A 'Siraani' OB-GYN Who Grew Up in Three Countries
– Dr. Sitthanan Thanintranon –
The mental journey of Dr. Sitthanan Thanintranon, or “Dr. Ming,” a reproductive medicine specialist at the Women’s Health Centre at BNH Hospital, stands in contrast to his physical journey. While he trekked across many corners of the world as a child, his mind eventually found inner peace. This is what gives him a deep understanding of his patients.
Life Abroad
Every school holiday, young Ming and his cousins would stay at his aunt’s house to make childcare easier and to give the children friends to play with. This is where he first encountered the profession of an obstetrician and gynaecologist, which was his aunt’s job.
“I felt being a doctor was cool back then, so I wanted to become one.”
From Grade 9 to 12, Ming received a Singaporean government scholarship to study in Singapore. This was a massive change for a boy with poor English who had never been far from his family, and who came from a country with the mantra that ‘laid-back is truly Thai’.
“I stayed in a dorm at an all-boys’ school that was quite strict. We had to stick to a precise schedule. Mealtime and study time were all disciplined and on a tight schedule. I studied with Singaporeans, but luckily, they didn’t treat me like a foreigner. They were my friends and included me in everything. I was part of the group.”
Studying in Singapore taught him to delve deeply into each subject essential for his future. He studied economics seriously from Grade 10 and enjoyed it so much that he almost changed his path to study it. He even passed the entrance exam for the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University.
“I had already passed the medical school exam, and I was still hesitating about what to study. I have to thank a professor at Thammasat because I went to talk to him, and he told me that economics is a body of knowledge, while medicine is a profession. You can study economics at any time, but if you don’t study medicine now, you won’t have the chance later. Because of that decision, I am a doctor who loves economics today.”
Ming went on to study medicine far away in the United Kingdom through a joint programme between the Faculty of Medicine at Srinakharinwirot University and Nottingham University. The first three years of his studies were in the UK, in a small town where the locals spoke with a hard-to-understand British accent. His Singaporean English was almost useless. The teaching style was also the opposite of Singapore’s strict, disciplined approach. In the UK, students needed to be self-disciplined without regulations hanging over their heads. You could go to class or not; the only requirement was that you passed the exams
“Singaporeans eat like Thais. In the UK, I rented a room in a Chinese-British friend’s house and cooked with his family. I also worked part-time as a server every Friday evening at a Thai restaurant because I missed Thai food. After my shift, they’d give me Thai food to take home.”
Medical school in the UK allowed students to see real patients from their second year, unlike in Thailand where you had to wait until your fourth year. Ming thus gained experience with foreign patients before he returned to Thailand for his fourth year at Srinakharinwirot University.
“I moved countries a lot, but coming back to Thailand was the hardest to adjust to because everything changed so drastically. The diseases we studied in the UK were not the diseases they studied here. I had to push myself a lot to adjust to the different systems. Luckily, I had good friends, so I became close with both my group from the UK and my group in Thailand.”
Even though Ming wanted to be a doctor because of his aunt, it didn’t automatically make him want to be an OB-GYN. It wasn’t until he was in medical school and saw the marvel of the female body, how it was so delicate and underwent so many changes, and how treatment involved both medication and surgery, that he became interested in this field. After he graduated, he chose to complete his medical service exclusively in the OB-GYN ward at Suan Dok Hospital and then pursued a specialisation in the field at Chiang Mai University.
“The atmosphere in Chiang Mai is great. It’s close to nature. Everything moves more slowly, even in the hospital. It’s not as chaotic as Bangkok, so I had more time to be with myself.”
While in Chiang Mai, Dr. Ming went on two medical outreach trips a year to remote areas. He slept on the floors of schools, which helped him understand and empathise with the lives of people in areas where the public health system was still inaccessible. This experience also gave him a perspective on how to provide the most appropriate care under different limitations for each patient, even for those in the city with different contexts.
During his specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology, Dr. Ming also met Professor Dr. Teera Thongsanga, a doctor who dedicated his time to patient care and research to improve patients’ quality of life. He also found time to practice Dhamma (Buddhist meditation). Dr. Ming regards this professor as his role model.
After completing his subspecialisation in reproductive medicine, Dr. Ming had intended to continue as a professor in Chiang Mai. But he decided to become a professor at Srinakharinwirot University instead because his family asked him to return to Bangkok. He then went on to work at a fertility clinic, but his desire to treat more challenging and diverse cases led him to BNH Hospital two years ago, after a junior from his university invited him to join.
“They take excellent care of patients at every level here. As soon as you walk in, they greet you with a smile. I feel like the nurses I see every day are attentive and responsive to patients. They try their best to take care of them, sometimes even going the extra mile. Of all the places I’ve worked, I feel this one takes the best care of its patients.”
Finding Peace Through Mindfulness
Chiang Mai has mountains, temples, and temples on mountains, which led Dr. Ming to become interested in meditation.
“An older friend in Chiang Mai took me to Wat Tham Pha Plong, on Chiang Dao Mountain. It’s a meditation temple. You have to walk up stairs for 20 minutes to get to the temple. It’s in the forest and has a very natural atmosphere, almost completely cut off from the outside world. There’s no phone signal, no internet, and it’s very quiet. We slept in a monk’s quarters and woke up early to chant and listen to Dhamma.”
After that, Dr. Ming tries to find an opportunity to go on a meditation retreat at least once a year. Whenever he feels very stressed but can’t get away for a retreat, he meditates, stops all activities, and just spends time quietly with himself.
His love for peace and quiet has also led him to a new activity: diving.
“It’s so quiet underwater, and you get to be with yourself. You look at your surroundings, and you see the beautiful things underwater. You’re not trying to look for anything; you’re just happy with what’s right in front of you. It’s like another world, and it feels like a meditation retreat.”
And when he doesn’t expect to find anything, what he comes across by chance is even more impressive. On his most recent trip to the Maldives, Dr. Ming encountered four whale sharks at the same time.
Dr. Ming also loves visiting museums, and he often finds opportunities to go to both local and international ones. It’s for the same reason: the sense of calm he feels in a museum. For him, walking slowly and contemplating the stories of objects, paintings, and historical evidence is like a meditative practice, focusing on the stories right in front of him.
“I love that it’s quiet, and I love walking and contemplating things. I especially love history and art museums. The one I liked most recently was the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. It had so many old and historical items, and it was huge.”
A Phone Call That Matters
Dr. Ming didn’t get to spend much time with his family growing up because he moved away to study at 14. Even though he came back every school holiday, it was only for a short time, and his parents were busy with work and had little time with him. When his family asked him to move back from Chiang Mai, even though he was ambivalent, he chose to do it for them.
Of the two children, Ming is the only one who became a doctor; his younger brother took over the family business from their parents. Because he was the only one living so far away, his parents missed him especially and called him often.
“They liked to call and nag me. I used to be annoyed by it for a while.”
But today, his maturity has taught him to understand that what he used to see as his parents’ frequent arguments was actually a form of love, and that their phone calls are incredibly valuable.
“Lately, I feel it’s good that they call. It means they’re still here, and they’re doing well. Now, it’s a small moment of happiness for me to answer my parents’ calls and know they’re alright.”
A 'Siraani' for Patients and Friends
Calm, sincere, and wholeheartedly devoted to his friends.
This is how his friends see Dr. Ming, and it’s what has made him a ‘Siraani’, a trusted confidante, where friends can turn to for advice on life’s problems without worrying about their secrets being leaked. And many times, his advice has had a positive impact on his friends’ lives.
His reputation as a good listener has also made him a doctor whom patients praise.
“I mainly listen to the patient. I let them speak first about what they’ve gone through and what their problems are. Then, I gradually assess what the main problem really is.”
For example, a patient who felt she wasn’t herself and was unhappy. After talking with her, it turned out the problem was due to perimenopause. The doctor had her try using hormones, and later, the patient felt more like her old self.
“But with menopausal patients, after talking with them, their condition might turn out to be a disease from another department, or they might have other diseases as well. We then refer them or work together with other departments to provide holistic care, including the nutrition team or the sleep department.”
This Complete Care—or comprehensive and integrated care for patients—is BNH Hospital’s policy. It aims to prevent patients from developing abnormalities in other parts of their bodies from a young age, even if they aren’t seeking treatment in that specific department. For a menopausal patient, if the OB-GYN notices an abnormality that might be related to heart disease, they can immediately coordinate with a cardiologist for a detailed diagnosis and prevent the disease from developing into a more difficult-to-treat condition.
“This kind of holistic patient care doesn’t just treat the disease. We see the patient who walks in as a human being. Besides curing their illness, they must leave feeling happy, too.”
When treating patients, the doctor will first try to follow the patient’s wishes to make them feel comfortable. But if they try it together and it doesn’t work, he has to use his persuasive skills and encouragement to get the patient to accept the treatment plan the doctor sees fit. In one case, a patient had very heavy menstrual bleeding that made her anaemic. It was eventually discovered that she had a large cyst in her uterus. But the patient was prejudiced against surgery, so the doctor had her try medication first until the cyst became smaller. The problems of heavy bleeding and frequent urination, however, remained. The last time the patient came in, she had to have two blood transfusions before the doctor successfully persuaded her to have the surgery, which resolved all her problems.
“We try to talk to patients to get them to understand as much as possible, telling them all the pros and cons. They might be unhappy sometimes, but we do our best. I want them to see the effort we put in to understand them and care for them, and for them to feel comforted after talking to us, so they don’t leave more stressed than before.”
“My value is in living for others as well as for myself. Today, my work isn’t just for me. It’s for many people. Mainly for my patients, for the nurses, for all my colleagues. And I’m happy to see that others around me do the same thing I do.”
His international experience has made Dr. Ming open to patients from different cultural and ideological backgrounds, whether they are Thai or foreign. His good listening skills and life stories also make patients feel comfortable talking to him, and making them feel at ease allows him to see the value in himself.
ทำนัดหมายแพทย์ออนไลน์ | Appointment
SITTHANAN THANINTRANON, M.D.
นพ. สิฐนันท์ ธนินทรานนท์
Speciality
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Reproductive Medicine
Board and Sub board Certification
The Medical Council of Thailand, Reproductive Medicine, Chiang Mai University
The Medical Council of Thailand, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chiang Mai University
Certificate
Gynecological Endoscopy, The Medical Council of Thailand, Thailand
Language
English
Thai
Gender
Male
Schedule
Women's Health Centre
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | - |
| Tuesday | 08:00 - 15:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:00 - 15:00 |
| Thursday | - |
| Friday | - |
| Saturday | 08:00 - 11:00 |
| Sunday | 16:00 - 19:00 |
This is the doctor's regular weekly schedule. Actual availability may vary — please confirm the available date and time when you make an appointment.