– Dr. Suntchai Wirotsaengthong –
The surgeon's scalpel, friendship, and drumsticks are the key elements that bring happiness to Dr. Suntchai Wirotsaengthong, the only doctor in Thailand capable of using two innovative techniques to treat enlarged prostate.
In medical circles, Dr. Suntchai Wirotsaengthong, a Urologist at BNH Hospital, is known as the only doctor in Thailand who can offer patients two advanced options for enlarged prostate treatment: steam therapy and internal prostate remodelling. However, the vibrancy of his life’s journey also includes stories of friendship and music, which have shaped him into a happy physician ready to share his joy with those around him.
The Goal of an Amenable Soul
Suntchai was the youngest son in a family-owned furniture manufacturing business. He was a late-born child who grew up surrounded by the love and care of his parents and siblings, who were decades older than him. He was also the last one to carry the expectations of his father.
“I was an amenable person; I’d do whatever I was told. My father told me every day since I was a child to become a doctor. So, when people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say ‘a doctor’. And when they asked ‘why?’, I couldn’t answer. It was because my father had programmed me from a young age, so I grew up to be a doctor.”
And so, Suntchai set his life’s goal to become a doctor. He studied hard, took extra classes for the medical entrance exam, and incredibly, passed it whilst still in Year 11 (Mathayom 5), defying the expectations and feelings of those around him.
“When I passed the exam, everyone couldn’t believe it because I took it in Year 11. Even I didn’t think I would pass because it was so difficult. But at that time, I was under pressure to succeed; if I didn’t, I’d have nothing. I had already committed fully.”
“I didn’t even complete Year 11 at Bangkok Christian College.”
Whether it was through drive, clear goals, or sheer desperation, Suntchai, who had an ‘incomplete’ on his school transcript and thus didn’t formally finish Year 11, managed to pass the external equivalency exam for Year 12 (Mathayom 6) and was admitted to the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. This marked two major turning points in his life: first, pursuing medicine, and second, a new experience abroad.
“My elder sister sent in the application form and forced me to go on AFS. At that time, I knew I had gotten into university, so I went to America. Back then, I was a quiet student; if others didn’t talk to me first, I wouldn’t talk to them. But there, it taught me to get to know others, to seek out people. It changed my mindset.”
A year of high school abroad provided Suntchai with language skills, life experience, and new friendships. At that time, he was the only student in his batch who stayed with just one host family for the entire year. He became friends with his host’s children and their friends. Even after nearly 30 years, those friendships endure.
Upon returning to medical school, fate seemed to intervene on the day he had to learn how to perform an ultrasound. Medical student Suntchai volunteered to be the demonstration subject for the professor, but that day’s demonstration lasted unusually long. The professor discovered that his internal organs were swollen, even though he showed no symptoms. After seeing a specialist, he was diagnosed with ‘renal artery stenosis’.
“I had two surgeries until I recovered. My professor asked, ‘When you graduate, why don’t you come and specialise in this field? You already have this condition.’ So, eventually, I ended up studying it.”
This marked the beginning of Dr. Suntchai’s journey in the specialised field of urology, to manage the very disease he himself had experienced, eventually leading him to work at BNH Hospital and bring new innovations to Thailand’s medical community.
More Than Just for Friends
“I’m lucky to have so many friends. I have to have activities to socialise with them. I drink often, travel often. Nowadays, I have to rotate among various friend groups.”
Having studied at Bangkok Christian College since primary school, Dr. Suntchai grew up with many friends. Coupled with being the youngest child in a family with no siblings close to his age, friends became extremely important to him. As he grew older, the doctor ventured into new social circles, expanding his network of friendships far and wide in every social setting he encountered.
“Being at Bangkok Christian College gave me a wide circle of friends across many professions, from ordinary people to billionaires. AFS gave me friends from another world. Being a doctor gave me another group of friends. I love playing music, which gave me another lovely group of friends to play music with. I constantly make new friends at every stage of life.”
The impressive stories of friendship Dr. Suntchai has encountered are even more numerous than his friends. One such experience was his rural service in Chaiyaphum province, which he considers the happiest period of his medical life because his friends were by his side.
“At that time, none of us wanted to do our rural service alone because it would be lonely. Six of us held hands and promised to go together. There would be places where no one else wanted to go, so we could all go as a group. Eventually, we ended up in Chaiyaphum and met another group of friends from Ramathibodi Medical School who had similar personalities. Everyone loved each other; no one argued. And we helped each other with work.”
“When working upcountry, everyone had to be on duty in the emergency department, which was incredibly tiring. Because at 4 PM, everything else closed, and the emergency department would be full of patients. With only two doctors, we couldn’t keep up. If you were on duty that day, you barely got to eat because you had to examine about 20 patients until midnight. So, we came up with a method: before we all went out to eat as a group of ten, we’d stop by the emergency department. And those ten doctors would each grab one patient’s chart. A pile of 20 patients, if examined by ten doctors, would be done in a flash. Then we’d invite our friends to go eat. We did that every evening, which kept everyone from getting too exhausted.”
Or even for scheduling shifts to go home, the group of doctors in Chaiyaphum arranged their duty roster so that everyone could take turns going home twice a month, even if the remaining doctors had to work continuous long shifts.
“And the partner with whom I run a medical device company today is one of the doctors who worked with me in Chaiyaphum.”
And as a doctor with many friends, when he encounters problems at work or has to perform a difficult surgery, the surgeons nearby readily come to assist, even if it’s not their duty.
“In that case, the surgery accidentally hit a major blood vessel, causing significant bleeding. That day, I had to ask for help from many people. Having friends, everyone came to help. Another thing is, when you’re in a difficult situation, if new people come in, they can help a lot more.”
“I am lucky with friends.”
(Not only) Hospital Playlist
“My dream is to be a musician in a pub.”
‘Club 49’ is the name of the band, derived from its location in Soi 49. It’s the large house of a band member friend of Dr. Suntchai, spacious enough for friends to store musical instruments, practise, and host parties, with the band’s music serenading the listeners.
“I want people to see me playing music in a pub, but I don’t have time to do that. This place is where we play music together, invite people to sit and drink and listen to our music, like a private pub. So, it fulfils that desire.”
This love for music began with his role as a drummer in his middle school orchestra, which later evolved into a drum kit player. Drumming differs from other instruments in that the player doesn’t need to read sheet music; simply understanding the rhythm allows one to play in a band. One day, when the school held a music competition, and Dr. Suntchai’s group of friends wanted to enter but lacked a drummer, they invited him to join.
“There was a rule that orchestra members couldn’t participate in the competition because it was considered unfair. So, my friends forced me to resign from the orchestra to compete. That was the starting point for me to start playing general music from then on.”
Dr. Suntchai has been on a musical journey ever since. He joined various bands with changing members, from his high school band, the MD CU Band during his time at Chulalongkorn, and numerous others, eventually forming Club 49 in 2019. This band comprises members from diverse backgrounds and professions, including business owners, singers, music teachers, forensic pathologists, and Dr. Suntchai himself as the drummer. They perform at events for the sheer joy of playing music and having an audience, with no financial objectives.
“Any money we’re paid goes to the professional musicians. I just want a place to play. If I play, I only ask for food and drinks like the host, nothing else needs to be paid.”
'Pee-Pee Doctor' Who Looks Beyond the Pee-Pee
“My Bangkok Christian College friends used to call me ‘Pee-Pee Doctor’. So, when they actually had medical problems and called me, asking ‘My dad has an enlarged prostate, who should he see?’, I’d tell them, ‘I’m the one who treats that.’ And they’d be like, ‘Oh… you’re not just the Pee-Pee Doctor?'”
“Because everyone called me that, they understood that I only treated male reproductive organs. But actually, I treat the entire urinary tract, for both men and women. My role is like a plumber’s; I make sure the pipes flow well.”
Because the male urinary system includes additional organs like the testes and prostate gland compared to the female system, most of Dr. Suntchai’s patients are male. The doctor is also the only physician in Thailand capable of using two of the latest modern technologies for treating common conditions like enlarged prostate.
Normally, transferring medical knowledge requires overseas training. When starting the first case, a visiting professor from the technology’s originating country would need to observe the surgery. However, this wasn’t possible during the severe COVID-19 pandemic, when global travel was paralysed.
“Everything at that time had to be done online, both training and when we started the actual cases. Doctors abroad would observe online through cameras that showed exactly what I saw. But there was a training process that required understanding before being allowed to start. The advantage of this kind of technology is that if you’re already skilled in endoscopic surgery, you can do it. And I had performed thousands of endoscopic cases.”
“These two patients were long-term patients whom I had been treating for enlarged prostate. When the new technology became available, I wanted them to benefit from it. The company and the hospital helped with the costs. I talked to them honestly, explaining that they would be the first cases, and that I, a doctor they trusted, would be caring for them. They were okay with it.”
The technologies in question are:
- iTind treatment for enlarged prostate: This involves remodelling the internal structure of the prostate using a special device that expands the urethral opening in the prostate area. The device is left inside for only 5-7 days, but the structural remodelling is permanent. This is suitable for patients with an enlarged prostate that isn’t excessively large.
“Thailand was the first country in Asia to perform this.” - Rezūm Water Vapor Therapy: This treats the prostate using endoscopy to inject 103-degree Celsius steam into the prostate tissue, causing it to shrink, and the opening to widen. This is suitable for patients with a significantly enlarged prostate. Dr. Suntchai was instrumental in introducing this technology for use at BNH Hospital, making it the second facility to adopt it.
“Both new prostate treatment technologies became available simultaneously two years ago, and BNH Hospital is the only place in Thailand that offers both options to patients.”
These new innovations not only provide patients with more diverse choices but also changed the perception of private hospital doctors like Dr. Suntchai.
“The day we started this, I was invited to speak at an academic conference. Normally, this position was never given to doctors from private hospitals; usually, speakers had to hold positions at medical schools. This made me realise that any initiative can start small and grow larger. Just last month, Chulalongkorn Hospital invited me to go back and lecture. I was delighted that my professors remembered me, and I got to share to give others confidence to perform these cases.”
Suntchai is Happy, Suntchai is Happy
“I usually make patients laugh first. On the first day, when people walk in and don’t know me, they naturally don’t want to share much. But laughter helps people open up more. I try to do things politely to bring a smile or laughter, making people feel more comfortable talking, like beer in a drinking circle.”
Dr. Suntchai defines himself as a ‘Happy Man’, living a straightforward life guided by happiness. This happiness stems from both life’s advantages, such as a supportive family and good friends in all social circles, and from his diligent efforts to seek happiness by managing his thoughts and life goals.
“Life must have goals, and whenever we reach them, there will be happiness. As a child, I probably had a passion to be a doctor, so I had to work towards it until I succeeded. And once I became a doctor, I wanted to specialise. When that succeeded, I felt happy. I only do what’s important and brings happiness. What’s not important, I sometimes cut out.”
This philosophy allows Dr. Suntchai, who juggles the roles of a doctor, musician, and businessman, to perfectly balance his time to find happiness.
“My life is like a duck’s; I like doing many things. If I were a full-time musician, it might start to get boring. Like being a surgeon, new things constantly come into my life, keeping it dynamic. So, being a doctor is still fun. But if there’s a day I do it and don’t feel happy, I’ll probably quit.”
“I’ve been working at BNH Hospital for 12 years now. It’s a small hospital where everyone is close, and there are no internal organisational problems, which makes it a happy place to work. The food here is also delicious. I probably won’t go anywhere else.”
And Dr. Suntchai’s greatest happiness currently is his six-year-old daughter, who has inspired him to plan a new life to bring joy to the most important person, whilst maintaining his own enjoyment of life. Every morning, he takes his daughter to school. On weekends, he goes to the playground and has adapted his home to accommodate more people so he can invite friends to socialise whilst raising his child.
What follows from happiness is a positive outlook on life that patients can perceive, which in turn affects their treatment, encouragement, and the breaking down of barriers between doctor and patient – trust and fear. This makes the doctor’s treatment easier through his happiness-driven attitude.
“I think we are Care Advisors. It’s like someone with a problem walks in, and I’ll say, ‘There are four ways to solve this problem. Option 1 has the best statistics, the last option has the worst.’ The patient can choose what suits their life best, because they came in with a problem. If we force them to follow what we learned, sometimes they might end up with another problem.”
“What they choose might not be the absolute best, but if it allows them to live the happiest life, it’s more suitable.”
Daily responsibilities often lead people to pursue success, overlooking important things like happiness. But Dr. Suntchai’s multi-faceted life has never been without happiness at every stage. Partly, it might be fate that brought good people around him, but mostly, it’s probably the result of his own perseverance in striving to find a balanced life led by happiness, bringing success into his life.
“My profession can bring so much happiness to others, and the music I play makes me happy, and it makes my friends happy. So, it means I’m making more people happy. I want everyone to be happy in their lives.”
Articles & Published Content
SUNTCHAI WIROTSAENGTHONG, M.D.
นพ. สรรชัย วิโรจน์แสงทอง
Speciality
Urological Surgery
Education
Medical Degree, Doctor of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Board and Sub board Certification
Thai Medical Council, Urological Surgery, Chulalongkorn University
Language
English
Thai
Gender
Male
Schedule
Surgery Department
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 09:00 - 14:00 |
| Tuesday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | - |
| Thursday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 09:00 - 17:00 |
| Saturday | - |
| Sunday | 10:00 - 13:00 Available on week 1, 3 of the month |
This is the doctor's regular weekly schedule. Actual availability may vary — please confirm the available date and time when you make an appointment.