,000
Save 55–70% vs 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺🇨🇦ThPRS + ThSAPS or ISAPS-member plastic surgeon in an accredited day-surgery facility. SMAS and deep-plane techniques available; overnight observation for combined cases. Most patients in this tier.
- SMAS, deep-plane, mini, or neck lift
- General or local-with-sedation anaesthesia
- Drain and dressing protocol
- 2–3 post-op reviews in Bangkok
Premium International
$9,000–$16,000
Save 40–55% vs 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺🇨🇦JCI-accredited hospital setting — Bumrungrad, BNH, Samitivej, Bangkok Hospital. Senior ThPRS/ISAPS surgeon with academic affiliation, full anaesthesia support, overnight admission, combined face-and-neck procedures standard.
- SMAS, deep-plane, composite, face + neck
- Board-certified anaesthetist and ICU standby
- Overnight hospital admission
- Hospital-grade sterilisation and follow-up
- Published surgeon research and 12-month case portfolios
What's included — and what isn't
Typically included
- Pre-op consultation, bloodwork, and surgical planning
- Plastic surgeon and anaesthetist fees
- Operating theatre and overnight admission (premium tier)
- General or local-with-sedation anaesthesia
- Drains, dressings, prophylactic antibiotics and analgesia
- 1–3 post-op reviews (drain removal, sutures, pre-flight check)
- Scar-management supplies for the first week
Typically not included
- Deep-plane technique premium+20–40% on base SMAS price
- Combined neck lift / platysmaplasty+$1,500–$4,000
- Blepharoplasty (upper or lower)+$2,000–$4,500
- Brow lift+$2,500–$5,500
- Fat grafting for volume restoration+$1,500–$3,500
- Recovery hotel (10–14 nights)฿2,500–฿8,000 per night
- Flights, airport transfers, insurancevaries by origin
- Silicone scar gel, long-term scar review฿800–฿2,500 per tube
Your Trip
Your facelift trip to Thailand
Facelift is a 10–14 day trip. Most patients arrive on a Sunday, operate on Monday, go home from hospital on Tuesday, have drains out by day 2, sutures out around day 7–10, and fly home from day 10 onwards. Here's what each stage looks like.
Phase 1
Before you arrive
4–8 weeks out
- Send recent photos (front, three-quarter left, three-quarter right, profile both sides, neck) and a short medical history to our team on WhatsApp.
- Virtual consultation with your chosen surgeon to confirm the technique (SMAS, deep plane, mini, or combined face-and-neck) and review adjuncts like blepharoplasty or fat grafting.
- We book your surgery date, hospital or clinic admission, a 10–14 night recovery hotel within 15 minutes of the clinic, and all transfers.
- Stop all nicotine (cigarettes, vapes, patches) at least 4 weeks before surgery. Stop aspirin, NSAIDs, fish oil, and most supplements 10–14 days pre-op. Your surgeon sends a written list.
- Arrange 4 weeks off work for non-client-facing roles; 6 weeks if you are in camera-facing work. Book flexible return flights in case the surgeon extends clearance by a few days.
“We plan the whole trip around surgery day and the day-10 pre-flight check. Everything else — hotel, transfers, meals, the quiet recovery suite — works backwards from those two dates.”
Nisha
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Phase 2
Surgery day and the first night
Day 0 to Day 2
- Early admission — typically 7:00 AM at the hospital or clinic for final consent, bloodwork review, and anaesthesia workup.
- Surgery runs 2–4 hours depending on technique. General anaesthesia is standard for deep plane and combined cases; local with sedation is common for mini and short-scar.
- Overnight hospital admission at premium-tier clinics. Blood-pressure monitoring, elevated head-of-bed positioning, cold compresses applied in rotation.
- Drains removed day 1 or day 2 at the clinic. First dressings off day 2.
- Discharged to the recovery hotel on day 1 or 2 with a written plan, medications, and our concierge team on WhatsApp.
“The first 72 hours is when surgeons watch blood pressure and the drain output. Overnight admission isn't a luxury — it is where the hematoma rate gets caught to 1%.”
Nat
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Phase 3
Recovery in Bangkok
Day 3 to Day 14
Days 3–5
Peak swelling and bruising per ASPS guidance. Moderate discomfort managed with paracetamol and a short opioid taper. First follow-up at the clinic around day 3.
Days 5–7
Swelling plateaus and starts to drop. Bruising darkens before it fades. Gentle walking around the hotel. Hair washing with the surgeon's prescribed shampoo.
Days 7–10
Suture removal in two visits — pre-auricular sutures around day 7, post-auricular and any hairline staples around day 10. Bruising softens to a yellow-green haze that covers with makeup.
Days 10–14
Final pre-flight review. Surgeon clears long-haul travel from day 10 for most standard cases; combined face-and-neck lifts may need day 12 or 14. You fly home.
“Days 3 to 7 are the hardest. The recovery hotel is where you eat soft food, sleep elevated, and take the walk around the block. We check in daily. By day 10 most people feel like themselves with concealer.”
Nisha
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Phase 4
Back home: the six months that follow
Week 3 onwards
- Week 3: residual swelling softens; most casual observers no longer notice recent surgery ('social recovery').
- Week 4: light exercise permissible — walking and stationary bike. No lifting over 5 kg, no yoga inversions, no contact sport.
- Week 6: strenuous exercise cleared. Bruising resolved; swelling around 70–80% resolved.
- Month 3: facial sensation returning; numbness along the jawline may persist.
- Month 6: residual swelling fully resolved. Scars in their final phase — pink fading to white or silver over the next 6–12 months.
“The final result shows up at three to six months — not day 14. We check in at week 3, month 3, and month 6, and we keep your surgeon on WhatsApp for the whole year.”
Nat
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Recovery
Your surgery is in Bangkok. Your recovery is up to you.
Most facelift patients stay in Bangkok for the full 10–14 days — the day-3 follow-up, suture removal, and pre-flight review are all easier at one hotel 15 minutes from the clinic. Once your surgeon clears you (usually after the day-10 check), our concierge team can move you for the last few days or set up the next chapter of the trip.
Recover in Bangkok
Sukhumvit or Silom puts you 15 minutes from your clinic for every follow-up. Serviced apartments with reclined seating, 24-hour pharmacy access, soft-food delivery, and a routine that respects how swollen you feel on day 5.
Recover at the Beaches
Phuket, Krabi, or Koh Samui a 1-hour flight south once your surgeon clears you. Resort-style rest, cool sea air, a wide-brim hat that covers any residual bruising. Best once sutures are out.
Recover in the Mountains
Chiang Mai in the north is cooler than Bangkok in hot season and easier on fresh scars — less sweat, less sun. Slow pace, good food, short drives to hot-springs spa hotels that understand quiet recovery.
“We handle the logistics. Wherever you choose, we arrange accommodation, domestic flights, transport, and a pharmacy run if you need one. You focus on not bending over, not lifting, and eating your soup.”
Nat
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Options
Procedure types
Four techniques cover almost every international facelift case in Bangkok. Your surgeon chooses between them based on your midface volume, jawline descent, skin quality, and neck anatomy.
SMAS facelift (plication / SMASectomy)Most common
The workhorse technique. The surgeon lifts the skin and then works on the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) — a layer of muscle and tissue under the skin — either folding and stitching it (plication) or removing a strip and stitching it back together (SMASectomy). Good for mild to moderate midface sag and jowls. A review of 10,766 patients found 2% hematoma and 87.8% satisfaction — a reliable, well-studied baseline.
Session length
2–3 hours under general or local-with-sedation anaesthesia.
Incisions
Hidden in the temple hairline, tragus, and behind the ear.
Recovery
10–14 days in-country; back to work around 2–3 weeks.
Typical longevity
7–10 years.
$5,500–$9,000
Save 55–70% vs home“SMAS is the default for many patients in their mid-40s to mid-50s. Predictable, well-studied, and the scar pattern heals cleanly in Thai operating theatres that do this every week.”
Nat
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Deep-plane facelift
The surgeon goes deeper — underneath the SMAS layer — and releases the ligaments that hold the midface in place, then moves skin and muscle together as one piece instead of separately. A review comparing the two techniques shows higher satisfaction than SMAS (94.4% vs 87.8%) and slightly more short-term complications. One surgeon's 30 years of deep-plane cases show the average gap between a first and second facelift is about 11 years. Only senior Thai plastic surgeons at premium-tier clinics do deep-plane — it is harder to perform.
Session length
3–4 hours under general anaesthesia.
Best for
Advanced midface descent and deeper nasolabial folds.
Recovery
10–14 days in-country; swelling persists slightly longer than SMAS.
Typical longevity
12–15 years.
$7,000–$18,000
Save 45–60% vs home“Deep plane suits patients with heavier midface descent and deeper nasolabial folds. We match it to the face, not the fashion — SMAS is a different tool for a different anatomy, not a lesser one.”
Nisha
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Mini / short-scar facelift
Less work under the skin and shorter incisions — typically in front of the ear only, with nothing behind it. The biggest review of mini facelifts (739 patients) reports high satisfaction, low complication rates, and a shorter operation than a full facelift. Right for patients in their 40s with mild to moderate lower-face sagging and not much going on in the neck. The main limitation: it cannot fix a sagging neck on its own.
Session length
1.5–2.5 hours, often under local with sedation.
Scar
Shorter than full facelift; suture removal around day 7.
Recovery
7–10 days in-country.
Typical longevity
5–8 years; less than full SMAS or deep plane.
$3,000–$6,500
Save 60–75% vs home“Mini suits a specific subset: mid-40s, strong bone structure, mild jawline descent, no real neck issue. Outside that subset, a full SMAS or deep-plane technique does a better job.”
Nat
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Face + neck lift (platysmaplasty combined)
Full face-and-neck work in a single operation. Adds a small cut under the chin for platysma repair (platysmaplasty) — tightening the neck muscle down the middle — plus fat removal under the chin where needed. Combined data from 2,106 neck-lift patients shows neck-band recurrence at 1.4%, hematoma at 1.8%, and nerve damage at 0.9%. Most patients in their late 50s and 60s choose the combined operation — doing the face alone usually misses the neck problem that drove them to surgery in the first place. Patients often pair a facelift with other facial work too; the most common add-on is blepharoplasty in Thailand.
Session length
3–5 hours under general anaesthesia.
Admission
Overnight hospital admission standard.
Recovery
10–14 days in-country; combined cases may need day 12 before flying.
Scope
Addresses midface, jawline, and neck in one surgery and one recovery.
$7,500–$20,000
Save 40–60% vs home“Patients over 55 almost always need the neck done at the same time. Coming back for a separate neck lift in two years is more surgery, more recovery, more travel. Combining is the right call for most.”
Nisha
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Personalise
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What procedure are you considering?
Verified Clinics
Facelift clinics in Bangkok
Three clinics we've worked with across the tier range. Each has a plastic surgeon credentialed beyond the baseline Medical Council of Thailand licence — ThPRS and ISAPS membership, and in two cases a university professorship on top.
Bumrungrad International Hospital — Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Centre
VerifiedWattana, Bangkok
ThPRS-certified plastic surgeons, full anaesthesia team, overnight admission
Full-service JCI-accredited hospital — first in Asia to earn JCI accreditation in 2002, now on its 7th re-accreditation cycle. Runs rhytidectomy under general or local-with-sedation anaesthesia with overnight admission. Board-certified anaesthetist and ICU standby on every case.
Samitivej Plastic and Esthetic Surgery Institute
VerifiedSukhumvit, Bangkok
ThPRS + ThSAPS plastic surgeons, JCI-hospital setting
Samitivej's dedicated plastic-surgery institute lists combined face-lift and neck-lift surgery as a standard offering. JCI-accredited hospital setting, full anaesthesia team, overnight admission for combined face-and-neck cases.
Bangkok Plastic Surgery (Dr. Pichet Rodchareon)
VerifiedSukhumvit, Bangkok
ISAPS Active Member, high facial-aesthetics case volume
Dedicated plastic-surgery clinic led by an ISAPS Active Member plastic surgeon. Listed volume of over 3,000 aesthetic surgical procedures across facial, breast, and body work. ISAPS membership requires specialty-board certification plus existing-member sponsors — peer-verified, not self-declared.
Your Surgeon
How to choose your facelift surgeon
Before committing to any surgeon, ask these questions — most are happy to answer on video before you book:
Every doctor practising in Thailand has to be on the Medical Council of Thailand register. For facelift, the surgeon also needs to be board-certified through the Thai Board of Surgery with a plastic-surgery sub-specialty. Confirm the registration number yourself — before your consultation, not after.
Look for ThPRS (Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons of Thailand — only open to board-certified plastic surgeons) or ISAPS Active Member status. ISAPS requires specialty-board certification plus sponsors from existing members. These are the two specialty credentials that show a surgeon practises real facial-aesthetic surgery, not just general medicine.
Combined data shows both deep-plane and SMAS produce lasting, high-satisfaction results. An honest surgeon explains which one suits your midface, jawline, neck, and skin quality — and why — instead of pushing the same "signature" operation on every patient. If you are also considering rhinoplasty in Thailand or other facial work, ask about the right order to do them in.
Case volume is a stand-in for skill, especially with deep-plane, where ligament release and moving the tissue as one piece gets better over hundreds of cases. Ask for the annual number in the exact technique you are considering. Over 50 per year in that specific technique is appropriate for deep-plane work.
Day-10 photos look better than the final result — swelling hides scars and fills out contour. What you need to see is 6-month and 12-month photos, ideally in your specific technique and age range. Ask for front, three-quarter, and profile views. An honest surgeon sends these without hesitation and points out their own lessons learned.
Hematoma (a blood collection under the skin) is the most common facelift complication (1–3% in large studies) and the reason you stay overnight at premium-tier hospitals. A confident surgeon has written protocols for target blood pressure (typically below 140 on top), drain management, and when they take a patient back to the operating room. They can quote their own number, too.
We send you home with a written recovery plan your GP or local plastic surgeon can follow, we stay on WhatsApp, and we loop in the Bangkok surgeon directly if anything needs escalating. A confident surgeon has a written plan covering wound healing, scar revision, and the rare case where a return trip is needed.
How we verify
We ask for Medical Council of Thailand registration numbers, Thai Board of Surgery / plastic-surgery sub-specialty certificates, copies of ThPRS or ISAPS membership, and unedited 6-month and 12-month facelift case photos. If a clinic won't share these before you book, we don't recommend it.
Patient Stories
What patients say
All reviews are from verified patients who received treatment at the clinic they're reviewing. All photos shared with explicit written consent.
“US quoted $28,000 all-in for surgeon, anaesthesia, facility, and the blepharoplasty combined. Bumrungrad did the same operation with a ThPRS plastic surgeon for $12,400 with an overnight stay. Back at work at week three, nobody said 'surgery,' everyone said 'you look rested.'”
Linda H.
SMAS facelift + upper blepharoplasty, Bumrungrad
“Two Australian surgeons quoted AUD $42,000 and AUD $48,000. Samitivej did a deep plane with a combined neck lift for AUD $23,000 with hospital admission, and ClinicPins found me a recovery apartment near the hospital. Twelve days in Bangkok, worth every one.”
Margaret T.
Deep-plane facelift + neck lift, Samitivej
“Harley Street quoted £16,500 for a short-scar facelift. Bangkok Plastic Surgery did the same operation for £4,200 with an ISAPS-certified surgeon. Stitches out at day 7, flew home at day 10, back to client meetings at week three.”
Sophie R.
Mini / short-scar facelift, Bangkok Plastic Surgery
“Toronto quoted CAD $38,000 for the combined procedure. Bumrungrad did it for CAD $17,800 with two nights hospital admission and every follow-up organised. Six months on, my neck and jawline are what I remember having in my forties.”
Karen W.
Face + neck lift with platysmaplasty, Bumrungrad
All photos shared with explicit written consent. Results vary by individual.
See more results on clinic profilesResearched & written by
Nat
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Born and raised in Bangkok. Educated in the US. Personally visited every clinic we recommend.
Nisha
Co-founder, ClinicPins
Fluent in Thai and English. Bridges the gap between international patients and Thai clinics.
We are concierge coordinators, not medical professionals. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice — always consult a board-certified surgeon for personalised recommendations. Meet the team
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Mid-range ThPRS-certified Bangkok clinics charge $5,500–$9,000 all-in for a SMAS facelift, rising to $7,000–$18,000 for deep plane and $7,500–$20,000 for combined face-and-neck lifts. Premium JCI hospitals like Bumrungrad and Samitivej run at the higher end with overnight admission included. The US surgeon-fee national average alone is $11,395 per ASPS 2024 statistics, and all-in US quotes are $20,000–$40,000.
Plan 10–14 days in Bangkok. That covers surgery, overnight admission, drain removal on day 1–2, first follow-up on day 3, suture removal across day 7 and day 10, and a final pre-flight review before you fly home. Deep plane and combined face-and-neck lifts may push the check-out day to 12 or 14. Flying before day 10 is not advised — swelling peaks at day 3–5 and cabin pressure plus DVT risk on long-haul flights both argue for staying.
In the biggest modern facelift safety study — 11,300 patients — 1.8% had any complication at all, with hematoma at 1.1% and infection at 0.3%. A 2025 review of 10,766 patients confirmed similar numbers today. Those figures apply when surgery is done by a board-certified plastic surgeon in an accredited facility — exactly the ThPRS or ISAPS surgeons at JCI hospitals and accredited day-surgery clinics we recommend. Choose a surgeon, not a price.
Both lift the skin. The difference is what the surgeon does underneath. SMAS techniques fold or remove a strip of the SMAS layer and stitch it back together. Deep-plane goes underneath the SMAS, releases the ligaments that hold the midface in place, and moves skin and muscle together as one piece. Deep-plane has higher satisfaction (94.4% vs 87.8% in combined data) and a longer average gap to a second facelift (around 11 years). SMAS is faster, has shorter swelling, and is the right answer for mild to moderate sagging. Neither is "better" — they suit different faces.
Yes. Every clinic we recommend runs a video consultation first — usually 30–45 minutes on WhatsApp or Zoom. You send photos (front, three-quarter, profile, neck) and a short medical history. The surgeon confirms the technique, sets realistic expectations, and flags anything that would change the plan. Final sign-off and surgical markings happen in person the day before surgery.
Complications after discharge are uncommon — overall 1.8% rates include the short-term post-op period. We send you home with a written post-op plan your GP or local plastic surgeon can follow, including wound-care photos, medication list, and red-flag symptoms. We stay on WhatsApp for the full 12 months. If anything needs escalating, we coordinate directly with your Bangkok surgeon — most queries resolve with a photo and a reply inside 24 hours.
US, UK, Australian, Canadian, NZ, and Singapore passports are entitled to 60 days visa-exempt entry under Thailand's current exemption schedule. That comfortably covers the 10–14 day facelift trip with room to extend if your surgeon moves your flight clearance by a few days. We confirm the current rule for your passport in your trip plan.
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Related
Related treatments
Blepharoplasty
Eyelid surgery — the single most common adjunct to facelift, combined in 18% of revision cases in published series.
Learn more
Rhinoplasty
Nose reshaping — commonly paired with facelift when patients plan a broader facial refresh.
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Botox
Non-surgical wrinkle relaxation — often the maintenance layer between facelifts.
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