Dual pricing: Retirees and expats may be charged more at Thai govt hospitals

[Angry Dragon]

22 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Yes I understand but nowhere near the same amount as direct income tax. That is where the real money is. So a retired expat with 100,000/mnth pension doesn't necessarily spend 100,000 a month so the tax will be less than 7,000 a month. 

 

A Thai person with a 100,000 monthly salary will pay 9,000 a month income tax plus 7% of what they spend which maybe the same as the retired expat.

 

Which is why the expat pays more at the hospital. 

true, but only a small percentage of Thais pay income tax.  Around 10% or less since the informal economy is so big or their incomes are not high enough to fall in the lowest bracket.

[Angry Dragon]

15 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

It is purely racist and nothing more than that.

How so?  Someone with Thai heritage but without Thai nationality would be subject to the same higher prices.  Nothing to do with race, everything to do with nationality.

[moonseeker]

Does anybody have a link to the list of TH Gov. approved medications. Preferably with price. Thx.  MS>

[monkfish]

2 hours ago, Mister Fixit said:

Clicking on the link at the head of that page gives you this - https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/how-much-pay

 

That mentions students on 2 year stays paying £600 so perhaps that's what I saw.

 

 

Yes that's for temporary not permanent and the £600 is for a 2 years of NHS on a Student Visa.
For permanent stay contributions will be based on income if any and the same as UK citizens not double price.
For temporary visas over 6 months the cost is £400 per year which is about 15,000 THB and I assume healthcare costs in the UK are higher than Thailand.
What about the Thai government charge Expats 15,000 Baht a year for government healthcare same as the UK charges then they don't need double pricing.
I could live with 15k a year.

Edited September 6, 2019 by monkfish

[michael888]

Wow, this place is really becoming depressing.????

[moonseeker]

13 hours ago, Mister Fixit said:

Well, thanks for telling me how to live my life ...

 

You may pay zilch, nada etc, AT THE HOSPITAL, but you are paying through the nose beforehand by buying insurance, which is just really a bet and only enriches the insurance companies.  More fool you.

 

Those of us from a country which cares for its citizens and provides free healthcare at the point of use (albeit paid for from salary) don't need to worry about things like health insurance.

 

I am so happy I paid "through my nose" for Private Int. Insurance all my 35 years abroad. Cost me around 180K $. However I am still alive 4 years into stage 4 cancer and numerous surgeries, immunotherapy, targeted therapy.... Cost so far total of various countries about 1.2 Mio $

BTW TH private uptodate treatment is in the upper bandwidth of expensive European countries. Trust me, I know the numbers. Still cheaper than USA, which is ridiculously costly. 

I know plenty of cases who bragged having a couple Mio Baht set aside and self insure.... Not even close enough for serious cancer treatment or major surgery. 

I fully understand TH demanding mandatory health insurance for resident retirees. Most countries do. Don't be so naive to assume you are entitled to free care, just because you are citizen of one of the few countries with free health care. 

Be insured and sleep better. MS>

[monkfish]

6 hours ago, Thailand Noobie said:

Good luck with that one. At pattaya city hospital treatments are very poor and doctors do a lot of wrong conclusions, thank God I don't need to pay anything but still its annoying to go several time with the same problem to ptt city hospital. 

Not so funniest part was Wednesday I get to ptt city hospital because I had Dengue fever 3 weeks ago and last thing doctor said was that if I have any skin problems I need to go back. And I get them so I went to hospital and the doctor said I have syphilis and I said <deleted> can not have. But she insisted that we take blood test and that we did. After 3 hour I went to doctor again to check the results, there was another lady doctor and she was looking in to computer, I saw her eyes that she had hard times to tell something, so I just told her this ain't syphilis isn't it? And she say yes it's not, but she didn't know what's wrong and just says to me that it will disappear with the time.... right.

So again, good luck with ptt city hospital when you need to pay double or even triple payments.

I think Government hospitals in Pattaya are kept bad on purpose in the rest of the country they are much better.

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, Angry Dragon said:

Someone with Thai heritage but without Thai nationality would be subject to the same higher prices.

Thai heritage doesn't mean Thai citizenship, now does it. If not a Brit in UK or a Canadian in Canada or, or, try going to a hospital there!

 

1 hour ago, Angry Dragon said:

true, but only a small percentage of Thais pay income tax.  Around 10% or less since the informal economy is so big or their incomes are not high enough to fall in the lowest bracket.

...and an even smaller percentage of expats or foreigners pay income tax

 

 

Edited September 6, 2019 by VocalNeal

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, Angry Dragon said:

How so?  Someone with Thai heritage but without Thai nationality would be subject to the same higher prices.  Nothing to do with race, everything to do with nationality.

If that THAI person spoke perfect THAI to them but showed them an American passport I would bet that the cost would not be tier 3. But on this point I will say you are correct. So let’s put it this way, it is massive discrimination. 

[Chongalulu]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

Yes I understand but nowhere near the same amount as direct income tax. That is where the real money is. So a retired expat with 100,000/mnth pension doesn't necessarily spend 100,000 a month so the tax will be less than 7,000 a month. 

 

A Thai person with a 100,000 monthly salary will pay 9,000 a month income tax plus 7% of what they spend which maybe the same as the retired expat.

 

Which is why the expat pays more at the hospital. 

How many Thais do you think earn 100k per month?! Vanishingly small.

You can knock a zero off that for the overwhelming majority of Thais that pay no income tax.

[monkfish]

Don't be surprised when price increases are passed onto the private sector and insurance costs go up.
Think it's a good time to buy stock in private Hospitals and Health insurance.

[ICELANDMAN]

2 hours ago, rumak said:

you are more than welcome to your opinion..... but adding "Maybe time you open your eyes and stop dreaming" to your post does not add anything .  Just shows what type of Farang you are.  The type that Thais are increasingly sick of dealing with .   Try being nice and treating others with respect as many on this forum do.

my apologies if you felt offended when I told you to open your eyes, Your one-way totalitarian thinking indicates that no free discussion is possible, obviously you are well integrated into Thailand, a perfect Thai.

 

[Anythingleft?]

Don't be surprised when price increases are passed onto the private sector and insurance costs go up.
Think it's a good time to buy stock in private Hospitals and Health insurance.

It's inevitable

Pushing the Thai dream of becoming a medical hub farther away

There seems to be some dislocation between the people bringing in these rules and the ones trying or claiming to advance certain areas of industry/hospitality, as if they dont communicate or have the same purposes......

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[ICELANDMAN]

2 hours ago, rabas said:

rumas's view is reality for many long time stayers, some who came here long before retirement and are now well integrated. That does not mean the the laws are good or that they are not becoming significantly more difficult, they are. But that is outweighed by the good things about living here, which some don't see.

 

I agree with what you say, even like everyone here in Thailand we are here because we still find it interesting to stay, but like all free people we can at some point get over the point of no return if Thailand sees us as unwelcome, who will do it or not will depend on their personal situation.

 

[the guest]

Yet another reason not to go to Thailand for medical procedures, when there are so many other countries which do not discriminate.

 

Try Cuba, excellent facilities and you'll be surprised how many facilities there are, but they're also many other countries which offer great value for money for those seeking medical assistance.

 

Why would you want to stay in country that doesn't like foreigners ?

[DrTuner]

16 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Simplistic rather than simple.  Presumably, you are unaware that many retirees have dependent Thai wives and families. For them, relocation is neither a desirable nor practicable option - even if it were affordable, which in many instances it is not.

 

The sudden hike in hospital charges is going to make a nasty dent in the household budgets of  retirees of modest means, already struggling to copy with the double whammy of high domestic inflation and a buoyant baht.

 

A little more empathy toward fellow expats under the lash and a little less of the "I'm all right, Jack" attitude would make this Forum a more friendly and enjoyable experience.

Even with empathy, he's still right. Thais are making it exceedingly clear that "if you don't like it, go back where you came from". I'm on my third year of the multi-year exit plan A now, currently scouting for the next place, with all the usual trappings and kids. Exit can be done but it needs to be executed gracefully before it's too late and yes it can be difficult. But better leave on your own terms before forced to do so.

[Jaxxper]

I understand this. Presumably Thai nationals are subsidized under some workers medical scheme to which they or their employer have contributed. Foreigners generally do not contribute and if they do because they are working here they are given a Thai health card, for use at public hospitals.

So yes I can understand the dual pricing in this case.

[VocalNeal]

2 hours ago, nchuckle said:

How many Thais do you think earn 100k per month?! Vanishingly small.

Surprisingly more than, obviously, you think. Not everyone is a mocy taxi rider or a waitress or a BTS security guard or a "cashier" in a bar. I picked 100,000 to be on the conservative side. 

Regardless they still pay more tax than expats who think paying VAT on their retail purchases is a major tax contributor.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

so let's see if i got it right.

a dutch man complained he paid more than thai (but still much lower than what

he would have paid in his first world country).

than the thai authorities are checking the case.

and their solution is: let's make it an official and permanen to charge all tourists

higher prices than thai.

this will stop all future complaints for sure, and hey,

we can even make some more extra money !

great genius typical thai solution.

because who has the money? farang has the money.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

2 hours ago, monkfish said:

I think Government hospitals in Pattaya are kept bad on purpose in the rest of the country they are much better.

thai people are not stupid.

they know that good guys go to chiang mai, bad guys go to pattaya.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

9 hours ago, Thailand Noobie said:

Good luck with that one. At pattaya city hospital treatments are very poor and doctors do a lot of wrong conclusions, thank God I don't need to pay anything but still its annoying to go several time with the same problem to ptt city hospital. 

Not so funniest part was Wednesday I get to ptt city hospital because I had Dengue fever 3 weeks ago and last thing doctor said was that if I have any skin problems I need to go back. And I get them so I went to hospital and the doctor said I have syphilis and I said <deleted> can not have. But she insisted that we take blood test and that we did. After 3 hour I went to doctor again to check the results, there was another lady doctor and she was looking in to computer, I saw her eyes that she had hard times to tell something, so I just told her this ain't syphilis isn't it? And she say yes it's not, but she didn't know what's wrong and just says to me that it will disappear with the time.... right.

So again, good luck with ptt city hospital when you need to pay double or even triple payments.

and you paid seven or eight times more if you will count how much you paid the girls

who gave you that syphilis !!

[CM Dad]

In most countries, doctors make a promise to respect the moral principles of the medical profession.  The promise is called the Hippocratic Oath.  I guess there must be a different on called the 'Hypocritic Oath'.

[Mister Fixit]

21 hours ago, moonseeker said:

I am so happy I paid "through my nose" for Private Int. Insurance all my 35 years abroad. Cost me around 180K $. However I am still alive 4 years into stage 4 cancer and numerous surgeries, immunotherapy, targeted therapy.... Cost so far total of various countries about 1.2 Mio $

BTW TH private uptodate treatment is in the upper bandwidth of expensive European countries. Trust me, I know the numbers. Still cheaper than USA, which is ridiculously costly. 

I know plenty of cases who bragged having a couple Mio Baht set aside and self insure.... Not even close enough for serious cancer treatment or major surgery. 

I fully understand TH demanding mandatory health insurance for resident retirees. Most countries do. Don't be so naive to assume you are entitled to free care, just because you are citizen of one of the few countries with free health care. 

Be insured and sleep better. MS>

I'm sorry to learn that you have had such serious health problems and have recovered.  It seem you may be American, so paying for health insurance would be second nature to you.  

 

However, I am British and it isn't second nature for me to consider health insurance.  But to say 'Don't be so naive to assume you are entitled to free care, just because you are citizen of one of the few countries with free health care' is pretty silly.  For a start there are more than 'a few' countries which offer free health care - pretty well every European country does, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.  

 

Secondly, why would you consider me to be naive about health care because I come from the UK?  In my 15 years here, I have paid for every hospital and clinic visit, and ever item of treatment.  Calling someone naive when you have no knowledge of them is indeed naive in itself. 

[Moo 2]

Do they have anti-discrimination laws in Thailand? because if they do someone could be charged

for it, as this a flagrant case of racial discrimination. 

[Mister Fixit]

13 minutes ago, Moo 2 said:

Do they have anti-discrimination laws in Thailand? because if they do someone could be charged

for it, as this a flagrant case of racial discrimination. 

Dream on.  

[Vacuum]

On 9/5/2019 at 11:18 AM, Gandtee said:

What about my B100 haircut?????

You already pay more than double. Mine is 40 baht, including a shave. 

[losworld]

On 9/4/2019 at 4:14 PM, Angry Dragon said:

reasonable priced insurance for expats who pay income taxes in Thailand is already offered.  in fact participation in the plan is mandatory for all who pay income taxes.

 

i guess this is yet another reason to move from permanent residency to Thai citizenship before I retire.  Class 2 ain't bad, but can't beat Class 1.

good luck moving to citizenship they have a quota system for a few hundred i believe if even that number lol... all smoke and mirrors to appear they are allowing it when they are refusing it for 99 percent of the expat population lol

[brianthainess]

My experience with govt hospitals has been good but, I have always paid more as a Falang and thought it was fair, Had to pay up front for long stay. However i don't think charging more for Meds is fair.what i read of this article it does not mention if you are on a marriage visa extension that they should charge more but they do anyway. Haven't read all 26 pages though.  

[Almer]

On 9/5/2019 at 3:40 PM, DUTCHEESE said:

My Thai wife and her 4 Thai children which i brought to southern Europe 16 years ago did receive education up to High school, social security, and also one of her handicapped daughter receives special education/assistance plus a pension. All this at same cost as any other national, which means ALL TOTALLY FREE!

For the last 20 years, ALL my money earned has only gone into supporting my Thai Family and counting. (And NO I am not rich! ) Also for my Thai Parents in law for a pension in Thailand, (Because they don´t get a pension in LOS). Sorry I lie, they receive 600 Bht per month.  Also made a proper housing for them, and sometimes assisting family with little children when they are in extreme need even if they do not ask. Three of my wife's Thai children are now following University in Thailand which living and further cost of-course are supported by me. To hand a future to the family purchased land as well and soon starting to build. Nothing on my name of-course because we are just outlaws and should be shot at in each and every opportunity. Only to clarify that I do consider my wife's children as mine and all the effort and cost has been done with pleasure and receiving in return love and recognition each and every day from each of them, even more then I did put in, BUT could we please get some proper treatment in return from Thailand, not being considered criminals or easy targets. By the way all five of the family have unlimited residence for life (only change their id each 10 year) and not to mention any reporting or TM this or that, as they have the same right as the locals. Forgot to mention that wages here, where we live are between 800 and 2000 euro, which is nice money in Thailand but does not permit a luxury life here. And hey I do not want a medal, only a similar treatment from LOS, surely many more farangs have done the same or more as me and should therefore get some recognition from Thailand.

(sorry for my poor English which is not my mother tongue as some probably observe, but I had to react on the constant attacks of discrimination on all of us decent Farangs)

Sir you have my upmost thoughts on this post i find myself in a similar  position and very very happy in LOS 

[dcnx]

They deserve to have it all to themselves. However, I love how they take a dump all over foreigners but beg for foreign investment. 

On 9/4/2019 at 4:16 PM, zhounan said:

The solution is simple: move to another Country, let Thailand to Thais.