c721671

The original poster is referring to Mao Mao 30 baht. It is a one-time charge of 30 baht, and for that, you get:

- free local calls 30 minutes within 5 days

- extension of validity 30 days.

You get it by dialing *500*9#

Duh, ya' think it's a windup? There is a big red SATIRE at the top of the post.

Copied fro mthe News Clipping forum:

Do you know...

- that only 3 out of 1000 Thais have Rh Negative blood compare to more than 5 out of 100 in foreigners.

- that it takes at least 2 days to process the blood ready for the patients.

- as of 25th of June, there are shortage of 50 units of Rh negative blood. Many patients of leukemia, cancer, accident and pregnant ladies are waiting desperately for their chance to survive. They need blood urgently to prevent from shock.

Donate your blood today to help increase the Rh Negative blood supply in Thailand.

Please donate blood at National Blood Centre,Thai Red Cross Society,Henri Dunant Rd.,Patumwan,Bangkok. Opening time of the National Blood Centre. Monday , Wednesday, Friday : from 08.00 a.m.- 04.30 p.m. Tuseday and Thursday : from 07.30 a.m.-19.30 p.m. Saturday and public holidays: from 08.30 a.m. - 15.30 Sunday : 8.30 a.m.- 15.30 p.m. Tel. 0-2252-1637 , 0-2252-1601

Still pertinent, still needed and worthy of the support of those with O-negative blood (like myself).

Here is a link to the Google Maps page showing the location, it is at Henri Dunant Rd and Rama IV. Nearest MRT is Sam Yan.

Link: Google Maps, National Blood Centre, Bangkok

Thanks for the feedback. Had the discussion with a long-time BKK-resident expat yesterday (his wife's sister is a nurse at a private hospital in BKK) and he suggested carrying an insurance card with the words "International coverage" written in Thai language, as well as a credit card that you are sure will take an authorization of 100,000 baht. Doesn't sound like bad advice to me.

He also suggested that the procedure followed at a private hospital in Pattaya might be different than somewhere else in Thailand, because of the payment (or non-payment) history that a particular hospital has faced.

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Thanks for the replies

You seem to be trying to blame the death on the hospital ? The hospitals I know, even the very expensive ones will treat you if your life is in danger regardless of having proof of payment.

My post was not about blame, but about trying to understanding the procedure that private hospitals use to treat accident victims. And maybe all private hospitals do not follow the same procedure.

Definitely carry your insurance card. That should be plenty to get emergency treatment.

When I look at my insurance card (Blue Cross Blue Shield from USA) there is no indication that there is International coverage (even though I know there is). How would they know there is coverage?

And carry a credit card, I do, a U.S. based MasterCard. I don't normally use it for anything here in Thailand but do have it in my pocket for just such an instance, at a hospital and being asked how I propose to pay.

So is it true that the presence of a credit card in your pocket (able to handle a large authorization) is enough for the private hospital so they will not consider sending you to a public hospital for treatment?

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A friend was in a motorbike accident a few months ago and died from his injuries. I have some specific questions that I'm having a hard time getting answered. Here is the background .... he was taken unconscious in an ambulance to the nearest hospital (Pattaya Memorial, which it private). Head trauma, broken bones, etc. He received limited attention there before he was sent to Banglamung Hospital (still unconscious). He died there a few hours later as a result of his injuries.

I was told that the reason he was not treated at Pattaya Memorial Hospital was because he showed no evidence as to the ability to pay for his treatment. It appears that they checked his pockets and found a phone, a few thousand baht and a USA drivers license. No credit card and no insurance card. So the procedure the private hospital follows is to send him to a public hospital. The sad part about this is that his net worth was in the tens of millions of baht, so he could have paid. He just wasn't carrying any evidence that he could pay.

I have now heard two other similar stories of people not receiving emergency medical treatment at a private hospital, and being sent to a public hospital.

This post is not to judge the way Thai private hospitals treat unconscious patients with traumatic injuries, but to find a way that if THIS HAPPENS TO ME, then I will be treated immediately at the hospital where I am taken (if it happens to be a private hospital.) I have asked around to Thais and got some different answers, but the overwhelming theme is that most (maybe all?) private hospitals will not treat injured patients unless they show an ability (willingness?) to pay. But if you are unconscious ...

Questions:

1. Does anyone know what a private hospital would consider "payment authorization" or "ability to pay."

2. Is the solution as simple as carrying a credit card that will support pre-authorization for a certain amount? What is that amount?

3. Along with the above, would it be wise to affix a note (written in Thai) stating this credit card can be used to pay for immediate treatment?

4. If there is an insurance card from a foreign country carried, how would the hospital know if there is coverage internationally?

5. Anything else that should be carried on my person to prevent what happened to my friend from happening to me if I am taken to a private hospital?

Thanks for any insight anyone has.

This website says the service begins November 19, 2010

Link: http://thailivingferry.com/

Just got into Hua Hin and there is a white minibus (same that goes HH-Victory mon.) that runs to Pattaya at 2 hourly intervals with first at 0600 and last at 1800. It leaves as the Bangkok service does from just off soi 72. Didn't enquire as to the price.

Cheers

A week ago, I saw this too, I stopped and got the info.

There is ALSO a minibus service from Hua Hin to Pattaya, in addition to the big bus I took above. The office in Hua Hin is on Sa Song Rd 1/2 block south of Thanon Dechanuchit, roughly across from the bus station that handles the big buses to Bangkok South station. The girl that works there told me vans go every 2 hours throughout the day, and fare is 280 baht. You can book in Hua Hin by calling her at 088-709-2364. She said they start in Pattaya at Panklear Plaza on South Pattaya Rd (I do not know where that is). Pattaya departure info is available at 088-709-2365.

Here is the flyer she gave me, and a map of where the office is in Hua Hin.

Here is a follow-up to the bus service I posted about in the first post. I took it from Pattaya to Hua Hin last night. This is a big coach bus, not a minibus.

The bus starts in Rayong and ends in Samui. A few stops along the way to pick up passengers. Two 10-minute bathroom stops are near Chonburi and outside Hua Hin. We arrived Hua Hin 22:35 so 4.5 hours total, with 2 stops. Not bad. The drop off in Hua Hin is alongside the road, at the clock tower.

The bus pulled in from Rayong about 17:50 and departed Pattaya 5 minutes later. The guy I was talking to said the 18:00 Pattaya departure time is approximate, usually a few mins early.

All seats are reserved. When I got on, the bus was 1/4 full. At Chonburi, it was full. This bus is very, very roomy. Far more leg room and seat recline than the Bangkok-Pattaya bus. There are only 8 rows of seats, two seats on each side of the aisle. There are 2 rows of "VIP" seats in the front. Roughly like a first-class airline seat, but not fully reclining. I booked the 270 baht seat and it is OK, I might inquire next time about how much the front 2 rows are, or if they even sell them.

I was the only one that got off at Hua Hin. And all customers on the bus were Thai except for one farang backpacker. All announcements in Thai. Soft Thai pop love songs played part of the way, no annoying soap operas or stupid movies.

I would suggest to buy the ticket a day in advance (like I did). For information, I called 081-806-1050 - he spoke English very well.

I have no experience with the opposite direction (Hua Hin to Pattaya). I was told departure from Hua Hin is approx 00:00-00:30. You call and make a reservation. I am going to Bangkok in a few days, so I am not going back to Pattaya.

This is far better and more comfortable than going to BKK and changing there, in my opinion.

First, can a moderator change the title? I misspelled Hua Hin. Sorry

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After some searching, I found info on the bus direct from Pattaya to Hua Hin and back. I bought a ticket yesterday for 270 baht, and I will be traveling at 1800 tonight. I'll post a follow-up report here.

Link: http://yellowbusthai.../blog-post.html

Website: http://www.iloveyell....com/roots.html (Route #6 near bottom of page)

Website English Translation: http://translate.goo...om%2Froots.html (Route #6 near bottom of page)

Here is the information I got about the above bus service. I called 081-806-1050 - he spoke English very well.

The bus from Pattaya North Bus Station (same one as Bangkok) to "Koh Samui" runs every day, it is called "the Yellow Bus". It stops at Hua Hin and Surat Thani. It originates in Rayong

You can buy a ticket at Pattaya Bus Station at the same window where you buy a ticket for the Makhasan. Ask for a ticket for the "yellow bus to Hua Hin".

The schedule from Pattaya to Hua Hin is:

Departs Pattaya: 18:00 hrs

Arrives Hua Hin Clock Tower: approx: 22:30, depending on traffic

Hua Hin to Pattaya is a little more unpredictable, as the bus originates at Surat Thani during the day, so the departure time from Hua Hin is variable. I am told it usually departs Hua Hin for Pattaya about 00:00 or 00:30. If you want to depart from Hua Hin to Pattaya, you must call them in advance so they know to stop and pick you up!

If you look at the Google Translate page I linked above, you will see the entire schedule.

Fare Pattaya to HH is 270 baht

FYI, I was told the fare to Surat Thani is 659 baht or 1025 baht, depending on if you have a VIP seat or not. So it is possible that some of these seats are "sleepers" of some kind.

This might be a good alternative to going into Bangkok, or going to Mukdahan and changing buses there. The times of operation are not the best, though, but they are like this because the final destination of this bus is Surat Thani Province; Hua Hin is just a stop along the way.

Finally, here is a picture of a sign advertising the bus.