Questions about hospitals

[Aforek]

You who are native English speakers, do you think Thai doctors are easy to understand ? ; I live upcountry, not many  doctors speak  English and all the time they speak very fast, with their Thai accent, and I dare not to tell them I don't understand, so I nod all the time and I say " yes "  ; but it  doesn't come only from me, there are some Thai people that I understand well 

( you understand that English is not my language , of course ) 

 

 

[The Fugitive]

6 minutes ago, DaLa said:

Apologies, this doesn’t answer the op’s post but you are absolutely correct.

 

I’ve just been in Siriraj hospital Bangkok with Pneumonia, and had to leave most of it to the Thai wife. Interpreting, paying for treatment, feeding me, staying overnight to make sure I didn’t escape. Especially letting the doctor who wanted me to move to another hospital because ‘they were very full’ know I wasn’t going anywhere.

 

But is that any worse than going to 3 different private hospitals , receiving 3 different diagnoses and then receiving a bill double the original quote.

 

12k baht to come out alive from a government hospital is good value in my book.

Great info, good warnings and very pleased you got well again for 12,000 baht! Year's (decades) ago a lad I worked with got pneumonia at age 16. When he returned to work he looked like a cross between a ghost and a skeleton. Took some time but he became a superb squash player, competing in tournaments at local and regional level. Best wishes to you Sir! 

[DaLa]

41 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

It really depends on the location and hospital.

 

I live near a very large regional (upcountry) government hospital. In over 20 years, have only once encountered a doctor there able to communicate in English. Most can't speak or understand  a word.

 

in Bangkok the doctors will speak English - but it is getting to the doctor that is the issue as the nurses and clerks do not, the procedures and red tape are initially very confusing, and everything (signs, forms) is in Thai.

 

 

Even in central Bangkok at Siriraj the level of communication in English was patchy. I’m not certain it would be any better in a private hospital.

 

Absolutely correct regarding documentation. I was admitted straight into ICU. However only after completing a form ( granted it was in English) and for some crazy reason they wanted my parents first’s names. Unless those first names were on that form I was a dead man walking.

[DaLa]

17 minutes ago, Aforek said:

You who are native English speakers, do you think Thai doctors are easy to understand ? ; I live upcountry, not many  doctors speak  English and all the time they speak very fast, with their Thai accent, and I dare not to tell them I don't understand, so I nod all the time and I say " yes "  ; but it  doesn't come only from me, there are some Thai people that I understand well 

( you understand that English is not my language , of course ) 

 

 

Better English than most TickTockers though may I say.

 

I’m 69 and thankfully I have only been in hospital 3 times in my life; understanding a Thai (or any other nationality) doctor’s English isn’t the only problem. I’m useless at describing my symptoms and on all those 3 occasions I just go with the flow. I have to believe they know what they are doing (to the best of the knowledge they have) and have my best interests to heart. On those 3 occasions I haven’t even been in a state that allowed me to make rational decisions.

 

One other point to consider when using an interpreter in Thailand. The Oxford Dictionary has 273,000 hardwords in it. The Thai equivalent has 2,864 words.

[internationalism]

1 hour ago, crouchpeter said:

Don't even think about a government hospital unless you speak Thai or take your interpreter! (My pet name for my wife)!

Its private, but not for fereignwrs. Thats why very moderately priced. Just within walking distance from the other brand name hospitals. 
I do also go to the governmental hospitals and use english 

[Lorry]

12 hours ago, Sheryl said:

In over 20 years, have only once encountered a doctor there able to communicate in English. Most can't speak or understand  a word.

Bad luck.

I have never encountered a doctor who couldn't communicate with me in English. That includes government hospitals,  some of them very rural, and upcountry clinics.

Many doctors are very reluctant to use English,  though. 

YMMV

[The Fugitive]

10 hours ago, Lorry said:

Bad luck.

I have never encountered a doctor who couldn't communicate with me in English. That includes government hospitals,  some of them very rural, and upcountry clinics.

Many doctors are very reluctant to use English,  though. 

YMMV

Only been here since 2017 but so far found that all doctors whether in hospitals or their High Street clinics and specialist dentists speak (or are willing to speak) excellent English. Nurses in A/E at Provincial hospital did but only some at my local community hospital. Thanks to them all, they do a great job IMHO. 

[KhunLA]

I find spoken English by the docs & most nurses, not a problem at govt hospitals.

 

Wife is handy for wading through registration and other communication issues, the who, what, when & where.

 

 

[BigStar]

45 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I find spoken English by the docs & most nurses, not a problem at govt hospitals.

 

Wife is handy for wading through registration and other communication issues, the who, what, when & where.

 

 

Not a problem. At gov't offices I've occasionally resorted to a note written in Thai either written by my gf or a Google translation. I suggest members resort to written notes as needed.

 

The main problem at gov't hsps is getting the procedures down as you wend your eventual way to the doc. It's all rather primitive. The information desk may not be very helpful. Prepare to feel like a bumbling fool or lost child at times.

 

But the ladies are quite helpful and mostly patient. They are, after all, quite busy.

Edited October 27, 2022 by BigStar

[KhunLA]

27 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Not a problem. At gov't offices I've occasionally resorted to a note written in Thai either written by my gf or a Google translation. I suggest members resort to written notes as needed.

 

The main problem at gov't hsps is getting the procedures down as you wend your eventual way to the doc. It's all rather primitive. The information desk may not be very helpful. Prepare to feel like a bumbling fool or lost child at times.

 

But the ladies are quite helpful and mostly patient. They are, after all, quite busy.

That pink ID, people say is useless comes in rather handy also.  No need to ask name, address ... just hand them that, if they want PP they'll ask.

 

Everything is usually by the 'numbers', so learn those, as that should have been first thing you taught yourself.

 

What floor, what station/room.

[BigStar]

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

That pink ID, people say is useless comes in rather handy also.  No need to ask name, address ... just hand them that, if they want PP they'll ask.

Exactly.

 

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

What floor, what station/room.

What box to put your paper in, and where!

 

3 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Everything is usually by the 'numbers', so learn those, as that should have been first thing you taught yourself.

Sometimes there's a colored line of tape to lead you to the correct room. Ahhh! ????

 

Often the numbers are displayed, as at Immigration, but not always. Sometimes they'll just call out the number. Try to sit near someone with numbers just before your own.???? I mean, if you didn't learn the first thing you should have learned. And they'll typically call out your name. Sometimes there's also no amplification. So, you got to listen up. Hard of hearing? You got a problem.

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, BigStar said:

they'll typically call out your name. Sometimes there's also no amplification. So, you got to listen up. Hard of hearing? You got a problem.

Many times your first name... Khun LA for me, and not the way I pronounce it.

[dddave]

On 10/4/2022 at 12:12 AM, internationalism said:

probably cheaper is Kluaynamthai Hospital, walking distance from you.

I would go now, when there are no waiting lines.

Or ask reception for the governmental one

Kluay Nam Thai is not a hospital I would recommend to anybody. Very low standards.  It is primarily a geriatric care facility.

[dddave]

On 10/26/2022 at 12:04 PM, Aforek said:

You who are native English speakers, do you think Thai doctors are easy to understand ? ; I live upcountry, not many  doctors speak  English and all the time they speak very fast, with their Thai accent, and I dare not to tell them I don't understand, so I nod all the time and I say " yes "  ; but it  doesn't come only from me, there are some Thai people that I understand well 

( you understand that English is not my language , of course ) 

 

 

This past April I spent two weeks in Maharaj Hospital (Govt.) in Nahkon Rachisima.  I probably had interactions with 20 Doctors in that time and all spoke understandable English.  Not so much with nursing staff and aids but enough so that what was needed was usually understood.  I was impressed with the excellent care I received there.

[Lorry]

3 hours ago, dddave said:

Kluay Nam Thai is not a hospital I would recommend to anybody. Very low standards. 

+1

[NoshowJones]

On 10/6/2022 at 7:17 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

Or he/she could just read the policy!

Insurance policies are worded in legal jargon so they can look for an excuse not to pay out on claims. It happens all the time.

[NoshowJones]

On 10/26/2022 at 11:55 PM, Lorry said:

Bad luck.

I have never encountered a doctor who couldn't communicate with me in English. That includes government hospitals,  some of them very rural, and upcountry clinics.

Many doctors are very reluctant to use English,  though. 

YMMV

What does YMMV mean? You are on a forum, not texting on a smartphone.

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

What does YMMV mean? You are on a forum, not texting on a smartphone.

 

Incredibly easy to google for that... You are on the internet !!! 

 

[NoshowJones]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Incredibly easy to google for that... You are on the internet !!! 

 

That's all very well, but I am still not sure what YMMV means, anyway I am not going to waste my time googling because someone is too lazy to type properly instead of using initials.

I am not trying to be rude as you are one of the more sensible posters here.

[richard_smith237]

7 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

That's all very well, but I am still not sure what YMMV means, anyway I am not going to waste my time googling because someone is too lazy to type properly instead of using initials.

I am not trying to be rude as you are one of the more sensible posters here.

It simply means the experiences of others may be different... 

 

A quite appropriate phrase for many things here as rules, regulations, encountered etc even with officialdom vary and often lead to forum arguments when poster A points out x document is required and poster B argues that its not.... 

 

Or in this case....  Poster A points out that whenever he’s visited a hospital the Dr. Speaks English but also accepts that not everyone’s experiences will be the same and at other hospitals another poster might encounter a Dr. who does not speak any English at all or doesn’t want to. 

 

 

[The Fugitive]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

16 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

That's all very well, but I am still not sure what YMMV means, anyway I am not going to waste my time googling because someone is too lazy to type properly instead of using initials.

I am not trying to be rude as you are one of the more sensible posters here.

It simply means the experiences of others may be different...

Many thanks. I didn't make the connection either.

[Lorry]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

What does YMMV mean? You are on a forum, not texting on a smartphone.

YMMV is something I learned from other TV members. p)

Oh, what's TV?

[Onerak]

On 10/6/2022 at 6:29 AM, Sheryl said:

I also find it simpler to just tell them I already have the medication rather than that I am exercising my right to buy it at an outside pharmacy. Just makes things go more smoothly.

I go to Bangkok and Jomtien (in Pattaya) hospital and after the doctor prescribe the medications, I go straight to the pharmacy counter and get an estimate first. If it is more than 3K, I will decline to get it from their pharmacy and buy it cash from Fascino outside. The only advantage I see in Hospitals pharmacy is my HSA card is acceptable there but not in Pattay Fascino. But most of the time prescription is less than 2000 baht and I end up paying with my HSA card in the hospital pharmacy. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Onerak

[lopburi3]

YMMV is a very common disclaimer (used by auto industry for decades 'your millage may vary' after providing millage figure).  It is almost never written out as almost all understand YMMV.  And that has been true long before social media/texting.  Much older than LOL and others that are often used on forum.  

 

 

[sandyf]

On 10/26/2022 at 11:40 AM, Sheryl said:

Not at all typical of government hospitals elsewhere, where foreign patients are a rarity.

Not true and nothing to do with foreigners.

I have lived in Chonburi city for 14 years and the number of foreigners I have seen in the area you can count on one hand.

I use several of the government hospitals in the area and all the doctors I have come across could speak English, yes not quite the same with the staff, they tend to be a bit older than the doctors.

My niece is a junior doctor at Kabinburi hospital and speaks fluent English, she went through the state education system and could speak English when she left school.

It would be very unusual to come across a doctor in her age group that didn't speak English.

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, Onerak said:

I go to Bangkok and Jomtien (in Pattaya) hospital and after the doctor prescribe the medications, I go straight to the pharmacy counter and get an estimate first. If it is more than 3K, I will decline to get it from their pharmacy and buy it cash from Fascino outside. The only advantage I see in Hospitals pharmacy is my HSA card is acceptable there but not in Pattay Fascino. But most of the time prescription is less than 2000 baht and I end up paying with my HSA card in the hospital pharmacy. 

When I started getting my medication from the hospital pharmacy I saved about 30% on the Fascino prices, even with their discount card.

[NativeBob]

Ah, doctors in Thailand ))) favorite subject, yeah?

Yes, the doctor, not a hospital. It is essential. 

St.Louis is a s**thole. They use students from med.school as nurses to practice on patients. Not funny when 19-ish y.o. trans comes at 6 AM to take a blood sample.

Govt/Private? Doctor works 2 days at each and 2 days at his own med.shop. 

English? Each time I meet really well Eng-speaking "doctor" I wonder what else did he/she do abroad while studying? Thailand got its own pretty advance higher education in medicine. In Thai language. All terms are in thai and it would be very hard to learn them simultaneously in English, unless he/she [a student] studied abroad. But what "abroad" means?  some fancy diploma from "International banana college" taught by same "teecha Steeev". Been there seen 'em.

So well spoken English is rather an alarm, not a benefit. 

More on hospitals. Bangkok Hospital is a rip-off. Bamrungrad? Fancy-shmency. Rama9? My favorite for some unknown reasons. Christian Hospital on Silom - scary! That huge one near Ari MRT station Mario-something? Very friendly. Chulalongkorn Hospital near the park? very thai-ish, but good references heard I. 

Still - its all about doctor, not a hospital. Every body can take blood and send to test, do MRT or CAT. But not many can read it. I mean read it well.

[Sheryl]

48 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Not true and nothing to do with foreigners.

I have lived in Chonburi city for 14 years and the number of foreigners I have seen in the area you can count on one hand.

I use several of the government hospitals in the area and all the doctors I have come across could speak English, yes not quite the same with the staff, they tend to be a bit older than the doctors.

My niece is a junior doctor at Kabinburi hospital and speaks fluent English, she went through the state education system and could speak English when she left school.

It would be very unusual to come across a doctor in her age group that didn't speak English.

 

That may be the case in that hospital but I assure you, from first hand experience, it is not at all the case in all hospitals nationwide.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

That may be the case in that hospital but I assure you, from first hand experience, it is not at all the case in all hospitals nationwide.

Are you trying to say that English is not being taught in state schools.

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

Are you trying to say that English is not being taught in state schools.

I think we all know that English teaching in Thailand is quite sub-standard and does not in itself equip people to be able to speak and understand the language. For that matter, most Thai teachers of English are nto able to communicate effectively in it - a fact which is often reported on in the Thai media.