{"id":9911,"date":"2026-04-29T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/?p=9911"},"modified":"2026-08-21T03:50:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T20:50:46","slug":"%e0%b8%88%e0%b8%b2%e0%b8%81%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%ad%e0%b8%a2%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%a5%e0%b8%96%e0%b8%b6%e0%b8%87%e0%b8%9a%e0%b8%b5%e0%b9%80%e0%b8%ad%e0%b8%8a%e0%b8%84%e0%b8%b4%e0%b8%a7-8-%e0%b8%9b%e0%b8%b5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/2026\/04\/29\/from-royal-to-bhq-8-years-urology-cambodia\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0e08\u0e32\u0e01 Royal \u0e2a\u0e39\u0e48 Bangkok hospital: 8 \u0e1b\u0e35\u0e43\u0e19\u0e01\u0e31\u0e21\u0e1e\u0e39\u0e0a\u0e32\u0e01\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e40\u0e14\u0e34\u0e19\u0e17\u0e32\u0e07\u0e43\u0e19\u0e10\u0e32\u0e19\u0e30\u0e28\u0e31\u0e25\u0e22\u0e41\u0e1e\u0e17\u0e22\u0e4c\u0e22\u0e39\u0e42\u0e23\u0e27\u0e34\u0e17\u0e22\u0e32"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns coblocks-author-columns has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-52275889 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"background-color:#8C8C971A;padding-top:2.5rem;padding-right:2.5rem;padding-bottom:2.5rem;padding-left:2.5rem\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-rounded\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" data-attachment-id=\"7037\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/new-photo-2024\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?fit=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,800\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone \u2014 Board-Certified Urologist in Bangkok, Thailand\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone \u2014 Board-Certified Urologist in Bangkok, Thailand&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?fit=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=800%2C800&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone \u2014 Board-Certified Urologist in Bangkok, Thailand\" class=\"wp-image-7037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=12%2C12&amp;ssl=1 12w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/New-Photo-2024.png?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Soarawee Weerasopone, Urologist<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokhospital.com\/en\/bangkok\/doctor\/dr-soarawee-weerasopone-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bangkok hospital Headquarter, Bangkok<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"tel:+66880221445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Samitivej Sriracha Hospital \u2014 Urology department: <strong>088-022-1445<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline is-style-outline--1\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-small-font-size has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokhospital.com\/en\/bangkok\/doctor\/dr-soarawee-weerasopone-2\" style=\"color:#1b4965\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Book a Consultation<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Last Updated: August 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links aligncenter has-normal-icon-size is-style-default coblocks-animate is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-3e41869c wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-wordpress wp-block-social-link\"><a 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c0.94,0,2.397-0.114,2.397-0.114c0.485-0.028,0.542,0.684,0.057,0.741c0,0-0.488,0.057-1.029,0.085l3.249,9.665l0.897-2.996 C17.841,13.284,18.069,12.316,18.069,11.546z M19.889,7.686c0.039,0.286,0.06,0.593,0.06,0.924c0,0.912-0.171,1.938-0.684,3.22 l-2.746,7.94c2.673-1.558,4.47-4.454,4.47-7.771C20.991,10.436,20.591,8.967,19.889,7.686z M12,22C6.486,22,2,17.514,2,12 C2,6.486,6.486,2,12,2c5.514,0,10,4.486,10,10C22,17.514,17.514,22,12,22z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">WordPress<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-linkedin wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/soarawee-weerasopone\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M19.7,3H4.3C3.582,3,3,3.582,3,4.3v15.4C3,20.418,3.582,21,4.3,21h15.4c0.718,0,1.3-0.582,1.3-1.3V4.3 C21,3.582,20.418,3,19.7,3z M8.339,18.338H5.667v-8.59h2.672V18.338z M7.004,8.574c-0.857,0-1.549-0.694-1.549-1.548 c0-0.855,0.691-1.548,1.549-1.548c0.854,0,1.547,0.694,1.547,1.548C8.551,7.881,7.858,8.574,7.004,8.574z M18.339,18.338h-2.669 v-4.177c0-0.996-0.017-2.278-1.387-2.278c-1.389,0-1.601,1.086-1.601,2.206v4.249h-2.667v-8.59h2.559v1.174h0.037 c0.356-0.675,1.227-1.387,2.526-1.387c2.703,0,3.203,1.779,3.203,4.092V18.338z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">LinkedIn<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-mail wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"mailto:bhquro@bdms.co.th\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path 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color: #00CCBB; transition: transform 0.2s; display: inline-block;\"\n     onmouseover=\"this.style.transform='scale(1.15)'\"\n     onmouseout=\"this.style.transform='scale(1)'\">\n    <svg width=\"28\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n      <path d=\"M19.586 0c-.818 0-1.508.19-2.073.565-.563.377-.97.936-1.213 1.68a3.193 3.193 0 0 0-.112.437 8.365 8.365 0 0 0-.078.53 9 9 0 0 0-.05.727c-.01.282-.013.621-.013 1.016a31.121 31.121 0 0 0 .014 1.017 9 9 0 0 0 .05.727 7.946 7.946 0 0 0 .077.53h.001c.024.115.06.262.112.438.243.743.65 1.303 1.213 1.68.565.376 1.255.564 2.073.564.8 0 1.536-.213 2.105-.603.57-.39.94-.916 1.175-1.65.076-.235.135-.558.177-.93a15.4 15.4 0 0 0 .063-1.207v-.512a.27.27 0 0 0-.273-.273h-2.95a.27.27 0 0 0-.274.273v.785c0 .228.0.343.273.343h1.337c.094 0 .14.045.14.137 0 .61-.063 1.043-.155 1.318-.182.546-.7 1.018-1.683 1.018-.654 0-1.135-.114-1.475-.356-.34-.244-.55-.585-.658-1.024a3.797 3.797 0 0 1-.111-.43 5.515 5.515 0 0 1-.06-.51 19.85 19.85 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  <\/svg>\n  <\/a>\n  \n  <a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=lTgsRMUAAAAJ&#038;hl=en\" \n     target=\"_blank\" \n     rel=\"noopener\"\n     title=\"Google Scholar\"\n     aria-label=\"View Google Scholar Profile\"\n     style=\"text-decoration: none; color: #4285F4; transition: transform 0.2s; display: inline-block;\"\n     onmouseover=\"this.style.transform='scale(1.15)'\"\n     onmouseout=\"this.style.transform='scale(1)'\">\n    <svg width=\"28\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"currentColor\">\n      <path d=\"M5.242 13.769L0.5 9.5 12 1l11.5 8.5-4.742 4.269C17.548 11.249 14.978 9.5 12 9.5c-2.977 0-5.548 1.748-6.758 4.269zM12 10a7 7 0 1 0 0 14 7 7 0 0 0 0-14z\"\/>\n    <\/svg>\n  <\/a>\n  \n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Question I Get Asked Most<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy Cambodia? Why not stay in Thailand or go straight to a private hospital in Bangkok?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For eight years, this was the question my friends, colleagues, and even some patients kept asking me. And honestly, for a long time, I struggled to answer it well \u2014 because the real answer wasn\u2019t a single sentence. It was a journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2024, I was invited by Bangkok Hospital Headquarters (BHQ) MSO Training to share that journey as a CME lecture. The title was <em>\u201cFrom Royal Hospital to BHQ: 8 Years of Precious Urology Experience at BDMS Cambodia.\u201d<\/em> Standing in that auditorium \u2014 the same hospital where I was, as it turns out, born in 1984 \u2014 I finally had a chance to put the whole story together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This blog post is that story. It\u2019s about how a newly graduated urologist with no roadmap ended up pioneering several \u201cfirsts\u201d in Cambodian urology, training in Taiwan and Japan, and eventually being recruited to Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. But more than that, it\u2019s about what eight years of working in a developing healthcare market taught me \u2014 lessons I think any young doctor, or anyone building something from scratch, might find useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"9923\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/cme-bangkok-hospital-e-brochure\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CME-Bangkok-hospital-E-brochure.webp?fit=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1536,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"BHQ MSO CME Lecture, 17 April 2024 \u2014 From Royal to BHQ\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CME-Bangkok-hospital-E-brochure.webp?fit=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CME-Bangkok-hospital-E-brochure.jpg?resize=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone (Dr. Pom) \u2014 BHQ MSO CME Lecture poster: From Royal to BHQ, 8 Years of Urology Experience at BDMS Cambodia, 17 April 2024\" class=\"wp-image-9923\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Setting the Scene: Urology in Cambodia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before I tell my story, you need to understand the landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cambodia, as of today, has roughly <strong>120 Khmer urologists<\/strong> for a population of over 16 million. The country\u2019s three big government hospitals \u2014 Calmette, Khmer-Soviet Friendship, and Preah Kossamak \u2014 together produce about <strong>10 new urologists per year<\/strong>. For comparison, that\u2019s a tiny fraction of what Thailand graduates annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The private healthcare market in Cambodia is sharply divided:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Upper-class Cambodians and expatriates<\/strong> typically fly to Bangkok or Singapore for serious medical care. Bangkok Hospital, Bumrungrad, Phyathai, Mount Elizabeth \u2014 these are the names they trust.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Middle and lower-class patients<\/strong> rely on government hospitals or local clinics, some of which still operate out of converted shophouses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That left a narrow but interesting gap in the middle: international-standard private hospitals located <em>inside<\/em> Cambodia, serving patients who couldn\u2019t or wouldn\u2019t travel. That\u2019s where Royal Bangkok Hospital \u2014 part of the BDMS network \u2014 came in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are two BDMS hospitals in Cambodia:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"928\" height=\"580\" data-attachment-id=\"9972\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/royal-phnom-penh-hospital\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-Phnom-Penh-hospital.webp?fit=928%2C580&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"928,580\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Royal Phnom Penh Hospital \u2014 BDMS Cambodia\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-Phnom-Penh-hospital.webp?fit=800%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-Phnom-Penh-hospital.webp?resize=800%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Royal Phnom Penh Hospital \u2014 100-bed JCI-accredited BDMS Center of Excellence in Cambodia\" class=\"wp-image-9972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-Phnom-Penh-hospital.webp?w=928&amp;ssl=1 928w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-Phnom-Penh-hospital.webp?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-Phnom-Penh-hospital.webp?resize=768%2C480&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-Phnom-Penh-hospital.webp?resize=18%2C12&amp;ssl=1 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Royal Phnom Penh Hospital \u2014 100 beds, 14 ICU beds, 5 ORs, JCI-accredited, opened November 2014.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"451\" data-attachment-id=\"9971\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/royal-angkor-hospital\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.webp?fit=1032%2C582&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1032,582\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Royal Angkor International Hospital, Siem Reap\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Royal Angkor International Hospital, Siem Reap \u2014 BDMS&amp;#8217;s first hospital in Indochina, opened 2006&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.webp?fit=800%2C451&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.jpg?resize=800%2C451&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Royal Angkor International Hospital, Siem Reap \u2014 BDMS's first hospital in Indochina, opened 2006\" class=\"wp-image-9971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.webp?resize=1024%2C577&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.webp?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.webp?resize=768%2C433&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.webp?resize=18%2C10&amp;ssl=1 18w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Royal-angkor-hospital.webp?w=1032&amp;ssl=1 1032w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Royal Angkor International Hospital, Siem Reap \u2014 BDMS&#8217;s first hospital in Indochina, opened 2006<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Royal Phnom Penh Hospital<\/strong> \u2014 100 beds, 14 ICU beds, 5 operating rooms, JCI-accredited, and a BDMS Center of Excellence. Officially opened in November 2014 with Cambodia\u2019s then-Prime Minister Hun Sen attending the ceremony.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Royal Angkor International Hospital<\/strong> \u2014 32 beds, 7 ICU beds, 2 operating rooms, located in Siem Reap. This was actually BDMS\u2019s first hospital in Indochina, opened back in 2006.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I arrived in 2016, both hospitals existed. But the urology service? That was a different story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"372\" height=\"580\" data-attachment-id=\"9959\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/my-staff-tag\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/My-staff-tag.webp?fit=372%2C580&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"372,580\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Royal Phnom Penh Hospital staff ID, October 2016\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone&amp;#8217;s Royal Phnom Penh Hospital staff ID card \u2014 first Thai urologist appointment, October 2016&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/My-staff-tag.webp?fit=372%2C580&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/My-staff-tag.webp?resize=372%2C580&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone's Royal Phnom Penh Hospital staff ID card \u2014 first Thai urologist appointment, October 2016\" class=\"wp-image-9959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/My-staff-tag.webp?w=372&amp;ssl=1 372w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/My-staff-tag.webp?resize=192%2C300&amp;ssl=1 192w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/My-staff-tag.webp?resize=8%2C12&amp;ssl=1 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone&#8217;s Royal Phnom Penh Hospital staff ID card \u2014 first Thai urologist appointment, October 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">October 2016: The \u201cWeekend Urologist\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I graduated from my urology residency at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in 2016. Like every Thai medical graduate, I had a government service obligation to fulfill. But I\u2019d also seen a job posting for a part-time Thai urologist at Royal Phnom Penh, and on a whim, I applied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was hired as a <strong>weekend urologist<\/strong>. I\u2019d fly into Phnom Penh on Saturday morning, see patients Saturday and Sunday, and fly back to Bangkok Sunday night. I did this so often I qualified for Bangkok Airways Premier Plus status \u2014 which honestly says more about how often I was on planes than about how busy the clinic was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I started, the urology setup at Royal Phnom Penh was, to put it mildly, <strong>very limited<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One part-time Khmer urology professor who came in on-call from a government hospital, bringing his own instruments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A monopolar endoscopic transurethral surgery setup borrowed from elsewhere<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No flexible scopes, no lithotripsy, no laser<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A waiting room where patients literally had to wait until the doctor drove in<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were three of us Thai urologists rotating on weekends. Within months, two of them resigned. The math just didn\u2019t work \u2014 we\u2019d often see zero patients in a day, and even when we did, we couldn\u2019t actually treat them. A patient with a ureteric stone? All we could offer was medical expulsive therapy and prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By early 2018, I was the last Thai urologist standing. Home Alone, basically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"469\" data-attachment-id=\"9913\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/arjan-narintara\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.webp?fit=1412%2C828&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1412,828\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dr. Narintara Boonjongcharoen \u2014 Hospital Director, Royal Phnom Penh\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dr. Narintara Boonjongcharoen (Arjan Narintara) \u2014 CEO of Royal Phnom Penh Hospital who transformed BDMS Cambodia urology service&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.webp?fit=800%2C469&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.jpg?resize=800%2C469&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Narintara Boonjongcharoen (Arjan Narintara) \u2014 CEO of Royal Phnom Penh Hospital who transformed BDMS Cambodia urology service\" class=\"wp-image-9913\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.webp?resize=1024%2C600&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.webp?resize=300%2C176&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.webp?resize=768%2C450&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.webp?resize=18%2C12&amp;ssl=1 18w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Arjan-Narintara.webp?w=1412&amp;ssl=1 1412w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Narintara Boonjongcharoen (Arjan Narintara) \u2014 Hospital Director of Royal Phnom Penh Hospital who transformed BDMS Cambodia urology service<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mid-2017: The Turning Point<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The single most important thing that happened during this period had nothing to do with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In mid-2017, <strong>Dr. Narintara Boonjongcharoen (Arjan Narintara)<\/strong> became the new Hospital Director of Royal Phnom Penh. I noticed the change almost immediately \u2014 equipment requests that had been pending for a year started moving. Within months, we received a <strong>ureteroscope and lithoclast<\/strong> (a pneumatic stone fragmentation device).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It sounds small. It wasn\u2019t. For the first time, I could actually treat an emergency ureteric stone obstruction. After a year of feeling like I was practicing medicine with my hands tied, I had a tool. One tool. But it was something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The lesson here was bigger than the equipment: <strong>leadership matters.<\/strong> Without a director who understood what a urology service actually needs and was willing to push procurement through, none of what came later would have happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2018: The Game Changer \u2014 4th Generation ESWL<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In mid-2018, Arjan Narintara approached me with an idea that, frankly, sounded too ambitious for our setup: install a <strong>4th-generation Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL) machine<\/strong> from Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"1080\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1920 \/ 1080;\" width=\"1920\" controls src=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/LITEMED-ESWL-4th-gen-clip.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To put this in context: at the time, even most hospitals in Thailand were still using 3rd-generation ESWL. The 4th-generation machine had a built-in real-time ultrasound feeding into an AI tracking system developed by the Taiwanese manufacturer. The theory was simple \u2014 when you breathe, your kidney moves with your diaphragm. Older machines couldn\u2019t compensate, so manufacturer-reported targeting accuracy was around 82%. The new machine was reported to push that to <strong>98%<\/strong>, meaning fewer wasted shocks and less unnecessary tissue damage. Those are the manufacturer\u2019s own figures rather than independent trial data, and it is worth saying plainly that better targeting is not the same thing as a better stone-free rate \u2014 stone size, composition, position and skin-to-stone distance still matter more than the generation of the machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The catch: it cost twice as much as a 3rd-gen machine and couldn\u2019t be moved (no mobile-truck service like in Thailand). The deal Royal Phnom Penh struck was elegant \u2014 the Taiwanese company supplied the equipment, the hospital provided the certified treatment room, and we shared the profits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the machine required real-time monitoring during every session, the director\u2019s requirement was that a urologist had to be physically present for every case. So in 2018, I flew to Taiwan for a 5-day intensive training at <strong>Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou branch<\/strong> \u2014 and that single trip changed the trajectory of my career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In October 2018, we performed Royal Phnom Penh\u2019s first-ever ESWL case. In November, we held a national kidney stone seminar that was covered by Cambodian TV news. By January 2019, the <strong>Urological Association of Asia (UAA)<\/strong> \u2014 whose Secretary General, Professor Allen Chiu, was Taiwanese \u2014 chose Royal Phnom Penh as the venue for an Asian School of Urology Educational Symposium. The Dean of Chiang Mai University Faculty of Medicine, Professor Bannakij Lojanapiwat, attended as a Thai faculty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his August 2019 <em>Asian Urology<\/em> journal report, Professor Chiu wrote a line that has stuck with me ever since:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cIf I go alone I go fast, but if we go together we go far.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That symposium opened a door I didn\u2019t know existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"447\" data-attachment-id=\"9915\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/asian-urology-newsletter-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Asian-Urology-newsletter-2.webp?fit=1024%2C572&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,572\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Asian Urology newsletter cover, August 2019\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Asian Urology newsletter \u2014 cover featuring Dr. Pom and Royal Phnom Penh ESWL symposium coverage, January 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Asian-Urology-newsletter-2.webp?fit=800%2C447&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Asian-Urology-newsletter-2.webp?resize=800%2C447&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Asian Urology newsletter \u2014 cover featuring Dr. Pom and Royal Phnom Penh ESWL symposium coverage, January 2019\" class=\"wp-image-9915\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Asian-Urology-newsletter-2.webp?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Asian-Urology-newsletter-2.webp?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Asian-Urology-newsletter-2.webp?resize=768%2C429&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Asian-Urology-newsletter-2.webp?resize=18%2C10&amp;ssl=1 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Asian Urology newsletter \u2014 cover featuring Dr. Pom and Royal Phnom Penh ESWL symposium coverage, January 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"414\" height=\"311\" data-attachment-id=\"9956\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/mar-2019-flying-to-taiwan\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MAR-2019-flying-to-Taiwan.webp?fit=414%2C311&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"414,311\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Departing for CGMH fellowship, March 2019\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone departing Bangkok for 3-month robotic urology fellowship at CGMH Linkou, Taiwan, March 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MAR-2019-flying-to-Taiwan.webp?fit=414%2C311&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MAR-2019-flying-to-Taiwan.webp?resize=414%2C311&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone departing Bangkok for the three-month Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Urology clinical fellowship at CGMH Linkou, Taiwan, March 2019\" class=\"wp-image-9956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MAR-2019-flying-to-Taiwan.webp?w=414&amp;ssl=1 414w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MAR-2019-flying-to-Taiwan.webp?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MAR-2019-flying-to-Taiwan.webp?resize=16%2C12&amp;ssl=1 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone departing Bangkok for the Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Urology clinical fellowship at CGMH Linkou, Taiwan, March 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"523\" data-attachment-id=\"9922\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/cgmh-linkou\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?fit=1891%2C1237&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1891,1237\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"CGMH Linkou \u2014 2019 robotic urology fellowship site\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;CGMH Linkou branch \u2014 nearly 4,000 beds and pioneering robotic urology center where Dr. Pom completed his 2019 fellowship&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?fit=800%2C523&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.jpg?resize=800%2C523&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"CGMH Linkou branch \u2014 nearly 4,000 beds and pioneering robotic urology center where Dr. Pom completed his 2019 fellowship\" class=\"wp-image-9922\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?resize=1024%2C670&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?resize=300%2C196&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?resize=768%2C502&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?resize=1536%2C1005&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?resize=18%2C12&amp;ssl=1 18w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?w=1891&amp;ssl=1 1891w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/CGMH-Linkou.webp?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">CGMH Linkou branch \u2014 nearly 4,000 beds and pioneering robotic urology center where Dr. Pom completed his 2019 fellowship<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2019: Going Full-Time, Going International<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two months after the ESWL symposium, <strong>CGMH Linkou offered me a three-month clinical fellowship in Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Urology<\/strong> \u2014 working with the da Vinci surgical system. CGMH is the largest hospital network in Taiwan with over 10,000 beds across seven branches; the Linkou branch alone has nearly 4,000 beds and was one of the earliest adopters of robotic surgery in Asia, having installed its first da Vinci in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I trained under Professor Yu and got to know Professor Pang, the Deputy Director of CGMH and himself a urologist. The schedule was packed \u2014 different operating rooms with different professors every morning, robotic simulator sessions every evening after work, and conferences on Saturdays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By June 2019, I\u2019d seen enough. I converted to <strong>full-time urologist<\/strong> at Royal Phnom Penh, and I was given a new mandate: open a urology service at Royal Angkor International Hospital in Siem Reap as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"433\" height=\"614\" data-attachment-id=\"9947\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/june-2019-with-arjan-damrongpan-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-1.webp?fit=433%2C614&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"433,614\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Overflow audience \u2014 Royal Phnom Penh seminar, June 2019\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Royal Phnom Penh Hospital urology seminar audience overflow, June 2019 \u2014 Cambodia urology event&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-1.webp?fit=433%2C614&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-1.webp?resize=433%2C614&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Royal Phnom Penh Hospital urology seminar audience overflow, June 2019 \u2014 Cambodia urology event\" class=\"wp-image-9947\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-1.webp?w=433&amp;ssl=1 433w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-1.webp?resize=212%2C300&amp;ssl=1 212w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-1.webp?resize=8%2C12&amp;ssl=1 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 433px) 100vw, 433px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Royal Phnom Penh Hospital urology seminar audience overflow, June 2019 \u2014 Cambodia urology event<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first urology seminar at Royal Angkor \u2014 and crucially, the <em>second<\/em> one, held two weeks later alongside <strong>Dr. Damrongpan Watanachote, then Director of the Urology Center at Bangkok Hospital HQ<\/strong> \u2014 drew overflow crowds. Cambodian TV news covered both events. For the first time, the Royal Angkor urology service had a face and a story attached to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"418\" height=\"314\" data-attachment-id=\"9950\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/june-2019-with-arjan-damrongpan-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-4.webp?fit=418%2C314&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"418,314\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Dr. Pom and Dr. Damrongpan Watanachote at Royal Phnom Penh, June 2019\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dr. Pom alongside Dr. Damrongpan Watanachote at Royal Phnom Penh urology seminar, June 2019&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-4.webp?fit=418%2C314&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-4.webp?resize=418%2C314&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Pom alongside Dr. Damrongpan Watanachote at Royal Phnom Penh urology seminar, June 2019\" class=\"wp-image-9950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-4.webp?w=418&amp;ssl=1 418w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-4.webp?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-With-Arjan-Damrongpan-4.webp?resize=16%2C12&amp;ssl=1 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 418px) 100vw, 418px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Pom alongside Dr. Damrongpan Watanachote at Royal Phnom Penh urology seminar, June 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"389\" data-attachment-id=\"9951\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/june-2019-with-arjan-damrongpan-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-with-Arjan-Damrongpan-5.webp?fit=1024%2C498&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1024,498\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"June 2019 with Arjan Damrongpan 5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-with-Arjan-Damrongpan-5.webp?fit=800%2C389&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-with-Arjan-Damrongpan-5.webp?resize=800%2C389&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Urology seminar at Royal Phnom Penh Hospital, June 2019 \u2014 Dr. Pom presenting alongside Bangkok Hospital faculty\" class=\"wp-image-9951\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-with-Arjan-Damrongpan-5.webp?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-with-Arjan-Damrongpan-5.webp?resize=300%2C146&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-with-Arjan-Damrongpan-5.webp?resize=768%2C374&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/June-2019-with-Arjan-Damrongpan-5.webp?resize=18%2C9&amp;ssl=1 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That same year:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>July 2019<\/strong> \u2014 selected as one of 16 Asia-Pacific young urologists for the AUSTEG-AUA hands-on laparoscopic workshop. Met Professor Maxwell Meng, head of Minimally Invasive Urology at UCSF, and started discussing a possible US fellowship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>August 2019<\/strong> \u2014 held a Japanese-language urology seminar in Phnom Penh, targeting the roughly 2,000 Japanese expatriates living in Cambodia. This is where I first met Mr. Matsushita Hironori, then Director of Sunrise Hospital (the Japanese hospital in Phnom Penh).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>October 2019<\/strong> \u2014 my second CGMH clinical fellowship, this time in <strong>Andrology at the Kaohsiung branch<\/strong>, mentored by Professor Wang and <strong>Professor Po-Hui Chiang<\/strong>. Professor Chiang published the seminal 1991 paper that established <strong>color Doppler ultrasound as the standard diagnostic tool for erectile dysfunction<\/strong> \u2014 a technique still used in clinics worldwide today. This is the fellowship that decided the rest of my career: everything I now do in men\u2019s health and sexual medicine traces back to those months in Kaohsiung.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>November 2019<\/strong> \u2014 first 60W Holmium laser installed at Royal Phnom Penh, the first such laser in Cambodia. This finally gave us a serious tool for both stone disease and BPH (enlarged prostate).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>November 2019<\/strong> \u2014 invited as international faculty at the 2019 Cambodian Urological Society meeting (a recurring honor I\u2019d receive every year afterwards).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2020-2021: COVID, and a Strange Kind of Golden Age<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">January 2020 \u2014 international faculty at the <strong>3rd Asian Urological Oncology Forum in Kaohsiung<\/strong>. Things were going well. My UCSF training was on the calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then COVID hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019ll never forget standing at Phnom Penh airport in March 2020, watching the departure board fill up with red CANCELLED notices in real time. My UCSF fellowship was put on indefinite hold. I went home to Bangkok and spent two months on <strong>leave without pay<\/strong>, cooking on the floor of my apartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But here\u2019s the strange thing: COVID, for all its devastation, created what I now think of as the <strong>golden age of the Royal Phnom Penh urology clinic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why? Because Cambodian patients couldn\u2019t fly out anymore. The wealthy patients who used to go to Bangkok or Singapore for care suddenly had to stay home. And we were one of the few international-standard urology services they could access without leaving the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When borders cautiously reopened in June 2020, getting back to Phnom Penh became a 18-hour ordeal \u2014 van from BHQ at 5 AM, three hours stuck at the Poipet border crossing waiting for stamps, then a long drive on Cambodia\u2019s two-lane highways where dogs, cows, and children could appear in front of you at any time. I\u2019d arrive at Royal Phnom Penh around 11 PM. And the next morning, I\u2019d start work at 8 AM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For two years, my routine was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Six days a week<\/strong> of clinic, often running until 7 PM or later<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monthly road trips<\/strong> to Royal Angkor (about 6 hours each way) to maintain the Siem Reap service<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Every return to Thailand<\/strong> meant 28 days of quarantine (14 each way) \u2014 and leave without pay each time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I stayed in Cambodia. I learned digital marketing \u2014 search, social platforms, and the messaging apps Cambodian patients actually used \u2014 anything to keep in touch with people while the borders were shut. During that period I also ran <strong>tele-urology consultations<\/strong> between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, because for many patients it was the only way to be seen at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That was a pandemic-era arrangement under Cambodian conditions at the time, and it is worth being precise about how things work now. Bangkok Hospital does operate a formal <strong>Telemedicine service<\/strong>, and I take part in it \u2014 patients who cannot attend in person, including international patients, arrange it in advance by email to the Urology department at <a href=\"mailto:bhquro@bdms.co.th\">bhquro@bdms.co.th<\/a>. Samitivej Sriracha is in-person only. What I no longer do is give advice, diagnosis or prescriptions through personal messaging channels or social media \u2014 those channels are closed, and any account claiming to offer private consultation in my name is not me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In February 2021, we got our first <strong>flexible ureterorenoscope<\/strong>, which made <strong>RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery)<\/strong> possible for stones not suitable for ESWL. In September 2021, we opened <strong>Cambodia\u2019s first dedicated Men\u2019s Health Clinic<\/strong>, anchored around Penile ESWT (Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for erectile dysfunction).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the end of 2021, the urology department I\u2019d inherited as a one-instrument-and-a-prayer operation in 2016 was running real, modern, multi-modality care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" data-attachment-id=\"9933\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/feb-2021-flexible-urs\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.webp?fit=1280%2C960&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1280,960\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Flexible ureterorenoscope arrival, February 2021\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;First flexible ureterorenoscope at Royal Phnom Penh, February 2021 \u2014 enabling RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery) in Cambodia&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.webp?fit=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"First flexible ureterorenoscope at Royal Phnom Penh, February 2021 \u2014 enabling RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery) in Cambodia\" class=\"wp-image-9933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.webp?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.webp?resize=16%2C12&amp;ssl=1 16w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/FEB-2021-Flexible-URS.webp?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">First flexible ureterorenoscope at Royal Phnom Penh, February 2021 \u2014 enabling RIRS (Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery) in Cambodia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2022-2023: Continuing to Build<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After borders fully reopened, I went back to school \u2014 again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>September 2022<\/strong> \u2014 one-month <strong>Endourology observership<\/strong> at <strong>Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo<\/strong>, under Professor Shigeo Horie. An observership is exactly that \u2014 observing and learning, not operating \u2014 and it is a different thing from the two Chang Gung fellowships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>August 2022<\/strong> \u2014 attended the first-ever REZUM case at BHQ in Bangkok, planning ahead for what I wanted to bring to Cambodia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>July 2023<\/strong> \u2014 held the first Cambodian seminars on <strong>REZUM Water Vapor Therapy<\/strong> for BPH, with strong support from Dr. Niwat Inthrawichian, the new Royal Phnom Penh director.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>September 2023<\/strong> \u2014 selected as a <strong>Young Asia Urologist<\/strong> for the UAA Young Urology Leadership Forum in Dubai.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>October 2023<\/strong> \u2014 performed Cambodia\u2019s <strong>first REZUM case<\/strong>, making Royal Phnom Penh the country\u2019s pioneer in minimally invasive BPH treatment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After five years, our 4th-generation ESWL service had treated over <strong>200 patients<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"718\" height=\"539\" data-attachment-id=\"9978\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/sep-2023-young-urology-leadship-forum-2-with-prof-allen-chui\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEP-2023-Young-Urology-leadship-forum-2-with-Prof-Allen-chui.webp?fit=718%2C539&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"718,539\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"With Professor Allen W. Chiu, UAA Secretary General \u2014 Dubai 2023\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone with Professor Allen W. Chiu, UAA Secretary General, at the Young Urology Leadership Forum, Dubai 2023&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEP-2023-Young-Urology-leadship-forum-2-with-Prof-Allen-chui.webp?fit=718%2C539&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEP-2023-Young-Urology-leadship-forum-2-with-Prof-Allen-chui.webp?resize=718%2C539&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone with Professor Allen W. Chiu, UAA Secretary General, at the Young Urology Leadership Forum, Dubai 2023\" class=\"wp-image-9978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEP-2023-Young-Urology-leadship-forum-2-with-Prof-Allen-chui.webp?w=718&amp;ssl=1 718w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEP-2023-Young-Urology-leadship-forum-2-with-Prof-Allen-chui.webp?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEP-2023-Young-Urology-leadship-forum-2-with-Prof-Allen-chui.webp?resize=16%2C12&amp;ssl=1 16w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 718px) 100vw, 718px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone with Professor Allen W. Chiu, UAA Secretary General, at the Young Urology Leadership Forum, Dubai 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Highlight Case: The Elephant Attack<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you ask me which case best captures what working at Royal Phnom Penh actually means, it\u2019s not one of the technically complex robotic cases. It\u2019s an elephant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Malaysian veterinarian working with an NGO that protects Cambodia\u2019s wild elephants was charged after an anesthetic dart failed to take effect. The elephant\u2019s tusk struck him in the right flank, causing a <strong>liver injury and Grade 4 kidney injury<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hospital\u2019s helicopter ambulance system \u2014 something we\u2019d built but never tested under this kind of pressure \u2014 flew him in from the field. Trauma surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, urology, ICU, anesthesia, radiology, blood bank \u2014 everyone converged. Multiple disciplines, one patient, decisions in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He walked out of the hospital alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That case made the international newspapers. But what I remember about it isn\u2019t the press coverage. It\u2019s what it told me about the team we\u2019d built: that on the day it really mattered, every department worked. The systems worked. The training paid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Eight Years Taught Me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If I had to compress eight years into a few honest lessons, here\u2019s what I\u2019d say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. \u201cBe ready and be kind.\u201d<\/strong> This is my actual takeaway slide from the BHQ lecture, and I mean it literally. Be ready \u2014 keep training, keep learning, keep your hands sharp \u2014 because you don\u2019t know when the door will open. Be kind, because the people you meet on the way up are also the people you\u2019ll meet on the way through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. The blue ocean isn\u2019t easy.<\/strong> Friends used to tell me, \u201cCambodia must be easy compared to Thailand \u2014 it\u2019s a blue ocean.\u201d It wasn\u2019t. The competitors are BHQ itself, plus Bumrungrad, Phyathai, Mount Elizabeth, and a dozen Bangkok hospitals \u2014 the wealthy patients in Phnom Penh don\u2019t compare you to local clinics, they compare you to the best hospitals in the region. You have to earn the right to even be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Mentors are everything.<\/strong> Arjan Narintara, who pushed through procurement and built the marketing engine. Arjan Damrongpan, who connected me to the broader Bangkok urology community. The CGMH professors who opened doors in Taiwan. Professor Allen Chiu, whose UAA platform put a brand-new Cambodian urology service onto the Asian map. None of this was solo work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4. Leadership decides what\u2019s possible.<\/strong> The same hospital, with the same staff, but a different director, was a different hospital. When Arjan Narintara arrived, things that had been \u201cstuck for budget reasons\u201d started moving within weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5. Crisis can be opportunity.<\/strong> COVID was awful in every imaginable way. It was also the period during which the Royal Phnom Penh urology clinic finally got the patient volume to validate everything we\u2019d built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" data-attachment-id=\"9962\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/nov-2023-cambodia-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.webp?fit=1086%2C814&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1086,814\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2023 Cambodian Urological Society group photo\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Group photo at the 2023 Cambodian Urological Society annual meeting \u2014 Khmer urologists and international faculty&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.webp?fit=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Group photo at the 2023 Cambodian Urological Society annual meeting \u2014 Khmer urologists and international faculty\" class=\"wp-image-9962\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.webp?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.webp?resize=16%2C12&amp;ssl=1 16w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NOV-2023-Cambodia-2.webp?w=1086&amp;ssl=1 1086w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Group photo at the 2023 Cambodian Urological Society annual meeting \u2014 Khmer urologists and international faculty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why I\u2019m Now at BHQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2024, I was offered the chance to join Bangkok Hospital Headquarters as a full-time urologist specializing in robotic surgery, men\u2019s health, and testosterone replacement therapy. After eight years in Cambodia, and with a family to think about, I accepted. I started at BHQ in February 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since October 2025 I have been in Houston as a <strong>Research Scholar and Clinical Observer<\/strong> at the Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, under Professor Mohit Khera. That post concludes in October 2026, when I return to full-time practice at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. It is a research and observation appointment \u2014 it carries no licence to practise in the United States, and I do not operate there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a personal coda to this. When I was preparing the BHQ lecture, my parents reminded me of something I\u2019d half-forgotten: I was <strong>born at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters<\/strong> on August 2, 1984. The pediatrician who delivered me was Dr. Premruedee. The room had a broken air conditioner. My parents told me they never imagined I\u2019d one day come back to work in the building where I was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a way, the eight years in Cambodia were the long way home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Where did Dr. Pom train as a urologist?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A: Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone (Dr. Pom) completed his urology residency at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital and was board certified in urology in 2016. He then completed <strong>two clinical fellowships at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, both in 2019<\/strong> \u2014 Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Urology at the Linkou branch, and <strong>Andrology at the Kaohsiung branch under Professor Po-Hui Chiang<\/strong>, which is the training that underpins his men\u2019s health and sexual medicine practice. He also completed a one-month Endourology <em>observership<\/em> at Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo (2022), and is currently a <em>Research Scholar and Clinical Observer<\/em> at the Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (2025\u20132026), under Professor Mohit Khera. Observerships and research appointments are not fellowships and carry no licence to practise in those countries \u2014 the distinction matters, so it is stated plainly here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: What hospitals did Dr. Pom work at in Cambodia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A: Dr. Pom worked at the two BDMS hospitals in Cambodia \u2014 Royal Phnom Penh Hospital (a 100-bed JCI-accredited Center of Excellence in the capital) and Royal Angkor International Hospital (a 32-bed hospital in Siem Reap). He served as a part-time weekend urologist from October 2016, converted to full-time in June 2019, and was Chief of Urology until leaving Cambodian practice in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: What was the first 4th-generation ESWL machine in Cambodia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A: Royal Phnom Penh installed Cambodia\u2019s first 4th-generation ESWL (Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy) machine from Taiwan in October 2018. The technology was more advanced than what was available in most Thai hospitals at the time, with built-in real-time ultrasound and AI-driven targeting that the manufacturer reported as improving shockwave accuracy from approximately 82% to 98%. Those are manufacturer figures, and better targeting does not automatically mean a higher stone-free rate \u2014 patient and stone selection matter more than machine generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: When did Cambodia get its first Men\u2019s Health Clinic?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A: Royal Phnom Penh opened Cambodia\u2019s first dedicated Men\u2019s Health Clinic in September 2021, anchored around Penile ESWT (Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy) for erectile dysfunction. Dr. Pom led the development of the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: When was the first REZUM (Water Vapor Therapy) procedure performed in Cambodia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A: Cambodia\u2019s first REZUM Water Vapor Therapy procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was performed by Dr. Pom at Royal Phnom Penh in October 2023. REZUM is a minimally invasive treatment that uses targeted steam to reduce prostate volume, with a lower risk of affecting sexual function than transurethral resection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Q: Where does Dr. Pom practice now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A: Dr. Pom\u2019s clinical practice is at <strong>Bangkok Hospital Headquarters<\/strong> in Bangkok and <strong>Samitivej Sriracha Hospital<\/strong> in Chonburi, specializing in robotic and minimally invasive urological surgery, men\u2019s health, and testosterone replacement therapy. He is in Houston on a research appointment until October 2026 and returns to full-time practice at BHQ after that. He maintains professional connections with the BDMS Cambodia hospitals and continues to support Cambodian urology training through international faculty roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Book an Appointment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have a question about urology, men\u2019s health, or testosterone therapy? There are two ways to see Dr. Soarawee:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bangkok Hospital Headquarters<\/strong> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokhospital.com\/en\/bangkok\/doctor\/dr-soarawee-weerasopone-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">book a consultation through the hospital<\/a>, or email the Urology department at <a href=\"mailto:bhquro@bdms.co.th\">bhquro@bdms.co.th<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Samitivej Sriracha Hospital, Chonburi<\/strong> \u2014 Urology department line <a href=\"tel:0880221445\">088-022-1445<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bangkok Hospital Telemedicine is available for patients who cannot attend in person, including international patients \u2014 arrange it in advance by email to the Urology department at <a href=\"mailto:bhquro@bdms.co.th\">bhquro@bdms.co.th<\/a>. Samitivej Sriracha is in-person only. Questions about cost should go to the hospital directly, using the same contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This article is a personal account written for education and is not medical advice. It does not create a doctor\u2013patient relationship and cannot substitute for assessment of your own situation. Dr. Soarawee does not provide advice, diagnosis or prescriptions through personal messaging channels or social media, and does not operate any public social media account \u2014 any account offering private consultation in his name is fraudulent. If you have severe pain, fever with flank pain, an inability to pass urine, or any other urgent symptom, go to an emergency department or call 1669 in Thailand.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"AboutPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/2026\/04\/29\/from-royal-to-bhq-8-years-urology-cambodia\/#webpage\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/2026\/04\/29\/from-royal-to-bhq-8-years-urology-cambodia\/\",\n      \"name\": \"From Royal to BHQ: 8 Years of Practicing Urology in Cambodia\",\n      \"description\": \"A first-person account of building a urology service at the BDMS hospitals in Cambodia between 2016 and 2024, and the training that followed.\",\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\n      \"datePublished\": \"2026-04-29\",\n      \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-21\",\n      \"isPartOf\": { \"@id\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/#website\" },\n      \"author\": { \"@id\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/#physician\" },\n      \"reviewedBy\": { \"@id\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/#physician\" },\n      \"publisher\": { \"@id\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/#physician\" },\n      \"disambiguatingDescription\": \"Biographical and historical article. Dr. Soarawee Weerasopone holds two clinical fellowships from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, both awarded in 2019: Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Urology (Linkou) and Andrology (Kaohsiung, under Professor Po-Hui Chiang). His posts at Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo (2022) and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (2025-2026) are an observership and a research and clinical observer appointment respectively, not fellowships, and confer no licence to practise in Japan or the United States. Figures describing Cambodian practice relate to the period 2016-2024.\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/2026\/04\/29\/from-royal-to-bhq-8-years-urology-cambodia\/#faq\",\n      \"isPartOf\": { \"@id\": \"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/2026\/04\/29\/from-royal-to-bhq-8-years-urology-cambodia\/#webpage\" },\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Where did Dr. Pom train as a urologist?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Urology residency at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, board certified in urology in 2016. Two clinical fellowships at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, both in 2019: Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Urology at Linkou, and Andrology at Kaohsiung under Professor Po-Hui Chiang. A one-month Endourology observership at Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo in 2022, and a Research Scholar and Clinical Observer appointment at the Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, 2025 to 2026, under Professor Mohit Khera. The observership and the Baylor appointment are not fellowships and carry no licence to practise in those countries.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What hospitals did Dr. Pom work at in Cambodia?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Royal Phnom Penh Hospital, a 100-bed JCI-accredited BDMS Center of Excellence, and Royal Angkor International Hospital, a 32-bed hospital in Siem Reap. Part-time weekend urologist from October 2016, full-time from June 2019, and Chief of Urology until leaving Cambodian practice in 2024.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What was the first 4th-generation ESWL machine in Cambodia?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Royal Phnom Penh installed Cambodia's first 4th-generation extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy machine from Taiwan in October 2018, with real-time ultrasound and AI-assisted targeting. The improvement in targeting accuracy from about 82 per cent to 98 per cent is a manufacturer-reported figure, and better targeting does not by itself mean a higher stone-free rate: stone size, composition, position and skin-to-stone distance matter more than the generation of the machine.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"When did Cambodia get its first Men's Health Clinic?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"Royal Phnom Penh opened Cambodia's first dedicated Men's Health Clinic in September 2021, anchored around penile extracorporeal shockwave therapy for erectile dysfunction.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"When was the first Rezum water vapour therapy performed in Cambodia?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"In October 2023, at Royal Phnom Penh Hospital, for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Rezum uses targeted steam to reduce prostate volume and carries a lower risk of affecting sexual function than transurethral resection.\"\n          }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Where does Dr. Pom practise now?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n            \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n            \"text\": \"At Bangkok Hospital Headquarters in Bangkok and Samitivej Sriracha Hospital in Chonburi. He is in Houston on a research appointment until October 2026 and returns to full-time practice at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters after that. Bangkok Hospital Telemedicine can be arranged in advance by email to the Urology department at bhquro@bdms.co.th; Samitivej Sriracha is in-person only. He does not provide advice, diagnosis or prescriptions through personal messaging channels or social media and operates no public social media account.\"\n          }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u0e19\u0e1e. \u0e1b\u0e2d\u0e21 \u0e40\u0e25\u0e48\u0e32\u0e16\u0e36\u0e07\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e40\u0e14\u0e34\u0e19\u0e17\u0e32\u0e07 8 \u0e1b\u0e35 \u0e08\u0e32\u0e01\u0e41\u0e1e\u0e17\u0e22\u0e4c\u0e23\u0e30\u0e1a\u0e1a\u0e17\u0e32\u0e07\u0e40\u0e14\u0e34\u0e19\u0e1b\u0e31\u0e2a\u0e2a\u0e32\u0e27\u0e30\u0e19\u0e2d\u0e01\u0e40\u0e27\u0e25\u0e32\u0e07\u0e32\u0e19\u0e43\u0e19\u0e01\u0e31\u0e21\u0e1e\u0e39\u0e0a\u0e32 \u0e2a\u0e39\u0e48\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e47\u0e19\u0e1c\u0e39\u0e49\u0e1a\u0e38\u0e01\u0e40\u0e1a\u0e34\u0e01 ESWL, \u0e2a\u0e38\u0e02\u0e20\u0e32\u0e1e\u0e1a\u0e38\u0e23\u0e38\u0e29 \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30 REZUM \u0e17\u0e35\u0e48 \u0e23\u0e2d\u0e22\u0e31\u0e25 \u0e1e\u0e19\u0e21\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e0d.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":185281453,"featured_media":10012,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"Dr. Pom shares his 8-year journey from weekend urologist in Cambodia to BHQ \u2014 pioneering ESWL, men's health, and REZUM at Royal Phnom Penh.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"From Royal to BHQ: 8 Years Practicing Urology in Cambodia","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvZHJzb2FyYXdlZXVyb2xvZ3kuY29tXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDI2XC8wNFwvQ01FLUJhbmdrb2staG9zcGl0YWwtRS1icm9jaHVyZS0xMDI0eDEwMjQuanBnIiwidHh0IjoiRnJvbSBSb3lhbCB0byBCSFE6IDggWWVhcnMgb2YgUHJhY3RpY2luZyBVcm9sb2d5IGluIENhbWJvZGlhIFx1MjAxNCBBIFBlcnNvbmFsIEpvdXJuZXkiLCJ0ZW1wbGF0ZSI6ImhpZ2h3YXkiLCJmb250IjoiIiwiYmxvZ19pZCI6MjUxMDExMDc2fQ.BE1AGcI51na42F02BECKrsvO1MyxNOJkrVW3t9voPCAMQ"},"version":2,"media_source":"media-library","attached_media":[{"id":10012,"url":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8-Years-in-Cambodia.webp","type":"image\/jpeg"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1522],"tags":[1794,1795,1519,1383,1532,1392,1731,1797,1753],"class_list":["post-9911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous","tag-bangkok-hospital","tag-bhq","tag-covid-19","tag-eswl","tag-men-health","tag-phnom-penh","tag-rezum","tag-robotic-urology","tag-thailand"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgZdrK-2zR","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8-Years-in-Cambodia.webp?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/185281453"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9911"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11592,"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9911\/revisions\/11592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drsoaraweeurology.com\/th\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9911"}],"curies":[{"name":"\u0e14\u0e31\u0e1a\u0e40\u0e1a\u0e34\u0e25\u0e22\u0e39\u0e1e\u0e35","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}