I thought healthcare in Thailand was supposed to be cheap?

[Ralf001]

8 hours ago, Lorry said:

No. Nothing less than 500,000, they always find a way toad the bill.

Easily 1m, if ICU necessary several millions. 

 

The people who think it's cheap are the Americans. 

Multiply Australian prices by 3 or more to get US prices

 

Recently I spent 4 weeks in ICU followed by 2 weeks in a private ward room.

 

total cost was just under 600k.

[scubascuba3]

9 hours ago, ArturGorbachev said:

root canal is around 10k, 2000 is a price of a big filling, a small filling will cost 1000-1500, these are average prices around thailand.

Your range seems off, at the place i go, filling 500-900, root canal 3,000 - 6,000 the less busy \ popular places do seem to charge a lot more

[JoseThailand]

9 hours ago, stoner said:

mine cost 2100 baht last week. not sure what to tell you. 

Post a receipt as a proof. 

[mstevens]

12 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Need to not compare Aus prices to expensive private hospital prices.

Why not? Private medical facilities in Australia would be very much on a par with private hospitals in Thailand so it would be a like for like comparison.

[Srikcir]

My experience using Bangkok private hospitals in general, about 30% of US costs. In fact my US healthcare insurance will cover a higher percentage of overseas medical costs than in the US because of how much more US costs are even with Medicare which doesn't apply overseas (except for US territories). 

[volsfan]

10 hours ago, Lorry said:

No. Nothing less than 500,000, they always find a way toad the bill.

Easily 1m, if ICU necessary several millions. 

 

The people who think it's cheap are the Americans. 

Multiply Australian prices by 3 or more to get US prices

 

Undergoing some treatment currently, and I can promise you it is way more than in the US. 

 

Probably down to my having great BCBS coverage in US and their negotiated rates, vs Global care from the same policy having to pay what the hospital demands.

[Ralf001]

58 minutes ago, mstevens said:

Why not? Private medical facilities in Australia would be very much on a par with private hospitals in Thailand so it would be a like for like comparison.

Sure compare apples to apples obsoletely.

 

The private (Thai) hospital the OP is using to benchmark is known to be one of the most expensive, so ..... choose one of the most expensive Aus private hospitals to compare, not what it costs in the public system.

 

[Skeptic7]

 

12 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

I think dentist here are crooks. 

They're not. Sorry you had a bad experience, but I've had 4 different dentists over 25 years...2 in BKK and 2 in Pattaya...and all have been excellent and very affordable. Quality work at great prices, all. 

 

12 hours ago, userabcd said:

Not true at all. They have an abundance of dentists and some of the best dental care in the world.

Agreed. ????

[sammieuk1]

Generally speaking I'm with the OP with the always present hazard of being a farang ???? 

[swm59nj]

If a person wants cheap then go to a government hospital.  
And  a person should have health insurance.  If you have to pay cash then you face the consequences.  
People come to Thailand looking for freebies and discounts .  Then when reality sets in they are disappointed.  

[Skeptic7]

Everything used to be dirt cheap here. Nowadays...not so much.

 

Healthcare was previously cheap here too, even at the private hospitals, but that was going back prior to at least a decade ago. Imagine it still may be if one is willing to go to a government hospital, but do some homework and try to find a quality one. Have heard stories from foreigners and Thais alike of ineptitude and apathy at many of these places.

[heybuz]

11 hours ago, stoner said:

near my house in bkk. 

Sure it wasn't a root near a canal 

[IvorBiggun2]

20 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

I've had 4 different dentists over 25 years...2 in BKK and 2 in Pattaya...and all have been excellent and very affordable.

I live out in the sticks and believe me they are overpriced. This is due to seeing a farang and knowing it's expected farangs to get charged more. Just finished my treatment yesterday and I'm pretty P'd off with the service I got.

[lopburi3]

13 hours ago, stoner said:

got a root canal done last week. fantastic work almost totally painless she was like a ninja with that needle.

 

no more than say 2 hours in the chair and 2100 baht later my tooth was fixed. 

 

back home you are looking at 20000b up for the same work. 

 

 

And just about the same in Thailand at top dental office - this week, RCT plus x-rays - 15,500 baht.  A cleaning, right side only, 1,500 baht at local soi dental office.  These prices were for Thai.

Edited March 3, 2023 by lopburi3

[Tropposurfer]

I have basal cell carcinoma's (by excision), and skin keratoses removed regularly at both BKK in Phuket and BNH in BKK when I/we take a trip up and I pay nothing like the fees you are quoting. 

 

If you are talking melanoma these are whole different kettle of deadly fish!!!

 

Melanoma's require far more complex diagnosis and treatment and this cost a lot more than the reasonably simple basal cell, or keratoses cancer treatments.

A melanoma removal in NSW can easily go upwards of $800 (this is for a very small sized cancer). 

 

Last basal cell carcinoma excision on my back was 3000 baht for perfect 1st class service. This included was my usual total body examination, checking of this new-examination against my previous mapping for consideration and treatment, and biopsies of two areas (including the one excised that day).

Thats less than $130 AUD. Well worth the gentle, perfect clinical care I received at BNH. All my antibiotic's included.

 

I have insurance which covers everything ... but the full-fee charged, prior to my insurance covering the cost, was far less than cost in Australia.

 

If you are seeing a dermatologist (which I would always recommend) ... they are far superior on diagnosing and removal of cancerous lesions, and do far neater work with the knife, and I always have far less after-pain than from the old days of Skin Cancer Clinics in Oz. Their needle and thread work is darn good too.

You are always going to pay more here than at a Medicare supported Oz Skin Cancer Clinic services performed by GP's back home, cause they aint' dermatologists.

 

General (averages) list of fees in Oz for Dermatologist skin cancer work:

• Initial consult $275 to $350 AUD
• excision $250 AUD >
• biopsy $150 AUD >

 

 

[stoner]

the same dentist has also told me that with 4 or 5more appointments she will also do a crown for 13 to 18k baht. all in. 

[Mad mick]

I just go back Aussie Medicare free at all public hospital Doctor  referral if urgent you will be treated Asap as are 99% medical clinics for check up bloods etc at clinic sent away if urgent will call you back refer to hospital in Melbourne Alfred for one , or as some people here suggested go to public hospital quiet cheap reasonable cost for check up , if you believe your in urgent need of medical issues go back Australia rtn Flight not expensive ?

[glegolo18]

I feel that you need to understand first of all what is availible here in Thailand. For you guys coming here as tourists/short-timers like you, you need really to check things up, just like you do now.....

 

Healthcare for me is based on the public hospitals here i.e. Chaiyaphum. Their prices are many

hundred percent cheaper than the expensive private ones that you seems to be in love with. I paid as an example for removal of my gallbladder, including 3 days after-care at the hosital... totally 33.000 baht... BKK hospital in Khorat as well as St Mary´s in Khorat offered me 100.000 baht PLUS aftercare 3 days on top of that...... (30-40.000B)

 

And when it comes to bloodtests, it is really NOT a good idea to use BKK hospital for bloodtests.... Why not do like I do, google up private labs, they are all over the place and go there, they are really cheap in comparizon.....

 

good luck....

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, Tropposurfer said:

If you are seeing a dermatologist (which I would always recommend) ... they are far superior on diagnosing and removal of cancerous lesions, and do far neater work with the knife, and I always have far less after-pain than from the old days of Skin Cancer Clinics in Oz. Their needle and thread work is darn good too.

Actually few dermatologists in Thailand have any experience in skin cancer at all and most will refer any positive testing to a plastic surgion for wide margin removal (at costs of 15-35,000 baht at higher level private hospitals in Thailand).

[glegolo18]

6 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Actually few dermatologists in Thailand have any experience in skin cancer at all and most will refer any positive testing to a plastic surgion for wide margin removal (at costs of 15-35,000 baht at higher level private hospitals in Thailand).

Yes my experience is exactly the same. One thai-doctor actually told me that overall thai-doctors are good with "inside-cancerous", because it is quite frequent here in Thailand, so they have become experienced.

 

The opposite is for the outside cancerous-stuff, while thai rarely have skinn-cancer, yes they can withstand the sunshine much better than us falangs, they also have not much experience in dealing with it...

[ross163103]

Not anymore, years and years ago, yes, but not now.

Good insurance is the key, but that's not cheap either--depending on your coverage. If you don't have insurance you're rolling the dice,  hoping something doesn't happen.

[NoshowJones]

15 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I certainly would question your Bangkok quotes.  17,500 blood test for what?  That is the price I paid at Bumrungrad in November for a 6 hour full body extensive check up including blood panel.

 

But I guess if folks think it is so bad here, catch a flight back home and get things taken care of it is only about a 9 hour flight.

 

 

and in the UK, a two or three year wait for treatment.

[Sheryl]

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Your range seems off, at the place i go, filling 500-900, root canal 3,000 - 6,000 the less busy \ popular places do seem to charge a lot more

With root canals you need to specify what the price includes. Rot canal only? Or also post? Crown? (for sure price you quote, and OP's mention, would nto include crown).

 

Thai dental care is comparatively cheap only for the labor costs. Where prosthetic materials are involved (crown, implant) these are often as costly as in the west as often imported.

 

 

[Sheryl]

13 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

State/Region hospitals - I understand that foreigners are "allowed", but are they running for profit for foreigners only while non-profit for domestic users? Just want to understand the system. 

A few hospitals, mainly in areas which see enough farang to make a separate price system worth setting up, have two tier pricing. Most do not. I am not sure that even the two-tier pricing nets a profit, might just be at less of a loss. Government hospitals here always run a significant deficit.

 

And the established prices for Thais are only for the minority  paying out of pocket, e.g. those who choice to use other than their assigned hospital under one of the health care schemes (SS, CSS, "30 baht" etc). In Bangkok and a few other places those can be many, but in most upcountry hospitals it is so close to zero that the hospital may nto even have a system for collecting it.

 

Note that the Thai universal health care schemes do not pay on a reimbursment basis, it is on a capitation basis (flat amount received per patient enrolled).

 

Lastly most provincial and higher level government hospitals these days offer special "after hour" or "VIP" services where an extra fee is paid (out of pocket for all, the universal health scheme don't cover it) to see a senior doctor (in public channel most care is from interns and residents in training) and with that, one can also choose the doctor.  Most of this fee goes direct to the doctors who choose to participate in it as an incentive ti participate as opposed to working in a private hospital.

 

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

13 hours ago, internationalism said:

if you mean $, my gastroscopy+colonoscopy full anaesthesia was 10 400b so $300 in bkk in december, governmental 3 months waiting time.

Cost of operation in governmental is 100-200k, that data is slightly outdated, probably by not that much.

ICU at the same hospital is total 3200b/night - 1600b room (meals included), 1200 nursing, 400 medical service.

Government hospital rates in Thailand are roughly comparable to private hospital rates in Viet Nam. Compare like to like and VN is vastly less expensive.

[Sheryl]

16 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I certainly would question your Bangkok quotes.  17,500 blood test for what?  That is the price I paid at Bumrungrad in November for a 6 hour full body extensive check up including blood panel.

 

 

 

 

 

There is no such thing as a generic "blood test".

 

Blood tests are specific and cover a huge range, from ones that can be performed  with minimal training using  nothing more than a centrifuge to ones requiring very expensive and complex imported equipment and even some that have to be sent abroad.

 

Discussion of blood test costs are meaningless unless the test(s) is specified.

[superal]

52 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Government hospital rates in Thailand are roughly comparable to private hospital rates in Viet Nam. Compare like to like and VN is vastly less expensive.

Is it not the case that many Thai gov; hospitals often have newly qualified doctors and surgeons fresh out of medical universties ? They gain experience before moving on to more lucrative posts . So cheapest is not always the wisest choice .

Recently I went to a local eye doctors surgery who works in the local gov; hospital . Had an eye test and a cataract was evident . How much I asked , the reply was the operation will be done in the gov hospital and for a farang the price will be 30,000 baht up plus 2 nights in a v.i.p. ward . I asked why 2 days in a v.i.p. ? , she said that is the falang procedure . Thai patients are on an outpatient basis and free of charge and she told me she had carried out 14 cataract operations that day . Not saying that I expect the same charge as a Thai but the whole business is a scam and discrimination .

[Adumbration]

17 hours ago, KhunLA said:

As with everything, depends where you shop.  

 

BumCrap .... skin cancer peeky, ฿1000, and ...

... "you have 3 growths that I can take off"

 

"OK, sounds good, take 'em off"

 

... "not now, make an appointment"

 

"Say what ... you do know I'm from Udon Thani, and there's not 1 person in the waiting room"????

 

Udon Thani, and and all 3 liquid nitro'd for ฿300 ... all in.  Returned same doc, (UT) couple years later, for a peek ...

 

... "don't see nothing, all clear"

 

"Good, how much?"

 

... "NO charge, I not do anything" ????

 

Can you please PM me the contact details for your Doctor in Udon Thani that does cryotherapy (liquid Nitorgen) for 300 baht.

[Adumbration]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Government hospital rates in Thailand are roughly comparable to private hospital rates in Viet Nam. Compare like to like and VN is vastly less expensive.

Sheryl.  Are you suggesting that Vietnam is a viable alternative to have surgical procedures?

[Adumbration]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

With root canals you need to specify what the price includes. Rot canal only? Or also post? Crown? (for sure price you quote, and OP's mention, would nto include crown).

 

Thai dental care is comparatively cheap only for the labor costs. Where prosthetic materials are involved (crown, implant) these are often as costly as in the west as often imported.

 

 

More than a decade and a half ago I needed signficant dental work done in Australia.  I went to the dentist and got a written quote.  When the girl gave it to me I laughed in her face.  It was just over 18,000 dollars AUD.  I flew to Bangkok and had the work done at Prom Jai dental in Thong Lor.  The cost was just over 2,000 AUD all up.  And they keep asking me if I wanted a letter to claim if on insurance.