English Man In Coma After Motorbike Accident In Samui

[maccaroni man]

I might need a tin helmet for this ....

I am not going to say this hospital is cheap .... but if you look at the available financial information on the company, then I would say that they are not making excessive profits like we would like to think.

The parent company which owns Bangkok Samui is a thai public company traded on the SET. Last year it made 9.4% net profit. Not a huge number in my opinion. OK, this number came after costs including salaries etc etc, but it is a regulated company and has to disclose information just like any other company. If it were employing too many staff or sevices that were not needed, shareholders would rightly ask why? (Yes, a certain doctor and Bangkok Airways holds just over 20% of the shares, with the rest in the public domain.) One could argue that it could save money by doing less landscaping and stuff, but overall it delivers an excellent service I believe, and, judging by the numbers, is not making outrageous profit.

BUPA - difficult to make a comparison, but it appears they made around 6% profit. How many of us would like to make at least 10% profit each year on our businesses?

It is a very sad story brought about by the lack of insurance. If this guy had been in America, or anywhere outside of the EEC, then I suspect the financial heartache for the family would not be very much different.

On this note I will now leave the room.

thanks for this post it is refreshing to read something about private health care and not have it compared to NHC. I use BSH and I have had friends use Thai international both times my friends were shocked to see the price at Thai inter almost the same as BSH for a much lower quality room and service. I am American so I have always had to pay for health care, I use insurance and pay cash when i can. Being so ill to require a hospital is never a good thing, being unable to cover the cost is even worst which is why i am responsible enough to make sure any unexpected accidents can be managed at the best hospitals. If I dont have the cash I would go to the govt hospital or somewhere i could afford but i would not expect a private business to feel responsible for my bills.

[carmine]

I've witnessed accidents where Thai witnesses told the police that the Westerner was not at fault and the MOB didn't even bother to listen to the Thai witnesses. In their eyes/pov every Westerner is per definition wrong.

I think everyone had taken it as a given that there are always incidences where good honest people do the decent thig.

[BigC]

I might need a tin helmet for this ....

I am not going to say this hospital is cheap .... but if you look at the available financial information on the company, then I would say that they are not making excessive profits like we would like to think.

The parent company which owns Bangkok Samui is a thai public company traded on the SET. Last year it made 9.4% net profit. Not a huge number in my opinion. OK, this number came after costs including salaries etc etc, but it is a regulated company and has to disclose information just like any other company. If it were employing too many staff or sevices that were not needed, shareholders would rightly ask why? (Yes, a certain doctor and Bangkok Airways holds just over 20% of the shares, with the rest in the public domain.) One could argue that it could save money by doing less landscaping and stuff, but overall it delivers an excellent service I believe, and, judging by the numbers, is not making outrageous profit.

BUPA - difficult to make a comparison, but it appears they made around 6% profit. How many of us would like to make at least 10% profit each year on our businesses?

It is a very sad story brought about by the lack of insurance. If this guy had been in America, or anywhere outside of the EEC, then I suspect the financial heartache for the family would not be very much different.

On this note I will now leave the room.

Bangkok Hospital Samui is a very good hospital. They seem to offer the best care on Samui. It is very expensive, but nowhere near the cost of care in the US. I realize that is not saying much. A friend of mine recently needed to get a major procedure on his leg. They quoted him 1,300,000 baht. He got a quote from a very good private hospital in Bangkok, and it was 460,000 baht. Then his surgeon offered to get him a quote from a very good public hospital in Bangkok. He ended up doing the procedure there, and the total cost, with surgeons fees, etc., was 46,000 baht! It seems like Thai International Hospital, across from the Tesco in Chaweng offers nearly comparable care, for about a third of the cost. They use a lot of the same doctors, and do a very good job. That is the recommended go to hospital here in Samui.

do u work for thai inter ?

they are terrible and they don't accpt thai people there neither do bandon becuase they know they cannot afford their bills.

[Tropicalevo]

Bangkok Hospital Samui is a very good hospital. They seem to offer the best care on Samui. It is very expensive, but nowhere near the cost of care in the US. I realize that is not saying much. A friend of mine recently needed to get a major procedure on his leg. They quoted him 1,300,000 baht. He got a quote from a very good private hospital in Bangkok, and it was 460,000 baht. Then his surgeon offered to get him a quote from a very good public hospital in Bangkok. He ended up doing the procedure there, and the total cost, with surgeons fees, etc., was 46,000 baht! It seems like Thai International Hospital, across from the Tesco in Chaweng offers nearly comparable care, for about a third of the cost. They use a lot of the same doctors, and do a very good job. That is the recommended go to hospital here in Samui.

do u work for thai inter ?

they are terrible and they don't accpt thai people there neither do bandon becuase they know they cannot afford their bills.

Sorry BigC but they definitely do accept Thais at both hospitals. Last time that I was at Thai Inter I met two different Thai families that I knew. One worked in a restaurant (family owned) and the other was a car hire guy. Maybe they changed their policy with the drought of farangs this year!

As an aside - 'er indoors had to have some tests for girlie things. The doc at Thai Inter suggested that she went to Nathon for a second opinion.

Cost at Thai Inter (no waiting) approx 1,800 baht. Cost at Nathon - 2 visits (one to book the appointment and the other to see the doc - 4 hour wait) approx 2,400 baht. Same tests at both hospitals.

I think that Nathon may have moved onto two-tier pricing.

IMHO I would not use Bandon hospital. I have visited all of the hospitals on the island over the last 11years - usually to deliver or visit my customers. Bandon seems to have more 'mis-diagnosis' and questionable treatments than the others.

[limbos]

I might need a tin helmet for this ....

I am not going to say this hospital is cheap .... but if you look at the available financial information on the company, then I would say that they are not making excessive profits like we would like to think.

The parent company which owns Bangkok Samui is a thai public company traded on the SET. Last year it made 9.4% net profit. Not a huge number in my opinion. OK, this number came after costs including salaries etc etc, but it is a regulated company and has to disclose information just like any other company. If it were employing too many staff or sevices that were not needed, shareholders would rightly ask why? (Yes, a certain doctor and Bangkok Airways holds just over 20% of the shares, with the rest in the public domain.) One could argue that it could save money by doing less landscaping and stuff, but overall it delivers an excellent service I believe, and, judging by the numbers, is not making outrageous profit.

BUPA - difficult to make a comparison, but it appears they made around 6% profit. How many of us would like to make at least 10% profit each year on our businesses?

It is a very sad story brought about by the lack of insurance. If this guy had been in America, or anywhere outside of the EEC, then I suspect the financial heartache for the family would not be very much different.

On this note I will now leave the room.

Bangkok Hospital Samui is a very good hospital. They seem to offer the best care on Samui. It is very expensive, but nowhere near the cost of care in the US. I realize that is not saying much. A friend of mine recently needed to get a major procedure on his leg. They quoted him 1,300,000 baht. He got a quote from a very good private hospital in Bangkok, and it was 460,000 baht. Then his surgeon offered to get him a quote from a very good public hospital in Bangkok. He ended up doing the procedure there, and the total cost, with surgeons fees, etc., was 46,000 baht! It seems like Thai International Hospital, across from the Tesco in Chaweng offers nearly comparable care, for about a third of the cost. They use a lot of the same doctors, and do a very good job. That is the recommended go to hospital here in Samui.

do u work for thai inter ?

they are terrible and they don't accpt thai people there neither do bandon becuase they know they cannot afford their bills.

I don't know where you get your information from Big C, but that statement is completely false, both hospitals accept Thais, as long as they can pay their bills. Same treatment as Westerners imho.

[CNXBKKMAN]

He did try to renew his insurance but they wouldn't let him. Apparently you have to fly home, pick up the phone, get a new policy. Why you can't do that while away seems a bit ridiculous.

You can normally extend it before it expires with most companies. You can't extend it after its expired. No insurance covers you if you don't wear a helmet. They will probably reject the claim if you don't have a license aswell.

[BangrakBob]

He did try to renew his insurance but they wouldn't let him. Apparently you have to fly home, pick up the phone, get a new policy. Why you can't do that while away seems a bit ridiculous.

You can normally extend it before it expires with most companies. You can't extend it after its expired. No insurance covers you if you don't wear a helmet. They will probably reject the claim if you don't have a license aswell.

well that makes sense, but I wonder about the license issue. Some countries you are only required to have a driving license to ride a scooter. I guess if in Thailand you are required to have a bike license for riding a scooter then that would apply to your insurance claim, no license, no claim?

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Samui is reputed to have one of the highest per capita level of mortality rates, by motorcycle accidents, in the world. According to stats I read, 90% of the fatalities from motorcycle accidents on Samui, happen to people not wearing helmets. We are taking about 700 fatalities a year, on motorcycles on Samui alone. How many are farengs on vacation? Who wants to be sent home in a wooden box, while on vacation? I am not saying a helmet will always save you, but the skull is a very fragile thing, and a human skull is not designed to come in contact with pavement, concrete, or other vehicles, and the wearing of a good helmet will dramatically improve the odds. Since the feeble, terribly ineffective, and apathetic police force or government here will not do anything about enforcing the helmet law, people should just show the common sense and wear one. Riding without one here is suicidal. There are way too many crazy drivers, and the mini van, taxi drivers, and truck drivers just do not seem to give a dam_n, and show little courtesy or respect to other drivers. I am not sure where they are going, but they are in an awful hurry to get there.

Not only do I wear a helmet when riding, but preferably a full faced helmet. That means no distracting dust, dirt, wind and insects in your eyes. That way you can concentrate on the road conditions.

[Daewoo]

He did try to renew his insurance but they wouldn't let him. Apparently you have to fly home, pick up the phone, get a new policy. Why you can't do that while away seems a bit ridiculous.

You can normally extend it before it expires with most companies. You can't extend it after its expired. No insurance covers you if you don't wear a helmet. They will probably reject the claim if you don't have a license aswell.

well that makes sense, but I wonder about the license issue. Some countries you are only required to have a driving license to ride a scooter. I guess if in Thailand you are required to have a bike license for riding a scooter then that would apply to your insurance claim, no license, no claim?

I hope some positive outcomes for this guy and his family soon.

Some travel insurance policies don't cover you for riding on a motorbike, at all.

I have not found any travel insurance from my country, Australia, that covers you if you don't have an Australian Riders Licence, and are complying with the conditions of your Australian licence (i.e. engine size restrictions, pillion restrictions). Note this goes to being a pillion on a bike ridden by someone without either an Australian licence, or a national of the country you are in, with a licence from the country you are in. They don't care what the laws of the country you are in say about riding without a licence, or a car licence, or anything else.

My insurer allows me to extend BEFORE the policy expires, but NOT to start a new policy outside Australia. I know that cheaper policies don't allow extensions once you have left Australia.

Cheers,

Daewoo

Edited August 28, 2011 by Daewoo

[South]

I had the unfortunate experience of staying in ICU at BSH a few years ago. It was my choice for going there, was in Nathon Hospital but wanted to be somewhere with a bit more care/a few more facilities etc (without saying anything negative about Nathon Hospital).

The care was spot on, too good in reality but that may well be a reason for keeping people on there. After 6 days (in ICU), I got this feeling that they, BSH were only keeping/advising you to stay there for their own financial gains. I detubilised myself, yes, a new word to me too and transferred to a local private hospital on the mainland in the town in which I lived. (6 days in BSH would have equated to around 3 months care in a 'good private' hospital on the mainland!

Great care, yes, but at a huge personal cost if one is not insured.

FYI, my injuries were pretty bad, 14 broken ribs, broken scapula, punctured lungS, broken foot, broken hand plus a few other minor injuries.

Their new slogan should be: Yes, we'll fix you but break the bank! Luckily for me ...................

[PoorSucker]

Some travel insurance policies don't cover you for riding on a motorbike, at all.

And travel insurance will only cover up to 50cc motorbike.

Read the fine-print.

The hospitals are nice although and always write in the report that the motorbike was 49cc.

[randomname13579]

I would also like to comment on this. I witnessed a motorcyle crash on Samui - I was first on the scene - the guy was without helmet (he had it in the basket) and the strap caught in the front wheel and took him down - I heard the guys skull hit the concrete - it was the single most horrific thing I have ever witnessed. He surely must have had serious head injuries. Personally I didnt get on a bike for 2 months after. Now I will always wear a helmet.

This was a very big wake up call.

The insurance policies largely wont want to consider any claim resulting from motorbikes - poor qulity bike, bad tyres, drunk, not wearing crash helmet!

If you are gonna do it wear a good helmet and drive slow

[Boater]

I would also like to comment on this. I witnessed a motorcyle crash on Samui - I was first on the scene - the guy was without helmet (he had it in the basket) and the strap caught in the front wheel and took him down - I heard the guys skull hit the concrete - it was the single most horrific thing I have ever witnessed. He surely must have had serious head injuries. Personally I didnt get on a bike for 2 months after. Now I will always wear a helmet.

This was a very big wake up call.

The insurance policies largely wont want to consider any claim resulting from motorbikes - poor qulity bike, bad tyres, drunk, not wearing crash helmet!

If you are gonna do it wear a good helmet and drive slow

i still remeber about 5 years ago i was riding through lamai and there was a crash just up ahead, as i got closer there was a babys shoe in the road, and as i drove past there was a badly injured women crying over head badly injured dead baby, she was one of many people daily who chose to drive with there babies on there bikes WITHOUT any protection....

it is still in my mind, and why i HATE to see parents driving with there babies in one arm on there bikes, as only a small fall or crash can be fatal