Health Minister eyes Thailand’s medical tourism post COVID-19

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Scot123 said:

Thai health care is not Free!!! It's very cheap for Thais but they still pay. There is NO! double or triple price scale depending on race in the UK. If you go private the prices are the same. If you use the NHS then your supposed to pay if your a foreigner but if you do not there is no arrest warrant issued and the police do not hall you off your flight. 

Well, practically free. I pay about 500 baht a month, same SS as Thais, and everything's included; no age limit. The extra charge for medical care isn't based on race in Thailand but citizenship. Bill Heinecke is a Caucasian but as a Thai citizen he will not be subject to any foreigner surcharge. Yes, as I noted in the UK a foreigner normally (tourist, not in a scheme) does pay FAR more than a UK citizen. That seems to be common practice everywhere, so why pretend it isn't? Silliness. 

[connda]

If it costs 120,000 THB to navigate the regulatory gauntlet to enter the country, that sort of destroys the incentive of coming to Thailand to economize on healthcare. 
Westerners aren't going to accept that Thailand has better healthcare than the West. Unless Thailand is offering significant discounts for healthcare, there really is no other reason to come here.  And once you add in all the overhead costs of getting here you've lost the economic advantages that would make it worthwhile.

What is more likely is that Thailand will lose that foreign customer base to India.
Most normal people don't want boutique healthcare, they want excellent, high-quality healthcare that provides value over what they can receive in their own country.
Thailand hubris regarding all things of upper status will lose them revenue.  Grand ideas but not a lot sound economic sense.

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Truth Will Set You Free said:

Someone please explain the destination choice among medical tourism visitors...???????????????? That should be a one page memo; We shut down our borders, instituted  quarantine measures for those that were infected, and travel restrictions to prevent the spread.
 

Don’t see how this will generate income or make Thailand a medical superpower...???????????????? If Thailand had cold weather like US and Europe, they would have more cases and death as those countries and surrounding countries. 
 

Be proud that you shut your borders and implemented  measures. Now focus now how you are going to provide  life support measures to your people of no jobs and income. ????????????????

 

 

What is it about the phrase "post COVID-19" that's difficult for you to understand?

 

But I notice you aren't alone. It seems we're all just going to pretend that the Health Minister wasn't talking about post-COVID, which he was, to enjoy our usual little bashfest. ????

Edited November 20, 2020 by BigStar

[P100]

Thank you my racist and xenophobic friend Anoutin. Well spoken. Thailand's future is so bright you probably cannot see the door you should take to exit the seized government power. No, Thailand won't become a medical hub. First of all, Thai education and science, research and cutting edge technologies are far behind leading western countries. Medical services in Thailand are far behind western countries.

Thailand is and will remain for a very long period of time a 3rd world country.

Secondly, the Thai robbing and ripoff menthality towards foreigners is deep rooted and won't attract many who can afford to go for a better place. Medical hub for Indians? Maybe.

Thirdly, Thais are generally not interested in foreigners, to put it nicely, this includes their culture, music but even the English language itself.

Foreigners are well aware of the lack of respect towards them in Thailand.

And then, there are big players to compete with, Arab countries try the same.

 

My advice to you, start talking nicely about farangs and start educating your retarded but arrogant people, teach them that farangs are not low creatures like cats and dogs. Teach them they should open up their proud minds and start to listen and learn from farangs, because you don't have the knowledge that farangs could bring to your country. Then, in a few decades, Thailand will develop to a level where we can consider to accept such medical services from "Thai specialists".

Edited November 20, 2020 by P100

[connda]

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Minister of Public Health is optimistic Thailand will be the first choice of medical tourists after the COVID-19 pandemic ends

And the Covid-19 pandemic will never end.  It will morph because it's useful and lucrative.
Covid-20, then Covid-21,  etc, etc wash, rinse, repeat. 
The new normal will be about a 50% reduction in business air travel (Bill Gate's prediction) so you can imagine the concurrent decrease in tourist travel as well as other forms of air travel for whatever purposes.  You can source that on the web.  Google: "Bill Gates predicts half of all business travel won't return once COVID-19 is gone"
Then imagine a new novel coronavirus surfaces.  We're back to lockdowns and travel restrictions.  New normal.  Embrace it.  We ain't going back to how it was.  And don't make any plans.

[BigStar]

10 minutes ago, P100 said:

No, Thailand won't become a medical hub. First of all, Thai education and schience is far behind leading western countries. Medical services in Thailand are far behind western countries.

I so hate to pop so many balloons and ruin our day, but Thailand's already well on its way and usually appears in the top 10 of any listing of medical tourism destinations. For example,

 

#1 Bangkok (Thailand): No longer just for sex change surgeries, Bangkok has become the world’s epicenter of medical tourism, welcoming more than two million cross-border patients every year. What’s not to like about recovering from a medical procedure in a world-class Thai resort hotel or spa--at unbeatable prices. Bangkok’s venerated, internationally accredited Bumrungrad International Hospital (featured on 60 Minutes and CNN’s Inside Man), welcomes tens of thousands of North American and European patients every year.

   --https://www.newswise.com/articles/patients-beyond-borders-announces-top-10-best-cities-for-medical-tourists-in-2020

 

So it's exactly that trend and a fairly good current reputation that the Health Ministry is attempting to develop further post-COVID. Makes perfect sense, actually, despite the usual chorus of sneers and dire prophecies here. Been hearing those for decades from the peanut gallery. ????

[tinca tinca]

9 hours ago, bodga said:

Im minded to sever a  leg  just so I can come to Thailand and have it replaced

only if you have an S T V !!!!!

[sambum]

"The Minister of Public Health is optimistic" 

 

'Nuff said!

[sherwood]

1 hour ago, sambum said:

"The Minister of Public Health is optimistic" 

 

'Nuff said!

Blind in one eye and can not see out of the other one. Stupid clown

[jerolamo]

8 hours ago, Thomas J said:

Stigar

My Thai fiance is a Norwegian citizen so I am familiar with the Norway "Free" system.  First off in terms of treatment she never gets to see her doctor, only a physicians assistant.  If she does need a specialist it typically is a 6 month wait. 

In terms of your 22% you are omitting numerous things.  First Norway has a 25% VAT so everything you buy is miserably expensive because you pay both the VAT and the merchant who also has confiscatory tax rates has to boost his/her prices to compensate for the government rake of the sale.  Finally, though you pay only 22% you are essentially shifting the cost to someone else who pays much more.  So maybe a good deal for you and others who pay lower rates but a lousy deal for those who earn the majority of the money in the country. 

Here is the percent of taxes to GDP and Norway is at the highest in the world for their "free" stuff. 

How anyone can think that somehow running things through the government suddenly makes them free is beyond me.  You are only adding a layer of cost through bureaucracy.  Also consider when you buy a car, you shop for the best car at the lowest price.  With government run healthcare and "free" healthcare the hospital/doctor has no incentive to reduce expenses knowing it will get paid by the government.  Conversely the patient has no incentive to limit the amount or type of healthcare received after all it is free. 

There are only 4 ways to spend money. You spend your money on yourself.  You care about the quality and the cost.  You spend someone elses money on yourself.  Like a company paid meal.  You don't care about the cost but you want only the best.  You spend money on another. Like a gift.  You care less about the quality but still are concerned about the price.  Finally Someone else spends money on you with someone elses money.  They could care less about the cost and even less about the quality.  That is government when you get

healthcare from them. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_to_GDP_ratio


 

i think you miss understand the idea that strong one support les one in a population. To not let poor people die when they have a real problem.

This make any big difference with monkeys even if we have only 1% difference with our DNA and even if some "hiso" humans looks like Bonobo by their own dirty practices to walk on the head of poor people and use them, then trash them as need.

Fees is also linked by logic (but this can be subject to be corrupted in a free market world, as everything can be) with care and share ideas you are not able, actually (or because of limitation) understand.

Who can do the most, can do less, but is rarely switchable.

[Stargeezr]

If you go to a clinic in Thailand the visit is cheap. If you have to go to almost all hospitals,

you will find that they are not cheap. My Thai family members are almost broke after having to pay for 

a senior member who was in the hospital for over 2 weeks, and they had to pay up front.

   Yes it is cheaper that the US hospitals, and maybe some other countries, but it is very

expensive for the Thais and any visitor who needs to spend any time at the hospital.

Be warned. Have your medical insurance up to date and one that encludes travel out of your country.

Geezer

[Mike k]

15 hours ago, BigStar said:

Boy, they got you fooled. Good one.

 

16 hours ago, swifty5x5 said:

my country has free medical

 

Ain't nothing free 

[Rhys]

Like so many self-serving adminstrations, from Education, Medicine and the lot, blaze forward... while problems still are main concern.. After teaching English in Thai schools with the exception of the International upper tier school, students rank the lowest in the region, yet an enterprizing Minister of Education will promote Thailand as the hub of English Learning....  Healthwise, Thailand does make the attempt to care for their people, it just the people overwhelm the system. Take a look at the common health issues of Thailand, and Vehicle accident ranks quite high.   There are many excellent Thai Health Specialist in many provinces, where have they trained, many have studied their fellowships
abroad and bless them they return to Thailand to help Thai people, and foreign patients as well.

 

The MOPH tries very hard, it is just the typical BS of certain politicians blowing off smoke when they have zero creditials...especially in Health... and Education.  HUB of Wannabees...

[Letseng]

17 hours ago, Katipo said:

"Mr Anutin said Thailand will become the destination of choice among medical tourism visitors after the COVID-19 pandemic."......

 

.....no, it won't!

Thailand has good doctors like any other country in the world. She also has doctors which give me reason to be careful with. Same here in Austria. Don't be too trusting no matter where.

[Truth Will Set You Free]

12 hours ago, BigStar said:

What is it about the phrase "post COVID-19" that's difficult for you to understand?

 

But I notice you aren't alone. It seems we're all just going to pretend that the Health Minister wasn't talking about post-COVID, which he was, to enjoy our usual little bashfest. ????

I guess you did not neither understand,  what you think the memo was about.....????????????????

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, madmitch said:

.....and Government-sanctioned inflated prices for foreigners!

I have to assume you have never been to a government hospital.

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, BigStar said:

Well, practically free. I pay about 500 baht a month, same SS as Thais, and everything's included; no age limit. The extra charge for medical care isn't based on race in Thailand but citizenship. Bill Heinecke is a Caucasian but as a Thai citizen he will not be subject to any foreigner surcharge. Yes, as I noted in the UK a foreigner normally (tourist, not in a scheme) does pay FAR more than a UK citizen. That seems to be common practice everywhere, so why pretend it isn't? Silliness. 

Exactly, it is quite obvious that some are ill informed or just xenophobic.

I use Bang Saen, a brand new hospital and there is no dual pricing. I am currently having consultations with a dermatologist and it costs me the highly inflated price of 100 baht for each consultation.

When I started getting my hypertension medication from the hospital a few years back, the cost was about two thirds of Fascino with a discount card. If the hospital prices are super inflated, what does that say about Fascino.

The Cancer hospital at Chonburi run a health MOT package, full bloods,urine,stool,x ray,ECG and physical exam. Price until recently was 1600 baht but feel free to consider that to be far too much.

[Rubble]

On 11/19/2020 at 6:24 PM, YetAnother said:

and (no mention of) quarantine; typical anutin

He could easily be described as a low achieving windbag.

[sydneyjed]

The days of Medical Tourism in Thailand as a major tourism selling point are sadly but a thing of the past for Thailand!Firstly the THB is so ridiculously high now cancelling out any attraction that people would come to Thailand for..in short there is no'Bang for your Buck'like there used to be!Dental treatment 10 years ago was cheap,affordable and in most cases of good quality for the money..sadly not anymore!

[Jiggo]

What a Plonker that guy is.

[Jiggo]

On 11/21/2020 at 8:53 AM, sandyf said:

Exactly, it is quite obvious that some are ill informed or just xenophobic.

I use Bang Saen, a brand new hospital and there is no dual pricing. I am currently having consultations with a dermatologist and it costs me the highly inflated price of 100 baht for each consultation.

When I started getting my hypertension medication from the hospital a few years back, the cost was about two thirds of Fascino with a discount card. If the hospital prices are super inflated, what does that say about Fascino.

The Cancer hospital at Chonburi run a health MOT package, full bloods,urine,stool,x ray,ECG and physical exam. Price until recently was 1600 baht but feel free to consider that to be far too much.

Bang Saen has a new Hospital, with have to check that out, think most comments are about the bad quality and high prices are in regards to Hospital's in Pattaya City, I presume Phuket and a few other Tourist traps are the same. Did you take a Thai with you, as I would find the biggest problem is to the lack of English understanding by the medical staff.

[sandyf]

22 hours ago, Jiggo said:

Bang Saen has a new Hospital, with have to check that out, think most comments are about the bad quality and high prices are in regards to Hospital's in Pattaya City, I presume Phuket and a few other Tourist traps are the same. Did you take a Thai with you, as I would find the biggest problem is to the lack of English understanding by the medical staff.

As far as I am aware there isn't a government hospital in Pattaya. A couple of years ago my mate's father in law had an accident on Koh Larne and they took him to Naklua. They couldn't help so he was taken to Chonburi where he was pronounced beyond recovery and transferred to Phitsanulok, died on the way.

My wife usually comes with me and there can be a bit of a language issue with some of the staff but all the doctors I have come across speak English, I am registered with 5 government hospitals and generally they are very good.