I went to the Bangkok Christian Hospital last week for a slight chest infection and cronic cough (yes I am a smoker).

The doctor did his usual checkup and anounced I have a chest infection and need ant-biotics.

I was escorted to the cashier and was quite shocked the bill was a tad under 2,000 bht!

I paid the bill and went to the pharmacy section to pick up my medication.

There was 5 subscriptions! some anti-allergy pills, ant-stomoch upset pills, ant-somethingoranother pills, anti-cough pills, anti biotics (which is all I needed) and some other pills I have no idea what they are! and a doctors certificate that I didn't ask for or needed (100bht). All except the anti-biotics I through in the bin.

The actual doctor consultation was only 300 bht!

Lesson learned, if you see a doctor in one of these so called "hospitals" ask the doctor exactly what perscription they are writing.

I really didn't expect this scam from a non profit so called "Christian Hospital".

The topic title has been edited for accuracy and to be less inflammatory

Such overprescription is the norm in Thai medicine and indeed, doctors assume it is what patients want and that a patient would be offended if given "only one" medication,.

Of course, it is not advisable or necessary, but it is no way a "scam" nor is it unique to any hospital or doctor.

Whenever consulting a doctor in Thailand you need to tell him/her that you do not want any medication unless absolutely necessary, This will be a surprise to them and they will assume the opposite otherwise.

At the cashier, before paying ask to see if there are any medications on the bill and find out what they are and, unless there is something you really need, tell them to remove it. At that stage I find it simpler to just say I "already have it" than to get into why I don't want it.

For that matter, even if it is a drug you need/want, unless it is a controlled sub stance, you can usually save money by buying it an outside pharmacy. This is especially the case at the more expensive private hospitals, less so at a place like Bkk Christian.

Perhaps a major factor for this is that few patients want to return for follow-up so doctors have to work almost blind with no test results to determine specific medications. Thus the shotgun approach/one time fee. Expect if more patients asked if tests could be made there might be less of this - but asking anything of a doctor does risk them being offended if not done very carefully.

The last time I visited the Bangkok Christian hospital I was prescribed 3 months supply of tablets for my thyroid. I suspected that this was going to set me back a wad, so I asked the doctor to let me purchase them myself outside.

No, no, no, tablets very cheap was her reply.

And she was right of course, 90 tablets for 180 baht total.

Not everything is a scam.