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

[crazykopite]

The easy answer is you don’t let them leave until the bill has been settled . Here on Samui you have to show that you can pay before treatment is allowed and even when my sister in law had to have a minor op in the private hospital on Phangan they would do anything until the Insurance company had given the all clear.

[newnative]

    So, round up all the stray dogs, ban the tourists from motorcycles and the dirty ocean and, voila, problem solved.  

[The Preacher]

This whole thing is utter nonsense.  Countries all over the world compete for the income tourists bring.  Sometimes tourists are going to skip on on medical bills.  Its a cost of doing business.  Get over it -- if you want tourism.  I would certainly never visit a country that was requiring me to buy some expensive medical insurance policy i'd probably never use. 

 

Hospitals all over the world get stiffed by people that suddenly need urgent care and cannot pay for it.  THAT is a cost of doing business for hospitals.  It is simply not the same as stealing a loaf of bread.  What Thailand should do is open the regular government healthcare to everybody.  Everybody that lives here or comes here is paying taxes.  It is not a one way street as much as some people would like to think it is.

 

And if the Thai government just can't help themselves, then target the Cheap Chinese, the Filthy French and the Ruthless Russians.  Why penalize everybody?

 

Of course we all know the answer don't we?  This isn't about folks absconding on medical bills at all.  It is about the part of the filthy rich that own and operate Thailand that own the insurance industry.  It is a barefaced money grab.  That's what all this medical insurance furor has been about form the beginning.  Nothing but greed.  Go ahead, kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.  Did I just read somewhere else that Thailand is on the verge of a recession?  

[Selatan]

4 hours ago, Gene1960 said:

Interesting. What’s about the foreign  people, retired in Malaysia?

3rd class ward - RM3/day for Malaysians, RM160/day for foreigners
In-patient daily treatment charges - Free for Malaysians, RM100 for foreigners

Public hospital charges in Malaysia

There was one time a relative of mine that was living and doing business in Thailand - he got into a serious health situation and hospitalised there but shortly after, he checked out and crossed back into Malaysia for treatment, even though he could afford to pay the treatment costs in Thailand.

[Xonax]

Half of the foreign hospital patients are runaways, while the other half are charged double price.  What is the problem???

[GinBoy2]

21 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

The easy answer is you don’t let them leave until the bill has been settled . Here on Samui you have to show that you can pay before treatment is allowed and even when my sister in law had to have a minor op in the private hospital on Phangan they would do anything until the Insurance company had given the all clear.

This what confuses me about all of this.

 

Any of us that have had experiences in Thai hospitals, private ones at least, know how it works.

 

When my wife had surgery at Khon Kaen Ram, when she came out of surgery and was taken to recovery, I was escorted to the cashier to pay. 

 

After a week in hospital before she was discharged, same procedure, we were both escorted to the cashier to settle the final balance before we went home.

 

I find it hard to believe that the procedure in Phuket is so different to the rest of Thailand, allowing all these miscreants to run out without paying

[Don Mega]

32 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

The easy answer is you don’t let them leave until the bill has been settled . Here on Samui you have to show that you can pay before treatment is allowed and even when my sister in law had to have a minor op in the private hospital on Phangan they would do anything until the Insurance company had given the all clear.

 

[Chongalulu]

23 hours ago, edwinchester said:

448,000,000 bht million owed. 35,000,000 tourists.

That is 12.8 bht per tourist.

Charge 25 bht each on entry and make a near half million bht profit.....simple.

This is exactly the basic sort of calculation that government officials seem totally incapable of making. Penny wise and £ foolish and of course any ill thought through knee jerk policy to address that will simply damage a vital industry that is already on it’s knees. With every passing day revealing this type of thinking I’m becoming more convinced that my tongue in cheek reference to a 'Thick Gene' pervading this country is turning out not to be a joke after all. 

[mberbae]

WHY does the Hospital discharge patients who have NOT paid their bills yet ???

Keep them or their passports until the Bill is cleared.

 

My friends and I agree that the story sounds suspect .

 

All Paid Up.

[Sakeopete]

No problem the jetski insurance company will be enlisted to cover foreigners.

[mike787]

Blacklist until bill paid...enforce medical insurance on everyone and electronically tag all foreigners upon arrival.????

[thooktong]

Last time i used services of Bangkok Hua Hin Hospital it was for food poisonning with a very big fever, as I just arrived I showed them my hospital card but they wanted my Kasikorn card (not my visa) from wich magically after antibiotics treatment finished was debited the amount of my invoice. 
(Could I ask the restaurant where i was eating 2 hours before to pay for it ? 555)

[worrab]

47 minutes ago, The Preacher said:

I would certainly never visit a country that was requiring me to buy some expensive medical insurance policy i'd probably never use. 

Yes, but as a tourist you would have travel insurance? My bill from my earlier post came to over 350,000 baht which my insurance picked up without a murmur. 

[TigerandDog]

"but the time may well be coming when all tourists will have to have travel insurance when visiting the kingdom"

 

That time has been here for at least the last 5-6 years, maybe longer, BUT it was definitely made law that ALL tourists had to have travel insurance to enter Thailand. However, like most things involving the law, Thai authorities are either too lazy or can't be bothered to enforce their own laws & regulations.  

 

Also if it was long stay farangs skipping out on their bills, they could be easily tracked through Immigration records. It's the tourists that skip on their bills that we as long stayers are being blamed for and having to pay the cost with this ridiculously implemented health insurance scheme.

[Jon1050]

I wasn’t aware of compulsory European charges for travel,which countries and how do they enforce it?

[CHiangMaiMuu]

On 11/29/2019 at 2:23 PM, Seismic said:

Seriously, Adding insurance to your exotic overseas trip is not that expensive. I doubt it will put a dent in tourist numbers, after all scams, ripoffs, unsolved crimes, and the huge numbers of sick buffalo's do not seem to have done much to those numbers.

Seriously medical insurance in this country is way too expensive for some of us to pay for. 

I, for example, get "free" medical coverage in the U.S.A. at the VA hospitals - but the medical care there is often delayed or refused,  and  sometimes fatal  - or I can pay for my own medical expenses here when I need to go to the hospital.

But to get mandatory insurance coverage in Thailand - NO! it costs far more than a single, old man living on a disability allowance can afford. 

[chilly07]

Now we are getting  closer to the truth.  Long-term expats are paying  their bills. Tourists and itinerant  workers are doing  runners.  Yet TI only takes action against expats because  it's easy.  

Upping the levy at airports ports and crossings by 500bht easily  covers the shortfall! 

[Incobart]

let everyone pay for hospital that others not pay, makes me feel like to go visist without paying too, cause I payed already. Make it simple, ask passport  when they arrive, and give back after everything is done

 

[sambum]

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

"One major hospital director in Phuket has even said 50% of tourists leave Thailand without paying up." 

So which is it? I would be inclined to think that it's the tourists are to blame as ex pats/retirees/residents here are easily traceable via Immigration, but once again somebody is trying to stir it up for people who live here. 

 

An ex pat friend of mine had to have a minor operation here a few months ago and they wouldn't do the surgery until he paid for it - and I think that is the norm here. Tourists may have insurance cover for the initial cost of any accident, but are they covered for what may be weeks or months of post op care? 

 

And to be honest, I am very sceptical about the "50%" claim - it sounds to me like a figure plucked out of the air for effect. 

[RJRS1301]

3 hours ago, Expattaff1308 said:

well I dont see Asean workers coming in on OA visa

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

[Don Mega]

29 minutes ago, mberbae said:

WHY does the Hospital discharge patients who have NOT paid their bills yet ???

Keep them or their passports until the Bill is cleared.

 

My friends and I agree that the story sounds suspect .

 

All Paid Up.

keep them......Get the security guards to hold them at gun point ?

[Don Mega]

Just now, RJRS1301 said:

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

I doubt he read and comprehended the article.

[maddox41]

The chinese and French doesn't surprise me.. Not paying 

I've lived In Bkk for 10 yrs and always have insurance your mad not too..  I go home 1 time per Yr to visit family and get a 12 month travel insurance full cover for 15000b per Yr from oz I can't believe how many  farangs don't don't do it its not if its when. 

 

As for running away with out paying that's not easy to do and especially at the high end hospitals. 

I agree that a 100b fee on arrival for tourists is a good idea. Good for the tourist good for the coffers and if you don't have 100b you shouldn't be going on a holiday 

 

 

[Redline]

More anti-foreigner propaganda.  They are probably being way overcharged, and half of the injuries are likely do to faults of the Thai system-poor driving, unsafe conditions, no law enforcement...

Most countries have to deal with this issue.  Besides, the numbers don’t add up.  Anyway, as the amount of foreigners decreases, there will be less to worry about.  I think they are getting desperate for cash now.

Everyone should pay their bills, but let’s find out the truth, and both sides of this story 

[Don Aleman]

Outside of the fact I don't believe their figures  why don't they get/hold passport which everyone must present, until settlement is made ?

[Don Mega]

Just now, Don Aleman said:

Outside of the fact I don't believe their figures  why don't they get/hold passport which everyone must present, until settlement is made ?

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

[Isaanbiker]

On 11/29/2019 at 2:34 PM, colinneil said:

Well at least it is other nationalities, ie Russian/ French and Chinese not paying their bills, for once British folk not being blamed.

I think Khun Chalermpong is telling porkies about so many bills not being paid.

On my last hospital stay here, an admin worker came to my bed side requesting the bill be settled promptly. yet i am covered by insurance, my wife only has to sign the papers, still this man was adamant i paid up, maybe he was scared i did a runner.

Sorry, mate, there's a new rule. If you need their services on a Saturday, they charge a fee of 150 baht.

 

I'm also covered by the Thai SS, but that's a "hospital fee".

 

How could you make a runner? 

More a roller? Can you do wheelies?

( black humor intended) 

[StayinThailand2much]

25 minutes ago, Redline said:

More anti-foreigner propaganda.  They are probably being way overcharged (...)

That is a good argument. Perhaps those 4,000(??) patients who didn't pay, or didn't pay in time, disputed their invoices as they, possibly, felt grossly overcharged, or billed for services they didn't receive. Thailand's hospitals are known, after all, for overcharging their patients, so perhaps it's about legal disputes rather than "non-payment".

[natway09]

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

[RJRS1301]

14 minutes ago, Don Aleman said:

Outside of the fact I don't believe their figures  why don't they get/hold passport which everyone must present, until settlement is made ?

The passport is the property of the issuing authority, not the passport holder. Illegal to hold passport. Copy of bio page and visa issued to border control if bill not paid. Longer term visa holders living in the country, they where they are, who they are