bobthomas Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 3 minutes ago, Morty T said: The key here is government hospitals. Private hospitals (Bangkok, Samit) will demand a credit card on arrival. No card, no service. Free ride to the nearest government Hospital. If you can stay alive that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odysseus123 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 33 minutes ago, ebean001 said: There are 35,000,000 tourist a year in Thailand. They owe 300,000,000 in unpaid medical bills. That comes out to 8.5 bahts or about .25 cents US. What is the problem? This is the problem. Tourist have insurance. They happily go on vacation to a foreign country. Ooops they do not realize (or they do realize) their insurance is no good in a foreign country. They get sick/accident and are not ready to pay a few hundred thousand bahts. I would not suggest a solution because it would take much calculations but it seems to me all countries need to provide automatic travel insurance on all tourist VISA. A solution can be as simply as paying 200b to have your tourist visa stamped…no pre-conditions will be covered. Same with retirement VISA, etc. pay for health care. (P.S. I know many scammers might try to abuse the system but smart people can write rules to stop that from happening for the most part). Another PS. How many countries do not warn their visitors that the air will make you sick, street food can put you in hospital, motorcycle/jet skis/etc. are dangerous, etc? No they don't. You are being egregiously mendacious-a Thai trait par excellence. The header mentions foreigners..which the Thai have now embraced as a cover-all for their exploitation of foreign workers as well as "tourists" One day the rest of the world is going to drag the lying,contumacious Thai outside and give them the strict talking to that they deserve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieAus Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 6 minutes ago, zydeco said: And since most insurance has exclusions and non-coverage for pre-existing conditions, how will having insurance solve the problem for the things most likely to afflict retired foreigners? You have hit the nail on the head, it will not work because as you say insurance is individual based. The only system that would work is that which applies in Australia, UK and other countries that have a national medical and hospital system for the citizens/ residents. Those are paid for out of the contributions/ taxes of those working and in most cases apart from a few countries like the UK and Aus that have a reciprocal arrangement for visitors from either country for “ emergency treatment” does not apply to other visitors. So anybody who thinks the Thai government is going to apply the 30 baht scheme or something similar to expats is living in dreamland. Also Thais don’t get all treatment for free in another post I gave some examples of what my wife’s relatives incurred, for a CT scan, stent and dialasis and that was in government hospitals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanleycoin Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Father Fintan Stack said: Of course for retirees they could just debit some of the 800,000thb straight out of their Thai bank account. Problem solved and up to the retiree if they are able or wish to replenish those funds upon visa renewal. Naughty boy. They wouldn't do that, those nice friendly officials in Thailand, would they, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubascuba3 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Won't last you Seven days in an expensive hospital, where in all probability you must get to within minutes of a true emergency situation. To name but a few, accident in a motor, Heart attack, stroke, etc. Yes i know, but it matches the cover they are specifying. Feel free then to buy greater cover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRToMRT Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 13 minutes ago, Morty T said: The key here is government hospitals. Private hospitals (Bangkok, Samit) will demand a credit card on arrival. No card, no service. Free ride to the nearest government Hospital. I am not sure of that Morty. I was admitted in a coma after collapsing near one of Bangkok's major private hospitals. I was not asked about insurance until about a week later to my recollection. I do have brain damage though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasane Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 4 hours ago, KKr said: line one: irrelevant. try to explain that to the bouncer of your local girly bar when your cash is not sufficient. line two: unfounded and undocumented generalization, completely ignores the percentage of chronic diseases being treated, the amount spent on self-caused traffic injuries, diving into an empty pool, unsuccessful rope free bungee jumps, falls after abuse of substances, etc. line three: like make softer pavements so people that crash without a helmet do not bump their head when touching upon the asphalt at 100 kmh ? or tell tourists that they are not supernatural for being a tourist and also they have to look left-right-left before crossing the street? or a compulsory life vest for drunks that do not know how to swim but try anyway ? Gimme a break. Ha ha. Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevieAus Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 6 minutes ago, bobthomas said: If you can stay alive that long. Not the government hospitals I have visited they asked for ID and I/ we were sent to pay the bill after the treatment was given. And for the record many years ago visiting the US with friends one of them suffered a heart attack I went with him in the ambulance to hospital and he was asked for a credit card as soon as he was wheeled in. So not in only Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavideol Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Where are these hospitals that treat foreigners without receiving payment first. My wife and myself visit the public hospital when needed, last trip was this morning for her, she went visit the women's doctor no money required, doctor send her for urine test, before handing the results need to pay, went back to the doctor still not pay, wife went for blood/discharge test, no results given until she paid, back to the doctor, he prescribed medication, before collecting medication had to pay doctors visit and the medication, thus no way we would be able to get proper service without paying, how can it be that people leave the hospital without paying, am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctkong Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 6 hours ago, ChipButty said: Some years ago here in Phuket the hospital said he had cancer so millions of Baht later after the op's when he was well enough to fly home UK they said he didnt have cancer, shower of b@st@rds here Use Thai medical diagnosis only as a reference especially the big C. Always get a second opinion from another source. Once I was given a wrong diagnosis by a Thai doctor. Went to another doctor who gave the correct diagnosis. Asked why he did not inform the first doctor his findings, he replied that they worked in the same field and it is not good to make others lose face ! This is what they call the Nobel profession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odysseus123 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 33 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said: No they don't. You are being egregiously mendacious-a Thai trait par excellence. The header mentions foreigners..which the Thai have now embraced as a cover-all for their exploitation of foreign workers as well as "tourists" One day the rest of the world is going to drag the lying,contumacious Thai outside and give them the strict talking to which they deserve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctkong Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 5 hours ago, Pedrogaz said: So the total owed was 10 million US dollars. This is peanuts, and certainly represents only a tiny fraction of the amount tourists are overcharged by. No action at all is needed. I think this amount owed were from state hospitals not private hospitals. State hospital prices are reasonable. My missus has a high regard for Siri Raj hospital for both quality and cost. Beats those famous private hospitals anytime. My FIL was quoted about $20,000 for a gall bladder surgery with no guarantee by a private hospital but only paid $2500 at siriraj hospital at the recommendation of my missus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctkong Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 4 hours ago, Ulic said: Insurance companies licking their chops and pushing hard. Life insurance, accident insurance, health insurance. The big three. Next will come, police insurance, bank fraud insurance, attack by Thai insurance, an accident caused by drunks insurance, etc...ect... Probably no need to worry, the first three types of insurance will finish off 90% of long term stays. I would suggest life bans and deportation for those who don't pay their hospital bills. Start with that. Life time ban and deportation for those who cannot pay do not bother them at all. If they are sick and cashless, then it is time for them to go home for their free healthcare anyway. I don’t think they would want to continue their long stay here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctkong Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 33 minutes ago, Mavideol said: Where are these hospitals that treat foreigners without receiving payment first. My wife and myself visit the public hospital when needed, last trip was this morning for her, she went visit the women's doctor no money required, doctor send her for urine test, before handing the results need to pay, went back to the doctor still not pay, wife went for blood/discharge test, no results given until she paid, back to the doctor, he prescribed medication, before collecting medication had to pay doctors visit and the medication, thus no way we would be able to get proper service without paying, how can it be that people leave the hospital without paying, am I missing something? It is not for outpatient care. The unpaid bills came from hospital stay after being admitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacuum Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 9 hours ago, webfact said: Debt collection a problem “We’ve tried asking their consulates and embassies for help, but not all cases can be solved this way,” I'd say non of the cases could be solved this way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnx355 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 In the Philippines, if you stay 6 months or more you need Immigration clearance certificate before you fly out. They check local police records for warrants and unpaid tickets and that you do not any unpaid debt. I guess hospitals and companies and landlords can register unpaid debt in someway with Immigration. Maybe others knw how this is done. It seems to be an efficient systems and tourist and expats know that they can not escape to pay if they are on long stay. I read that Mr Duterte ( the President ) have a project to change the requirement to 3 months. And yes, you have to paid for this clearance certificate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRoadrunner Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 10 hours ago, webfact said: It has also discussed with various organisations about offering foreign visitors cheap travel insurance. What do they call cheap? And what about two tier pricing? Tired of being ripped off, this thread is going to run and run! 10 hours ago, webfact said: “We’re also thinking about making insurance mandatory for elderly foreigners who retire to Thailand. Otherwise the state hospitals will again be carrying the burden.” Well, we knew it was coming, but not what it is going to cost us? And will everyone be able to get it, even if old and sick already? How long before they link this as a mandatory Visa requirement? I don't mind if we get the same prices as Thais (some chance!) 8 hours ago, marcusarelus said: They wheeled me to the ATM with an IV still in my arm. It's a wonder they did not stick the IV in your wallet, aka "open wallet surgery." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRoadrunner Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 7 hours ago, albertik said: It's people who skip out without fulfilling their obligations that make life increasingly difficult for those of us who live responsibly. True, but there have been too many cases of malpractice where the Thai hospital made a mess of the job and expected the Farang to pay double Thai prices. And of course, this being Thailand, no responsibility! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaRoadrunner Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 7 hours ago, GAZZPA said: After being ripped off by a hospital in Khon Kaen over a long period for 3 operations for the same thing and finally going home and getting the problem fixed in 2 weeks and no operation was needed. I have had enough and I am going home for good where medical care is soo much better and soo much cheaper.!!! Are we supposed to pay for their malpractice? It is just a matter of time before they turn the screw too far and we all leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusarelus Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 8 hours ago, inThailand said: Yup they wheeled my bed to the hospital ATM which they extracted from my wallet when I was unconcious. No money no care! How did they get the pin if you were unconscious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusarelus Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 2 hours ago, mommysboy said: It's very simply solved by adding an insurance premium to the long stay visas. It needn't be fully comprehensive cover- just on inpatient bills over 100k at a government hospital. I would guess the cost at 15,000 baht per head. I have insurance so why would I pay twice. Which brings up the question of how are IO going to read an insurance policy? Come on guys not dealing with first grade teachers here there is a real comprehension problem. Plus you have to figure out the brain vs brain challenge of a few IO's and thousands of expats group thinking on Thai Visa. You know who is going to win. Thailand is going to lose money just like they will with the new visa changes. They can't compete with the raw computing power of thousands of successful older gents allowed to communicate all owning giant computers actually running up to date software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
car720 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 8 hours ago, Moonlover said: Find me a country in the world, if you can, where this does not happen. Even within the British NHS this question is asked unless you're resident there. Easy. Australia. They treat you first and bill you second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiChakayan Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 3 hours ago, mommysboy said: I would guess the cost at 15,000 baht per head. This would be a good guess if the population concerned was in their twenties... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain 776 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Good. Track down the low life losers, they just make it harder for those of us that actually pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldTravellerMUC Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 9 hours ago, Gecko123 said: My wife would kill me If I ever took out life insurance. Only if you put her name as beneficiary... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradewind777 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Hospitals in Thailand do not have the monopoly on standover tactics when it comes to payment: https://apple.news/AE6np2Oc-SWO1Uk5xtwQnaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner32 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 11 hours ago, jonclark said: This idea can be rectified for those on retirement visas - Simply add in the cost of healthcare to the visa. Say 15'000 baht for the first visa and then 5'000 baht for all subsequent visas. You didn't take into account that the insurance premium are linked to the age. I'll be a pensioner on 67 do you think that I'll pay 15.000 Baht only? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyk Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 What a crock, You have to watch the Thai hospitals like a hawk. It is cheap as chips if you don't get overcharged! More likely 300 million is being skimmed by the corrupt hospital officials! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavideol Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 3 hours ago, Ctkong said: It is not for outpatient care. The unpaid bills came from hospital stay after being admitted. understand but still not credible......last September my wife was admitted for an in and out surgery, she stayed for 2 nights, that's correct nobody asked for money when they admitted her but when we were ready to leave the nurse came with the invoice and told me to go down to the cashier's, my wife will stay in the room, once payment was made to bring a copy of the receipt to her, next to us was a couple of Thais, they had to do the same, can't understand how some can get away without a receipt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prissana Pescud Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 11 hours ago, ChipButty said: Your lying there half dead on the trolley and the first words, How do you want to pay? It is true. I only been to clinics or hospital on only a few occasions. Every time, I need to pay upfront or hand over my credit card. So, this tourist runner seems untrue by me. Maybe they need to say who the non paying tourist countries are, and why they were allowed to leave the hospital without paying or showing an ability to pay before leaving the country. So this post baffles me (not that it is very hard to do to me) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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