115,000 Baht To Fix A Broken Toe ! Or The Cheap Option Is .....

[pattayadingo]

I had an accident and broke my toe and did some other minor damage to myself. I was taken to some hospital in the outback somewhere where they injected the toe with anesthetic, removed the nail, bandaged me up and gave me a Tetanus injection - all for 900 baht including the ambulance!! They did not have a surgeon on hand to fix the break.

Anyway they sent me back to Pattaya with the intention of dropping me off at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital on Sukhumvit. Instead, I went home and waited for an ex g/f to come from BKK to lend me a hand. And I am pleased I waited for her.

Pattaya Memorial off Pattaya Klang had no surgeon available either and sent us off to BKK Pattaya hospital. At this hospital they were talking of full anesthetic and surgery and keeping me in for 1 or 2 nights. The alarm bells in my head began to ring so I asked how much it would cost.

115,000 Baht. To fix a broken toe!!

I told them now way. Hell, I could fly to England 3 times and have it fixed for that amount of money and told them so.

The ex found one other place had a surgeon. Banglamung government hospital. Here they ( a nurse actually ) fixed the broken toe, sutured the wound with local anesthetic, kept me in overnight, cleaned the wound several times and gave me enough medicines to start a pharmacy. All for the princely sum of 4,500 Baht.

A big thanks to the staff at Banglamung hospital.

What a rip off at BKK Pattaya hospital who were going to take me to theatre and use a full anesthetic to do something a nurse did under a local anesthetic and it took her only a few minutes.

[Rimmer]

I use the small government hospital close to me and have nothing but praise for the professional way they stitch me up and inject me each time I have been bitten by rabid cats or smashed my head on concrete overhangs whilst doing work around the house.

Great service, great prices and friendly caring staff.

[guzzi850m2]

Its very scary with those prices, I am having an accident insurance with cover up to 300k bath pr visit but but I don't want to think about if I am having a bike/car accident and ends up in ICU on that hospital, its something like 100k bath pr 24 hours just for the ICU. I am considering having a laminated piece of paper made up that says: Don't bring me to BKK/Pattaya hospital! and keep it in my valet at all times.

Anybody here that knows the exact prices for the 3 private hospitals in Pattaya?

[MB1]

I've broken my toes 3 times in the last 2 or so years, 2 smallest ones on my right foot each time but I've never even been to hospital and they have seemed to have mended ok or at least for now until I kick the bed again whilst under the influence. Maybe because I never sought medical attention the 1st time they have never properly mended.

I suppose it all depends how bad yours is and whether or not you can live with it OP.

Edit

Just noticed you sorted the problem for a fraction of the price of the rip off merchants.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

Edited June 20, 2012 by MB1

[whatchamacallit]

Thank you for sharing this valuable info. We do go to the BPH for simple tests and annual check ups. Yes they are expensive but we like the fact that it is nearby, clean and modern and you get to see the doctor almost right away. But for a more serious procedure we usually go to Phyathai in Sriracha as their prices are way better with the same quality that of BPH, but it is about a 45 minutes drive. We have also been to government hospital where the price is very good, but the few times we were there it was very busy and the wait was very long. We do have BUPA insurance but we only want to use it for serious emergencies fearing they will raise our premium if we use it for non- emergencies situation. Your post proofs the importance of shopping around.

[guzzi850m2]

Thank you for sharing this valuable info. We do go to the BPH for simple tests and annual check ups. Yes they are expensive but we like the fact that it is nearby, clean and modern and you get to see the doctor almost right away. But for a more serious procedure we usually go to Phyathai in Sriracha as their prices are way better with the same quality that of BPH, but it is about a 45 minutes drive. We have also been to government hospital where the price is very good, but the few times we were there it was very busy and the wait was very long. We do have BUPA insurance but we only want to use it for serious emergencies fearing they will raise our premium if we use it for non- emergencies situation. Your post proofs the importance of shopping around.

Yes its okay when you can walk in on own steam and ask about prices first and you can always leave again like OP did or you can try haggle the price down.

My son was born in BPH by cesarean and I think we paid something like 35k bath and I must say it was excellent, if we have another child it will be BPH again, unless the price has sky rocketed.

To charge 115k bath for a broken toe is taking the piss, sounds like they are desperate for money and in typical Thai style raising the prices instead of dropping them in order to lure customers.

Maybe they should try a weekly special and then hire a couple of pick-ups with sign boards saying: This week heart operation 50% off!

[somtampet]

Its very scary with those prices, I am having an accident insurance with cover up to 300k bath pr visit but but I don't want to think about if I am having a bike/car accident and ends up in ICU on that hospital, its something like 100k bath pr 24 hours just for the ICU. I am considering having a laminated piece of paper made up that says: Don't bring me to BKK/Pattaya hospital! and keep it in my valet at all times.

Anybody here that knows the exact prices for the 3 private hospitals in Pattaya?

I only paid 120,000 baht for a rupture operation,and 2 nights stay in hospital,that was Bangkok,Pattaya,a great hospitalj

[JakeBKK]

friend of mine has his apendx removed at queen sirikit: all in 9000,- THB

[pattayadingo]

Talking to one of my usual m/c taxi drivers this afternoon, he says the hospital on Soi Buakhao is also very good and cheap. That would have been better and closer for me. But the info was too late for me.

Maybe not as clean and modern with separate rooms, but I could not fault the staff for their caring attitude.

[chops]

So any farang can go in and you don't have to be Thai?

Is the wait long?

[MJCM]

Talking to one of my usual m/c taxi drivers this afternoon, he says the hospital on Soi Buakhao is also very good and cheap. That would have been better and closer for me. But the info was too late for me.

<snip>

Do they mean that one near Soi 15 ??

Is that really a Hospital ? I thought it was just a Health Center

[guzzi850m2]

So any farang can go in and you don't have to be Thai?

Is the wait long?

Yes anybody can go in, its a public hospital and I think by law they have to treat you (emergency).

A couple years ago a young Brit (I think) died because BPH refused to treat him. As I recall he had a bike accident and had no id on him and he desperately needed a blood transfusion but no and the poor guy died. One prominent expat newspaper/TV station owner was very angry about it and had a nose to nose talk with the management, but as a private hospital they can refuse anybody they like, for them its only business and not much else, sad but true.

[canuckamuck]

I had the same problem with a big toe, but they wanted 90k for surgery. I said no way but I did get a cast. It was a really bad break (lengthwise down the bone and the halves were skewed out of place. That was all the treatment I took, and it healed up well, I think. The x-rays looked better before the cast was removed.

My insurance was only going to pay 40k for a broken toe, and like the OP said I could fly home twice for that price and get fixed for free.

[pattayadingo]

Talking to one of my usual m/c taxi drivers this afternoon, he says the hospital on Soi Buakhao is also very good and cheap. That would have been better and closer for me. But the info was too late for me.

<snip>

Do they mean that one near Soi 15 ??

Is that really a Hospital ? I thought it was just a Health Center

Not sure. I'd have to ask him the actual address. But to me if he can recommend it to me it cannot be all bad.

[pattayadingo]

So any farang can go in and you don't have to be Thai?

Is the wait long?

I was tended to by two government hospitals that day and I waited no more than a few minutes each time. This was in their casualty departments. There was no problem at all with me being a foreigner excepting sometimes a difficulty with language from some staff, but that is only natural as government hospitals maybe do not see too many foreigners in some places.

The doctor spoke perfect English and the main nursing staff did too at Banglamung hospital in Pattaya.

There were two other foreign patients being tended too while I was there and they too had nothing but praise for the staff.

The hospital out in the small town in the countryside had much greater difficulty conversing with me and that was why I'd got the to phone one of my ex's. Then everything went smoothly after that. This small government hospital in this small town might not see a foreigner for months so i can say nothing bad about them and can only praise them too.

[pattayadingo]

So any farang can go in and you don't have to be Thai?

Is the wait long?

Yes anybody can go in, its a public hospital and I think by law they have to treat you (emergency).

A couple years ago a young Brit (I think) died because BPH refused to treat him. As I recall he had a bike accident and had no id on him and he desperately needed a blood transfusion but no and the poor guy died. One prominent expat newspaper/TV station owner was very angry about it and had a nose to nose talk with the management, but as a private hospital they can refuse anybody they like, for them its only business and not much else, sad but true.

I had no ID on me except my bank cards. They did not ask if I could pay at these government hospitals either. And the first was 900 Baht. The other a little over 4,000 and that included x-rays, the treatment and a complication they had to deal with regarding my health.

I would use them again with no hesitation even though it meant sleeping in a room with 8 other Thai patients. The other Thai patients too were friendly enough and all greeted me with smiles.

[sharecropper]

I am a big fan of Pattaya Memorial, and use it for all minor stuff. I am fully insured but only want to claim for major items, which happily hasn't yet happened, so when I'm paying for it (my treatment, that is) myself, I use PMH. There is little waiting time, a very reasonable bill, and a feeling that the staff know what they're doing.

[KeyserSoze01]

So much for Thailand being a cheap alternative for medical tourism. Looks like the jet ski mafia have moved on to more lucrative endeavors, like gouging the crap out of foreigners that have a medical emergency. You can't make this &lt;deleted&gt; up.

[craigt3365]

Talking to one of my usual m/c taxi drivers this afternoon, he says the hospital on Soi Buakhao is also very good and cheap. That would have been better and closer for me. But the info was too late for me.

<snip>

Do they mean that one near Soi 15 ??

Is that really a Hospital ? I thought it was just a Health Center

Not sure. I'd have to ask him the actual address. But to me if he can recommend it to me it cannot be all bad.

I think you might be talking about Pattaya Memorial Hospital? Basically on the corner of Klang and 2nd road:

http://www.pattayamemorial.com/memo/index.php

[Semper]

So any farang can go in and you don't have to be Thai?

Is the wait long?

Not sure about this hospital, but normaly Farangs don't have to wait as long as Thais. Think it has something to do with the 30 Baht system, they get cash money from the Farang.

[chris2004]

I have used Banglamung Hospital and i must say i was very pleased with the service and the charge was peanuts. For small problems i think you are much better going there than some of the farang hospitals. Helps to have a thai speaker though.

[samsiam]

I had a broken finger in Bumrungrad in Bkk....they gave me the option of an operation with a steel plate or pins....or the cheap option of right here, right now....pulling it straight and working it about a bit and plastering it.....I took the latter and it healed fine....bit skewif but works fine.

[crazykopite]

My neighbour had to go into Bangkok hospital Samui for his appendix he had it done on insurance stayed in for 5 days and told me the cost on insurance was 500,000 bht I was amazed and a week later I rang the hospital and asked the cost of removing my appendix they asked if it was through insurance and I said no They told me it would be a 3/4 night stay and as I was paying the cost was 50,000 bht. I am more than happy to use the local hospital and just ask for a private room at a 1,000 bht per night as far as I am aware all doctors work for both government and private hospitals my dentist made me aware of this when she told me to pull a tooth in the local hospital was 350 bht compered to a 1,000 baht in the private clinic !!!!!! same treatment just a different place !!!

[saengsureeya]

Talking to one of my usual m/c taxi drivers this afternoon, he says the hospital on Soi Buakhao is also very good and cheap. That would have been better and closer for me. But the info was too late for me.

<snip>

Do they mean that one near Soi 15 ??

Is that really a Hospital ? I thought it was just a Health Center

Yes it is a health-center, but within the perimeter of the health-center a brand-new Pattaya Government Hospital opened its doors some months ago.

[Theo007]

Truly an amazing story. I want to take out an accident insurance policy, can anyone recommend a good one? I have several Thai friends who have used the Banglamung hospital and all have been very satisfied.

[craigt3365]

Truly an amazing story. I want to take out an accident insurance policy, can anyone recommend a good one? I have several Thai friends who have used the Banglamung hospital and all have been very satisfied.

Try AA Insurance Brokers, Next to Big C South Pattaya. Seem like a nice group of people. I get my house insurance from them and will probably be talking with them about car and health also very shortly....038-415795.

[email protected]

[RabC]

I find it truly amazing that I can't name and shame a restaurant on here but to go after BPH, (deserved or not) is fine???????????

Edited June 21, 2012 by RabC

[guzzi850m2]

Truly an amazing story. I want to take out an accident insurance policy, can anyone recommend a good one? I have several Thai friends who have used the Banglamung hospital and all have been very satisfied.

Try AA Insurance Brokers, Next to Big C South Pattaya. Seem like a nice group of people. I get my house insurance from them and will probably be talking with them about car and health also very shortly....038-415795.

[email protected]

I got all my insurances there expect my accident insurance which is a 5 year one from Siam Commercial Bank. Wife and son medical, house & car are all AA and I find the girls working there competent, polite and they speak good English too.

[pattayadingo]

Talking to one of my usual m/c taxi drivers this afternoon, he says the hospital on Soi Buakhao is also very good and cheap. That would have been better and closer for me. But the info was too late for me.

<snip>

Do they mean that one near Soi 15 ??

Is that really a Hospital ? I thought it was just a Health Center

Not sure. I'd have to ask him the actual address. But to me if he can recommend it to me it cannot be all bad.

I think you might be talking about Pattaya Memorial Hospital? Basically on the corner of Klang and 2nd road:

http://www.pattayame.../memo/index.php

I got the m/c taxi driver to take me to this clinic he spoke of. It is on Soi Buakhao. Heading from Pattaya Klang in the direction of Pattaya Thai, go past 18 coins restaurant on the right and then 150 meters or so past there, on the left is a large brick building with a large poster of the King above the main entrance. Apparently this clinic is linked to Banglamung Government hospital. It is not on google maps as a hospital or a clinic. There is no hospital sign outside it either.

I have to wait until later to be treated as they do close from 12 - 1 and I arrived at 12-05

[pattayadingo]

I find it truly amazing that I can't name and shame a restaurant on here but to go after BPH, (deserved or not is fine)???????????

I don't feel I was 'going after' BPH. More a case of comparison? Maybe that is why the thread is running and also getting helpful information for others from this thread.