The Gastroenterologist with a Trusted Ping Pong Bat
– Dr. Suthep Wanichapol –
Starting from Competition
“I come from a Chinese family, a large extended family with multiple generations. There was a lot of competition within the family. The eldest sibling became a pharmacist, and the next one couldn’t fall behind. The second eldest became an engineer, and the next became a doctor. Once someone became a doctor, it was like a towering achievement, and so I felt compelled to become a doctor.”
“But deep down, I wanted that too.”
Driven by Chinese family values, along with his own abilities and aspirations, Dr. Suthep, the sixth child, chose to become a doctor. As a result, three out of his seven siblings followed suit and became doctors, even though their older relatives were all in commerce and none had been medical professionals before.
In the past, when university entrance exams still used the ‘Entrance System’ allowing six choices, Suthep, then only in Matthayom 5 (Year 11), was determined to take the equivalency exam and study medicine. He listed five medical faculties as his choices and was accepted into the Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, which was only in its fourth year of teaching. He then pursued Internal Medicine at Chulalongkorn Hospital because he wanted to be able to care for patients as broadly as possible.
“Then I became interested in gastroenterology because it involved coordinating with other medical specialists. The work didn’t just end with me. I applied to be a sub-specialty resident in gastroenterology at the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, back when the department wasn’t very well-known. There were three applicants for four positions, but when it came to the actual interview, only two of us remained. The professors were upfront, saying they weren’t sure if we could manage because the workload was heavy, and there were only two of us.”
“And whilst the work at Siriraj was truly demanding, it offered so much that was incredibly worthwhile.”
A Doctor's Voice
BNH Hospital became Dr. Suthep’s first workplace after completing his specialisation, and it will likely be his last. He has been here for nearly 20 years, commuting to work by train, living a simple daily life. One can’t help but wonder if this is the life of a former two-term President of the Medical Organisation.
“It’s something I’m proud of, to have been elected. Once I took on this role, I had to be aware of other people’s problems, not just my own. Sometimes I could solve them, sometimes I couldn’t. Sometimes I had to rely on other senior doctors for consultation to help me resolve issues.”
The role of the President of the Medical Organisation in a hospital is to oversee doctors, ensuring they adhere to proper conduct, can perform their duties correctly and appropriately, and prevent problems that could escalate to an organisational level. It also involves taking directives from the administration to improve efficiency in patient services. Simply put, it’s about looking after the doctors so that they, in turn, can provide better care to patients.
“I feel like this place is our home. I’m happy here. It’s not a case of everyone keeping to themselves. I don’t have a rigid professional persona, so I know quite a lot of staff, whether they are porters, pharmacists, or assistants. Knowing many people means I receive advice or assistance on matters beyond just medical issues.”
Dr. Suthep attributed his effective tenure as President of the Medical Organisation to these reasons. If you experience quick service at BNH Hospital, even when it involves coordination across departments, that is a legacy from the era when Dr. Suthep was President of the Medical Organisation, before the baton was passed to another senior doctor upon the completion of his term.
“The real major problem was the administrative process. For every issue, I had to push for systemic solutions. If you try to fix individual people, it’s not stable. For example, patient admissions: admitting one patient was difficult, requiring many steps to verify. All order forms had to be complete, this and that. When new computer systems came in, they affected certain procedures and slowed things down. If the system wasn’t good for patients, treatment would be slow. What could we do to ensure patients received medication immediately? So, we started tracking metrics: how many minutes it takes for a patient to reach a doctor, or from the moment a patient has a problem until a staff member reaches them, it must not exceed one minute. We had figures to measure and see how to make processes faster, looking at the overall picture.”
His subsequent source of pride was receiving the ‘Good Doctor’ award, based on his abilities and selection by both doctors and patients. Regarding the patient aspect, Dr. Suthep noted that a key strength in his work is listening to the patient’s voice.
A Patient's Voice
“You have to listen to patients a lot. You have to answer questions that resonate with them. Each patient’s goals are different. Some might just want a diagnosis, but others need to know in-depth details about the treatment, potential complications, or where further diagnosis is needed. My patients must receive sufficient relevant information and be able to relay it to their relatives in simple terms. They should be able to use it to their benefit and prevent family members from getting the same disease they have. I care for their families too; if I can’t personally care for them, I must provide them with guidance.”
“Both body language and verbal communication must be welcoming, making patients feel that I am a place where they can vent or talk freely. This allows me to gather complete information, including certain personal histories they are willing to disclose. If we focus on open-ended questions, it will be excellent. They will see that I am open to them revealing what triggered their problems, which is beneficial for diagnosis. Various body language cues are also important. We will talk with smiles.”
The doctor’s attentiveness is such that patients say he is easy to reach. Those close to him also say Dr. Suthep is always available; if he’s not at home, he’s at the hospital – just those two places. This doesn’t mean the doctor lacks a personal life, but whenever he can spare time, answering messages from patients abroad or helping examine sick relatives has become one of his regular routines.
Many of the cases the doctor has cared for have led to close relationships, eventually extending care to entire families. This comes from providing complete care advice, ensuring relatives are informed and involved in the patient’s treatment, which leads to trust in the doctor to care for other family members. Sometimes, patients even bring family members just for Dr. Suthep to refer them to a suitable specialist.
“I might have become a ‘Family Doctor’. I’m the one who helps direct patients to the right specialist if it’s not within our specific field. But if they follow up with me and I’m available, I’ll talk to them.”
Ping Pong for Meditation
Although medical work rarely allows for stillness, Dr. Suthep actually enjoys quiet solitude. If he has time, he can simply be still for five to six hours without getting bored. Beyond that, the only hobby the doctor has consistently pursued is ping pong.
“Watching the ball is a form of meditation. Playing is for concentration, focusing on what I’m good at. In fact, I’m a member of an amateur ping pong association, but I don’t compete seriously. At the hospital, there are other senior doctors who play ping pong too – a cardiologist and a dentist. I also play with national team athletes.”
“After playing ping pong, I feel refreshed the next day. I don’t have to sit and think about what tomorrow will bring, or if there will be another difficult case. Just finding time to release or relax after being tired from work makes the job better. Some problems can’t be resolved in that moment, but playing ping pong helps me not worry about them, giving my mind a break. It’s beneficial both physically and mentally.”
A Doctor's Family
It is said that if someone in the family is a doctor, their children will follow suit.
In Dr. Suthep’s own family, this seems to hold true. From his generation onwards, competition narrowed his options to only becoming a doctor, with his elder sister serving as a significant idol.
“My eldest sister, the pharmacist, worked incredibly hard, took care of her younger siblings, and was a leader, doing everything, even putting her siblings through school. Then my other sister, the first doctor in the family, saw her efforts and followed suit. Personally, I looked up to both of my sisters as idols, but I also pushed myself to climb as high as possible.”
Dr. Suthep’s wife is also a doctor, so their children grew up in an environment with doctors as role models, leading their eldest child to also study medicine, becoming another doctor in the family. Dr. Suthep himself had no expectations or tried to guide them in that direction.
“I think I’m a father who isn’t strict and doesn’t dictate anything. Mostly, I give them freedom. Whatever they want to do, I let them. If they want to learn piano, I let them. When they get bored, they switch to something else. I let them find their own path. I’m more of a father who supports them.”
“What I enjoy doing with my children is playing board games. In the past, there was ‘snakes and ladders’, but nowadays there are so many board games, so diverse that my children have to teach me how to play.”
Dr. Suthep’s life is dedicated to listening to others to find the best solutions, which has led to important roles that both doctors and patients recognise and reward. But the doctor also manages his time as someone who needs to listen to his family and to himself, following his belief that one must make the most of today. And today, for the doctor, is a perfect blend of hospital, home, and his inner self.
“Today is the immediate present, and this will be the outcome in the future. If we don’t do well now, the future definitely won’t be good. So, do your best, and if possible, try not to give up. If it doesn’t work out today, it might in the future. It’s like the ‘Good Doctor’ award; I didn’t know which year I’d get it, or if I’d even get it at all. But I just do my best every day. We give to others, but we also address our own happiness.”
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SUTHEP WANICHAPOL, M.D.
นพ. สุเทพ วนิชผล
Speciality
Internal Medicine
Family Medicine
Gastroenterology
Clinical Interest
Gastrointestinal and Hepatopathology
Internal Medicine
Education
Medical Degree, Fellowship Program in Gastroenterology, Mahidol University, Thailand
Medical Degree, Doctor of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand
Board and Sub board Certification
Thai Medical Council, Gastroenterology, Mahidol University
Thai Medical Council, Family Medicine
Thai Medical Council, Internal Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
Certificate
BEST PRACTICE IN UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING, World Gastroenterology Organisation, Thailand
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Pancreatic Interest Group, Thailand
BDMS Bylaws, BDMS, Thailand
Code of behavior (ENG), BDMS, Thailand
Code of behavior (TH), BDMS, Thailand
Language
English
Thai
Gender
Male
Schedule
Digestive Care Centre
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Saturday | - |
| Sunday | 08:00 - 13:00 |
This is the doctor's regular weekly schedule. Actual availability may vary — please confirm the available date and time when you make an appointment.