Thai Tourism: "Half of foreigners" don't pay their hospital bills; director points finger at three nationalities

[RJRS1301]

17 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

when a medical emergency arises the last thing I think of is running home to grab my passport.

Carry a copy of your bio page and visa at all times, Digital even

[khunPer]

On 11/29/2019 at 8:10 AM, webfact said:

From October 2018 to September 2019 448 million in bills went unpaid. 

 

Phuket - with an annual 14 million tourists visiting - was very badly hit in this. 

 

Vachira Hospital, the largest in Phuket, treated 9,000 foreigners over the last year. Most of them were Russian, Chinese and French, said hospital director Dr Chalermpong Sukhonthaphon.

 

And half of all patients left without paying their bills.

Half of 9,000 is 4,500 – mainly Russian, Chinese and French – not paying their bill, out of 14 million visitors to Phuket, i.e. 0.065 percent.

 

448 million divided with 4,500 is an average bill of 99,556 baht.

 

The leading reasons tourists sought treatment at Vachira were after injuries during water sports, motorcycle accidents and attack by animals.

 

Recently the news stated that government hospitals now something like doubled their their prices for foreigners, so seems like that half that do pay the bill, in the future pays for the half that don't pay their bills, so what's the problem...????

[RJRS1301]

4 minutes ago, natway09 said:

Chain em to the bed,,,,,,fixed

That could be fun

[Expattaff1308]

49 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Where did it state AO visa only, many other tourist visas

Only OA visa holders require Insurance you need to read what I wrote in previous posts not just jump onto a reply.

[RJRS1301]

4 minutes ago, Expattaff1308 said:

Only OA visa holders require Insurance you need to read what I wrote in previous posts not just jump onto a reply.

But everyone NEEDS insurance irrespective. Self responsibility 

[Expattaff1308]

5 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

But everyone NEEDS insurance irrespective. Self responsibility 

Dear God, Thats not in dispute...

ONLY OA visa Holders are required to hold COMPULSORY INSURANCE & purchased thro the 12 companies listed by the Cartel, 6 of which dont insure over 65 and the others with sky high premium.

[Barry343]

It seems that the problem is with tourist who are not paying there hospital bills why does the hospitals not require their passport to receive treatment as they do for expats who are living in Thailand when we visit a hospital must do. I don't see why making retirees pay for a private health insurance is warranted. If the Government used it's head and requested a higher payment for visas of about an extra 3000 a year for health cover at a public hospital that would not be needed if a private healt cover is in effect.

[Airbagwill]

On 11/29/2019 at 2:10 PM, webfact said:

Tourists were a burden on the health system,

They are also a source of 20% of GDP.

 

Rather than make unsubstantiated claims about percentages, Thailand should look at how to address the problem by finding out EXACTLY how big it is and sorting it scientifically.

[KenKadz]

It seems to me that hospitals get their guarantee of payment before they attend to a person, and make a copy of passport or ID papers in case a person does a runner.

If they are loosing money they need better management and security measures (immigration departure hold), but then no one in Thailand is responsible.

[ThaiWai]

"Dr Chalermpong said that the leading reasons tourists sought treatment at Vachira were after injuries during water sports, motorcycle accidents and attack by animals. "

 

Force watersport operators to provide insurance

No motorcycle license in home country no bike for you

Kill off the soi dogs

 

Next?

[OffshoreMig]

Another reason why Thailand should enter into receipicol health agreement with nations such as Australia.  Most tourists have travel insurance and if it is a road accident it should slo be concern by the road tax.  

[Ggeorge]

I lived in the Caribbean for a year; I was there training professors.  There, the matter was simple.  You had a credit card and they ran an amount before you were given treatment, or else you put up the cash -- or you didn't get seen.  It was brutal, but it paid the bills. 

[cyril sneer]

not a bad idea

 

insurance companies don't pay up anyway

 

though I agree Chinese, Russians and French are among the worst of the bunch. Indians will be on the list soon

[malibukid]

On 11/29/2019 at 2:58 PM, ThomasThBKK said:

Absolute irrelevant numbers, how much profit has been made at the same time in said hospitals? 

 

 

Also i call bs on the half of all foreigners dont pay bill <deleted>, hilarious lie.

manufactured consent ahead of mandatory insurance for everyone.  total BS

[nausea]

Personally, as part of the other 50%, I've spent a small fortune here supporting the private and public health sectors. You don't want my money, I'll go home and get it free on the NHS. My point is that this is a very one-sided story, us Farangs pour tons of money into the health system here.

[law ling]

Would have cost a lot to process the 46 boat victims (July last year) - maybe some didn't pay.

 

Suspect a lot of workers also responsible (Cambo, Burmo, Lao, etc).

 

Numbers would also include their own "stateless" residents.

[vivananahuahin]

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

Half of 9,000 is 4,500 – mainly Russian, Chinese and French – not paying their bill, out of 14 million visitors to Phuket, i.e. 0.065 percent.

 

448 million divided with 4,500 is an average bill of 99,556 baht.

 

The leading reasons tourists sought treatment at Vachira were after injuries during water sports, motorcycle accidents and attack by animals.

 

Recently the news stated that government hospitals now something like doubled their their prices for foreigners, so seems like that half that do pay the bill, in the future pays for the half that don't pay their bills, so what's the problem...????

one month ago it was about the old people with OA from a long time ago not paying  the bills,change like the wind.

 

[Destiny1990]

I wonder why so many tourists are ending up in hospitals here?

Why in Phillipines and or Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia etc how come they are not finger pointing at their hospitalized foreigners?

 

[tandor]

7 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Heard travel insurance?

..you missed the point entirely.

[malibukid]

On 11/29/2019 at 4:20 PM, vivananahuahin said:

Me too 8 years ago,first pay 27.000 and then credit card in Bangkok hospital,a bite from a dog!!!!

i tried to get the monks at the temple to reimburse me for their dog that bit me.  they just laughed.  karma.  

[aspenbkk]

yes but Russians are Coming Chinese also as stated by TOT theit welcome so why complain about it but they dont pay hospital bills haha your welcome to them rats on a sinking ship comes to mind hehe.

[IvorBiggun2]

2 hours ago, Don Aleman said:

why don't they get/hold passport which everyone must present, until settlement is made ?

Because it's not allowed.

 

 

Quote

The passport issued to you is functionally your legal personal property. ... In most countries, it is unlawful for anyone (except the authorities) to take possession or custody of another person's passport and similar other identity documents.

 

[Alex2554]

Thai Criminal Code

Section 269/11. Misuse of Another’s Passport

Whoever misuses the passport of another person in a manner likely to cause damage to any person or the people shall be liable to imprisonment for not exceeding ten years and a fine of not exceeding two hundred thousand baht.

 

[Autonuaq]

Just include it in the airfare or the landing tax on the airport wheb arrove by air then problem solved. For enterjng by land just add it as anas a fee to pay. And with visa extension include it to the visa price. Then you have base coverage.

 

Ad it in the rent price of house, condo, resort like they do with tourist tax in many place or countries

 

If person wants health to insure more can add extra insurance to get premium

 

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, nausea said:

Personally, as part of the other 50%, I've spent a small fortune here supporting the private and public health sectors. You don't want my money, I'll go home and get it free on the NHS. My point is that this is a very one-sided story, us Farangs pour tons of money into the health system here.

Spot on! Besides, how many of the cases of unpaid bills are due to traffic accident injuries, which no health insurance would cover... 

[ttrd]

On 11/29/2019 at 8:24 AM, Isaanbiker said:

That's an average of 50,000 baht for each foreigner. Land of Lies?

 

I had a chat with a Thai doctor from Sapphasit/Ubon R, but he said something totally different.

 

  The majority were from neighboring countries like Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. 

Yes, we often read about buss accidents filled with illegal workers from those countries and most likely without any insurance

 

Then we may assume the truth is something between ...

[essox essox]

On 11/29/2019 at 2:27 PM, Isaanbiker said:

Plus, they usually take foreigner's passports away to make them pay for their bills.

 

I'm volunteering for an organisation that helps certain nationals in emergency situations and this statement doesn't fit with the cases I am aware of. 

i had to hand over my passport in 2006 Bkk Pattaya hospital...my insurance had to pay UP before I could leave and get my passport back.....I do not belive this report at all as most hospitals will hold passport until one pays....

[Broeno]

Who the hell is publishing this kind of nonsens.

In my experience nobody can leave a hospital without paying the bill.

[zydeco]

I wonder how many of these Thai doctors were educated at US taxpayer subsidized medical schools in the US???

[justin case]

14 million tourists in phuket, make them pay an EXTRA 100 baht = 1.4 billion baht or 3x more than claimed

 

and how much did THAI people not pay, ah, yes, I forgot, the NEVER PAY and cost (tens of ) BILLIONS , but that is ok