To What Extent Would You Use Public Hospitals In Bangkok?

[MrHammer]

I only go to Samitivej or Bumrungrad, but I wonder if for example, the last time, I had an infection of a hair follicle around the ear. Cost was 2000 baht in Samitivej for a doctor and some antibiotics, quite cheap but also feels slightly unnecessary for such a simple (for the doctor) treatment. I wonder what would be the cost at a public hospital and where would you go? What do you use them for?

[jbrain]

Cost was 2000 baht in Samitivej for a doctor and some antibiotics, quite cheap

You're joking, right ?

Edited April 7, 2013 by jbrain

[MrHammer]

No that is certainly cheap for being seen within 15 minutes, referred to the specialist immediatly then talking to an american trained competent english speaking doctor.

That is cheap. Of those 2000, 800 was antibiotics, so 1200 baht for the visit in doctor and nursing feeds.

I hope I'm never at a point where I consider 1200 baht expensive for a high quality doctor visit.

[jbrain]

No that is certainly cheap for being seen within 15 minutes, referred to the specialist immediatly then talking to an american trained competent english speaking doctor.

That is cheap. Of those 2000, 800 was antibiotics, so 1200 baht for the visit in doctor and nursing feeds.

I hope I'm never at a point where I consider 1200 baht expensive for a high quality doctor visit.

Well then consider that that very same american trained competent english speaking doctor most probably also has a visiting hour at a public hospital at a fraction of that price, and that the very same nursing cost will be something like 50 Baht.

[MrHammer]

Ok then, why not suggest where to find these doctors instead of just making wiseass remarks.

[jbrain]

Ok then, why not suggest where to find these doctors instead of just making wiseass remarks.

It are no wise remarks, it are well known facts. Every specialist at a government hospital has also consultations at some private hospitals. Or would you think they did their extended studies to work at a poorman salary ? Most doctors got their studies subsidized by the government and in return have to practice x amount of hours a week at a government hospital.

Others do it out of self respect to help their fellow citizens as they can not afford a private hospital fee.

The eye specialist I tend to visit at Somdej Hospital in Sriracha for instance has also a private practice and can also be consultated at Bangkok - Pattaya hospital.

At Somdej his fee is 150 Baht , I doubt he will charge me the same at the Bankok - Pattaya hospital.

[Naam]

Ok then, why not suggest where to find these doctors instead of just making wiseass remarks.

It are no wise remarks, it are well known facts. Every specialist at a government hospital has also consultations at some private hospitals. Or would you think they did their extended studies to work at a poorman salary ? Most doctors got their studies subsidized by the government and in return have to practice x amount of hours a week at a government hospital.

Others do it out of self respect to help their fellow citizens as they can not afford a private hospital fee.

The eye specialist I tend to visit at Somdej Hospital in Sriracha for instance has also a private practice and can also be consultated at Bangkok - Pattaya hospital.

At Somdej his fee is 150 Baht , I doubt he will charge me the same at the Bankok - Pattaya hospital.

flat consulting fee in BHP (Pattaya) is 700 Baht. that includes the -most of the time- nonsensical height, weight, blood pressure, body temperature for which you are charged 80 Dollars in the U.S. before you get to see the doctor.

[jbrain]

Ok then, why not suggest where to find these doctors instead of just making wiseass remarks.

It are no wise remarks, it are well known facts. Every specialist at a government hospital has also consultations at some private hospitals. Or would you think they did their extended studies to work at a poorman salary ? Most doctors got their studies subsidized by the government and in return have to practice x amount of hours a week at a government hospital.

Others do it out of self respect to help their fellow citizens as they can not afford a private hospital fee.

The eye specialist I tend to visit at Somdej Hospital in Sriracha for instance has also a private practice and can also be consultated at Bangkok - Pattaya hospital.

At Somdej his fee is 150 Baht , I doubt he will charge me the same at the Bankok - Pattaya hospital.

flat consulting fee in BHP (Pattaya) is 700 Baht. that includes the -most of the time- nonsensical height, weight, blood pressure, body temperature for which you are charged 80 Dollars in the U.S. before you get to see the doctor.

Add to that all the upcharges for handlings and materials used.

On my last visit my bill included doctors fee, use of slit lamp. fundus photo's taken from Retina of both eyes, and some other items written in Thai which I guess are the fluids they use to prepare your eye. Total cost 925 Baht

Performed by the same doctor who I could have visited at BHP.

[billd766]

I have used the Chulalongkorn Hospital several times a few years ago when I was diagnosed with finger lock.

The first time I went (after I registered which is a mornings work on its own) I arrived at 8 am, dropped my card in the box at reception and was finally seen about 2.30 in the afternoon. The second and subsequent times I arrived around 6 am, dropped my card in the box, went off and had breakfast and a coffee. Got my number just after 8 and was usually seen between 10 and 11.

The doctors are good, speak English and are hellishly overworked but the price for the consultation, injections, medicines etc was around 3 to 400 baht.

[rgs2001uk]

Ok then, why not suggest where to find these doctors instead of just making wiseass remarks.

Ok Bkk, Ramkamheang or Pra Ram 9 hospital, 600 baht to see a doctor.

Go to a local clinic, 150 baht to see a doctor.

Some of the add on fees in these hospitals catering to farang are just rip off charges, I queried the bill in one of them, they wanted a fee of 100 baht just so the admin staff could walk me all of 5 yards to the cashiers desk to pay the bill.

I declined and said I would walk on my own and pay by myself, nothing to do with 100 baht, it was the taking the piss I objected to.

[rott]

No that is certainly cheap for being seen within 15 minutes, referred to the specialist immediatly then talking to an american trained competent english speaking doctor.

That is cheap. Of those 2000, 800 was antibiotics, so 1200 baht for the visit in doctor and nursing feeds.

I hope I'm never at a point where I consider 1200 baht expensive for a high quality doctor visit.

Well then consider that that very same american trained competent english speaking doctor most probably also has a visiting hour at a public hospital at a fraction of that price, and that the very same nursing cost will be something like 50 Baht.

At a government hospital you can usually expect to wait for between 4 to 7 hours to be seen, and sitting outside in the heat as well.

And do they ordinarily treat foreigners? Thought they were essentially for Thais only.

Having once been to visit somebody in a ward in a govt hospital, it is not something I would look forward to doing again.

[Morden]

I suppose that if I was short of cash and had no insurance, I'd have to go to a dirty and overcrowded government hospital and sit around for hours, hoping that I didn't catch some bug in there. As it is, I don't have to do that and prefer private hospitals.

[prodriver]

I've used the Government hospital "Siriraj" over the past number of years on several occasions. I was treated for rectal cancer about 8 year's ago and I had a wonderful room (two floors down from where the King is staying now). It was better than the room I'd had previously at the private hospital, Thonburi hospital. i have also stayed at Siriraj for removal of a lump in my abdomen which proved cancerous. I was in a two person room on that occasion. Clean and modern and at all times the nursing stall were brilliant.

Admittedly, when waiting to see the doctor in the OPD it can be overcrowded and one may have to wait for a couple of hours or so but I can definitely recommend the hospital.

I've also just completed chemotherapy treatment at the Government hospital in Ratchaburi over the past six months. Again, no complaints. So for me Government hospitals are the way to go but one has to have a little patience but being a retired person, I have all the time in the world!

[jbrain]

No that is certainly cheap for being seen within 15 minutes, referred to the specialist immediatly then talking to an american trained competent english speaking doctor.

That is cheap. Of those 2000, 800 was antibiotics, so 1200 baht for the visit in doctor and nursing feeds.

I hope I'm never at a point where I consider 1200 baht expensive for a high quality doctor visit.

Well then consider that that very same american trained competent english speaking doctor most probably also has a visiting hour at a public hospital at a fraction of that price, and that the very same nursing cost will be something like 50 Baht.

At a government hospital you can usually expect to wait for between 4 to 7 hours to be seen, and sitting outside in the heat as well.

And do they ordinarily treat foreigners? Thought they were essentially for Thais only.

Having once been to visit somebody in a ward in a govt hospital, it is not something I would look forward to doing again.

Both my visits to the eye specialist at Somdej hospital took less then 3 hours between arrival and departure, all of it spent in airconditioned accomodation.

Keep in mind that the second visit included liquids to be inserted in the eye that need to " mature " for an hour before they can take the photo's.

When I took my little boy to the Navy hospital in Sattahip it took also less than 3 hours between arrival and departure, agai no sitting in the heat. As another poster mentioned already, if you in the middle of the day you should be prepared for a longer wait.

At both hospitals registering took less than half an hour, free at Somdej and I think 20 Baht at the Navy hospital, and I could use English to communicate even with the reception staff.

[Naam]

Ok then, why not suggest where to find these doctors instead of just making wiseass remarks.

It are no wise remarks, it are well known facts. Every specialist at a government hospital has also consultations at some private hospitals. Or would you think they did their extended studies to work at a poorman salary ? Most doctors got their studies subsidized by the government and in return have to practice x amount of hours a week at a government hospital.

Others do it out of self respect to help their fellow citizens as they can not afford a private hospital fee.

The eye specialist I tend to visit at Somdej Hospital in Sriracha for instance has also a private practice and can also be consultated at Bangkok - Pattaya hospital.

At Somdej his fee is 150 Baht , I doubt he will charge me the same at the Bankok - Pattaya hospital.

flat consulting fee in BHP (Pattaya) is 700 Baht. that includes the -most of the time- nonsensical height, weight, blood pressure, body temperature for which you are charged 80 Dollars in the U.S. before you get to see the doctor.

Add to that all the upcharges for handlings and materials used.

On my last visit my bill included doctors fee, use of slit lamp. fundus photo's taken from Retina of both eyes, and some other items written in Thai which I guess are the fluids they use to prepare your eye. Total cost 925 Baht

Performed by the same doctor who I could have visited at BHP.

you are right, i never really bothered except about their fancy prices for drugs.

[kriswillems]

I think Somdej in Sri Racha is better than Phayathai in Sri Racha, which is a private hospital and at least 5 times more expensive.

When I had social insurance I could choose between Somdej and Phayathai. I went for the much cheaper government hospital, simply because I think they have better doctors (the insurance was paid for by my employer in both cases).

We also take our child to the government hospital and I can only say they are great (great people with knowledge and experience).

I don't need a nurse that can talk Japanese, Korean and English and I don't mind waiting for a one or two hours.

I choose a hospital based on the problem I have.So for some very specific diseases I might consider going to another hospital than Somdej (either private or government hospital).

My experience with private hospitals is that the medication is much more expensive than exactly the same medicine in a pharmacy (about 5 times) and they give you really a lot of mediation that is not necessary.

Edited April 8, 2013 by kriswillems

[jbrain]

flat consulting fee in BHP (Pattaya) is 700 Baht. that includes the -most of the time- nonsensical height, weight, blood pressure, body temperature for which you are charged 80 Dollars in the U.S. before you get to see the doctor.

Add to that all the upcharges for handlings and materials used.

On my last visit my bill included doctors fee, use of slit lamp. fundus photo's taken from Retina of both eyes, and some other items written in Thai which I guess are the fluids they use to prepare your eye. Total cost 925 Baht

Performed by the same doctor who I could have visited at BHP.

you are right, i never really bothered except about their fancy prices for drugs.

But I also understand from another thread that you're quite well covered by a private health insurance, so why would you even bother to be bothered.

Edited April 8, 2013 by jbrain

[Sheryl]

No that is certainly cheap for being seen within 15 minutes, referred to the specialist immediatly then talking to an american trained competent english speaking doctor.

That is cheap. Of those 2000, 800 was antibiotics, so 1200 baht for the visit in doctor and nursing feeds.

I hope I'm never at a point where I consider 1200 baht expensive for a high quality doctor visit.

Well then consider that that very same american trained competent english speaking doctor most probably also has a visiting hour at a public hospital at a fraction of that price, and that the very same nursing cost will be something like 50 Baht.

No, he would not have "visiting hours" if by that you mean hours where one can directly access him/her. With the exception of a few places that have a quasi-private after hours clinic arrangement, in government hospitals you cannot choose your doctor, have to run a gauntlet of people (usually starting with a medical student or intern) before seeing a specialist, and will be treated not by the caliber of doctor referred to directly but by a resident under his supervision.

The whole business will take 1-2 days. Many people would think it well worth an extra 1,000 - 1,500 baht to get it all done in a matter of minutes instead.

NEVER purchase antibiotics at a hospital pharmacy, it is a needless expense. Decline the medication at the cashier and purchase it yourself at an independent pharmacy. Unless of course it is a controlled substance or other restricted drug that is involved.

In the case of the problem cited by the OP, at a government hospital he would never have made it through to a specialist. he'd have been treated by the intern on general duty. Which for an infected hair follicle would probably have been OK. But a huge amojnt of time and uncomforatble prolonged waiting to get that.

Where it starts to make sense to use government facilities is when inpatient hospitalization or certain expense diagnostic procedures are involved .