Hospital charging more for foreigners

[Triton]

Lately I found a private hospital charging more for non-Thai uninsured outpatient. I heard this as a common practice for many private hospitals. 
 

Are there any honest hospitals you recommend in and around Bangkok?

[AhFarangJa]

Two tier pricing sanctioned by the Xenophobic racist Government.

[scubascuba3]

For an expensive op consider flying to India, a fraction of the cost apparently 

[connda]

Just arrived huh.  Yep - some do.

[Ralf001]

44 minutes ago, Triton said:

Lately I found a private hospital charging more for non-Thai uninsured outpatient. I heard this as a common practice for many private hospitals. 
 

Are there any honest hospitals you recommend in and around Bangkok?

Phayathai in Sriracha has been good to me... check out their locations in Bangers.

[ColeBOzbourne]

What were they dishonest about? Did they lie to you regarding prices?

[Hellfire]

In Thailand, it seems that robbing foreigners has become an officially sanctioned activity. Unfortunately, there’s little any of us can do to change this reality. On the bright side, there’s a certain equality in their approach—foreigners are robbed indiscriminately, regardless of nationality, race, or any other factor.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Triton said:

Lately I found a private hospital charging more for non-Thai uninsured outpatient.

 

Are they charging more for exactly the same service and maybe exactly the same medication?

 

In my limited experience hospitals and doctors in hospitals want to make money. If they can sell you something more expensive then they will do that.

Recently I had a little accident at home. Before I visited a hospital I checked about the possible treatments on the internet. When I arrive in the emergency room a doctor suggested to do this and that and whatever. I told him that I heard somewhere that maybe x (a cheaper and probably medially better solution). He was a little reluctant but then he agreed that that would also be an option (where he and the hospital would make a lot less money). So that's what we did. I paid about 3500 THB.

 

Obviously, it is not always possible to check in advance about the options. But if possible, people should do that. And they should ask if there are cheaper procedures compared to what the doctor suggests first.

It seems to be that most of them want to make money. That is their very first priority.  

 

 

[scubascuba3]

7 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Are they charging more for exactly the same service and maybe exactly the same medication?

 

In my limited experience hospitals and doctors in hospitals want to make money. If they can sell you something more expensive then they will do that.

Recently I had a little accident at home. Before I visited a hospital I checked about the possible treatments on the internet. When I arrive in the emergency room a doctor suggested to do this and that and whatever. I told him that I heard somewhere that maybe x (a cheaper and probably medially better solution). He was a little reluctant but then he agreed that that would also be an option (where he and the hospital would make a lot less money). So that's what we did. I paid about 3500 THB.

 

Obviously, it is not always possible to check in advance about the options. But if possible, people should do that. And they should ask if there are cheaper procedures compared to what the doctor suggests first.

It seems to be that most of them want to make money. That is their very first priority.  

 

 

Back in the UK a Dr would also offer the cheapest simplest treatment where possible, Thailand usually the opposite, many gullible farangs fall for it as it's on insurance, payable with high premiums eventually 

[Purdey]

I am interested to know how one finds out what locals pay as opposed to foreigners. Is there a dual language price list?

[OneMoreFarang]

19 minutes ago, Purdey said:

I am interested to know how one finds out what locals pay as opposed to foreigners. Is there a dual language price list?

In some (maybe all) hospitals you can inquire about the cost of procedures.

I guess you could do it once yourself and another time send a Thai national.

 

But I am not so sure that you can compare things 1:1. Maybe different age, different medical history, overall medical condition and all those factors.

 

Sometimes hospitals also have special promotions. But you have to ask for those before agreeing to any treatments.

 

Now when I need something I tell them I will pay myself and I ask them what they want to do and then I agree or disagree.

I.e. last time they wanted to make an x-ray. I was 99.9% sure that for my problem it wasn't necessary to do that. I told them. They told me ok, then I have to sign that a doctor recommended the x-ray, but I told him not to do that. I signed, problem solved.

And to be fair, I understand that in some cases the doctor has to cover his back so that people don't complain later why he didn't do this or that.

[Purdey]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In some (maybe all) hospitals you can inquire about the cost of procedures.

I guess you could do it once yourself and another time send a Thai national.

 

But I am not so sure that you can compare things 1:1. Maybe different age, different medical history, overall medical condition and all those factors.

 

Sometimes hospitals also have special promotions. But you have to ask for those before agreeing to any treatments.

 

Now when I need something I tell them I will pay myself and I ask them what they want to do and then I agree or disagree.

I.e. last time they wanted to make an x-ray. I was 99.9% sure that for my problem it wasn't necessary to do that. I told them. They told me ok, then I have to sign that a doctor recommended the x-ray, but I told him not to do that. I signed, problem solved.

And to be fair, I understand that in some cases the doctor has to cover his back so that people don't complain later why he didn't do this or that.

Thanks, this is interesting. I recently requested a colonoscopy in May. The doc said about 10,000 baht. Seems reasonable but now I am not so sure.

[mogandave]

1 minute ago, Purdey said:

Thanks, this is interesting. I recently requested a colonoscopy in May. The doc said about 10,000 baht. Seems reasonable but now I am not so sure.

I’ll do it for $1,500

[OneMoreFarang]

7 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Thanks, this is interesting. I recently requested a colonoscopy in May. The doc said about 10,000 baht. Seems reasonable but now I am not so sure.

I have no idea about that procedure. But another issue with cost is that it seems there are always many items on the invoice. Doctors fee, nurse fee, laboratory, maybe some special room, lab supply or whatever.

Are all these items included if what your doctor quoted? Or is it at the end 10k + + + + ? 

[Purdey]

14 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I have no idea about that procedure. But another issue with cost is that it seems there are always many items on the invoice. Doctors fee, nurse fee, laboratory, maybe some special room, lab supply or whatever.

Are all these items included if what your doctor quoted? Or is it at the end 10k + + + + ? 

He just told me on the spot but I will have to double check. Thanks for responding.

[blaze master]

3 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Two tier pricing sanctioned by the Xenophobic racist Government.

 

Not sure why you got cry baby emojis to this truth.

 

If it wasn't why was the policy backed by the courts.

[Njoku]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

I am interested to know how one finds out what locals pay as opposed to foreigners. Is there a dual language price list?

Well you can take it with a grain of salt what there saying here, my TGF went to BKK hospital Pattaya recently and here bill seemed around what I would have paid, its maybe the fact she had private health cover she was robbed too?

[phetphet]

Hospital already have dual pricing: Self Pay price and Medical insurance price. So I wouldn’t be surprised if they also offered a cheaper or discounted price for Thais.

 

[Mavideol]

4 hours ago, Triton said:

Lately I found a private hospital charging more for non-Thai uninsured outpatient. I heard this as a common practice for many private hospitals. 
 

Are there any honest hospitals you recommend in and around Bangkok?

which country are located  ROFL

[Upnotover]

1 hour ago, Purdey said:

I am interested to know how one finds out what locals pay as opposed to foreigners. Is there a dual language price list?

I used to go to Queen Sirikit near Rayong and for sure, there was a notice on the wall telling that foreigners paid more (I think 50%).  Absolutely fine by me.

[Purdey]

34 minutes ago, Njoku said:

Well you can take it with a grain of salt what there saying here, my TGF went to BKK hospital Pattaya recently and here bill seemed around what I would have paid, its maybe the fact she had private health cover she was robbed too?

Interesting. Thanks.

[Purdey]

8 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

I used to go to Queen Sirikit near Rayong and for sure, there was a notice on the wall telling that foreigners paid more (I think 50%).  Absolutely fine by me.

Well when they are upfront then it is a choice. Thanks.

[Gandtee]

3 hours ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

What were they dishonest about? Did they lie to you regarding prices?

It's more about ethics and morality.

[theblether]

How does the OP know that uninsured Thais get charged less? 

[RupertIII]

2 hours ago, Purdey said:

I am interested to know how one finds out what locals pay as opposed to foreigners. Is there a dual language price list?

A few yeas back I was referred by my hospital to another hospital for a test. My wife Thai phoned the second hospital asking for a price without mentioning who it was for, quoted THB15,000.

 

At the hospital waiting room a nurse approached us just to let me know the cost is THB25000! I think after a lot of haggling and toing and froing by the nurse I believe it did come down somewhat although with all the other bits they manage to add on not sure how much I actually paid for the test.

[RupertIII]

1 hour ago, blaze master said:

 

Not sure why you got cry baby emojis to this truth.

 

If it wasn't why was the policy backed by the courts.

I recall reading on AN that in Court it was proven that it was against Thai law based on discrimination by nationality (I believe this is also against international law) but the judgement was that as he was a foreigner he could afford the inflated price plus it was to Thailand's benefit.

 

Thai justice!

[scubascuba3]

50 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

I used to go to Queen Sirikit near Rayong and for sure, there was a notice on the wall telling that foreigners paid more (I think 50%).  Absolutely fine by me.

I don't mind as long as it's still a good price, if they are milking it I'll try elsewhere 

[Sandboxer]

Breaking news - pu**y also costs more for whitey than local.

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, Purdey said:

Thanks, this is interesting. I recently requested a colonoscopy in May. The doc said about 10,000 baht. Seems reasonable but now I am not so sure.

Usual rate at private hospitals is 20-30k.

 

I've never seen it priced as low as 10K.

 

Was this a government hospital? 

[MadAtMatrix]

I happened to come across a print copy of The Big Chilli from 2020. This was the article in it. https://www.thebigchilli.com/feature-stories/health-check-for-thai-hospitals