Bangkok Hospital Pattaya - Temperature Not Taken To Enter - They Don't Want To Determine If You Have Covid

[Thomas J]

As I travel throughout Pattaya no matter where I go I have to have my temperature recorded to screen me for potentially having Covid and barring me from entering.  Yesterday I traveled to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya to get an update on if and when they might get Covid Vaccines.  To my surprise, though they had hand sanitizer there was no temperature check to enter the hospital.  I was told later by a Thai woman that no, the private hospitals were not taking temperatures since they didn't want to address a person who might have Covid entering the hospital and then having to provide care for them. 

She said that it was a law that even the private hospitals have to provide treatment and can not transfer a Covid patient to another hospital for treatment.  I don't know if it is true, but it would sure explain why they don't want to take the chance of even having to screen entrants to the hospital.  If they found one with a high temperature, they would likely be forced to determine if that person had Covid and if they did, admit them. 

P.S.  They have no vaccine other than Sinovac for Thais. They even had a sign posted at the reception area that contrary to media reports, they had no alternative vaccines, and none had even been ordered.  Advised strictly to keep up with updates on their website. 

Edited May 21, 2021 by Thomas J

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I wonder if that's legal.

[Jingthing]

Temperature checks are largely worthless anyway. 

 

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/512769-fauci-explains-why-temperature-checks-to-fight

Edited May 21, 2021 by Jingthing

[Thomas J]

25 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Temperature checks are largely worthless anyway

So are most of the Covid measures anyway but that hasn't stopped them from enacting them.  The point of the post was not about the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of temperature checks.  The hospital is obviously at variance from the rest of the communities including the governmental offices.  They obviously are doing that for a reason and I suspect my friend is correct.  They don't want to know if you are sick from Covid so they just wont screen. 

[LongTimeLurker]

Since Covid started last year I have been subjected to temperature checks on my regular visits there, as well as an interrogation about symptoms.

 

Going again Sunday morning so will see what happens.

[Thomas J]

21 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Going again Sunday morning so will see what happens.

We had been there numerous times.  My Thai Fiance had an eye injury.  In the past always a temperature check.  Not yesterday. 

[catturd]

A while back, a few months ago, I recall the Thai gov't announced that "....hospitals were strictly forbidden from charging covid patients for treatment at both gov't and the private hospitals...."

No distinction was made if this applied to foreigners and Thai's alike.

[Jeffr2]

It wasn't that long ago that hospitals were refusing to do tests because if you were positive, they had no beds!

 

Temp checks are a bit useless.  My friend was a bit high, so she went back to her car, turned on the AC, put her forehead near the vent, and bingo.  Temp was down. They let her in. LOL

[jackdd]

20 hours ago, catturd said:

A while back, a few months ago, I recall the Thai gov't announced that "....hospitals were strictly forbidden from charging covid patients for treatment at both gov't and the private hospitals...."

No distinction was made if this applied to foreigners and Thai's alike.

I called them after I saw this announcement: Only Thais.

[metisdead]

An off topic baiting post has been reported and removed. 

[JTXR]

It's been well known for some time that temperature checks like the ones routinely done in Thailand are useless in fighting COVID-19 and are perhaps actively counter-productive by giving a false sense of security.  Any professional medical institution that admits it and stops doing them is to be applauded. 

 

Now if we could only get the government and public and private institutions to also give up the pointless theater of disinfecting and "sanitizing" surfaces.....

 

[Thomas J]

4 minutes ago, JTXR said:

It's been well known for some time that temperature checks like the ones routinely done in Thailand are useless in fighting COVID-19 and are perhaps actively counter-productive by giving a false sense of security.  Any professional medical institution that admits it and stops doing them is to be applauded. 

 

Now if we could only get the government and public and private institutions to also give up the pointless theater of disinfecting and "sanitizing" surfaces.....

I don't disagree with you.  The vast number of measures stated to fight Covid are really there "for show"  If pressured the government officials point to all the restrictions and say "see what we have done to protect you"  A very wise man told me many years ago that "most action is initiated to create the illusion of progress" 

Of course no one presses them with the pertinent questions like well do we know if any of those are effective.  Or why can you sit side by side in a government office waiting room but not sit outside with your spouse in an open air restaurant.  

That being said, virtually every establishment is taking your temperature.  Maybe it is because Bangkok Hospital really knows that is a worthless exercise or maybe it is because they don't want to come across someone with an elevated temperature and find out they have Covid and are forced to treat them.  I just found it unusual given we made many trips there over the past year to treat an eye injury and in the past we were always subject to a temperature scan. 

[LongTimeLurker]

On 5/21/2021 at 5:36 PM, Thomas J said:

We had been there numerous times.  My Thai Fiance had an eye injury.  In the past always a temperature check.  Not yesterday. 

 

As of this morning BPH are monitoring temperatures.

 

"Monitoring" being the operative word as the scan is remote and shows up on a monitor screen, same as Makro and Big C Extra. No "gun to the head" check.

 

2 entrances to BPH had these monitors, don't know about A&E as had no reason to enter through that door.

 

Point of contact also had monitoring as they take your temperature before they will treat you.

Edited May 23, 2021 by LongTimeLurker

[LongTimeLurker]

On 5/21/2021 at 8:57 PM, catturd said:

A while back, a few months ago, I recall the Thai gov't announced that "....hospitals were strictly forbidden from charging covid patients for treatment at both gov't and the private hospitals...."

No distinction was made if this applied to foreigners and Thai's alike.

 

My mates that have Covid have been charged at BPH.

 

Do you think they'll be able to claim a refund?

Edited May 23, 2021 by LongTimeLurker

[Thomas J]

2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

As of this morning BPH are monitoring temperatures.

 

"Monitoring" being the operative word as the scan is remote and shows up on a monitor screen, same as Makro and Big C Extra. No "gun to the head" check.

Thanks.  We entered through the main entrance where the drop off is.  At that time, only hand sanitizer.  Perhaps the remote scan was not operable at that time.  I just found it odd that we had always been required to have our temperature checked before but not that day.  You would think if the remote scan was not working they would have gone to a manual forehead reading. 

So based on you saying they are again doing it, they are not trying to skirt finding people with elevated temperatures who may be Covid positive. 

[catturd]

2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

My mates that have Covid have been charged at BPH.

 

Do you think they'll be able to claim a refund?

well, i don't know. Worth a try, if it does not ruffle too many feathers. My initial thoughts are that the  mandatory "covid insurance coverage" for foreigners entering TH was implemented because of free covid treatment. Who knows really.

 

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/thai-government-says-covid-treatment-is-free-but-patients-report-hefty-bills

 

I read the following (excerpt from local Eng language newspaper in Bangkok).

"The government has warned private hospitals not to send medical bills to Covid-19 patients or their families, saying their medical expenses will be paid for by the government.

The warning, posted on the Thai Khu Fa (Government House) Facebook, follows complaints that Covid-19 patients at private hospitals are being required to pay for treatment and services.

In some cases medical expenses have topped 100,000 baht.

The government says private hospitals should keep records of medical treatment and services and send the bills to related agencies for reimbursement."

Edited May 23, 2021 by catturd

[LongTimeLurker]

2 hours ago, catturd said:

well, i don't know. Worth a try, if it does not ruffle too many feathers. My initial thoughts are that the  mandatory "covid insurance coverage" for foreigners entering TH was implemented because of free covid treatment. Who knows really.

 

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/thai-government-says-covid-treatment-is-free-but-patients-report-hefty-bills

 

I read the following (excerpt from local Eng language newspaper in Bangkok).

"The government has warned private hospitals not to send medical bills to Covid-19 patients or their families, saying their medical expenses will be paid for by the government.

The warning, posted on the Thai Khu Fa (Government House) Facebook, follows complaints that Covid-19 patients at private hospitals are being required to pay for treatment and services.

In some cases medical expenses have topped 100,000 baht.

The government says private hospitals should keep records of medical treatment and services and send the bills to related agencies for reimbursement."

 

The compulsory insurance is for US$ 100,000 but the bill for my friends stay in BPH for 2 weeks was US$ 20,000.

 

Profiteering by the insurance companies?