frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions Thai clinic owners and international patient managers actually ask me.

Why not just use the booking platforms? They cost nothing until a patient books.

True, and after that they cost more than anything else on this page. Commission rates across the industry are reported in the range of 7.5 to 30 per cent of the package price, or flat fees of US$1,500 to 5,000 per patient. I state those as ranges because the platforms mostly do not publish their rates, which tells you something in itself. Run the arithmetic on one procedure: a US$10,000 All-on-4 arch at 15 per cent is US$1,500 for that single patient. Four or five platform-acquired patients a month is the equivalent of US$6,000 to 7,500 a month (A$9,000 to 11,300), forever. Add the pricing-parity obligations some platforms impose, the fact that the reviews and rankings accrue to the platform's domain, and the reality that your profile sits beside hundreds of competitors on the same page, and the free channel turns out to be the dearest one. Every commission also funds the platform's own visibility, so you are paying to strengthen an asset you will never own.

Why hire an Australian rather than a Bangkok agency?

For Thai-market work, hire a Bangkok agency, sincerely. They are on the ground, bilingual and better at reaching Thai patients than I will ever be. But for Australian patients, on the ground means Australia. The work is knowing what Australians type into Google at 11pm, what scares them about overseas treatment, which registers and trust signals they check, and how they weigh a Thai clinic against staying home. That knowledge does not exist in the Bangkok agency market, and the landscape research behind this business confirmed it: nobody there sells Australian-source-market specialisation.

Are you cheaper or dearer than a Bangkok agency?

Honestly, about the same, once you compare like with like. Serious English-market work in Bangkok already runs at roughly A$3,400 to 8,500 a month, and my retainers sit inside that band. I am far below the dedicated international patient acquisition specialists, whose pricing starts around US$15,000 a month. So the difference is not the price. It is that within the same band you are buying the actual specialty rather than a generalist's English-language service line.

How does measurement work across borders?

Everything is tracked in accounts your clinic owns: your analytics, your advertising accounts, your enquiry forms and WhatsApp tracking. I report monthly against qualified Australian enquiries and, where you share it, booked patients. Distance changes nothing about the data, because the data never lives with me. You can audit every figure yourself, or have your accountant or another agency audit it, at any time.

What currency do you invoice in, and what are the terms?

Invoices are issued in USD, with AUD shown alongside for reference, and prices are ex GST where GST applies. Payment is by international transfer or card. Terms are stated plainly in the proposal and the agreement before anything starts, so there are no surprises at invoice time.

How do time zones and communication work?

Async-first and written by default. I work from Sydney, my afternoon overlaps Thai business hours, and same-day written replies are the norm. Calls happen when they are genuinely useful, with evening slots on Thailand time available by arrangement. Everything decided on a call is confirmed in writing afterwards, which protects both of us.

Do you guarantee a number of patients?

No, and nobody honestly can. Search rankings, advertising results and enquiry volumes depend on platforms neither of us controls, on competitors, and on decisions patients make for their own reasons. Anyone guaranteeing patient numbers is either hiding the conditions in fine print or planning to hit the number in ways you would not approve of. What I offer instead is structural: fixed scope, measurement you own and can audit, an optional performance element that ties part of my fee to qualified enquiries, and no lock-in, which means I have to earn every month I invoice.

Is there a lock-in?

No. The Launchpad is a fixed 90-day sprint paid as a one-off. Retainers run month to month. If you stop, everything built stays with you, because it was built in your accounts from the start.

Who actually does the work?

I do. MediSiam is one person, Brendan Barnhill, by design. No juniors, no outsourced writing, no account management layer. The trade-off is limited capacity, and I would rather decline work than quietly subcontract it.

Does MediSiam take commissions on patients?

Never, and this is the clearest difference between me and the platform model. A per-patient commission would make me a facilitator with an incentive to push volume and high-value procedures regardless of fit, and it would tax every future patient you treat. Even my optional performance element is deliberately not a commission: it is a flat fee per qualified enquiry, capped at 30 per cent of the retainer, and never a percentage of treatment value. My job is to build a channel you own. When it works, the value of every additional patient belongs to your clinic, not to me.

Start with evidence, not a pitch

The free Australia Visibility Report shows you what Australian patients actually see when they look for your clinic, in writing, before you spend anything. Request yours here.