Chiang Mai Ram, Complete Rip Off

[banagan]

Had an accident and needed a couple of stitches. Went to Chiang Mai Ram.

Was charged 4,500 baht for a few stitches and some antibiotics, pretty expensive!

I found out if you go to the government hospital around the corner on Suthep Road, it's 1/4 the price, it's called Maharaj Hospital, was told this place is as good as Chiang Mai Ram for out patient stuff.

Time to find some decent health insurance.

Edited February 10, 2015 by banagan

[CMSteve]

That is all true, but the speed at which you are taken care of at Ram is much faster. You may want to check out Sriphat inside the Majharat campus. faster service, in English, but more expensive than the Uni hospital.

[banagan]

That is all true, but the speed at which you are taken care of at Ram is much faster. You may want to check out Sriphat inside the Majharat campus. faster service, in English, but more expensive than the Uni hospital.

Yes that was the one that was recommend to me.

The services was fast at Chiang Mai Ram, it wasn't busy though.

[masuk]

Certainly their prescription medicines are much more expensive than regular pharmacies.

[Dante99]

Wow how enlightening, thanks so much OP. People who have been here less than 15 minutes probably did not know that.

[kalbo123]

4500 Baht for an accident with stitches and medication....cheap!

[inzman]

Got charged over 60000 baht for 4 stitches on my finger in the USA last year. This sounds cheap.

[amexpat]

Got charged over 60000 baht for 4 stitches on my finger in the USA last year. This sounds cheap.

Relevance?

[banagan]

Got charged over 60000 baht for 4 stitches on my finger in the USA last year. This sounds cheap.

You can't compare medical expenses here or most countries to the US.

[JulieM]

I gladly pay the RAM premium for the opportunity to discuss in detail my condition with the doctor. As far as getting insurance is concerned, make sure it covers OPD (out patient department) if that indeed is what you want.

[MESmith]

Really is hit n miss with outpatient at Ram. Sometimes it's a bargain, case like this not so. Must've been the antibiotics!

[Ulysses G.]

Every time I've gone to Sriphat, I've had to wait at least 3 hours - even with an appointment. I have never waited more than a few minutes at Ram and - a few years ago - the prices were comparable. That might have changed as I think Ram have a different owner now.

[LivinLOS]

Unfortunately have had multiple dealings with RAM in the last couple of years.. Wife in ICU, complex surgery needed to her eye.. My own recent plating of limbs and pinning of joints..

I was super impressed with the knowledge, skill, and outcomes of all 4 surgeries (one was a 6 hour 3 surgeon marathon).. The cost was fine, well under phukets similar hospitals, the communication, equipment and wait times were superb in all cases.

If I have a complaint its the outpatient visiting.. At other higher end private hospitals visit times are usually down to a few minutes wait.. maybe 30.. Here they dont run a scheduling system, they dont have person 1 9:00 person 2 9:15 etc they just tell everyone to come at 9 am when the doc is there 9 - 12 and you have a huge wait to see the specialist. For this money they should do better.. The outpatient waiting is slow, and thats simply down to a lack of a system.

Any small grumbles aside.. I am happy to have a service like RAM there is I need it.. I am sure theres cheaper, your welcome to them. Medical treatment is one area I dont want to bargain hunt.

[Sparkles]

banagan you describe your experience with RAM as "a complete rip off" Did you not consider the fact that you were at a private hospital and the question could have been asked of the staff "How

much will this cost?" If you then considered the price was too high you would have had the option of shopping around for a cheaper deal.

Of course Government Hospitals are cheaper and that comes with the negative, as has been pointed out, that you may have to wait some time for attention.

You will I guess in a few days need to get the stitches out and the wound checked, that's usually in the original charge ,better check

[chiang mai]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/788996-good-experience-at-hospital/#entry9046961

It's perhaps worthwhile reading that post if for no other reason, the cost savings involved.

[Johpa]

Just be thankful that McCormick is no longer the only option in the city.

[elgordo38]

Certainly their prescription medicines are much more expensive than regular pharmacies.

Way more especially my monthly eye drops

[elgordo38]

I hear if the its an operation and covered by insurance the cost can be bartered down by the insurance company. As a senior with a card we get 10% off of most services there. I seem to think they want you to keep coming back regularly.

[kanook]

4,500฿ seems quite expensive for the treatment you received; could you list the breakdown of charges. I am sure the Americans on this forum have no problem paying what I and most other Canadians consider to be excessive fees for routine medical treatment - they are used to insane U.S pricing.

[Tywais]

If I have a complaint its the outpatient visiting.. At other higher end private hospitals visit times are usually down to a few minutes wait.. maybe 30.. Here they dont run a scheduling system, they dont have person 1 9:00 person 2 9:15 etc they just tell everyone to come at 9 am when the doc is there 9 - 12 and you have a huge wait to see the specialist. For this money they should do better.. The outpatient waiting is slow, and thats simply down to a lack of a system.

I assume you are talking about another hospital and not Ram? The scheduling system is called an appointment and has always worked well and within a reasonable time of said appointment for the many visits I have made across various departments.

[DaamNaam]

Bangkok-Chiang Mai hospital is top notch as well while on the subject. I won't be going anywhere else now.

[JulieM]

If I have a complaint its the outpatient visiting.. At other higher end private hospitals visit times are usually down to a few minutes wait.. maybe 30.. Here they dont run a scheduling system, they dont have person 1 9:00 person 2 9:15 etc they just tell everyone to come at 9 am when the doc is there 9 - 12 and you have a huge wait to see the specialist. For this money they should do better.. The outpatient waiting is slow, and thats simply down to a lack of a system.

I assume you are talking about another hospital and not Ram? The scheduling system is called an appointment and has always worked well and within a reasonable time of said appointment for the many visits I have made across various departments.

Actually I do recall a visit there around five years ago where I was told to come at any time and I would be put on a waiting list. I think I was there either for an eye exam or for a general physical. But when I walked into the ER (a few months ago) I got service within 20 minutes or so (it was not an extreme emergency.).

[elektrified]

One thing RAM did not anticipate was the huge influx of Chinese tourists coming there for routine procedures like vaccinations and so forth. Although they do have full-time Japanese and other translators there, they seem to be short on Chinese translators and the last couple of times I was there, there was a lot of confusion going on with staff trying to deal with groups of Chinese. It really slowed things down.

[northernjohn]

I hear if the its an operation and covered by insurance the cost can be bartered down by the insurance company. As a senior with a card we get 10% off of most services there. I seem to think they want you to keep coming back regularly.

Is that senior card one you purchase there?

I have a card for Rajavej Hospital which is also a good hospital. I pay 100 baht for it and it is good for one year. It covers 10% off room and medications.

As for Ram I have had the worse doctor in Thailand there. Also one of the best in the same department. Dr. Suthee. The one wanted to operate right away. I had two Specialists in Canada tell me not to have the operation as long as I could take the pain. I went in a few years ago when Dr Suthee still had his clinic and he also advised heavily against the operation. He also went on to explain why. He said in his 40 years he had only seen it done once.

So make sure the doctor is reputable. Just because they are in an expensive hospital does not make them a good doctor.

[elektrified]

I hear if the its an operation and covered by insurance the cost can be bartered down by the insurance company. As a senior with a card we get 10% off of most services there. I seem to think they want you to keep coming back regularly.

If you have good negotiating skills, you can get a discount from RAM just like you can at most hospitals in Thailand. At a stay at RAM last year, there was about 9K THB on my bill that my insurance company would not cover. I sent the other half in, who with her Chinese blood, has superb negotiating skills. She came out and told me that she had got them to discount that balance by 2,400 Baht provided we pay the appx. 6,600 Baht in cash.

The only hospital I've been to here that absolutely refused to discount anything was Teppanya Hospital (RAM 2).

[Mcffee]

The only friendly and respectful staff at Chiang Mai Ram are the cleaning ladies. The rest is incompetent scum.

Been there twice and the amateuristic diagnosis almost cost me my life.

2 months pain in my ass, X-ray at Chiang Mai Ram

"sir you have a broken hip"

"WHAT??"

"yes look here this is broken"

"come on I never had a broken hip"

"yes buy I see it broken before"

"I'm sure my hip was never broken before"

"then I don't know also sit, I think it broken"

I seriously worried and booked a flight to Europe for the next day, and straight on to the hospital. I got a big and dangerous abscess and got an operation the same night. Best decision in my life to NOT go to a Thai hospital but fly back home to at least being able to ask questions in my own language and receive honest answers in my own language, instead of a faint grin when a doctor does not know the answer.

My first time in Chiang Mai Ram was after food poisoning that could have been simply killed with medicines but they insisted to keep me inside as long as possible without doing anything, except from writing bills for every fart and 3 days stay. (but a great room I must say, with daily newspaper, TV, DVD player, flowers, sofa hahaha)

Later moved to Doi Saket. The nearby public hospital there is good enough for most problems, friendly staff. Not like those self-conceited egos!

[TheFishman1]

I like Ram

[uptheos]

Certainly their prescription medicines are much more expensive than regular pharmacies.

Way more especially my monthly eye drops

Buy them in an outside pharmacy.

[Dellboy218]

Prof. Sudhee still works out of the Ram so thats where I go!

[elektrified]

The only friendly and respectful staff at Chiang Mai Ram are the cleaning ladies. The rest is incompetent scum.

Been there twice and the amateuristic diagnosis almost cost me my life.

2 months pain in my ass, X-ray at Chiang Mai Ram

"sir you have a broken hip"

"WHAT??"

"yes look here this is broken"

"come on I never had a broken hip"

"yes buy I see it broken before"

"I'm sure my hip was never broken before"

"then I don't know also sit, I think it broken"

I seriously worried and booked a flight to Europe for the next day, and straight on to the hospital. I got a big and dangerous abscess and got an operation the same night. Best decision in my life to NOT go to a Thai hospital but fly back home to at least being able to ask questions in my own language and receive honest answers in my own language, instead of a faint grin when a doctor does not know the answer.

My first time in Chiang Mai Ram was after food poisoning that could have been simply killed with medicines but they insisted to keep me inside as long as possible without doing anything, except from writing bills for every fart and 3 days stay. (but a great room I must say, with daily newspaper, TV, DVD player, flowers, sofa hahaha)

Later moved to Doi Saket. The nearby public hospital there is good enough for most problems, friendly staff. Not like those self-conceited egos!

I believe this about as much as I believe your post about 7 year old children widely available for sale in Chiang Mai.

"The only friendly and respectful staff at Chiang Mai Ram are the cleaning ladies. The rest is incompetent scum." Rubbish.