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


webfact

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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

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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...????

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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 

Edited by RJRS1301
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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.

Edited by Expattaff1308
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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

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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.

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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.

 

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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.  

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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.

 

Edited by IvorBiggun2
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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.

 

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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

 

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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... 

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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 ... :thumbsup:

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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....

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