Pattaya City Hospital ... the good and not so good.

[pattayadingo]

i went to Pattaya City Hospital on Soi Buakhoa this morning for chest X-ray and blood tests.....

Reception desk- Very good.

Triage staff - Very good. Very helpful about how long the waiting times. Even said we could go for coffee as X-ray nopt open for another 30 minutes.

Blood test - No problems

X-ray - No problems.

1 hour wait for blood test results. That was quick.

The Doctor - Never agin with that doctor. first he was asking the G/F about me and my health (should be asking me).

He spoke to the computer monitor in a low voice so I could not hear him. G/F told him I am deaf on one side and asked him to speak up. He continued to mumble, so I have no idea what he said. Have to go back in 2 months but I'll not see him.

The Pharmacy - Very efficient.

The Cashiers desk - Very bad. They tried to charge me 850 Baht extra (in fact a double charge for the X-ray and blood tests). When I and the g/f explained and showed them they had been paid for teh X-ray and bloods, they still wanted paying again!!

Sorted eventually, but if I had not known how much the medication was, I could have paid an extra 850 Baht .

Costs.....

Chest X-ray 220 Baht

Blood test (lipid - for cholesterol liver etc.) 580 Baht

Drugs 3 prescriptions @ 2 months supply 300 Baht

Nursing charge 100 Baht.

Very reasonable costs

[ptoff]

New Hospital or not ? i think very good.

[topt]

OP - no separate charge for seeing the doctor or was that included in the "Nursing" charge?

[pattayadingo]

OP - no separate charge for seeing the doctor or was that included in the "Nursing" charge?

No separate charge for the Doc. Yes, it looks like it is in the nurse charge.

I have to admit I'm happy with the 'genuine' cost

[pattayadingo]

New Hospital or not ? i think very good.

Not so good when an overcharge of 850 Baht is laid.

And a doctor who mumbles through everything.

I did see the Doctor I saw previously and the g/f made a note of his name. The next appointment will be changed to get to see him.

Cannot fault the nursing staff.

[Wavefloater]

In my experience, things like reception at all Thai hospitals is pretty good. They want your money and that's where you get your first impression of the hospital's staff, so they're instructed to kiss up well. It sounds like triage was actually just an extension of reception (letting you know how long you'll have wait and inviting you get coffee). Blood tests and X-rays are routine procedures that can be done with little training and/or interaction with the patient, so all of these are pretty superficial situations. What really matters is the care received from the doctor and the billing (fairness and accountability), From what you've said, I'm not impressed with this hospital. It seems that for the things that really matter, they failed.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Wavefloater

[pattayadingo]

In my experience, things like reception at all Thai hospitals is pretty good. They want your money and that's where you get your first impression of the hospital's staff, so they're instructed to kiss up well. It sounds like triage was actually just an extension of reception (letting you know how long you'll have wait and inviting you get coffee). Blood tests and X-rays are routine procedures that can be done with little training and/or interaction with the patient, so all of these are pretty superficial situations. What really matters is the care received from the doctor and the billing (fairness and accountability), From what you've said, I'm not impressed with this hospital. It seems that for the things that really matter, they failed.

I have to admit what you say is correct about the up-front staff.

When this was the clinic / small hospital next door on Soi Buakhao, they had many of the same staff, reception, triage etc.

The Triage that clean wounds, do dressing etc have always been very good.

This new hospital does have some of the same doctors too but as in many cases in Thailand it can be hit and miss with doctors.

There are two very good doctors there (whom I have seen) who explain everything and in a clear voice. I'll insist on seeing one next time I go.

Now I'm having to study the blood reports myself to see what levels are high / normal

One other thing I did not mention was about the chest x-ray. I had the x-ray done but the doctor never even mentioned it to me or the g/f. He certainly did not look at it while I was there.

Maybe others have a different experience of this new place. It would be interesting to hear their reviews.

[infinity11]

Thank you for this thread, been wondering for a long time.

It sure took long enough to hear about (as well as to actually open.)

New Hospital on soi bou cow correct? Sure seemed like a good idea.

[Pattaya46]

Not so good when an overcharge of 850 Baht is laid.

Don't forget that this hospital is still in "test mode". Not really fully open.

I think you can just make some out-patient consultation/care now.

Don't know when they will open in-patient big business ?

[fakename]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

[OMGImInPattaya]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

Agreed... Or don't complain when the doc takes a medical history from the person with whom he shares a common language. Probably thought that was why she was brought along.

[dsfbrit]

Where exactly is the Pattaya City Hospital??? I have googled it but I seem to get every hospital and clinic in Pattaya except this one. The one link to what seemed to be the right hospital, did not have a map.

Thanks

[jbrain]

New Hospital or not ? i think very good.

Not so good when an overcharge of 850 Baht is laid.

And a doctor who mumbles through everything.

I did see the Doctor I saw previously and the g/f made a note of his name. The next appointment will be changed to get to see him.

Cannot fault the nursing staff.

Where is the overcharge ?

[pattayadingo]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

What a load of <deleted> you can talk at times.

A lot of the general staff have limited English. Often you get ushered over to one who speaks English to get something sorted.

The bill would not have been sorted anywhere near as easy without the g/f present either.

The g/f is often my ears in places especially like in the hospital where staff call your name so quietly you cannot hear them. Especially as I am over 50% deaf. OKAY??

And <deleted> is wrong with her going along anyway?

[pattayadingo]

New Hospital or not ? i think very good.

Not so good when an overcharge of 850 Baht is laid.

And a doctor who mumbles through everything.

I did see the Doctor I saw previously and the g/f made a note of his name. The next appointment will be changed to get to see him.

Cannot fault the nursing staff.

Where is the overcharge ?

If you read the original post you might just see it?

[pattayadingo]

Not so good when an overcharge of 850 Baht is laid.

Don't forget that this hospital is still in "test mode". Not really fully open.

I think you can just make some out-patient consultation/care now.

Don't know when they will open in-patient big business ?

No idea on that, sorry.

The phone numbers are 038 420823 / 038 420562 if you want to phone.

[pattayadingo]

Where exactly is the Pattaya City Hospital??? I have googled it but I seem to get every hospital and clinic in Pattaya except this one. The one link to what seemed to be the right hospital, did not have a map.

Thanks

C roughly marks the spot.

[MJCM]

Where exactly is the Pattaya City Hospital??? I have googled it but I seem to get every hospital and clinic in Pattaya except this one. The one link to what seemed to be the right hospital, did not have a map.

Thanks

C roughly marks the spot.

Or this one

http://goo.gl/maps/axuvy

Edited July 24, 2013 by MJCM

[stoli]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

What a load of <deleted> you can talk at times.

A lot of the general staff have limited English. Often you get ushered over to one who speaks English to get something sorted.

The bill would not have been sorted anywhere near as easy without the g/f present either.

The g/f is often my ears in places especially like in the hospital where staff call your name so quietly you cannot hear them. Especially as I am over 50% deaf. OKAY??

And <deleted> is wrong with her going along anyway?

I also am stunned by the response you got from fakename. What is wrong with your g/f for going along anyway? I guess this shows how he thinks and treats the women in his life.

[i claudius]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

I never take a girlfriend along as my wife does'nt allow me to have any ,but we go almost everywhere together and have done for the past 20 years ,and why shouldn't a man take his g/f with him? or are you the sort of person who believes women should be seen and not heard?

[robblok]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

I never take a girlfriend along as my wife does'nt allow me to have any ,but we go almost everywhere together and have done for the past 20 years ,and why shouldn't a man take his g/f with him? or are you the sort of person who believes women should be seen and not heard?

Often it shows dependency on a translator unable to do things yourself ect. Some people don't like it. I am caught in the middle I realize sometimes its good to have a native speaker with you on the other hand it does make you look stupid at times and it hinders your own development of language skills. So I will just say there is a time and place for both.

[brummiebob]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

I never take a girlfriend along as my wife does'nt allow me to have any ,but we go almost everywhere together and have done for the past 20 years ,and why shouldn't a man take his g/f with him? or are you the sort of person who believes women should be seen and not heard?

Often it shows dependency on a translator unable to do things yourself ect. Some people don't like it. I am caught in the middle I realize sometimes its good to have a native speaker with you on the other hand it does make you look stupid at times and it hinders your own development of language skills. So I will just say there is a time and place for both.

I've seen people in certain situations where the staff an expat is interacting with can speak English, but since the expat had brought the significant other along as a translator, the thai staff will save the girlfriend's face and not speak to the expat directly, which could leads to misunderstanding as the girlfiend might have limited vocabulary compared to the english speaking thai staff.

[jeanpierre]

• Cardiac catheterization or angiogram. To view blood flow through your heart, your doctor may inject a special dye into your arteries (intravenously). This is known as an angiogram. The dye is injected into the arteries of the heart through a long, thin, flexible tube (catheter) that is threaded through an artery, usually in the leg, to the arteries in the heart. This procedure is called cardiac catheterization. The dye outlines narrow spots and blockages on the X-ray images. If you have a blockage that requires treatment, a balloon can be pushed through the catheter and inflated to improve the blood flow in your coronary arteries. A mesh tube (stent) may then be used to keep the dilated artery open.

CT scan. Computerized tomography (CT) technologies, such as electron beam computerized tomography (EBCT) or a CT coronary angiogram, can help your doctor visualize your arteries. EBCT, also called an ultrafast CT scan, can detect calcium within fatty deposits that narrow coronary arteries. If a substantial amount of calcium is discovered, coronary artery disease may be likely. A CT coronary angiogram, in which you receive a contrast dye injected intravenously during a CT scan, also can generate images of your heart arteries.

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). This procedure uses MRI technology, often combined with an injected contrast dye, to check for areas of narrowing or blockages — although the details may not be as clear as those provided by coronary catheterization.

this is the best way to detect blockages i had mine done last week, be carefull with the medecines

[gmac]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

I never take a girlfriend along as my wife does'nt allow me to have any ,but we go almost everywhere together and have done for the past 20 years ,and why shouldn't a man take his g/f with him? or are you the sort of person who believes women should be seen and not heard?

Often it shows dependency on a translator unable to do things yourself ect. Some people don't like it. I am caught in the middle I realize sometimes its good to have a native speaker with you on the other hand it does make you look stupid at times and it hinders your own development of language skills. So I will just say there is a time and place for both.

I've seen people in certain situations where the staff an expat is interacting with can speak English, but since the expat had brought the significant other along as a translator, the thai staff will save the girlfriend's face and not speak to the expat directly, which could leads to misunderstanding as the girlfiend might have limited vocabulary compared to the english speaking thai staff.

Not all foreigners take the wife/girlfriend along as a translator. I have been in hospital 3 times here in Thailand and being single at the time went on my own and experienced no real difficulties. Now being married I know my wife would accompany me on any future occasion I needed to attend a hospital but I would hope that I would still be allowed to speak directly to the hospital staff and not have to have everything routed through my wife.

[JSixpack]

Mountains out of molehills throughout this thread.

[bazmlb]

I believe this hospital is on the SSO's accepted list, so anyone paying social security from their employer can select it as their hospital of choice, so it may get busy there.

[chris2155]

• Cardiac catheterization or angiogram. To view blood flow through your heart, your doctor may inject a special dye into your arteries (intravenously). This is known as an angiogram. The dye is injected into the arteries of the heart through a long, thin, flexible tube (catheter) that is threaded through an artery, usually in the leg, to the arteries in the heart. This procedure is called cardiac catheterization. The dye outlines narrow spots and blockages on the X-ray images. If you have a blockage that requires treatment, a balloon can be pushed through the catheter and inflated to improve the blood flow in your coronary arteries. A mesh tube (stent) may then be used to keep the dilated artery open.
• CT scan. Computerized tomography (CT) technologies, such as electron beam computerized tomography (EBCT) or a CT coronary angiogram, can help your doctor visualize your arteries. EBCT, also called an ultrafast CT scan, can detect calcium within fatty deposits that narrow coronary arteries. If a substantial amount of calcium is discovered, coronary artery disease may be likely. A CT coronary angiogram, in which you receive a contrast dye injected intravenously during a CT scan, also can generate images of your heart arteries.
• Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). This procedure uses MRI technology, often combined with an injected contrast dye, to check for areas of narrowing or blockages — although the details may not be as clear as those provided by coronary catheterization.
• this is the best way to detect blockages i had mine done last week, be carefull with the medecines

Thanks for the info very informative.

you indicate you had it done, can you share with us the cost and the procedure you selected to have, i assume it was at the Pattaya Centre Hospital.

Thanks

[Ling Kae]

The new hospital is on soi Buakhow on the left hand side past soi Dianna as you are heading to Pattaya Tai (Tuesday and Friday markets). From the street it looks really flash and rather large.

As other have said, it is in test mode and is not fully operational.

Two lady friends of mine were drinking one night and one of them drank in excess and got very drunk. At 2 AM in morning she started getting severe shivers and stomach cramps. Her friend decided to take her to that hospital but didn't realize it was not fully operational. It was closed for new patients and she was told to go to Banglamung Hospital instead.

The sooner it is fully operational the better for everyone it will be. A very handy location too.

[tropo]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

I never take a girlfriend along as my wife does'nt allow me to have any ,but we go almost everywhere together and have done for the past 20 years ,and why shouldn't a man take his g/f with him? or are you the sort of person who believes women should be seen and not heard?

Often it shows dependency on a translator unable to do things yourself ect. Some people don't like it. I am caught in the middle I realize sometimes its good to have a native speaker with you on the other hand it does make you look stupid at times and it hinders your own development of language skills. So I will just say there is a time and place for both.

It really is no big deal either way. If people start talking to my wife I just kindly ask them to speak to me as my wife doesn't speak Thai. They do get visibly disturbed sometimes as it makes their job a little harder.

Even if the wife is Thai, I can't see the problem. If it is, just ask your wife to go for a walk.

As one poster above mentioned already, you really don't want to rely on the wife as the translation source as she may have very limited English medical vocabulary and not able to explain all the important details to you.

Edited July 25, 2013 by tropo

[robblok]

But why did you bring the GF with you? Did you think that no one speaks English at the hospital? Almost as bad as the farang that bring their GF to immigration.

Sorry man, but you should leave the GF at home next time, then the doctors and other staff will talk with you.

I never take a girlfriend along as my wife does'nt allow me to have any ,but we go almost everywhere together and have done for the past 20 years ,and why shouldn't a man take his g/f with him? or are you the sort of person who believes women should be seen and not heard?

Often it shows dependency on a translator unable to do things yourself ect. Some people don't like it. I am caught in the middle I realize sometimes its good to have a native speaker with you on the other hand it does make you look stupid at times and it hinders your own development of language skills. So I will just say there is a time and place for both.

It really is no big deal either way. If people start talking to my wife I just kindly ask them to speak to me as my wife doesn't speak Thai. They do get visibly disturbed sometimes as it makes their job a little harder.

Even if the wife is Thai, I can't see the problem. If it is, just ask your wife to go for a walk.

As one poster above mentioned already, you really don't want to rely on the wife as the translation source as she may have very limited English medical vocabulary and not able to explain all the important details to you.

I don't see it as a big problem at all just explaining both sides of the argument. There are plenty of times I love it that i got a good Thai speaker with me and there are plenty of times I want to do things myself.