Work Permit Medical . Very Happy. Bkk Hospital

[N47HAN]

For some odd reason this year immigration have insisted on a blood test report for syphalis and general health check report to issue my WP and visa for another year.

Anyhow no problem with me for that (actually happy about it , if there starting to get strict on the rules)

So into BKK Phuket ...

Reception send me to the fouth floor. Register there and tell them i need to renew my WP.

Striaght in for blood test asked to come back in 20 minutes so nipped downstairs for a cofee. 20 minutes later go back. See a doctor, general health check then 5 minutes later called to the cashier to pay.

Now this is the bit that makes me happy , and the point of my post .

The grand sum of 642.00thb all inclusive

[stevenl]

Go to a local clinic, and the grand total of maybe 100 Baht will make you even happier.

Still all in all 642 Baht for blood test and general health check at a place like that is not expensive.

[CiaranO]

I dont think you can go to a clinic anymore for a blood test for work permit. Im pretty sure they will tell you they dont do it and only hospitals will.

I too went to BKK Hospital and got fantastic service. No messing around - i didnt however pay 642 baht - i think its was 240 THb. In saying that my friend went in a week later and it cost him 340 THb - so who knows.

[stevenl]

I dont think you can go to a clinic anymore for a blood test for work permit. Im pretty sure they will tell you they dont do it and only hospitals will.

I am not pretty but 100% sure you can, did it for my renewal a few months back.

[N47HAN]

Was going too , actually first stop was a clinic in patong that issued the certificate for my DL without the checkup but he said he had to do the blood test. Cost 500thb doctors fee plus 500thb for the test. Declined as its not the best looking place and there was no way he was putting a needle in my arm.

Second place Mrs said was in Samkong , so off we went. They quoted the same actually but told us the results would not be ready untill tomorrow, they had to send them away. Now by that I guess they meant the bkk hospital a few doors down .

Didnt want to go back tomorrow so went to BKK knowing i was going to pay over the odds . But for the service and convenience decided it would be ok.

But thats the whole point , it was by far the best ( of course ) but the cheapest !!!

P.s

Steven the days of slipping 100thb to a clinic were over years ago. It was double that 4 years ago.

[N47HAN]

Ciaran , 240thb at the BKK hospital for a blood test , and health check !!!!!!!

Im calling BS on that one . Sorry.

[stevenl]

Was going too , actually first stop was a clinic in patong that issued the certificate for my DL without the checkup but he said he had to do the blood test. Cost 500thb doctors fee plus 500thb for the test. Declined as its not the best looking place and there was no way he was putting a needle in my arm.

Second place Mrs said was in Samkong , so off we went. They quoted the same actually but told us the results would not be ready untill tomorrow, they had to send them away. Now by that I guess they meant the bkk hospital a few doors down .

Didnt want to go back tomorrow so went to BKK knowing i was going to pay over the odds . But for the service and convenience decided it would be ok.

But thats the whole point , it was by far the best ( of course ) but the cheapest !!!

P.s

Steven the days of slipping 100thb to a clinic were over years ago. It was double that 4 years ago.

To tell you the truth, I really don't remember what I paid last time. Wasn't much though, so considerably less than 500, or I would have remembered.

Edit: now I'm thinking about it, I do seem to remember that is was more expensive than I thought it would be, so maybe it was 500 Baht or so. So the your deal was already good for a quick check and test, with this in mind it gets even better.

Edited August 4, 2013 by stevenl

[N47HAN]

To be honest Steven , thats why I posted it. Nearly everyone I guess would go to the clinic assuming its cheaper . I would of paid the 500thb to the clinic in Samkong too if i didnt have to wait untill tomorrow for the result.

Wandering off topic a little, has anyone else been happily surprised with their bill at BKK?

[falkan]

Mission hospital 200thb

[LivinginKata]

Mission hospital 200thb

Does that inlude the blood test ?

[Peterocket]

Mission hospital 200thb

Does that inlude the blood test ?

Had one done in Kamala 2 weeks ago for work permit. 350 inc blood test, results and cert issued within 15 minutes.

[LivinginKata]

Had one done in Kamala 2 weeks ago for work permit. 350 inc blood test, results and cert issued within 15 minutes.

While I do not doubt a cert was issued in 15 minutes, I would say that is BS by the doc/clinic. I don't know anywhere that can process a blood test in 15 minutes.

[patongphil]

Had one done in Kamala 2 weeks ago for work permit. 350 inc blood test, results and cert issued within 15 minutes.

While I do not doubt a cert was issued in 15 minutes, I would say that is BS by the doc/clinic. I don't know anywhere that can process a blood test in 15 minutes.

Ha ha can get one here in patong in 5 mins - even got one for my mate as well and he stayed in the bar while I went off to get them.

[N47HAN]

the blood may well of been taken but as to it being tested .mmmmm

[CiaranO]

Sorry i was worng - just popped up to HR to check - it was 250 THB bllod test and medical. But as i said a colleague went a weak later and paid 100 baht more.

Ciaran , 240thb at the BKK hospital for a blood test , and health check !!!!!

Im calling BS on that one . Sorry.

[N47HAN]

Mmmmm. Not sure how you managed that . But well done to you sir if you did.

[Tywais]

Chiang Mai Ram, one of the most expensive private hospitals in Chiang Mai, 200 Baht and blood panel and report ready in 1 hour. And yes, nearly two years that labor (not immigration) has required the blood test in most areas of Thailand as has been reported by members on Thaivisa including myself.

[stevenl]

Had one done in Kamala 2 weeks ago for work permit. 350 inc blood test, results and cert issued within 15 minutes.

While I do not doubt a cert was issued in 15 minutes, I would say that is BS by the doc/clinic. I don't know anywhere that can process a blood test in 15 minutes.

Can easily be done in a few minutes, all that is required is a syphilis test.

[Valentine]

350 Baht at Mission earlier this year. There is a standard form they use with the hospital letterhead. It seems the days of the el cheapo clinic ones being accepted are over & besides 350 or even 650 is not too much.

[Peterocket]

Had one done in Kamala 2 weeks ago for work permit. 350 inc blood test, results and cert issued within 15 minutes.

While I do not doubt a cert was issued in 15 minutes, I would say that is BS by the doc/clinic. I don't know anywhere that can process a blood test in 15 minutes.

Not that i really cared but it did look like he was testing it although probably just pretending.

Think I got cleared for elephantiasis too.

[Wavefloater]

I've had to do this twice now with the new regulations (blood test, etc). The first time, I assumed the cost would be reimbursed (as it is for the visa extension where I work), so I went to Pattaya Memorial Hosp. where they took forever and charged me a whopping 800 baht. They go through the motions that things like a blood test for syphilis requires them to draw blood and send it off to the lab -- That's an outright lie. Once I found out that my company doesn't reimburse this expense, the next time I asked around and found a clinic that did it for 250 baht, and they were just as thorough as the hospital but much quicker. For example, the test for syphilis only needs a tiny blood sample that they can get from jabbing the end of your finger, putting the small drop of blood on a slide and applying a drop of some substance that will react and show if you have syphilis. It took about 2 minutes (if that).

I wish people would stop encouraging Thai hospitals to rip us off. Do things like not buying your prescriptions at the hospitals (where the prices are usually triple fair market value). Also, get a second (or even 3rd) opinion about tests they want you to take, and don't be afraid to challenge the prices they quote for their tests and procedures. It seems that too many people just roll over and let these hospitals do what they want and charge anything. There's nothing special or sacred about them -- they are businesses -- plain and simple, and they want to make the most profit from each customer. Your health is the least of their concerns.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Wavefloater

[N47HAN]

Agree totally with your post. But are you not being a little hypacritical ?

Seems you only shopped around because you had to pay the second time. Would you of done so if it was reimbursed by your employer i wonder ?

[Bardeh]

As I always tell everyone, just go to Mission. It's not as swanky, and the nurses might not be quite so pretty, but it's cheap, efficient and quick. I had to get the blood test for my new WP last week - 200 baht all in, and it took an hour to get the blood test results.

A friend was having some stomach pains, and she went to Bangkok Hospital over the weekend. She ended up with a bill of 4000 baht for a bloodtest, some antibiotics, and some pepto bismol.

EDIT: Also, it seems as if every time I've actually had a blood test for the work permit, and not just bought a signature from a dodgy doctor, they only seem to test for Syphilis, not the other five (?) diseases. Although I guess they'd be able to see if I had Elephantiasis....

Edited August 5, 2013 by Bardeh

[JetsetBkk]

So if you fail the test, you can't work?

[Wavefloater]

Agree totally with your post. But are you not being a little hypacritical ?

Seems you only shopped around because you had to pay the second time. Would you of done so if it was reimbursed by your employer i wonder ?

I assume you mean hypocritical, but I don't understand why you say that -- simply because I didn't want to give the hospital 800 of my own money? Like anyone normal, if something is paid for someone, they don't care as much what the price is. In this case, yes, I would have shopped around, but not due to the price (which isn't exactly the end of the world, is it?). The hospital is less convenient than the clinic and the hospital took ages to complete this where the clinic takes 10 minutes and is easy to get to, so for mainly those reason I shopped around.

BTW, isn't that so nice of you to look for something to criticize me about after I take the time to helpfully relay my experience so that people can know that clinics will do this quickly and cheaply. It's this kind of nasty behaviour that drags this forum down and discourages people from taking the time to be helpful. Well done! I'm sure you feel like a much bigger person for doing that.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Wavefloater

[keestha]

I wish people would stop encouraging Thai hospitals to rip us off.

Sure, it makes sense to compare prices for medical services. But don't assume too quickly Thai hospitals rip "us" off. What Thai people have to pay also varies from place to place. And it is not a specifically Thai thing. Lately I saw a program on Dutch television which was mainly about the fact that what elderly people have to pay for a fit to drive a car test varies wildly between hospitals and clinics in the Netherlands.

[LivinginKata]

Inflammaory post and the reply - removed

[merijn]

Just to be clear, Immigration does not require the medical for the visa extension but it is required for the WP application. Two different things at two different government agencies.

[Guest]

Nope. Working for a larger company comes with certain perks. Health care is one of those, part of the salary in a way.

The main point was that he was explaining the difference in pricing and foremore the untruthful explanation (or hospital policy) he experienced.

I have done my WP at Bangkok, done the syphilis test in a small clinic close to the office where to get the WP for the last 2 years. The clinic took a small amount of blood from finger, put it to a test tube and results were available in few minutes.

My insurance covers staying at the large farang hospitals on the island, but I still rather go to Mission hospital. Simply because it's a place which is not so much in Hospital or Healthcare Business.

[NamKangMan]

I don't see the problem with this.

If a hospital offers a better service than its competitors, but inflates their prices to the point that a patient can't justify paying what that hospital wants for this service, then an individual would most likely chose to go else where.

However, is someone else (employer or insurance company) is paying, you can chose to go anywhere you want, so take the better service, along with the rip off price, because you are not paying for any of it.

Edited August 8, 2013 by LivinginKata