85 Bogus Doctors Arrested In Thailand Last Year

BANGKOK: -- The Thai Health Ministry uncovered 85 bogus doctors working in private clinics and hospitals last year.

The ministry's Division of Medical Registration head, Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, told the Nation daily that the number of bogus doctors arrested last year was lower than 2004 but he did not provide the figure.

He said the number of complaints filed against private medical institutions was much higher in 2005, with fake doctors cases making up the majority of the 519 complaints.

Dr Tares said that in most cases, the fake doctors found in private clinics in small towns turned out to be persons in a related profession while those found in large cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai knew nothing about medicine and worked shifts when genuine doctors were not on duty.

The fake doctors were uncovered when their patients and real medical professionals realised they were acting abnormally, he said, adding that these impersonators usually worked in unauthorised clinics.

Thailand, one of the major tourist destinations in the region, has also become a popular spot for medical tourists. Medical tourism is projected to earn the country Bt36.4 billion (RM3.64 billion) this year.

-- Bernama, MY 2006-06-06

Now that really is worrying.

How does one tell a real doctor from a Quack?

He checks your symptoms in Google?

He checks your symptoms in Google?

Uses discarded chopsticks for tongue depressor.

probably got their experience as kids, playing doctors and nurses behind the bushes as kids.

yes im a lttle wary of clinics.i went to one of many clinics in a fairly large town in the north,with what i thought was an ear blocked with wax.

the clinic in question breifly examined my ear & then gave me a large bag of bomb sized antibiotics,for an "infection".

i then talked to some thai freinds who sent me to an ear specialist who just cleaned out the wax & gave me some ointment,& i threw away the pills & had no problems.

Better watch out, bogus doctors might weaken our health. Fake medicine and drugs brought over the counter might sent us to shithell.

Now that really is worrying.

How does one tell a real doctor from a Quack?

Perhaps from the size of his bill??