Mountain B fire: Full extent of tragedy hits home in horrific story of Vietnamese lady "Nong Kim"

[Mac Mickmanus]

4 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

She was accepted by the hospital and in line for treatment.

 

Her friend chose to move her to a very expensive private hospital.

That was because lesser expensive hospitals were unable to treat her.

[Ralf001]

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

That was because lesser expensive hospitals were unable to treat her.

Sirikit Hospital where she was accepted and waiting inline for treatment would have been significantly cheaper than Bangkok Pattaya !!

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Sirikit Hospital where she was accepted and waiting inline for treatment would have been significantly cheaper than Bangkok Pattaya !!

She quite probably would have died from her injuries had she waited inline for treatment behind ten other people .

She had 70-80 % burns and when people are on the brink of dying , cost of treatment comes second behind preserving life 

[kingstonkid]

4 hours ago, lowbo said:

This is how Thailand works... they want it ALL, and they want you to be grateful... as for Bangkok Hospital, I recently (two months ago) had a heart attack. I had previously paid for all the Insurance requirements one would assume I needed. BKK Hospital required a 200,000 baht deposit before they would treat me. The final bill was 225k baht. for 2-1/2 days in continued care. The Insurance DENIED the claim due to what they call pre-existing condition. THEY WANT IT ALL... and YOU TO BE GRATEFUL!

This is not just a Thai thing does anyone remember the Canadian that got sick and the Canadian insurance company tried to bail on him.

 

As to Thai government hospitals saying sorry know there is one thing to take into considersy. They may not have the equipment or expertise to properly deal wit her.

 

The government should cover the bills with in reason and add the costs to the final judgement. But until they actually charge the owner they are in a Gray area 

[TKDfella]

I am surprised the poor woman didn't die from the excruciating pain she must have suffered...and possibly does suffer at intervals between pain relieving drugs. If the owner of the pub was really held totally accountable for the fire, the deaths and injuries then he might start giving names of others who knew (assuming there were others). But, no I guess that won't happen. Building inspectors...yeah, I've had personal experience with a couple and it didn't go well. There is no compensation high enough for the victims of this fire, I just hope such does not happen again.

[PremiumLane]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

There she had to put a 50,000 baht deposit down before they would accept her friend for treatment. 

this makes me sick

[thaikahuna]

In spite of all the good, it shows that priority still remains to never lose a baht.

[Mac Mickmanus]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

In a related story the Labour Ministry made a big song and dance of presenting a large million baht check at a photo-op at the funeral of a brave manager who was killed helping victims in the fire. He was Thai and eligible for work related benefits.

 

GGrrrrrrr , annoying . 

Was it even his own money ?

Or was he using state money for a "good deed" photo opportunity 

[kennw]

4 hours ago, starky said:

Most countries don't have free health care. And that's for their own citizens fewer still have free treatment for foreign nationals.  If she was in the US the treatment would have been the same. Show proof of insurance or pay an upfront deposit.

Yes everyone knows what a money grabbing state the hospital system there (USA) is and unfortunately it's the same here due to the monopolization of the "business" by the private hospitals 

[starky]

1 hour ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Do you think that private hospitals should refuse to treat people and let them die outside in the car park ?

She wasnt refused treatment stop talking nonsense she was there till she ran up a bill she coild no longer afford to pay.

 It was the government hospitals that refused. 

[starky]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Cheaper than in the US, surely?

I dont know 700 000 baht in a couple days seems fairly exorbitant

[starky]

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

The moment this emerged there should have been a general public emergency declared, all hospitals put on alert and every patient treated on arrival.

There is no excuse for medical facilities anywhere not carrying out their basic duty in a human catastrophe like this.

 

A public emergency? Your having a laff.

[starky]

1 hour ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Although the topic is about hospitals making money , rather than businesses in general .

   No one is suggesting that business's shouldnt make money and that hospitals are a bit different to other businesses 

You might want to look up the definition of a private hospital.

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, starky said:

You might want to look up the definition of a private hospital.

I already know that the definition of a private hospital is 

[starky]

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

I already know that the definition of a private hospital is 

Doesnt sound like it judging by your posts.

private hospital funds operations through direct payments from patients and insurance providers, and does not receive public money. Such facilities can offer a variety of services to members of the public. The lack of reliance on government funds means that they are not required to meet specific targets set for public hospitals, which have a mandate to make care available to low-income patients and meet other requirements. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

4 minutes ago, starky said:

Doesnt sound like it judging by your posts.

private hospital funds operations through direct payments from patients and insurance providers, and does not receive public money. Such facilities can offer a variety of services to members of the public. The lack of reliance on government funds means that they are not required to meet specific targets set for public hospitals, which have a mandate to make care available to low-income patients and meet other requirements. 

Yes, I knew that .

(Doesn't everyone know that ? )

[starky]

7 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Yes, I knew that .

(Doesn't everyone know that ? )

Well what do you keep harping on about then? 

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, starky said:

Well what do you keep harping on about then? 

I do think that when it comes to saving peoples lives, hospitals should have different business ethics than other businesses .

   People who are dying shouldn't be left outside hospitals to die, if they haven't got the money to immediately  pay , was what I was "harping" on about .(which I would have thought would have been obvious if you had read all the thread )

[phetpeter]

It is true that the private hospital in thailand offer a great commerical hospital service, but, the government should rule that they offer treatment first when there are major accident siturations,before cost recovery is invoked. Rule is the saving of life before any other considerations. And to add my view that the Thai government hospitals around the country do offer excellant services. with many of the countries larger ones have all the equipment and staff to perform in some cases as good or even better that the commerical ones. They even have a network of ambulances transferring parients to the more adavance and equipped hospitals. I know this from my own experience when I had a heart attack. 

[BKKTRAVELER]

8 hours ago, mogandave said:

You should buy a hospital. We need more people like you to step up and help.

I wish I could... Really.

[BKKTRAVELER]

5 hours ago, Dont confuse me said:

Your forgetting the golden rule in Thailand, "Money number 1" empathy and sympathy are well below money in Thai culture! 

I try to forget such rules exist, but you are right, I'm just being naïve ????. What a world we live in...

[d4dang]

Sia Bi will vanish......compensation to be paid chat nah bai bai....next lifetime late in the afternoon

there have been many tragic fires in Thailand...the factory in Samut Prakarn where hundreds of mostly young female workers were trapped by chained exits and barred windows many died...the Pratunam tanker explosion and fire where people were burnt alive in their cars...the gas/cooking gas storage and filling fire in Klong Toey....the paint factory/storage facility fire in Klong Toey....the Suki restaurant fire( Coca's ?) near Siam Square fire causes by cooking gas explosion...the Santika fire

I don't know about investigations into responsibility or compensation regarding these horrific preventable tragedies, but if the Santika investigation is an example of Thai justice for those responsible and how victims and their families are treated the outcome of the investigation of the Mountain B fire will not be justice.

A Thai friend who lived on a soi off Sukumvit Road Soi 39 called the fire department to report his house was on fire. The officer who answered said " if you give us 100,000 Baht we will come". My friend agreed to pay. That was 1987. His father was the owner of the largest Thai language newspaper so he could afford it. 

[BKKTRAVELER]

11 hours ago, starky said:

Most countries don't have free health care. And that's for their own citizens fewer still have free treatment for foreign nationals.  If she was in the US the treatment would have been the same. Show proof of insurance or pay an upfront deposit.

You are pointing out something very accurate, not every country has universal healthcare. I just wish Thailand did in this situation. 

[webfact]

UPDATE:

 

28 Mountain B pub fire victims still in hospital, some still on ventilators

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1268715-28-mountain-b-pub-fire-victims-still-in-hospital-some-still-on-ventilators/

 

 

[spidermike007]

I simply cannot imagine a worse fate. Assuming she survives, how does one carry on after something like that? 

 

We have to be very, very grateful for our health and well being. It is not something to take for granted. 

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

So far he has paid 10,000 baht which is obviously nowhere near enough.

Send him the entire bill... 

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

There she had to put a 50,000 baht deposit down before they would accept her friend for treatment.

Money before treatment.... sickening.

[Andycoops]

A very tragic story, my thoughts and prayers go out to the young lady and all others effected by this awful ordeal.

 

 

[Kerryd]

Thailand recently instituted an additional 300 baht per arrival (by air or land) fee that is supposed to provide "health insurance" for foreigners.

Let me guess, the money is being spent elsewhere and not on what it was meant for.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Perhaps the Thai authorities might step up to help an innocent foreign national legally residing in Thailand who through no fault of her own had her life irrevocably changed after a simple night out went wrong,

Don't bank on it... Wais and apologies are all your going to get...

don't bank on having all your treatment bills covered in full by the family..

An establishment that didn't have the correct licences therefore was operating illegally... and without public liability insurance cover.

This is Thailand... be careful where you go.