Foreigner friend - Broken leg - No insurance - 400k+ medical bills - What next?

[Mark Nothing]

I recommend your friend tread carefully and agree to an installment payment plan or some other arrangement.  Keep it a civil issue and don't allow it to become criminal.

 

About 10 years ago a knucklehead in my circle of friends tried leaving the hospital without paying after a motorscooter accident.  Police picked him up a few blocks from the hospital.

 

He was belligerant with both the hospital and the police telling them he refused to pay for services rendered.  So he was arrested and thrown in jail.  We guessed that if he had just made an arrangement for installment payments with the hospital it would have remained a civil matter free of police and criminal courts. He had no money to pay the bail or a lawyer either.  So he sat in jail waiting on the court date.

[bunnydrops]

8 hours ago, Dan O said:

where are you getting this information from? Share a link please

I don't know if it is true or not but my wife says there have been fights between ambulance staff of different hospitals that get to an accident at the same time.

[scubascuba3]

4 hours ago, bunnydrops said:

I don't know if it is true or not but my wife says there have been fights between ambulance staff of different hospitals that get to an accident at the same time.

She's right, i remember a story on the news in the last year

[mokwit]

8 hours ago, NativeBob said:

What I saw with my own eyes in Bangkok hospitals - there's not. since 2009 till 2017. 

Are we talking about ISO certified hospitals like Rama IX, Bangkok Hospital, Piyavate, Mario and alike? 

Or papa-mama clinics?

Or Sirirat on the River? Or Chulalonkorn opposite Lumpini Park? >>>> how do those work I don't know honestly.

 

And, by the way, even Bangkok Christian Hospital too, doesn't have racial features.

There wasn't, Anutin, the last Govt Health Minister mandated a tier of charges for foreigners at Govt hospitals.

[brianthainess]

20 hours ago, BritManToo said:

When I was a victim of a hit and run driver last October, the ambulance took me straight to my local government hospital.

6 broken ribs, broken collar bone, collapsed lung, many 'crush' injuries, total cost 13kbht over 4 months (including 1 month of physio), covered by my gov min m/c insurance.

But was it a 'Rescue' ambulance or an EMS ambulance from the local hospital ?

[brianthainess]

17 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

private hospital required payment in full before they would release me.

In my case even the Government Hospital wanted 10k up front, in case I died on the operating table, fortunately for me, after my scans had been analyzed, I did not need any operation, just a few days in hospital, and any money left over was returned 

[Ralf001]

24 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

That would be interesting if you were fully recovered and could never pay the bill, would they keep you there for life ?................

 

 

 

Yeah I dunno, maybe !

I was in a coma and left in the back of a meat wagon.

[brianthainess]

12 hours ago, mokwit said:

'fraid there is, I pay Bt250 not 50 for a doctors visit and in quoting me a price for a procedure a Doctor explained that is the Thai price, I don't know how much more the foreigner price is.

 

This was brought in for Govt hospitals by the last Health minister, Anutin.

It seems it is up to the Hospital's Administrator what they charge. My Govt. hospital on KC (a high tourist area) charge 300b for a doctor to 'look' at you, ( I got knocked of a M/C by a dog, and went to get the torn skin dressed, the 'Doctor' came in took a look and left 300b was added to my bill) While the one over in Trat charge not even half of that. I was told by the doctor on KC, when I brought this up, to take it up with their administrator. 

[brianthainess]

This is another reason I refuse the easy retirement extension every year, as they keep on trying to make me do, they know how much I have in the bank, way more, but I stick with the Marriage extension, as I am self funded hospital wise.

Edit for the confused: Only 400k in the bank needed which I can spend if needed, not 800K that I can only spend Half for a few months. As I have said before if 3m baht don't cure me in a good government hospital then its all over IMO.

[ignis]

Question as have no idea

 

If I met with an accident and a ambulance was called  > do they not check who you are and if you have any Medical card ?  I have 2 medical cards 1 x local Government Village Hospital + Red Cross Rama 4. BKK, therefore both Hospitals have my medical records ++ on my phone I have the Medical icon EMS ambulance Service, been registered for years if called will [hope] take me to Red Cross.

[thesetat2013]

23 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Police report will allow him to claim 30kbht back from his government minimum m/c insurance.

 

He should have gone to a government hospital where his m/c insurance would have covered his entire bill.

If he was taken there by ambulance. He needed to tell them specifically to go to a government hospital. Normal procedure for Ambulances is to take anyone involved in an accident with foreigners to a high priced private hospital. i do not need to say the reasons why they do this as it should be obvious. $$$

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, ignis said:

Question as have no idea

 

If I met with an accident and a ambulance was called  > do they not check who you are and if you have any Medical card ?  I have 2 medical cards 1 x local Government Village Hospital + Red Cross Rama 4. BKK, therefore both Hospitals have my medical records ++ on my phone I have the Medical icon EMS ambulance Service, been registered for years if called will [hope] take me to Red Cross.

Obviously important to carry emergency details on you and insurance if applicable, just on the phone won't cut it, if unconscious it's no good there

[jaideedave]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

It seems it is up to the Hospital's Administrator what they charge. My Govt. hospital on KC (a high tourist area) charge 300b for a doctor to 'look' at you, ( I got knocked of a M/C by a dog, and went to get the torn skin dressed, the 'Doctor' came in took a look and left 300b was added to my bill) While the one over in Trat charge not even half of that. I was told by the doctor on KC, when I brought this up, to take it up with their administrator. 

I use Queen Sirikit hospital in Sattahip. They have a 3 tier system from what I can tell. 1st>migrant workers,2nd>foreign resident and 3rd is International tourist.Service charge 120 baht, 180 and 240 baht. 

[Viwestyn]

In Thailand, I’ve heard private hospitals are strict about payment but will often work out a payment plan or, in some cases, allow transfer to a public facility. The key might be persistence and enlisting the help of someone who can advocate for him in Thai—sometimes hospitals respond better to locals negotiating on behalf of a patient.

This reminds me of an experience back home with a relative who needed legal advice after a serious accident. They had no idea where to start but found a firm like Tulsa Personal Injury Attorney, and it made such a difference. The lawyers weren’t just focused on bills—they helped navigate hospital bureaucracy and even suggested practical steps for reducing immediate costs.