Sheryl

As above, hospital is not important, it is the choice of doctor. https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/Panya-Wongpatimachai Best knee specialist in the country Package price at that hospital for one knee is 356K https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/packages/total-knee-replacement-surgery But seems to exclude the prosthesis so total will be higher Also a good choice would be this doctor at either of 2 hospitals https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/doctors/assoc-prof-pongsak-yuktanandana package price (one knee only) 250K but as above, seems to exclude the prosthesis If you want to save money, my advice would be to look into having this done by the above doctor (Prof. Pongsak) at Chulalongkorn Hospital (government university hospital), you can consult him at Chula after hours clinic on Sundays and Mondays https://spcweb.kcmh.or.th/users/users/getDoctorClinic/f88ce567d5e36f817307cc9fb0e918a7-010514-

Your benefits get suspended. This is indeed a concern since the lettters are sent only by snail mail. I almost never get mine. What I do is print out a blank form, fill it in and mail it in annually.

SS income is NOT taxable in Thailand. US-Thai tax treaty clearly states it is assessable only in US. If it were assessable in Thailand (which it is not), having it go first into a US account would not alter that fact as you'd still be somehow remitting it to Thailand. You can do the whole application process through Manila, online then you'll get a phone interview at some point. No idea if budget/staff cuts have caused much delay in this process, could have. You can create a MySS account from abroad. Need an ID.me account so set that up. https://www.americansabroad.org/us-citizens-overseas-can-now-create-social-security-accounts-online

1. Immigration is highly, highly unlikely to "come knocking at the door". 2. In the extremely unlkely event they do, it would not be in relation to thd Hotel Act but rather looking for overstays and (unlikely but possible) TM 30s. Hotel licensing law is not Immigration's responsibility to enforce. Investigations of short term rentals are usually triggrred by neighbor complaints and usually in context where there have bern a series of such rentals over time. Emphasis on the word rental. 3. Either you or your tenant could submit a TM30 for the guest. Can be done in minutes, online. (Need to create an account first, if you haven't already). Again, TM30 the Hotel Act have nothing to do with each other. If there was violation of the hotel act (i.e. the unit being commercially rented out in absence of hotel license) , filing a TM30 would not change that fact.

The best spine doctor in Thailand is https://www.bnhhospital.com/search-doctor/entry/4093/ Consultation plus Xrays will run about 5k. Have to Xray at the hospital as Prof. Wicharn has speciai protocol he uses, with Xray views in different positions. But MRI can be done at this imaging center https://mrithailand.com/ where it will cost 9k vs twice that at hospital. Ask for MRI lumbar spine without contrast and get the scan on DVD, don't worry about report, Prof will ignore it anyway and read the scan himself. Main branch of imaging center is near Chatuchak but there is aldo a branch near Silom. Up to you whether to do MRI before seeing specialist or wait to see if he feels one is necessary. On the one hand, MRI might not be needed. But on the other, if it is needed, you'll incur 2 consultation fees instead of one (consultation without Xray = about 2000 - 2500 baht) if you wait till after initial consultation. I can't guess likelihood of needing MRI as I don't gave any sense of what your pain, what triggers it, how long you've had it etc.

Thrre is a big difference between hosting a friend and renting out a room/bed. If you believe your tenant is doing this as a financial transaction then yes, against the Hotel act. But if they are just having a friend stay for a few nights, rent free, it is not and trying to forbid this would be extreme IMO. I certainly would not want to rent ftom someone who did not allow me to have friends/family occasionally stay overnight, it is a normal part of life. But neither would I, as a Landlord, tolerate a tenant renting out rooms/beds. TM30 is a separate matter.

If I understand correctly you have a long term renter. I fail to see how him having a friend stay over would put you in violation of the hotel act. You aren't renting to that person. And in any event filing a TM30 is not going to trigger action under the hotel law. Totally different government entities.

Mist ATM cards diybke as drbit csrds. If he doesn't even have an ATM csrd, he can surely get one. Should also get Mobile banking on his phone if he doesn't already have it.

As long as you are conscious and coherent, you can pay the hospital, they will if necessary send cashier to your room. Debit card and online banking scanned payment will work as will credit card. Your problem will be if you are unconscious or mentally disabled. You need to have someone with power of attorney and health care proxy (aside from financial matters, health care decisions need to be considered). . Ideally someone in Thailand but if not, then someone abroad. Be sure to list this person as your emergency contact on all hospital registrations. Also make sure they know your wishes and financial details. And if possible add their name on the emergency account so that they can readily access it. Do not underestimate how expensive care can be in s major illness or accident. In a place like BPH a single hospitalization can reach 3-5 million baht. If your emergency fund is less than 5 million would do best to use government hospitals for anything major.

As above, Thai citizens pay nothing (but should use the hospital where they are registered under SS or the Universal scheme). If your questions is for a foreigner, normal delivery through public channel will be maybe 5-10k, C-section maybe 20-30k. Government hospitals also have semi-private channels, these will cost more. No C-section on demand through the public channel. Complications of course would add to cost.

During COVID many shops set it up so that customers need not enter the store and while most have stopped this, some have made it permanent, probably because the staff find it easier not to have close dealings with customers. Not a COVID issue, just something they have found they can get away with doing.

It has always been customary in Asia to wear a mask if suffering from a cold, and also common to use them during times of air pollution. Well before COVID.

Since OA is a multiple entry visa, there is no way to cancel it before the expiration date shown on the visa. Do not, however, confuse the visa expiration date with the date your permission to stay ends as these can differ. For example, if you entered today on a visa that expires tomorrow, your approved length if stay would still be one year from today. But in that instance, simply leaving the country in 2 or more days without a re-entry permit would "kill" the visa because the visa itself would be expired. What expiration date shows on the original visa itself?

It is not yet being used clinically anywhere. Years away ftom that, if it happens at all. A lot of issues still to be addressed.

It would be easier if she were registered in Bkk if that is where she lives. I an quite confused, you say now she was admitted for dialysis and diabetes. But previoudly said MI and had a bypass?

In addition to being still a pilot and not in all provinces, I am not sure this new scheme allows people to go directly to any govt hospital. I think the emphasis is on primary level care and linkages with privste pharmacies etc.

Then lack of referral letter is probably not the issue. If it was, cost would be much higher, around 200-300k. Likely a private fee to the surgeon & hospital to jump the public sector queue. Was the surgery performed aftet hours?

There are a number of possibilities: 1. Might be stent placement and while the procedure and hospitalizarion is free the family may have to pay the cost of the stent device (if really 70k then likely 2-3 stents). 2. Scheduled on a private basis in order to expedite things especially given the Songkran holidays. There definitely IS a wait list for cardiac surgeries in many public hospitals. And people do die as a result, or get worse outcomes (more permanent damage to cardiac muscle) . The system is overburdened, especially in Bangkok. I have friends who went deeply in debt to pay for bypass surgery at a private hospital recently because the wait for it in govt hospitals in Bangkok was up to 6 months. This was for bypass; stent placement wait time would have been less, but still a wait list for it. 3. Due to not having a referral letter from her registered hospital under the 30 baht scheme. Actually in case of emergency where patient cannot be safely transferred, emergent care can be received in any govt hospital. But cashier will not know if something qualifies as an emergency and will demand payment and yes, will be required in advance. It usually needs a call(s) to the NHSO hotline to resolve this. Which family should certainly try if this is the issue. Last possibility is that whole thing is a scam to borrow money, only OP is in position to know if family really does have critically ill relative. In cases like this, any delay can seriously affect the outcome because the heart muscle is not getting enough oxygen and will die. Keeping the patient alive with conservative treatment （medications etc) risks both death and long term disability because even if they survive till surgical intetvrntion there will be more permanent damage to the heart muscle.

Forgot to mention -- unless this proves to be an infection or eczema which disappears with treatment, insist on a biopsy even if doctor does not suggest it. Doctors here have not seen as much skin cancer as Drs in the West.

https://www.phukethospital.com/doctor/apasee-sooksamran/

Costs will vary with the hospital. Private hospitals about 350k baht. Government, maybe half that. I suggest you see this very qualified specialist at his private clinic to get a better idea of options https://www.warakornclinic.com/services/ He might be able to do the surgery at Maharaj Nakorn Hospital (government) Wherever it is done, in Thailand the surgical aspect is usually fine but after care physio is a weak point, pretty much have to google it and DIY.

Is this for skin cancer/skin disease or cosmetic isdue? Makes a difference in terms of doctor.

Visa expirations don't matter as visa was already used on entry (if you in fact had one; nowadays most non-residents enter visa exempt). Visa exopiration is the date by which you must use the visa for entry, not the date yoylu can stay till. What matters is your approved length of stay as indicated on the stamp you received on entry. If that date is coming up then what you need is an extnsion of stay, snd presumably this is what you mean. In which case you are all set except that I think in Bkk sppointment in advance may be required.. @DrJack54? But if you actually had a visa, and it is the expiration date shown on that visa you refer to then you need to check your entry stamp to see if/when extension is needed.

It is no more expensive than other private hospitals and less than some.

It would be worthwhile coming to Rutnin Eye Hospital in Bangkok. You need s thorough retinsl exam. As part of thr routine checks they do on new patients your prescription will be measured, no need to separatly see an optician (who are often not very well trained in Thailand and certainly ard not skilled re contact lenses). Just tell the doctor you need a contact lens prescription when you see him re the floaters. Suggest this doctor at Rutnin: https://www.rutnin.com/en/doctor/resume.36.1_Medical_history_0_0.html If unavailable then: https://www.rutnin.com/en/doctor/resume.5.1_Medical_history_0_0.html