Hospital, Insurance, and Immigration problem.

[afm171]

Friend of mine got in a motorcycle accident a few weeks ago. Needed an operation to fix his leg. Insurance company in his home country told Thai hospital that they would pay, so the operation was done. When he checked out of hospital, they wanted a copy of his passport, specifically asking for date of entry stamp. He did not have passport with him and told them he'd bring it for his next checkup. 

Problem: His passport will show that he has overstayed his visa, BY YEARS, and it will also show that he was already in Thailand when the insurance policy was purchased in his home country, which is against the terms of that policy. At the moment the insurance company has forwarded funds to Thailand, but not to the hospital. It is being held by a Thai intermediary who is awaiting a copy of the passport to either release the funds, OR deny the claim based on his immigration status.

No idea which way that will go, but assuming that the claim is denied, what is likely to happen next? Hospital notifies immigration? Detains him on the spot? What should this hapless moron do? What are his options? He's asking me for advice and I have no idea, but if things go poorly I'm pretty sure he'll ask to borrow the money from me, and I don't like that option at all...
 

[DrJack54]

How much is hospital bill? 

BTW ...I think the story is suss.

The hospital did an operation without him providing passport?

Nup..

Edited July 9, 2022 by DrJack54

[Kenny202]

As far as him asking for money being a problem. Its only a problem if you give it to him. Just have a story ready your funds frozen etc. Job done. If hes that sketchy with his passport / visa no way you'll see that money again

 

 

[afm171]

Bill is a bit over 300k. Hospital had his passport on record from a previous visit. Operation was done. Yup.

[orchis]

Just now, afm171 said:

if things go poorly I'm pretty sure he'll ask to borrow the money from me, and I don't like that option at all...

then make sure not to lend it.

[Jerno]

Hapless moron.....aptly put. Of course Insurance won't pay.  They look for any minute reason to deny paying. You can wave goodbye as Immigration sends Mr. Hapless friend out of the country.  

[FriendlyFarang]

I can just speculate, but when the insurance company denies the payout the hospital will try to get the money from your friend.
If they report him to immigration and immigration deports and blacklists him, the hospital will never see the money.

So they might decide to not report him. Of course they will want the money from him.

[Chris.B]

State or private hospital?

 

[scubascuba3]

He's on overstay so sooner or later he's going home, might as well go now, don't give him money

[mstevens]

The best thing he could do is go the the airport and leave the country NOW! If he leaves now, he will be fined 20,000 baht at the airport and banned from returning for a period. Best to leave voluntarily. If he does not leave now, he could face further problems when the hospital or Immigration comes looking for him.

[sanuk711]

14 hours ago, afm171 said:

and it will also show that he was already in Thailand when the insurance policy was purchased in his home country, which is against the terms of that policy.

Seeing that he was already an over stayer---why did he bother to pay for an insurance  in another country that would be invalid. 

[Farmerslife]

Limited sympathy from me, unless he makes good on settling the hospital bill.

 From September this year all those on OA retirement visas will see their health insurance requirement rise from 400,000 baht to 3 million ostensibly because of defaulters.

So those who abide by the rules, valid visa, valid health insurance are penalised while those who ignore the rules are subsidised.  

[Kopitiam]

3 hours ago, sanuk711 said:

Seeing that he was already an over stayer---why did he bother to pay for an insurance  in another country that would be invalid. 

So that he can get treatment first.

[sanuk711]

2 minutes ago, Kopitiam said:

So that he can get treatment first.

Are you saying that he took the insurance out after he had the accident Kopitiam ?--- because that doesn't feasible.

I take it he took out travel insurance, that can be more expensive then normal insurance--but  If he just needed accident insurance, then you can get that from nearly any Thailand Bank for about 5,000 a year--under a 100 baht a week.

[PJ71]

He should leave Thailand ASAP.

 

Free operation - happy days.

[Kopitiam]

1 hour ago, sanuk711 said:

Are you saying that he took the insurance out after he had the accident Kopitiam ?--- because that doesn't feasible.

I take it he took out travel insurance, that can be more expensive then normal insurance--but  If he just needed accident insurance, then you can get that from nearly any Thailand Bank for about 5,000 a year--under a 100 baht a week.

Who would take out an insurance after the accident had happened?  As a overstayer, he took out insurance from his home country so that he can get treatment first if he gets into an accident and deal with the "mess" later which is exactly what happened.

 

Best option for him is to leave now and pay the 20,000THB overstay fine and face the ban for a couple of years. 

 

We don't need such people here to tarnish the image of law abiding expats living in Thailand.

[afm171]

I drove hapless moron to the hospital a few hours ago and... nothing happened. Just in and out without any issue. I guess that means the foreign insurance company paid out, because no one in the hospital bothered him about payment, nor about his passport at all.  

So the original question about hospital procedure for deadbeat farangs remains unanswered. 

 

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, afm171 said:

So the original question about hospital procedure for deadbeat farangs remains unanswered

Don't believe one word of your thread. 

 

BTW you post.....

"I drove hapless moron to the hospital a few hours ago and... nothing happened"

 

Why did you bother going to hospital?

They don't have his pp.

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by DrJack54

[MrJ2U]

On 7/9/2022 at 8:02 PM, Kenny202 said:

As far as him asking for money being a problem. Its only a problem if you give it to him. Just have a story ready your funds frozen etc. Job done. If hes that sketchy with his passport / visa no way you'll see that money again

 

 

....Or just say "No"!

 

 

 

 

[afm171]

14 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Don't believe one word of your thread. 

Why would I care what you believe?

You've been wrong about everything...

[cardinalblue]

Why do you even associate with a loser? 
 

still has a huge immigration problem…actually a fugitive on the run…

 

he is a liability to anyone who comes into contact with him…

 

it was not an accident; it was Karma…. 

[swm59nj]

The hospital asked for his passport but he didn’t have it.  But the hospital already had it on file from a previous operation.  
If the story is true. Just another quality tourist or expat. What ever the person is now.  Taking advantage of the system. 
Hopefully the authorities catch up to him and take the necessary action.

[connda]

Moral of the story?   Don't break laws be they immigration law or contract law. 
He made his bed.  Now?  Actions have consequences.

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 7/9/2022 at 7:34 PM, afm171 said:

no idea, but if things go poorly I'm pretty sure he'll ask to borrow the money from me

Good way to lose your money. 

 

Your friend sounds like a Dodgy character, no visa, overstay ????

 

Find a new friend, try soi 6, I've got lots of girlfriends, the girls in the bars are always asking me for money but I'm treated like a king.

 

Over the years I've seen your friends type come and go, once he's deported you won't hear from him again. 

[chilly07]

Something not quite right about this story. Hospitals always check ID/passports before giving treatment as do insurance companies before granting cover and paying out and Police follow up overstayers???

Plot for a soap episode???

[scubascuba3]

24 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

Something not quite right about this story. Hospitals always check ID/passports before giving treatment as do insurance companies before granting cover and paying out and Police follow up overstayers???

Plot for a soap episode???

Travel insurance companies don't check passports before buying, also sometimes don't check when claiming, probably do for larger claims though

Edited July 11, 2022 by scubascuba3

[loong]

3 hours ago, chilly07 said:

Something not quite right about this story. Hospitals always check ID/passports before giving treatment as do insurance companies before granting cover and paying out and Police follow up overstayers???

Plot for a soap episode???

Some hospitals issue a card once you are registered with them. They do not necessarily want to see your passport again.

[crouchpeter]

On 7/10/2022 at 8:19 PM, DrJack54 said:

Don't believe one word of your thread. 

 

BTW you post.....

"I drove hapless moron to the hospital a few hours ago and... nothing happened"

 

Why did you bother going to hospital?

They don't have his pp.

 

I've been registered with the Police General Hospital be for the last 20 years and have had many visits during the last 12 months. On EVERY VISIT my wife has to show my passport. Not interested in pink ID card, just passport.

[Sheryl]

"he was already in Thailand when the insurance policy was purchased in his home country, which is against the terms of that policy."

 

This is why the hospital has asked for copy of the passport, despite having the face page already on file  - because the insurance company is requiring it to release payment (and will not release payment when they see that he had already entered Thailand when the policy was purchased).

 

Normally hospitals have no interest in visas and entry stamps, they ask to see passport only for identification. This is all due to the insurance co requirement.

 

Since in any case the insurance is not going to pay the hospital, obviously he should not show his passport to the hospital; instead he should just pay the bill, which is all the hospital really cares about.

 

And then he should immediately leave the country, paying 20k fine on the way out. He will be banned for a time for re-entry into Thailand. This is all still better than the alternative which is, sooner or later, being apprehended and jailed and then ultimately deported.

 

Do nto lend him money unless you are prepared for it to be a gift i.e. do nto expect repayment.

 

 

 

 

[BritTim]

Your friend will not accept the good advice that several have made: he should leave Thailand immediately (20,.000 baht fine and, probably three year ban from returning to Thailand). Since he is too stupid to take the proffered advice, sooner or later, he is going to end up in the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC). He will remain there until he can pay for his deportation. For many people, this can mean years in detention under unpleasant circumstances. Since he is American, he is lucky. Most likely the US authorities will advance the money to get him out of the IDC and back to the US. Once they do, his passport is history, and any ban from returning to Thailand is moot.