Help pls. Do Thai citizens get subsidized or free medical care

[Jenoroth]

Dear forum users, seniors and people staying in Thailand.

 

i am feeling pretty desperate and hopeless right now.

 

my girlfriend is a Thai citizen. She stays alone and has no parental or any friend support.

 

she is currently having some intestinal issues and might require surgery in the near future.

 

due to this covid situation I am unable to visit Thailand.

 

i would like to check if medical care at government hospital is free at Thailand?

 

what if she doesn’t have enough money to pay? Will they refuse treatment for her and just leave her to die?

 

seeking Bros who are aware to please give me some advise on what she can do.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by Jenoroth

[blackcab]

Medical care for Thai citizens is either free or very low cost.

[JWRC]

A Thai national can go to the public hospital and pay 30 Baht. My partner spent 6 days in ICU, there was no additional charge. 

[FritsSikkink]

Like said before, care in a government hospital won't cost much , if anything at all.

[norfolkandchance]

OP. As already said. Free or very little cost Try not to worry.

[liddelljohn]

the initial  treatment and examination  will be free or 30 Baht  but if she needs invasive surgery  it is likely she will have to pay

 

[Moonlover]

No O/P, she will certainly not be left to die. You need not worry about that.

[Jenoroth]

Thank you all for the replies.

 

I did a little research and found out about healthcare being free.

 

as one reply mentioned, invasive surgery requires payment.

 

what I’m deathly afraid is that she might require surgery. Will the surgery be subsidized?

 

i know I’m asking very detailed questions but I’m so worried and stressed out right now

[uncleP]

The 30b scheme will cover her until the end of treatment. 

[2 is 1]

1 minute ago, uncleP said:

The 30b scheme will cover her until the end of treatment. 

Yeah they have that 30 bth project now. Cover all if don't want private room. Or she work company whitch have own insurance.

[473geo]

Might be kind gesture, if you can afford it, to see about paying for a private room, she will be much more comfortable, and maybe better cared for if no relatives to bring in treats and food. A little spending cash would be good also.

 

 

[2 is 1]

Medical service in Thailand it much better than many think! Even i get treatment in Puplic Hospital ER when i hit dog whit motorpike! I pay 130 bth. For all clean , bandaid + medicine for pain and infection!

[2 is 1]

Private room cost depence where your GF is going to hospital. Small Hospital about 800 bth/day and in town more/day.Depens also have AC or not. Relatives can be there whit her even don't have private room . But need relatives there coz nurses here not do all what nurse do in Western world. Like if she have surgery, they not clean urine bottle , relatives do that etc. ( Sorry don't know situation accured coz covid)

Edited April 20, 2020 by 2 is 1

[Scott]

Troll post reported and removed.  

 

[liddelljohn]

When my ladys mum needed Gall bladder surgery last year the Government hospital in Amnatcharoen cost was 200,000  but the family had to contribute,, 30%   about 66,k  

[Oxx]

The posters referencing "30 baht" are years out of date.  The 30 baht payment was abolished in 2006 or thereabouts, and even before then payment was voluntary.  (The cost of collecting the payments was greater than the money received.)

 

 

 

 

[stouricks]

8 hours ago, uncleP said:

The 30b scheme will cover her until the end of treatment. 

Introduced by our friendly former PM, Mr T.

[ChipButty]

Depending where she is some of the government hospitals do have private facilities obviously there is a cost but nothing compared to the International hospitals

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, 473geo said:

Might be kind gesture, if you can afford it, to see about paying for a private room, she will be much more comfortable, and maybe better cared for if no relatives to bring in treats and food. A little spending cash would be good also.

 

 

Thai hospitals rely on relatives looking after patients. If she needs more than basic care might need some help there. When I was in hospital by myself the only help I got was a couple of girls that came to give me a wash. They avoided my groin area. Other than that I was on my own.

I was in a private room, and grateful for it. More like a cheap hotel than a hospital room.

[The Cobra]

Dont believe it. No Thai has no one. This sounds like another extortion story to me.

 

If you are convinced its real, get the paperwork and it can be translated here for you.

 

Highly suspicious in my view.

 

[darrendsd]

OP your GF should really know how much if anything the treatment will cost - she is a Thai Citizen

 

If she doesn't she should call the Hospital to ask 

[Blue Muton]

43 minutes ago, Oxx said:

The posters referencing "30 baht" are years out of date.  The 30 baht payment was abolished in 2006 or thereabouts, and even before then payment was voluntary.  (The cost of collecting the payments was greater than the money received.)

 

 

 

 

Not so, the abolition is years out of date. It was reintroduced.

[lopburi3]

1.  Treatment at registered hospital is free - emergency treatment at any hospital is free.

2.  If not at registered hospital (registered in Udon and living in Pattaya for example) normal government hospital charges would be payable (which for such hospitals is quite low - especially for surgery or procedures not requiring expensive imported materials.

3.  Private rooms normally require a caregiver so if no family best to use normal ward.

4.  Some registered hospitals do collect the nominal 30 baht fee - others do not.

Edited April 21, 2020 by lopburi3

[ChipButty]

If Im not mistaken she can only go for treatment where she is registered in a Tabian Baan the blue book and get the doctors report (copy) get it translated post it here lots of guys here will translate it for you, before you think It wont happen to you getting scammed I mean it can and it will I was asked for 60,000 Baht once for an operation but I didn't fall for it I was right on to it, and that has happened twice in my time here.

[BritManToo]

10 hours ago, Jenoroth said:

Thank you all for the replies.

I did a little research and found out about healthcare being free.

as one reply mentioned, invasive surgery requires payment.

what I’m deathly afraid is that she might require surgery. Will the surgery be subsidized?

i know I’m asking very detailed questions but I’m so worried and stressed out right now

Poster was wrong it's all free.

Your Thai 'friend' will know this, if she asks for money it's a very common scam.

[ChipButty]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Poster was wrong it's all free.

Your Thai 'friend' will know this, if she asks for money it's a very common scam.

You are right, What set the alarm bells ringing for me was she wanted to go see the doctor for a test at the Bomrumgrad no less when I asked he how much she said 5000 Baht I didn't have the 5000 on me at the time I'll give it to you later with that she went out to the shop so I called the hospital and they said 1500 Baht and that was with the best doctor in the hospital I did actually give her the 5000 Baht because I wanted to see what happens next, as I thought she needs an operation and it's going to cost 60,000 Baht then the rest is history and this was 19 years ago

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Oxx said:

The posters referencing "30 baht" are years out of date.  The 30 baht payment was abolished in 2006 or thereabouts, and even before then payment was voluntary.  (The cost of collecting the payments was greater than the money received.)

 

 

 

 

Not quite true. It is up to the hospitals and some of them still collect it.

[Sheryl]

12 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

the initial  treatment and examination  will be free or 30 Baht  but if she needs invasive surgery  it is likely she will have to pay

 

Not correct.

 

She can get care either free or 30 baht at the government hospital where she is registered. And guaranteed she is well aware of this.

 

OP I see about 30 threads like yours each year and pretty well all of them turn out to have been scams.

 

Many Thais (especially Thai women with foreign boyfriends) feel it is fine to lie about medical problems to get money and count on the foreigner not knowing that Thais get free health care.

 

She might indeed be needing money -- the COVID restrictions have  reduced or stopped income for many people -- but it is not for medical care 

[Sheryl]

7 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

When my ladys mum needed Gall bladder surgery last year the Government hospital in Amnatcharoen cost was 200,000  but the family had to contribute,, 30%   about 66,k  

 1. If this hospital covered the area where she was registered under a tabian ban care was free unless she chose to have laparascopic approach in which case have to pay about 15,000 - 20,000 extra or chose to have a private room in which case extra anywhere from 500 - 1500 a night.

 

2. Even if this was not her registeted hospital full fee for this at a government hospital would be only about 20k maybe 30-35 if laparoscopic.

 

No way 200,000 baht. Doesn't even cost that much at most private hospitals. I think you were lied to.

[colinneil]

11 hours ago, Jenoroth said:

Thank you all for the replies.

 

I did a little research and found out about healthcare being free.

 

as one reply mentioned, invasive surgery requires payment.

 

what I’m deathly afraid is that she might require surgery. Will the surgery be subsidized?

 

i know I’m asking very detailed questions but I’m so worried and stressed out right now

Jenoroth you want advice? PM Sheryl, she more than anyone on here can give you the exact correct answers.

Do not be fooled by ladies here with their fantastic health related stories, most of them are nonsense, but designed to screw money out of a gullible farang.