Middle Aged Thai Woman, Needs Something Removed From Possibly The Womb Area, Cost This Type Of Op?

[sidjameson]

I have just been robbed and now want to make sure that I am not being scammed. lol And I aint no asian newbie, though it may look like it. lol

Girl I have known for couple of months, says her mother needs an operation. I had to infer from her english, but it seems a cyst needs removing from her mother's womb. Something along those lines at least.

She said that the operation is not free like in england and that she needs 10,000bht. Well although I lost a lot more than that and I am loathed to be tricked out of more, I do tend to believe her story and if true I want to help.

Can anyone say whether this is the likely cost of this type of procedure at what I am sure would be a cheap hospital in the provinces.

[Naam]

but it seems a cyst needs removing from her mother's womb. Something along those lines at least.

She said that the operation is not free like in england and that she needs 10,000bht.

carried out on one of our female employees in BHP - Pattaya, cost 115,000 Baht (scalpel surgery). if it have been possible to do it "vaginal" without cutting approximately 55,000 Baht. rural hospital most probably a fraction, the 10k Baht seem quite adequate.

[sidjameson]

Thanks, I am naturally inclined to help.

Is there any way I can offer to pay the hospital direct? Or some other way that can maximize my chances that it is an authentic request?

[Tywais]

Post removed. This is the Health forum, trolls need not reply.

[Sheryl]

There is no need for her to go to an expensive private hospital n or for you to pay anything. her mother is almost certainly covered under the "gold card" universal health care system and entitles to free care at a government hospital.

The girl's statement that there is not free health care in Thailand is simply untrue (well untrue for Thais -- for farangs it's true!). So yes, you may be being scammed.

[Soutpeel]

There is no need for her to go to an expensive private hospital n or for you to pay anything. her mother is almost certainly covered under the "gold card" universal health care system and entitles to free care at a government hospital.

The girl's statement that there is not free health care in Thailand is simply untrue (well untrue for Thais -- for farangs it's true!). So yes, you may be being scammed.

Yeap sounds like a scam to me...and would suggest the best course of action is to offer to pay the hospital direct and see what the reaction is

Edited June 30, 2012 by Soutpeel

[sidjameson]

well I will go with the majority opinion. But wow, I had it down as genuine. I had no idea there is now free health care here.

This is a girl that I never would have thought was capable of a scam to be honest. Maybe I am more naive than I thought.

[harrry]

well I will go with the majority opinion. But wow, I had it down as genuine. I had no idea there is now free health care here.

This is a girl that I never would have thought was capable of a scam to be honest. Maybe I am more naive than I thought.

May not be a total scan.

With the gold card there can be some waiting but more likely she feels her mother should have a private room etc and that will add costs.

My view there are probably better things to spend money on than a single room but you could talk to her.

Bottom line is Thai health care is free at the nominated home hospital;. It is quite fair quality too.

[Sheryl]

Even a private room won't run to 10,000 baht or anything close

To be fair, there are various costs that families incur in accessing free health care, such as the cost of transportation both for patient and attending/visiting family members. And in certain cases (not likely here) where special drugs not on the government list are needed, patients may have to pay for that specific item. There is often a long wait for sophisticated diagnostic tests such as CT scan or MRI with the result that some people get those done privately to expedite things.

But none of that is what the girl told him. Her story as given does not hold water.

OP, it may indeed be that you are mistaken in your assessment of this girl and that she was simply scamming you. But you should also understand that culturally, Thais do not place as much value on telling the literal truth that Westerners do, and in a situation where there is a genuine need for money they will consider it perfectly normal and legitimate to give a reason other than the actual one if they think it is more likely to produce the desired result, or that the real reason might be viewed negatively or put them in an embarrassing light, and in their minds that is not a scam.

In other words, it might be a gold-digging scam or she might have a genuine legitimate need for the money, just not the one she told you.

[473geo]

This is a difficult one Sid, as the posts here would suggest....

I have paid a few hospital bills out in rural Thailand, to me a 3 day stay in a private room, good food food, TV, inclusive of meds would be in the region of 10k baht. I have paid at the hospital desk so I see the charges. For my wife we paid 3000 up front for a guaranteed ward bed, delivery, meds, for 3 days when she gave birth, so the request is in line, and as Sheryl suggests may bring the op forward by booking a private room if the hospital plays the no ward beds available card.

But, in my experience as also previousy stated, 'mama has plant grow inside' is a well known fundraiser.........

So Sid, depends how much you wish to please, how comfortably you can donate 10k, if you wish to add a further 5k to your outlay by taking a trip to the countryside and keeping tight control on your financial input, or walk away never knowing if you have avoided a scam, or been a person of harsh judgement in the face of a friends need........not an easy one

[Soutpeel]

well I will go with the majority opinion. But wow, I had it down as genuine. I had no idea there is now free health care here.

This is a girl that I never would have thought was capable of a scam to be honest. Maybe I am more naive than I thought.

Honestly this sounds like the sick buffelo story.....you said yourself you have only know her for a few months...

BTW where was she when your wallet got nicked ?

[sidjameson]

Yea whatever I choose I know I will be thinking 'what if' but as i lost so much money this week she doesnt get the benefit of the doubt. To be honest there is even a 0.1% of me that thinks she may have had something to do with the money loss...but i really doubt it. But once you go down this path of doubt, no matter how small there is not much point in trying to make a relationship is there.

I really hope her mother is fine, but for me the matter is closed.