Pattaya International Hospital Prices Up Again

[gguy]

Saw a specialist at PIH.

800B for visit and 550 for xrays AND 500 For Nursing and General Supplies.

A nurse checked BP and weigh and I used 2 paper cups for water.

I will avoid if possible in future.

[flyingfox]

Been using Memorial for some time after being a devotee of PIH. Better prices and service is same.

[Pib]

1850 Baht (approx $58) for an office visit with a specialist to include X-rays. I'm guessing such a visit in the U.S./Europe with no insurance coverage would cost a LOT, LOT more thatn $58.

[sevenhills]

1850 Baht (approx $58) for an office visit with a specialist to include X-rays. I'm guessing such a visit in the U.S./Europe with no insurance coverage would cost a LOT, LOT more thatn $58.

Sure, but we are not in US/Europe are we.

[gguy]

1850 Baht (approx $58) for an office visit with a specialist to include X-rays. I'm guessing such a visit in the U.S./Europe with no insurance coverage would cost a LOT, LOT more thatn $58.

Last time I checked I was in Pattaya not USA/Europe.

Also I found the specialist not very knowledge.

Would expect higher level of knowledge in USA

Edited August 5, 2010 by gguy

[richsilver]

1850 Baht (approx $58) for an office visit with a specialist to include X-rays. I'm guessing such a visit in the U.S./Europe with no insurance coverage would cost a LOT, LOT more thatn $58.

I would think perhaps 10 times that amount in the US. It's amazing how many people lose all perspective when it comes to medical treatment. Memorial is very much of a second class hospital and certainly not up to international standards. You get what you pay for.

[ricequeen]

bph is cheaper

600 b for consultation plus 150 b for mandatory charges of stepping inside the hospital

[Tee2008]

1850 Baht (approx $58) for an office visit with a specialist to include X-rays. I'm guessing such a visit in the U.S./Europe with no insurance coverage would cost a LOT, LOT more thatn $58.

I would think perhaps 10 times that amount in the US. It's amazing how many people lose all perspective when it comes to medical treatment. Memorial is very much of a second class hospital and certainly not up to international standards. You get what you pay for.

With respect, that's rubbish. Both my wife and me use Memorial and it is ceratinly not second rate. I know a lot of people who are moving away from Bangkok Pattaya and International because of their inflated high prices, and are receiving good treatment elsewhere, including at Memorial.

Edited August 5, 2010 by Tee2008

[tropo]

I don't believe you've been hit with a price rise. Individual specialists charge different prices independent of the hospital as they can set their own prices. I've been charged from 500 to 1000 baht depending on who I see. 550 for x-rays seems reasonable. You can save on nursing charges by not letting the nurse weigh you and take your blood pressure, but this may be important for some visits depending on what is wrong with you. If you had to have urine samples taken then that will cost something for lab.

You can also save by insisting to the specialist that you want to buy your medicine outside, so get full details of what you need and a script if necessary. They don't like doing this, but will if you push for it. The hosptial makes a lot of money from their pharmacy. Bare in mind that not all medicine they dispense in the hospital pharmacy is available at outside pharmacies. They have special medicines which are very hard to find. You have to determine if generic forms are available if you cannot get the same brand.

Personally I'd rather pay extra to have fast service at PIH than wait around for hours at Memorial.

[bob4you]

I'm being treated at Satahip Navy Hospital. Been very happy, yes sometimes a little slow but I bring a book so doesn't really bother me. Specialist Dr. (Urologist) visit is B200 for Farang (posted)Chest xray B255 with general nursing charge of B200. EKG B300, Ultrasound of Bladder and Kidneys B975 including reading by lab technician verifying small tumors in badder but no kidney stones.

Urinalysis for blood and infection in Urine B50 found infection requiring antibiotics. 14 tablets cost B53. ( I didn't bother to try to find cheaper price. This is a very large hospital with specialists that also practice at the more expensive international hospitals. I go in for operation on Sunday, 3 days 2 nights Dr. cost plus room, food, operating room, anesthesiologist total estimated cost B20,000. We will see.

[Lance_A_Lot]

We are back in the USA; and, I really miss prices in Thailand for medical care.

I formerly went to Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya, PIH and Pattaya Memorial. There

are pros and cons of the three. For what I needed to see a specialist for, Bangkok

Hospital in Pattaya was awesome. Sure, I knew that for most things it cost more

than the others in Pattaya; but, it was worth it.

I have nothing negative to say about the hospitals in Pattaya, with the only exception

being Banglamung. My wife was mistreated, or rather I should say treated without being

examined (!) at Banglamung government hospital.

For the money, Queen Sirikit Hospital in Sattahip is a gem. Some of the doctors who

practice at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital and PIH also can be seen at Q. Sirik for far less

than they charge at the private hospitals in Pattaya. Foe those without private transporation,

there are buses that go to Sattahip which are very affordable.

[neil324]

Depends what you need treating.

Have used Memorial a few times for things like food poisoning, great service and treatment.

But when i fell down some steps on Koh Samet cutting open my forehead,breaking my nose and almost snapping my neck. I was madly drunk and vagely remember been treated on the island but stopped the person/doctor before completing the job when stitching me up.

I returned to Pattaya on the first ferry at 7.30am and went straight the Pattaya International where they removed the 5 stitches and then put 20 in.

You can hardly see any scar now, which i'm sure was down to the skill of the doctor at the time, something i'm sure would not have been the case if i let the person on Samet had done the job.

They charged me 4500 baht. Maybe would have been cheaper at Memorial, but money was'nt a factor in my thinking.

[Asianrider]

My experience at BPH this year, is some of the Doctors lack the proficiency in English to explain things in detail to you. US / UK medical costs may be higher, but at least i can cross-emamine the doctor.

[tropo]

I'm being treated at Satahip Navy Hospital. Been very happy, yes sometimes a little slow but I bring a book so doesn't really bother me. Specialist Dr. (Urologist) visit is B200 for Farang (posted)Chest xray B255 with general nursing charge of B200. EKG B300, Ultrasound of Bladder and Kidneys B975 including reading by lab technician verifying small tumors in badder but no kidney stones.

Urinalysis for blood and infection in Urine B50 found infection requiring antibiotics. 14 tablets cost B53. ( I didn't bother to try to find cheaper price. This is a very large hospital with specialists that also practice at the more expensive international hospitals. I go in for operation on Sunday, 3 days 2 nights Dr. cost plus room, food, operating room, anesthesiologist total estimated cost B20,000. We will see.

That's good news for anyone living in Sattahip but it's not much good if you live in Pattaya. If you're really sick or require emergency treatment you need a hospital close to home.

Considering that the main theme of this thread is about excessive prices of Pattaya hospitals, would you recommend people without their own cars take a bus to Sattahip? What would a taxi cost to Sattahip and back?

[bob4you]

In a accident or emergency Q Sirikit may not be your best bet unless you have a car or a friend that does. For cases like my own where I knew it was a recurrence of a previous ailment, not and emergency. I knew it would require hospitalization but based on availability, it was ideal. I have gone there 3 times from Central Pattaya and was able to have a friend drop me off on way to golfing at Plutaluong or borrow his car.

Baring that catching a bus on Sukumvit should also be a viable inexpensive answer. In emergencies BP is where my wife went for asthma breathing problems, they kept her overnight, gave medication total cost B30,000. Besides a reaction to shellfish I think it was a over reaction by the DR's but she is my wife and quality in emergency is what she deserves.

[smedly]

1850 Baht (approx $58) for an office visit with a specialist to include X-rays. I'm guessing such a visit in the U.S./Europe with no insurance coverage would cost a LOT, LOT more thatn $58.

we are in thailand .... get a grip

it's people like you that are going to ruin it or have already.........................................

i just wish people would stop making comparisons with their over inflated capitalistic home countries

I'll bet that most of the people on this forum that comment on people complaining about prices, have a business interest in Thailand, now that's a bet I will take

[banglay]

Lets be realistic ....Hospitals have huge overheads..the price of a MRI scanner is not just a few hundred baht but hundreds of millions .....and all these High tech gadgets we expect have to be imported and paid for ....I for one are more the happier knowing that there is a international stardard hospital nearby......Or would you rather be rush in to an ER ..that is low tech and sub standard... I dont think so.... BE Realistic these companies have to make a profit and are not charities ....without clearing there overheads these hospital would close down then where would we all be ..in a third world situation hoping that your insurance companies (if of cause you have insurance ) will air lift you back to your country of origin.... where again there is a even greater chance of getting a medical bill that would backrupt a small country.

[tropo]

1850 Baht (approx $58) for an office visit with a specialist to include X-rays. I'm guessing such a visit in the U.S./Europe with no insurance coverage would cost a LOT, LOT more thatn $58.

we are in thailand .... get a grip

it's people like you that are going to ruin it or have already.........................................

i just wish people would stop making comparisons with their over inflated capitalistic home countries

I'll bet that most of the people on this forum that comment on people complaining about prices, have a business interest in Thailand, now that's a bet I will take

He has got a grip and he's being totally realistic. 1850 baht for a specialist appointment, nursing fees (including lab) and x-rays in pleasant surroundings is not way over the top for Asia. These hospitals cater for people who don't want to slum it in a typical Asian hospital. I've been to Memorial and I've used PIH many times. It's PIH for me all the way. As I said before, the specialists set their own fees which range from 500 up to 1000 for a basic consultation. I've seen a dermatogist at PIH for 500 and another one for 1000. General practitioners also set their own prices there. I've seen a GP for 200 at PIH and another for 500. I now avoid GPs and make appointments directly with specialists.

[Beardog]

As Tropo is saying PIH is pretty inexpensive if you don't need the blood pressure checkup & you weight done you save either 500- 600 baht.And true about any hospital...........avoid buying the prescriptions from the hospital. A lot of times you get 3 or 4 different colored paracetamol. I think they are well worth the money besides I don't care to pay for Bangkok-Pattaya hospitals new additions.

[Pattaya46]

My experience at BPH this year, is some of the Doctors lack the proficiency in English to explain things in detail to you.

... that's why they have a very important team of interpreters

I once went with a friend who need to go to BPH but do not speak English, just to find that they provide him a interpreter who speak very well French and was able to explain very clearly what the doctor said. :jap:

I do not remember any supplementary charge for that.

[Mercury]

There is no price list. You are charged whatever the doctor treating you thinks you will pay. He has set charges which the hospital charges him for providing each service and whatever he adds on top is his profit, his personal profit. Thus, you can be charged a different price for the same treatment by the same doctor the following day, simply because he crashed his car on the way home yesterday and needs extra funds to pay for the repairs.

Then they want to sell you all manner of prescription drugs at vastly inflated prices. Have you not noticed that they almost drag you from the consultation room to the check out (yes, it is like a supermarket), without giving you the list of drugs they want to push on you ?

It is a business but a business without fixed prices. Would you enter a restaurant where they charged you according to the way the wind is blowing or how much they thought you were prepared to pay ? No.

[gerry53]

There is some truth to the above but let's face it - they are running a for profit business. Take advantage of set special pricing at the better international hospitals for medical checkups, MRIs to angioplasties etc, they discount these often and many clubs get additional discounts. Emergency medical treatment is more difficult to deal with effectively because promptness may save your life, and they know that. The system here is no different than the USA or other pay for treatment countries I am aware of, medical insurance (even higher decductible ones) is the best way to go in my opinion to minimize financial ruin or possible death.

[Crypt36]

Sure I'll go back to PIH... WHEN IT IS BURNED DOWN!

[richsilver]

There is no price list. You are charged whatever the doctor treating you thinks you will pay. He has set charges which the hospital charges him for providing each service and whatever he adds on top is his profit, his personal profit. Thus, you can be charged a different price for the same treatment by the same doctor the following day, simply because he crashed his car on the way home yesterday and needs extra funds to pay for the repairs.

Then they want to sell you all manner of prescription drugs at vastly inflated prices. Have you not noticed that they almost drag you from the consultation room to the check out (yes, it is like a supermarket), without giving you the list of drugs they want to push on you ?

It is a business but a business without fixed prices. Would you enter a restaurant where they charged you according to the way the wind is blowing or how much they thought you were prepared to pay ? No.

I think you are exaggerating here. Hospitals don't have price lists! I don't believe doctors can charge whatever they want -- there are reasonable limits. I have been to BPH many times and have never paid more than 1,000 baht for the doctor's fee (it's generally about 600 which I think is very fair for a top notch doctor who has graduated from one of Thailand's finest medical schools and probably studied/worked abroad for a number of years).

I don't believe they really want to "sell you all manner of prescription drugs". The Thais have an expectation that when they visit a doctor they will get a bunch of drugs. Doctors here have been trained to meet those expectations. As a Farang, if you ask him what drugs he is giving you, you can simply decline the ones you feel are not necessary (like maybe Tylenol). I do this all the time and there is never a problem. Yes, the prices are vastly inflated, but I think that's true anywhere in the world. When you get drugs at a hospital, you pay much more. Simply ask the doctor for a starter supply, then go to your local pharmacy and get the rest much cheaper (not all drugs are available this way, but most are).

Yes, they do accompany you to the checkout, but I would guess they do this to prevent you from skipping out without paying! I always go over the list of drugs at the pharmacy as well and will once again decline any I think are inappropriate.

This is Thailand; it's not like your home country: you must take charge of your medical care to some extent yourself and help in the decision process. It you are not capable of this, get a friend to help.

I really do believe that BPH is not the money-grubbing organization many people think it is. I think they are a very competent, caring, first class hospital -- the very best in the East -- with the latest equipment and first rate facilities. They are the most expensive, but they are also the best and most comfortable. When it comes to my health care, I am not willing to compromise or inconvenience myself by getting on a bus to Sattahip or to Sri Ratcha to deal with staff who don't speak English and don't have the latest equipment in order to save a few hundred baht.

[RabC]

There is no price list. You are charged whatever the doctor treating you thinks you will pay. He has set charges which the hospital charges him for providing each service and whatever he adds on top is his profit, his personal profit. Thus, you can be charged a different price for the same treatment by the same doctor the following day, simply because he crashed his car on the way home yesterday and needs extra funds to pay for the repairs.

Then they want to sell you all manner of prescription drugs at vastly inflated prices. Have you not noticed that they almost drag you from the consultation room to the check out (yes, it is like a supermarket), without giving you the list of drugs they want to push on you ?

It is a business but a business without fixed prices. Would you enter a restaurant where they charged you according to the way the wind is blowing or how much they thought you were prepared to pay ? No.

I think you are exaggerating here. Hospitals don't have price lists! I don't believe doctors can charge whatever they want -- there are reasonable limits. I have been to BPH many times and have never paid more than 1,000 baht for the doctor's fee (it's generally about 600 which I think is very fair for a top notch doctor who has graduated from one of Thailand's finest medical schools and probably studied/worked abroad for a number of years).

I don't believe they really want to "sell you all manner of prescription drugs". The Thais have an expectation that when they visit a doctor they will get a bunch of drugs. Doctors here have been trained to meet those expectations. As a Farang, if you ask him what drugs he is giving you, you can simply decline the ones you feel are not necessary (like maybe Tylenol). I do this all the time and there is never a problem. Yes, the prices are vastly inflated, but I think that's true anywhere in the world. When you get drugs at a hospital, you pay much more. Simply ask the doctor for a starter supply, then go to your local pharmacy and get the rest much cheaper (not all drugs are available this way, but most are).

Yes, they do accompany you to the checkout, but I would guess they do this to prevent you from skipping out without paying! I always go over the list of drugs at the pharmacy as well and will once again decline any I think are inappropriate.

This is Thailand; it's not like your home country: you must take charge of your medical care to some extent yourself and help in the decision process. It you are not capable of this, get a friend to help.

I really do believe that BPH is not the money-grubbing organization many people think it is. I think they are a very competent, caring, first class hospital -- the very best in the East -- with the latest equipment and first rate facilities. They are the most expensive, but they are also the best and most comfortable. When it comes to my health care, I am not willing to compromise or inconvenience myself by getting on a bus to Sattahip or to Sri Ratcha to deal with staff who don't speak English and don't have the latest equipment in order to save a few hundred baht.

I think there is some padding of what they can charge. After having Dengue 5 years ago the doctor was still wanting me to get full blood work ups monthly, 4 months after the illness and they weren't cheap. As I had paid for the tests I took a set of results back to UK and was told my results were fine and no need to keep revisiting. If that wasn't a money making effort I don't know what is.

[tropo]

I think there is some padding of what they can charge. After having Dengue 5 years ago the doctor was still wanting me to get full blood work ups monthly, 4 months after the illness and they weren't cheap. As I had paid for the tests I took a set of results back to UK and was told my results were fine and no need to keep revisiting. If that wasn't a money making effort I don't know what is.

You can call it padding if you wish, but I would call it being super cautious in a country where dengue fever is a real problem. I wouldn't be judging them on the back of what one doctor in the UK told you. These international hospitals in Pattaya are trying to provide medical care that resembles what foreigners are accustomed to back at home. Unlike in many western nations hospital costs are not subsidised, so it's not surprising that treatment doesn't come super cheap as some seem to expect in Thailand.

[RabC]

I think there is some padding of what they can charge. After having Dengue 5 years ago the doctor was still wanting me to get full blood work ups monthly, 4 months after the illness and they weren't cheap. As I had paid for the tests I took a set of results back to UK and was told my results were fine and no need to keep revisiting. If that wasn't a money making effort I don't know what is.

You can call it padding if you wish, but I would call it being super cautious in a country where dengue fever is a real problem. I wouldn't be judging them on the back of what one doctor in the UK told you. These international hospitals in Pattaya are trying to provide medical care that resembles what foreigners are accustomed to back at home. Unlike in many western nations hospital costs are not subsidised, so it's not surprising that treatment doesn't come super cheap as some seem to expect in Thailand.

I wont get into a pissing contest but it wasn't just some UK GP it was a specialist I saw.

[tropo]

I wont get into a pissing contest but it wasn't just some UK GP it was a specialist I saw.

You just did, but how often do UK specialists come across dengue fever?

[jori]

As the other thread state as to the (Sheffield guy) re: health insurance,it is a must, maybe. At 47 000 a year for 500.000 cover it misses a most important point medivac. The 500.000 would not even touch the sides if being treated for a prolonged illness in Pattaya private hospitals ,so it's either Sattahip or Sri Ratcha,Banglamung it not too serious. Anyone would be able to afford treament in the ones stated

Insurance is too costly when getting elderly,your best friend is your ATM card and large airline luggage bag. anything prolonged it's bye bye Thailand,accident wise just get stable ASAP

then grit your teeth for 16 hours,or just let the monks have your corpse.

[craigt3365]

I think you are exaggerating here. Hospitals don't have price lists!

They sure do. Each procedure has a price. Same in the US.

I was just at PIH for dental work. Had an exam and quick cleanup by the dentist for a minor gum infection, an xray, and a full course of penicillin. 280B. Not sure how you can beat that.