Facelift in Thailand

A facelift — medically known as a rhytidectomy — is a surgical procedure that lifts and tightens the skin and deeper muscle layers of the face, addressing sagging skin, jowls, deep folds around the mouth, and lost definition along the jawline and neck.

Performed under general anaesthesia, the surgery takes three to five hours. Most patients spend one to two nights in hospital before transitioning to recovery. Results typically last 10 to 15 years, depending on the technique used.

A good facelift doesn't change who you are. It restores the version of you that has always been there.

Your surgeon assesses your facial anatomy, skin laxity, and goals at consultation, then recommends one technique with a clear reason. The three options:

Deep Plane Facelift

Best for significant facial sagging, deep nasolabial folds, or volume loss in the midface — typically patients aged 50 and onwards.

Releases the ligaments that anchor the facial muscles, then lifts skin and muscle together as one unit. The face is repositioned, not pulled — which is why deep plane results look natural and last longer.

• Recovery: 10–14 days back to normal activities. Full healing in 3–6 months.
• Results last: 10–15 years.
• Price range: THB 215,000 – 396,000 (~USD 6,500 – 12,000)

This is the technique we coordinate most often for international patients.

SMAS Facelift

Best for moderate to significant sagging in the mid to lower face — most often patients in their 40s and early 50s.

Lifts and tightens the Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System — the muscle layer beneath the skin — and repositions it for a natural lift. The most widely performed facelift technique worldwide.

• Recovery: 10–14 days back to normal activities.
• Results last: Up to 10 years.
• Price range: THB 165,000 – 297,000 (~USD 5,000 – 9,000)

Mini Facelift

Best for patients in their 30s with mild skin laxity along the lower face and jawline — early signs of ageing where the right answer is a small, targeted lift, not a full procedure.

A less invasive approach using shorter incisions to lift and tighten the lower third of the face. Faster recovery, minimal scarring.

• Recovery: 5–7 days back to normal activities.
• Price range: THB 120,000 – 200,000 (~USD 3,500 – 6,000)

Anatomy matters more than age. A rough guide:

• Patients in their 30s with mild early-stage loosening — mini facelift. Anything more is overcorrection.
• Patients in their 40s and early 50s with moderate sagging and visible jowls — SMAS facelift.
• Patients aged 50 and onwards with significant sagging, deep folds, or midface volume loss — deep plane facelift.

Your surgeon will tell you which technique your face is best suited to and why — not a menu to figure out yourself.

A facelift is the operation; the two weeks afterwards determine how comfortable, supported, and well-healed you are when you fly home. A typical recovery stay with us:

Days 1–2 — In hospital. One to two nights in a private room at a JCI-accredited Bangkok hospital. Nurses on call. Pain managed. Head elevated. Cold compresses. You're checked, monitored, and discharged when your surgeon clears you.

Days 3–4 — Transition to recovery. Transfer from hospital to your accommodation — a spacious one-bedroom apartment in central Bangkok, set up specifically for this stage of healing. [Link: Read more about our recovery accommodation → /resources/hotel] Our nurse is there to meet you, help you settle in, and start your recovery routine. Bruising and swelling peak around now.

Daily nurse visits. From the moment you arrive at the apartment, our nurse visits you every day — wound checks, dressing changes if needed, swelling assessment, and answers to whatever you're noticing as you heal. Not a one-off drop-in.

Days 6–8 — Active recovery. Stitches typically come out around day 7. Swelling starts reducing visibly. From day 7 onward you can have lymphatic drainage massage at your apartment to help clear post-op swelling. Your follow-up appointment with your surgeon also falls in this window — we arrange the appointment, organise the transfer, and a coordinator goes with you. Most patients are also mobile enough by now for a gentle outing — a slow morning at Jim Thompson House, or a quiet visit to a floating market. Nothing strenuous. We pace it to where you actually are.

Days 9–11 — Looking like yourself again. Most bruising fades. You can wear light makeup. Light walking and gentle activity. Daily nurse visits and additional lymphatic drainage sessions continue as helpful.

Days 12–14 — Ready to fly home. Final check with your surgeon. Cleared for travel. We arrange your transfer to the airport. By this point most patients are surprised by how much they look like a rested version of themselves.

After you fly home. Follow-up consultations with your surgeon are available on demand if you have questions, want a check-in at six weeks, or want their view on something at three months.

Most agencies in Bangkok offer comparable surgeons, comparable hospitals, and comparable prices. The difference is the aftercare — and the trust you can build before you commit.

1. A personal coordinator and daily nurse visits at your apartment. One named coordinator owns your experience from arrival through your flight home and beyond. Our nurse visits your apartment every day during recovery — wound checks, dressing changes, swelling assessment, and answers to whatever you're noticing as you heal.
2. A consultation with your surgeon before you book. You meet your surgeon, ask your questions, see how they think about your face — and then decide whether to commit. No deposit pressure, no committing to a procedure before you've actually spoken with the person performing it.
3. Surgeons we've personally vetted, at JCI-accredited hospitals. Not a marketplace, not a directory. A small group of Thai-board-certified plastic surgeons we work with directly — selected for their outcomes and their judgement, not their availability. [Link: Meet our surgeons → /resources/our-surgeons]
4. Transparent pricing, fully itemised, no hidden add-ons. Every line of your package is laid out before you confirm. The number you're quoted is the number you pay — add-ons that other agencies tack on later (medication, garments, follow-ups, ground transport) are already in the package. A 15% deposit secures your booking; the balance is due two weeks before your surgery, not on arrival.
5. Recovery designed around healing, not just sleeping. A spacious one-bedroom apartment in central Bangkok rather than a standard hotel room. In-apartment lymphatic drainage massage from day 7. Curated gentle outings paced to where you are in recovery. Follow-up surgeon appointments arranged and accompanied.

After you fly home, we're always available for any concerns.