Yellow Book

[singburisam]

I'm sitting in Bangkok hospital-Chanthaburi writing this. I walked over to billing and asked if farangs has the pay more. The answer was " yes"

There is also numerous ad's for discount cards, and one of the says only for Thai's.

I know Samjetiv <SP> advertises on the sign on road " no foregeiner surcharge"

We seem to be zeroing in on a partial answer, but key questions still remain:

(1) Approx. what percent is Bangkok Hospital's surcharge for foreigners?

(2) My original question: What does foreigner need to show to get Thai price? I was told "house registration." Does that mean Yellow Book?

(3) Does Bumrungrad also have foreigner surcharge?

I realize many hospitals do charge Thais and foreigners at same price. But I also realize some hospitals are less competent than others. I had my heart surgery at Bangkok Hospital and, unless someone can offer a strong recommendation for another less expensive hospital, would probably return there if further intervention were required.

I am also not overly "worked up" about dual pricing. But I'm not wealthy, so the possibility of getting Thai price with Yellow Book is relevant. I'll telephone the Hospital but answers aren't always clear or correct; perhaps someone here with Yellow Book and need for medical treatment can do an experiment and get a clearer answer.

[Richard4849]

Why don't you call them and ask?

[mstribling]

I'll let you do the math. A 20 point check up costs a Thai 5900 and the same check up costs us 9900.

I asked about getting the Thai price. She gave me that famous smile as if to say. " Your going to be that guy aren't you ?"

Please note this is Chanthaburi. Cannot claim any place else.

[retiredusn]

Bangkok hospital group has three pay systems;

1. Thai

2. farang living here

3. tourist

[Arkady]

I have a Yellow Book from Nonthaburi and there is no expiry date, it is not linked to my visa in any way shape or form.

My yellow book was issued in Khet Talingchan, Bangkok, just down the road from Nonthaburi. No expiration date on my yellow book either (I just looked at it again...so did the Thai wife)...and no mention of any link to any visa....when I got the yellow book I was on a retirement visa and been in the country only about two weeks. During the application process a copy of the passport with retirement visa was part of the documentation. About a month ago the Khet office sent us a letter saying the house numbers in our moobaan was going to be renumbered, so bring your tabien baan (i.e., blue book) to the office to get the new house number/address issued. I went along with the wife who took the blue book and I took along my yellow book. They issued the new house number, which basically changed our house address, and updated both our blue book and my yellow book with the new address (they ink stamped in the address change along with khet official initials...whole new books or a new page was not created). So, I figure if the yellow book required yearly renewal, even if there was some expiration date only reflected in their computer database, they would have spotted it/raised the issue as the yellow book was now 2.5 years old from the issued date.

Tabien baans are of permanent validity but need to amended or cancelled, if there are any changes to the details of those registered, including if a foreign resident's permission to stay in Thailand expires and it not renewed. It is the legal obligation of the householder to report such changes to the district office.

I have never noticed any dual pricing in Bangkok private hospitals, including visits with my Thai wife, although that is not to say it doesn't exist in any Bangkok hospitals. It is more understandable that hospitals in provinces without much medical competition and that aren't attracting medical tourists might see dual pricing as a viable policy but it would be the kiss of death to hospitals in the main centres who have a lot of foreign patients. They have enough Thai customers who are much wealthier than most foreign patients and most don't have enough space or staff to go for the Thai mass market by price cutting, if they wanted to.

[Richard4849]

As noted before, my GF and I are regulars at Bangkok Hospital. I have received treatment there as a tourist, and expat, and (now) as a naturalized Thai citizen. There has never been any difference in price, and no difference in price or treatment from what my GF has received.

On my last visit, the first after receiving my ID card, I specifically asked the question. The answer I received was "same price for all".

This is for the main branch in Bangkok. I don't know about other branches.

[samran]

As noted before, my GF and I are regulars at Bangkok Hospital. I have received treatment there as a tourist, and expat, and (now) as a naturalized Thai citizen. There has never been any difference in price, and no difference in price or treatment from what my GF has received.

On my last visit, the first after receiving my ID card, I specifically asked the question. The answer I received was "same price for all".

This is for the main branch in Bangkok. I don't know about other branches.

Samtivej Sukhumvit apparently do charge a small premium for foreigners, but it is tiny, we are talking about something like 100 baht or something added to the bill. Don't know why they bother, but after we had our first daughter there, I had to correct the bill as our daughter was Thai, despite being as white as the Irish and having blond hair and blue eyes. This on a total bill of 120K or therabouts.

[Pib]

Could be some administrative, governmental requirement they have to comply with....or it could just be the hospitals know most farangs won't raise an issue/ask a question about the slightly higher cost since it only adds a little to the bill...besides, most farangs are rich anyway....right?

[mystwoodcol]

Could be some administrative, governmental requirement they have to comply with....or it could just be the hospitals know most farangs won't raise an issue/ask a question about the slightly higher cost since it only adds a little to the bill...besides, most farangs are rich anyway....right?

Rich ! what an understatement

All farangs have bottomless pockets

They just put their hands in and out comes the THB

and it grows overnight in the pockets

unless your Thai wife might do the laundry

and she washes all the THB out

[Richard4849]

A 100 baht surchage is probably justified by the need to provide bilingual administrative, nursing, etc. support. If the patient speaks Thai, it is certainly unjustified.