Rutnin Eye Hospital prices for foreigners

[Srinakarin]

Hi everyone,

 

I recently decided it was about time  I had a routine eye check and asked someone to phone Rutnin hospital to find the cost of standard eye tests.  I asked someone to phone them on my behalf.  She was given a price for the test, and then my friend mentioned that I am not Thai.  The hospital then advised that the cost was now nearly double the price initially quoted.  When challenged as to why that was, the reason given was quite vague - it requires a different kind of service.  Perhaps the details were lost in translation or deliberately vague, I don't know.

 

Can anyone shed some light of this "different kind of service" or confirm that the double pricing structure quoted is actually incorrect.  If it's a simple miscommunication, then I needn't boycott the place.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

[ivor bigun]

Hi everyone,
 
I recently decided it was about time  I had a routine eye check and asked someone to phone Rutnin hospital to find the cost of standard eye tests.  I asked someone to phone them on my behalf.  She was given a price for the test, and then my friend mentioned that I am not Thai.  The hospital then advised that the cost was now nearly double the price initially quoted.  When challenged as to why that was, the reason given was quite vague - it requires a different kind of service.  Perhaps the details were lost in translation or deliberately vague, I don't know.
 
Can anyone shed some light of this "different kind of service" or confirm that the double pricing structure quoted is actually incorrect.  If it's a simple miscommunication, then I needn't boycott the place.
 
Thanks
 
 
 
 
 

Welcome to Thailand

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[VocalNeal]

If simply routine, go to Madihol Dept. of Ophthalmology.

 

But the doctor will tell you afterwards that an optician will still have to make adjustments for the frame etc..

[scoutman360]

I went to Rutnin last month for a full eye exam. They charged me 1,600 bht. That was a shock. It must have been the "farang" tax. It was the first time for me to get a full diagnosis, probably won't do it again unless something serious.

[wgdanson]

5 minutes ago, scoutman360 said:

I went to Rutnin last month for a full eye exam. They charged me 1,600 bht. That was a shock. It must have been the "farang" tax. It was the first time for me to get a full diagnosis, probably won't do it again unless something serious.

How much do you think it should have cost?

[lopburi3]

I paid 1,300 baht at Vejthani Hospital in October for six month eye check with just normal tests.

[wreckingcountry]

Medical services are part of the test of the scams in the country ! No scruples


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[fred110]

Round eyes require special machines. ????

[KittenKong]

 

On 1/18/2019 at 3:52 PM, ivor bigun said:

Can anyone shed some light of this "different kind of service".......

As a foreigner you require their special overcharging service. In many places here it is obligatory.

[ivor bigun]

 
As a foreigner you require their special overcharging service. In many places here it is obligatory.

I actually get my eye tests at Satahip naval hospital,as i have a cataract,they are really good go every 6 months,full battery of tests ,see the doctor ,900 baht every 6 months.

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[KittenKong]

8 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

I actually get my eye tests at Satahip naval hospital,as i have a cataract,they are really good go every 6 months,full battery of tests ,see the doctor ,900 baht every 6 months.

As far as I know they also charge farangs extra for some things.

 

By the way, the quote I was replying to was not yours: it was the OP's. I dont know why the forum software showed it as being yours.

Edited January 20, 2019 by KittenKong

[ivor bigun]

As far as I know they also charge farangs extra for some things.
 
By the way, the quote I was replying to was not yours: it was the OP's. I dont know why the forum software showed it as being yours.

Yes wondered why,Satahip are good charge extra for the exam but same price for meds for Thai and foreigner,some time ago they found i had pressure in my eyes could lead to gloucoma ,various meds did not work ,an expensive one from the UK did ,cost 1600 for a months supply farcino 790 baht at Satahip.so cant complain

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[Sheryl]

I have no idea if Rutnin has 2 tier pricing, possible that they do. However 1600 baht for a thorough eye exam is not an unusual price for a private hospital, even for a Thai.

[pmarlin]

Wife and I are billed the same. She is a Thai.

[Srinakarin]

Thanks for the useful replies

[atyclb]

seems double pricing at already expensive private hospitals is common. went with a farang friend to a fancy hospital to inquire about laser varicose vein treatment with a lady doctor (i had briefly dated) and we were told she could get my friend the thai price as opposed to the farang price. imo the private hospital thai prices are already considered high so the dual pricing give me pause.

[wpcoe]

@Srinakarin If you are looking for just a standard eye/vision test I might try to persuade you to look elsewhere.  For folks with a need for specialized eye/vision-related medical care, my recommendation could be different.

 

Earlier this week I had a substantial eye operation with complete sedation requiring an overnight stay at the facility.  As @Sheryl always says: "Choose the doctor, not the hospital."  Dr. Roy at Rutnin was recommended and I would echo that recommendation, BUT ... I was not at all impressed with the ability of staff to deal with a non-Thai-speaking patient.

 

In addition to possible language issues, I experienced a series of inconveniences/mistakes/attitude issues ranging from the first floor reception folks to the doctor's secretary to the admissions folks to the billing department.  I was quite shocked, based on what I had perceived as a general recommendation of the facility on this forum.  I don't want to get into specifics, based mainly on defamation concerns, but if it weren't for Dr. Roy, I'm not sure I would recommend the facility.

[Sheryl]

Yes, it is not especially foreigner friendly/convenient. It is basically a Thai private hospital catering to middle class Thais.

 

However it is a dedicated eye hospital with many really excellent doctors in a wide range of specialties including relatively uncommon fields (e.g. oculoplastics).

 

I personally have not found it difficult to deal with but I speak Thai pretty well and am used to Thai style hospitals.

 

Patients who do not speak Thai are well advised to have a Thai speaker accompany.

 

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[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, wpcoe said:

@Srinakarin
@Sheryl

  I don't want to get into specifics, based mainly on defamation concerns, but if it weren't for Dr. Roy, I'm not sure I would recommend the facility.

 

The other thing I encountered there a while back was.... I had a conjunctivitis issue, and made an appointment there to see the doctor you mentioned based on his recommendations here. And when I made the appointment, I was clear and specific with the issue I was having...

 

So went there on appointment day, waited a couple hours past my appointment time, finally got to see the doctor, only to be told that he doesn't deal with that kind of (relatively common) eye issue, and he had to refer me to a different doctor there who supposedly did specialize in that...  I ended up seeing that other doctor, and she did little to nothing to help resolve the issue.

 

Needless to say, I wasn't pleased or happy with that experience -- the push off from the original doctor, the excessive waiting time past my appointment time, the relatively useless 2nd doctor I was referred to.

Edited January 25, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[scoutman360]

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 11:43 AM, Sheryl said:

I have no idea if Rutnin has 2 tier pricing, possible that they do. However 1600 baht for a thorough eye exam is not an unusual price for a private hospital, even for a Thai.

That is what I paid there for a full eye exam workup. Others on this forum said they paid cheaper.  Regardless, there was nothing serious for me, so I will never go back Rutin. I have no regrets. The staff was good, and the doctor excellent. I just have no reason to spend this kind of money again for a simple eye evaluation.

[bkkbudddy]

Greetings, 

 

I've been going to Rutnin Eye Hospital since 2003, from simple eye examination to Lasik eye surgery!  I never had any problems with their customer service or clinical care!  If you want to receive top notch eye care with reasonable cost, Rutnin Eye Hospital's medical staff is the only one in Thailand that I would recommend! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

My experience and feedback from TV members over more than a decade falls somewhere in between your rave review and that of the prior poster.

 

Many excellent doctors there covering a wide range of opthalmoligic specialties and subspecialties, though like any hospital, there are also some not so good ones.

 

 

The scheduling is pretty inefficient. Many reports of people having long waits, hours past their appointed time. Conversely I recently tried to schedule an appointment with an oculoplastics specialist for a friend, was told the schedule was full, begged and pleaded our way onto it anyhow (patient was visiting from Cambodia and permission to stay up soon) so we arrived with stacks of reading material prepared for a long wait only to find no other patients and be seen immediately.

 

English speaking among the admin staff and nurses is close to nil (to he fair it is quite limited in that group even in the priciest "international" hospitals). The doctors I've seen there all spoke it fluently.

 

For relatively common eye problems, equal quality care can be had at several private general hospitals (provided the doctor is selected with care -- and in some cases these will be same doctors as at Rutnin). The "international" hospitals will cost 25-50% more than Rutnin but also he much more efficient with scheduling and have more English speaking capacity.

 

For what it's worth, I have an early catarcat and when it reaches the point of needing surgery (likely some years hence) I plan to have it done at Rutnin by Dr. Roy.

 

 

 

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[atyclb]

5 hours ago, bkkbudddy said:

Greetings, 

 

I've been going to Rutnin Eye Hospital since 2003, from simple eye examination to Lasik eye surgery!  I never had any problems with their customer service or clinical care!  If you want to receive top notch eye care with reasonable cost, Rutnin Eye Hospital's medical staff is the only one in Thailand that I would recommend! 

 

 

surely some of their doctors may work at government hospitals also where the prices will be significantly lower. what is wrong with seeing them at government hospitals?