19/11/2025
Hear the story of Karen Marie Sumalbag, our expat who moved from the Philippines 🇵🇭 to Thailand 🇹🇭.
"Going back 15 years ago, I didn’t expect migrating to Thailand. Like many Filipino nurses, I thought my path would lead somewhere in the West or Europe, where opportunities for nurses seems endless.
But life had other plans. A relative invited me to visit Thailand, so I came — and slowly, I started learning how to live in a country that has completely different language than mine. Bit by bit, I found myself falling in love with Thailand — its beautiful culture, kind people, and the simple yet vibrant way of life. “Sabai-Sabai!” As the locals would say.
Soon enough, I decided to look for a job in a hospital because nursing has always been my passion. It wasn’t easy — I remember applying from one hospital to another, at least 5 hospitals in a day, with no local experience, getting lost and unable to communicate.
When I finally got accepted into my first hospital, I didn’t care much about the pay, the long hours, or the workload. I was so happy that I had a chance to stay, learn, and grow here. Working from the operating room, giving bed baths, taking vital signs, to international patient coordination, overseas insurance operations, and now, management in International Business Development.
MedPark Hospital, my 3rd hospital in Thailand, is truly a model of a medical provider that has an international standard and over the top quality of care and specialty. Coming here gave me the most culturally diverse experience, working with internationally competent and brilliant people.
15 years later, after all the challenges, hard work, faith, and support of my loved ones, I can confidently say that Thailand is now my second home — and it’s the home where my 3 kids were born and raised.
I’m truly grateful to MedPark for the trust and the opportunities to grow in my career. This has been one of the highlights of my journey, reminding me every day to stay humble and to keep loving what I do.
Thank you, MedPark. Thank you, Thailand.
--> We asked MedPark Expats what inspired their relocation to Bangkok and why they chose to grow their careers at MedPark Hospital. 🩷