Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in Thailand Your guide to cost, top specialists & hospitals

Our partner centres have dedicated glaucoma departments with gonioscopy capability, visual field analysers, OCT for optic nerve assessment, and SLT laser systems. They offer the full range of glaucoma treatments (SLT, MIGS, trabeculectomy, and tube shunts), ensuring the recommendation you receive is based on what is best for your glaucoma, not what the centre can offer.

Our partner glaucoma specialists follow evidence-based SLT protocols. They can advise on whether SLT is appropriate as a first-line treatment, as an adjunct to drops, or as a step before considering surgical options. That contextual decision-making matters more than the laser procedure itself.

After SLT in Thailand, your treatment response needs monitoring over the following weeks at home. Our team prepares a treatment report for your home glaucoma specialist including the treatment parameters, immediate pressure response, and recommended follow-up schedule. This ensures well-managed continuity of care.

SLT lowers eye pressure by improving the eye's natural drainage. The LiGHT trial showed that many patients treated with SLT as first-line therapy remain at their target pressure without needing drops for several years. The effect often lasts several years, with around half of treatments still working at 5 years, and can be repeated.

Response varies between patients. Some achieve excellent pressure reduction from a single session. Others see a more modest response and may need drops to supplement the effect. Your glaucoma specialist will assess the response at follow-up and adjust the management plan accordingly. SLT does not damage the optic nerve or visual field; it simply lowers pressure.

SLT in Thailand typically costs between $800 and $1,450 per eye or per session. The total includes the glaucoma specialist consultation, gonioscopy examination, laser treatment, post-treatment pressure check, anti-inflammatory drops, and a follow-up appointment. Bilateral treatment in one session may be offered at a package rate.

The total covers the glaucoma specialist fee, SLT laser usage fee, topical anaesthesia, post-treatment pressure monitoring, a short course of anti-inflammatory drops, and a follow-up visit. The costs are predictable because the procedure is standardised.

Minimal variation. The main variables are whether one or both eyes are treated, and the hospital tier. 360-degree and 180-degree treatments are priced similarly. The treatment is standardised and the costs reflect the specialist fee and laser usage.

Pricing varies by the complexity and scope of the procedure. Typical ranges at our partner hospitals in Thailand:

• SLT (one eye): $800–$950. Single-session laser targeting trabecular meshwork pigment cells.
• SLT (both eyes, same session): $950–$1,200. Bilateral treatment performed back-to-back.
• Repeat SLT (retreatment): $1,100–$1,450. Second round of laser for patients whose initial response has diminished.

Exact pricing is confirmed after your consultation and treatment plan are finalised.

SLT in Thailand costs 40–60% less than in the US ($2,000–$3,200), Australia (A$1,850–A$3,050), and UK (£1,600–£2,800). The laser technology and treatment protocols are identical globally. If retreatment is needed years later, the cumulative savings from treating in Thailand are multiplied.

The main alternative to SLT is daily glaucoma eye drops, which lower eye pressure by either reducing fluid production or improving drainage. They are effective, widely prescribed, and for many people the first thing a specialist reaches for. For some patients drops alone keep pressure controlled for years.

The catch is that drops only work while you take them, exactly as prescribed, every day for life. Adherence is genuinely hard over years, and missed doses let pressure creep back up. Some people also get sore, red, or stinging eyes, and the cost and routine of refilling and instilling drops never goes away. They manage the pressure but never reduce the underlying treatment burden.

SLT is worth weighing when you would rather not depend on a daily drop routine, when drops are causing side effects or are hard to keep up with, or when you want a treatment that can lower pressure for several years from a single session. The LiGHT trial supports SLT as an effective first-line option rather than only a last resort⁵, and because it causes no structural damage it can be repeated when the effect fades, which is what the rest of this page covers. Note that we do not prescribe or supply eye drops; your ongoing medication stays with your specialist at home.

There are no flying restrictions after SLT. You can fly the same day if needed. Most patients stay 3–5 days for the consultation, treatment, and a follow-up pressure check before departure.

None. Normal activities resume immediately. There is no recovery period, no eye patching, and no physical limitations. SLT is among the least disruptive medical procedures available.

The full effect develops over 4–6 weeks. Your home glaucoma specialist will measure your pressure during this period to assess the response. If the pressure reduction is sufficient, drops may be reduced or stopped. If the reduction is insufficient, additional medical or surgical options are discussed.

SLT needs nothing more than anaesthetic eye drops. A few seconds before treatment your specialist places numbing drops on the surface of the eye, so you stay fully awake and aware throughout. There is no injection, no sedation, and no general anaesthetic. You sit at a machine much like the one used for a routine eye exam, with a contact lens resting gently on the numbed eye to focus the laser, while the ophthalmologist performs the treatment.

Because the eye is numb, you do not feel the laser itself. Most people notice only a faint sensation or a brief flash of light as each pulse is delivered, and the whole treatment takes around 10 to 15 minutes per eye. You will not see the procedure being done in any alarming way; your vision simply blurs a little from the lens and the drops, then clears within a short while afterwards.

There is no formal pre-operative work-up for anaesthesia, since topical drops carry no general anaesthetic risk. Your assessment focuses instead on the eye itself, with a gonioscopy to confirm the angle is suitable. Afterwards you may have a mild ache or a slight scratchy feeling as the drops wear off, which settles within hours and is easily managed; there is no patch and no real downtime.

Yes. SLT is a standardised laser procedure performed worldwide with identical equipment and protocols. Thailand's glaucoma centres use the same frequency-doubled Nd:YAG lasers as Western specialist centres. Our partner ophthalmologists are fellowship-trained glaucoma specialists with extensive SLT experience.

Yes. The LiGHT trial demonstrated that SLT is non-inferior to daily drops for initial glaucoma treatment, with potential advantages in drop-free status and quality of life. Many patients achieve drop-free pressure control after SLT. Whether drops can be stopped depends on your target pressure and how well you respond to the laser.

Because SLT causes no structural damage to the trabecular meshwork, it can be repeated when the effect diminishes. Many patients undergo 2–3 treatments over the course of their glaucoma management. There is no fixed limit on retreatments, making SLT a sustainable long-term option.

3–5 days. Assessment, gonioscopy, and SLT can often be completed on the same day or within 24 hours. A follow-up pressure check the next day or 2 days later confirms the early response. You are then free to fly home.

Your care coordinator schedules the consultation, treatment, and follow-up. The quote covers the specialist fee, laser treatment, post-treatment monitoring, drops, and follow-up visit. Flights and accommodation are separate.

If you need additional glaucoma assessment such as visual field testing, OCT nerve analysis, or medication review, these can all be completed during the same trip. For patients considering MIGS or surgical options, the consultation covers the full range of possibilities.