Visiting a Thai friend in a government hospital : will she be charged more then ?

[xtof2]

I have a friend who after being in an hospital in Chiang Rai has just been transferred to Bangkok at Rajavithi, which is, from my understanding, a good hospital.

However, since it is not her registered hospital, she will have to pay and is an in-patient. She is afraid that if the staff see her with a farang, they may increase her fees.

True or not.

Thanks for your experiences on this and advices.

[lopburi3]

The fee is the same for Thai or foreigner AFAIK (and was there last year and if they had actually operated the price quoted listed in Thai for the procedure I was scheduled to have was what I had paid in advance).  Am sure all tests were normal Thai price.

 

But if she was transferred there by her home hospital it should be paid I believe.

[TerryLH]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

But if she was transferred there by her home hospital it should be paid I believe.

Only if she was there under the 30 Baht plan.  Even then, I don't think they would send her to Bangkok unless she has something only they could fix.  More likely a regional hospital in the CR area, or CM.

 

But I agree, if it's a government hospital she shouldn't be charged more.

[Rhys]

At times the Thai Medical System will generously surprise you...

[Thongkorn]

22 hours ago, Rhys said:

At times the Thai Medical System will generously surprise you...

 I paid Privet for a Diagnosis, They said they found Nothing  10.000 baht  for 12 vitamin B tablets, and two   isotopic drinks. After a week of felling unwell, my wife took me to a Government Hospital,  At 2 am , within   4 hours they had took blood test and come to a conclusion , And they where spot on , I had Leukemia. So   dont knock Government hospitals. I wanted to pay but they said no, So  i left some money to buy food for   the poor people in the hospital. that was the least i could do,

[craigt3365]

13 hours ago, Thongkorn said:

 I paid Privet for a Diagnosis, They said they found Nothing  10.000 baht  for 12 vitamin B tablets, and two   isotopic drinks. After a week of felling unwell, my wife took me to a Government Hospital,  At 2 am , within   4 hours they had took blood test and come to a conclusion , And they where spot on , I had Leukemia. So   dont knock Government hospitals. I wanted to pay but they said no, So  i left some money to buy food for   the poor people in the hospital. that was the least i could do,

Glad it worked out for you!  I've also read stories that go the other way.  Sadly, it's hit and miss here.

 

Just had a friend visit some 4 hospitals in Bangkok.  Government and private.  All misdiagnosed her cancer.  Finally, one got it right.

[silent]

13 hours ago, Thongkorn said:

 I paid Privet for a Diagnosis, They said they found Nothing  10.000 baht  for 12 vitamin B tablets, and two   isotopic drinks. After a week of felling unwell, my wife took me to a Government Hospital,  At 2 am , within   4 hours they had took blood test and come to a conclusion , And they where spot on , I had Leukemia. So   dont knock Government hospitals. I wanted to pay but they said no, So  i left some money to buy food for   the poor people in the hospital. that was the least i could do,

It was the other way around for my wife 2 years ago. Government hospital doc, (oc interchangeable with ick), simply told her to get used to being deaf and gave her forms for hearing aid. Bangkok Hospital kept her for a week (30,000 total) that included the B12 regime. She still has a hearing problem, but isn't deaf.

(From previous experiences I listened, let take her son take her and didn't visit). Never trust one diagnosis and always get another opinion. 

[lopburi3]

Once again we find it is the doctor rather than the facility that is the most important element.  Both better private and government facilities have good and not-so-good doctors so always an advantage to know the doctors qualifications/recommendations. 

 

Then there is a factor of private and government testing facilities and support staff - and if inpatient: accommodations.  All can factor on both treatment and recovery.  Some of the government hospitals have the best trained doctors - but in private hospitals doctors may have the time to more closely check the patients and provide personal treatment. 

 

Unfortunately that ends up as no-decision on which path is best.  For one it will be government - for another private.  For myself; having insurance and ability to use private is important.

[Neeranam]

Not true. 

 

What a strange thing to believe.

[edwardflory]

Took my girlfriend to... PATTAYA... hospital ER - NOT her registered hospital - at around 02:00 with stomach pains. She got a mini physical, took some liquid medication they had to go to the pharmacy to get, put in a IV, kept her in the ER for observation till shortly after 08:00 - updated me 4 times as I slept outside in the hall. Gave her a bag of meds, 2 small bottles ( of dont remember )  to drink 1/2 daily, 4 packets pills 1 a day for 5 days.

COST 750THB

 

Forgot: I did have to make a 500THB deposit....( five hundred )

[geisha]

edwardflory, but did they find the problem ? I had classic signs of a kidney stone ( pure hell!) and no one found it until a specialist from Bangkok’came down to Bangkok’PAttaya hospital ! 

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, silent said:

It was the other way around for my wife 2 years ago. Government hospital doc, (oc interchangeable with ick), simply told her to get used to being deaf and gave her forms for hearing aid. Bangkok Hospital kept her for a week (30,000 total) that included the B12 regime. She still has a hearing problem, but isn't deaf.

(From previous experiences I listened, let take her son take her and didn't visit). Never trust one diagnosis and always get another opinion. 

 

And a third if your not happy.

 

My Thai son took his very young toddler daughter to a so called 5 star hospital in Bkk, the diagnosis all done in 5 minutes with the doctor chatting on his phone at the same time and ignoring what my son was trying to tell him.

 

Next day at visiting time son discovered that the chart on the foot of his daughters bed was a different patient, son asked for head nurse to come to the room and asked her if his daughter had been given the medications on the chart. Head nurse asked junior nurse same question, answer yes.

 

Then my son pointed out it's the wrong chart and head nurse scolded my son for looking at the chart.

 

Son demanded the hospital manager come and told the guy (farang) that he was checking his daughter out immediately and was not paying the bill and would call the police if needed.

 

Farang asked son to pay for the medications, son interjected with' you mean pay for the wrong medications', farang quickly backed off.

 

They took the toddler to a well recognised Thai government hospital, diagnosis was thorough and logical, totally different finding and different medication. Two days later home and full of energy. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Rather than puzzle over it all day, may one enquire what 'oc interchangeable with ick' means? Sounds like a rather unsavoury medical procedure...

[colinneil]

If the patient was transferred/referred by the hospital she is registered at, it should be covered and no extra charges should apply.

[hocuspocus]

17 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

And a third if your not happy.

 

My Thai son took his very young toddler daughter to a so called 5 star hospital in Bkk, the diagnosis all done in 5 minutes with the doctor chatting on his phone at the same time and ignoring what my son was trying to tell him.

 

Next day at visiting time son discovered that the chart on the foot of his daughters bed was a different patient, son asked for head nurse to come to the room and asked her if his daughter had been given the medications on the chart. Head nurse asked junior nurse same question, answer yes.

 

Then my son pointed out it's the wrong chart and head nurse scolded my son for looking at the chart.

 

Son demanded the hospital manager come and told the guy (farang) that he was checking his daughter out immediately and was not paying the bill and would call the police if needed.

 

Farang asked son to pay for the medications, son interjected with' you mean pay for the wrong medications', farang quickly backed off.

 

They took the toddler to a well recognised Thai government hospital, diagnosis was thorough and logical, totally different finding and different medication. Two days later home and full of energy. 

Thais-Not allowed to challenge authority (especially young ones).

[Xonax]

Double-pricing do actually exist in Thai-hospitals.  I recently saw a promotion package advertised in Sikarin Hospital, clearly stating that the promotion price was for Thais only.

[ThaiFelix]

I always use local govt hospital and never had a problem.  Always surprised that the bills have been so cheap so if they have ripped me off for being a farang it must be by mere peanuts.

[silent]

12 hours ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Rather than puzzle over it all day, may one enquire what 'oc interchangeable with ick' means? Sounds like a rather unsavoury medical procedure...

I couldn't forgive myself if I leave you sitting around another day trying to figure out what oc after d spells, then what Ick after d spells trying to convince people that playing with your dick-doc puzzle is a  medical procedure. My bad.

 

 

[chickenslegs]

12 hours ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Rather than puzzle over it all day, may one enquire what 'oc interchangeable with ick' means? Sounds like a rather unsavoury medical procedure...

d - oc = doc = doctor

d- ick = dick

 

Took me quite a while to work it out too.

 

 

[silent]

9 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

d - oc = doc = doctor

d- ick = dick

 

Took me quite a while to work it out too.

 

 

Thank-you for helping me finally see the truth, in that more often than not my comments are simply too cryptic for some.