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

[ian007]

I find this very, very hard to believe! I was in Phuket hospital (Siriroj) after an accident and needed an MRI scan and treatment. I was there 3 times and each time I had to pay immediately.

[Momofarang]

20 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Surely putting a small levy on tourists is the answer?  what's this "attacks by animals"?  soi dogs?  Nagas?   

Dogs 99%. My (educated) guess...

Edited November 30, 2019 by Momofarang

[cmsally]

1 hour ago, Naamblar2014 said:

Exactly what I was thinking,  with a small edit.  Insurance should be included when participating in water sports or hiring a motorcycle. Not additional.   If you are licensed here the compulsory insurance already covers you for personal injury hospital bills I believe.

I think a lot of people stumble in that they have insurance but it doesn't cover adventure sports and motorbike riding. A lot of travel insurance says these are not covered if you read the small print.

[Magenta408]

I have in my nostrils the pervasive smell of bovine excrement. I don't believe in any of this. It's bullcrap. Certainly some are treated without paying but over the long stretch, for those who don't pay, others over pay. It adds up and the hospitals are never out of pocket.

Edited November 30, 2019 by Magenta408
typo

[orchis]

half don't pay the bills and half get charged double = break even.

[wombat]

the hospital has their passport, why would they give it back before they get payment?

[tandor]

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Result = almost no tourists.

 

I do wonder how the 9,000 foreigners treated over the last year causes 448 Million in bills to be unpaid.

Even if we're talking 10x the normal billing for foreigners.

 

..agreed...how about they stop 'foreigner bashing' and start taking care of us correctly.

I wonder how many of us injured aliens who need hospital care have ended up there as a result of this countries negligence and not our own?

[RJRS1301]

I fail to understand how people even consider travelling o/s without health insurance. Perhaps a copy of their passport should be kept on admission, failure to pay results in immigration being informed, held at point of intended departure until suitable arrangements for payment made.

Black listed until bills paid

Edited November 30, 2019 by RJRS1301

[tandor]

..how about they stop 'foreigner bashing' and start taking care of us correctly.

I wonder how many of us injured aliens who need hospital care have ended up there as a result of this countries negligence and not our own?

[RJRS1301]

4 minutes ago, tandor said:

..agreed...how about they stop 'foreigner bashing' and start taking care of us correctly.

I wonder how many of us injured aliens who need hospital care have ended up there as a result of this countries negligence and not our own?

Heard travel insurance?

[dogfish180]

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Result = almost no tourists.

 

I do wonder how the 9,000 foreigners treated over the last year causes 448 Million in bills to be unpaid.

Even if we're talking 10x the normal billing for foreigners.

 

But No, No.......Only half of them didn't paid.....so should be 4,500 foreigners racking up the unpaid bills! LOL

[zhounan]

These allegations are extremely serious and false. An increase in the climate of hostility and xenophobia towards foreigners, which is already high. Thailand is killing itself with its own hands, because of a ruling class with a boundless ego. We await tough responses from all foreign embassies.

[yellowboat]

Funny, I am asked for money at hospitals all the tme and I pay happily.   Does this hospital ask for money?   If you don't ask, some people don't pay. 

 

Was at one of the nicer treatment facilities waiting room where they told this lady to pay up.  The patient was from a neighboring country.  She had an outstanding bill.   I wondered how anyone could leave the hospital without paying.  I guess it is possible for some not to pay and they oddly think they shouldn't pay.    If you ask for a discount for some things, they work with you.  My experiences with Thai health care have been very positive.

[ChipButty]

8 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I fail to understand how people even consider travelling o/s without health insurance. Perhaps a copy of their passport should be kept on admission, failure to pay results in immigration being informed, held at point of intended departure until suitable arrangements for payment made.

Black listed until bills paid

As stupid as it sounds they do travel without insurance you must have read many stories over the years

[Guest]

if you use the health system you should pay, not tourist prices but a fair price and should not be allowed to leave without paying, I went to a hospital last year with severe food poisioning and they took my card before I was admitted, I don't see a problem with that.

this really is a non story if it is handled correctly.

 

[AsiaCheese]

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Result = almost no tourists.

 

I do wonder how the 9,000 foreigners treated over the last year causes 448 Million in bills to be unpaid.

Even if we're talking 10x the normal billing for foreigners.

 

To be fair, 9,000 treatements were at that particular hospital, but the sum of unpaid bills was for all of Thailand (unspecific, though). It's roughly the same super-precise "reporting" and journalism that went into this that the tourism authorities use on a regular basis...

 

I just wonder how people are treated without showing at least a credit card or an insurance guarantee... I was left laying in the ER of a major hospital in Pattaya with a broken hip for 11 hours, before a kind soul agreed to take me to a room and a proper hospital bed - all because the super health insurance (in a European country) had changed their external call center but forgotten to forward the number to their new call center (duuuhhhhh), and the hospital couldn't get an insurance guarantee (there's a name for that). I've heard the same from tourists with bike accidents - nothing more than absolutely necessary first aid without sweeping their credit card first & reserving a handsome sum!

 

[dogfish180]

I wonder if these hospitals have their own insurance policies, that cover these supposed non-payers??........If so, that poor hospital needs to submit the 448 Million claim form soon! ???? Kerrrrching!!

[rohitsuk]

20 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

How to deal with this issue:

 

1. Add 100 Baht to each plane ticket.

 

OR

 

2. Make it difficult, bureaucratic, nonsensical, stupid and unintelligible in order to make every visitor angry.

 

Which do you think will be chosen?

 

 

They already added B500 to every plane ticket (remember the old departure tax) so just increasing that by B100 would be the frictionless solution. 

However, 

“Bureaucratic, nonsensical, stupid and unintelligible”, is what they do best and affords the maximum opportunity for rip off, bribery and corruption.   

And this is not a Thai thing, before the Beautiful Thailand brigade start screaming, it is the essential nature of government and bureaucracy world-wide.

[dogfish180]

Just another quick thought....... Maybe someone could setup a "Go Fund Me" page for the Phuket hospital? ????

[Bangkok Barry]

There really is a very simple way of dealing with this, but Thailand is incapable of doing simple. Hospitals report unpaid bills to the police, who then flag the culprits up on the immigration computers (police and immigration are supposedly the same thing) and they are stopped and refused exit from the country until they arrange payment.

 

Same with long-term residents - flag them up on the immigration computers and refuse them their next visa/extension until the bill is paid.

[RJRS1301]

9 minutes ago, zhounan said:

These allegations are extremely serious and false. An increase in the climate of hostility and xenophobia towards foreigners, which is already high. Thailand is killing itself with its own hands, because of a ruling class with a boundless ego. We await tough responses from all foreign embassies.

Do you the government reports to back you claim about false accusations? If not then you are making false accusations. Publish or perish in falsehoods

[Captain 776]

2 out of 3........no surprise and not much surprise to number 3........and easy guess who would be next on the list.

[ChipButty]

2 minutes ago, dogfish180 said:

Just another quick thought....... Maybe someone could setup a "Go Fund Me" page for the Phuket hospital? ????

Dont be giving them ideas

[jackdd]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

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

AFAIK water sports are required to have insurance.

Motorbikes are required to have insurance.

I guess the injuries are from stray dogs and not wild elephants.

To me this sounds like the city isn't doing their job (enforcing insurance and getting rid of strays) . Why should health insurance pay for their failure?

Edited November 30, 2019 by jackdd

[Don Mega]

29 minutes ago, ian007 said:

I find this very, very hard to believe! I was in Phuket hospital (Siriroj) after an accident and needed an MRI scan and treatment. I was there 3 times and each time I had to pay immediately.

A few years back I had a mild stroke... I sat in ER for 6 hours until my insurance guaranteed payment, I was then in ICU for 3 days after a barrage of scans and tests.

[dallen52]

20 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

How to deal with this issue:

 

1. Add 100 Baht to each plane ticket.

 

OR

 

2. Make it difficult, bureaucratic, nonsensical, stupid and unintelligible in order to make every visitor angry.

 

Which do you think will be chosen?

 

 

I still dont get it?

How is it possible for a tourist or retirement extension person to rack up these costs.

I had 3 days in Pattaya public hospital and I had to put 50,000 baht down payment before admission. 

Even when I went in with a not too serious condition one night, I still had to put 2000 down to cover the basic tests and consultation. 

Any unused was refunded. 

Pattaya public does not process insurance claims. 

You have to re claim yourself. 

Private hospitals want to see method of payment when you are wheeled in. 

If you have it.

[peter14]

Well the double pricing angry everyone  so indo t blame them either for not paying 

[fleur3]

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Result = almost no tourists.

 

I do wonder how the 9,000 foreigners treated over the last year causes 448 Million in bills to be unpaid.

Even if we're talking 10x the normal billing for foreigners.

 

448 mill baht divided by 9000 makes  about $ 1508 per person. So looks ok

[bronzedude]

I say BS to this article. I've been to 3 hospitals in the last 2 years and they wouldn't admit me without a guarantee of payment each time. Also, notice that US, Aus, UK weren't included in the finger pointing. If the Russians and Chinese won't pay, make it harder for them to enter and not the people who do.

[Don Mega]

4 minutes ago, peter14 said:

Well the double pricing angry everyone  so indo t blame them either for not paying 

Whats that in English ?