Australian traveller tells of his holiday nightmare in Thailand

[Guest]

There seems to be a trend on Thai Visa to publish ridiculous articles with sensational headlines.

"Australian traveller tells of his holiday nightmare in Thailand" ???

"Boy falls down and cuts leg (could happen anywhere)
Boy gets infected (and that is whose fault exactly? Cuts need to be managed and kept clean and dry. (could happen anywhere)
Boy gets better and life goes on. (could happen anywhere)

This is news? Really?

[yogavnture]

Travel insurance is the moral of the story.

no travel insurance isnt the moral of the story. the moral of the story is .....if injured u would never jerk around with a ko pang yang hospital. unless its a paper cut. u get the first transport to bkk and go to a decent hospital......I had a small mole that was diagnosed with cancer melanoma. not a huge deal just needed to be cut out with a margin. I was on ko tao and I went to samui to the best hospital their and I didn't even feel comfortable with that. so I hassled my way all the way to bkk and their are literally 15 or more decent hospitals their , I got treatment their and was happy. still not western standard but close. ko pany yang is not western standard hospital by any stretch...........

[bluebluewater]

I had a Thai doctor to once tell me that the bacteria in Thailand is not the same for farang as it is for Thai people.

Even the bacteria is against us!

[yogavnture]

I don't think bkk has usa standards but its close enuf to feel comfortable with treatment in bkk. it depends on issue. the aussie should have gone to bkk not kpy for treatment. I wouldn't even do samui for what problem he had. possibly Phuket would be ok though

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

You might be right about local clinics, but the standard of care at hospitals in Bangkok is second to none.

Absolute and complete and utter nonsense!

what are you basing your concept on? You went to one and had a "great experience"? - Im sorry but that isn't sufficient.

[yogavnture]

the moral of the story is that thais do things differently by nature than westerners. I was on a beach in kpy once and some drug addict drowned. westerners were trying to give him mouth to mouth. whilst the thais hang the drowning victim upside down and shake them.........he died regardless. kpy is for druggies. now if I was overdosing on drugs then kpy is the place to go for treatment

[claffey]

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

I have found the Thai Healthcare system to be far better than anything I've experienced in Europe. Plus all the doctors are from Thailand which is good as it stops any communication problems if you speak Thai..Although most doctors are fluent in Thai, English and possibly even a third language.... Last Year I spent over six hours in an A and E in England with a very sick four year old. The reason we were in an A and E was because the quickest appointment we could get to see a doctor in a local clinic was 9 days!! Eventually, when a doctor showed up he was a non native speaker who was barely understandable..The ward was full of drunk people and drug addicts! The hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer.The health system here really puts Europe to shame.And we have the audacity to refer to Thailand as a 'developing country'(some uneducated people even refer to Thailand as a third world country!!)

The article about the OP highlights the arrogance of the West towards other countries. It is a weak attempt at continuing the Australian media's attempts to disparage Thailand. The fact that the man in question can't wait to get back to Thailand says it all really...

[mongoose11]

When I was cycling down the coast some mozi bites got infected from scratching and began to open up and go blu-ish.

I went to the doctor and they gave me a small tube of antibiotic. Cant for the life of me remember its name but it worked. It was a especially difficult to keep the cut dry so if anyone knows what this may be...would be most grateful

[claffey]

I had a Thai doctor to once tell me that the bacteria in Thailand is not the same for farang as it is for Thai people.

Even the bacteria is against us!

I would interpret this as meaning that Thai people may have more of a resistance to bacteria that is present here in Thailand. That makes perfect scientific sense...

[yogavnture]

to answer you Bangkokequity. its news if it happens to YOU

There seems to be a trend on Thai Visa to publish ridiculous articles with sensational headlines.

"Australian traveller tells of his holiday nightmare in Thailand" ???

"Boy falls down and cuts leg (could happen anywhere)
Boy gets infected (and that is whose fault exactly? Cuts need to be managed and kept clean and dry. (could happen anywhere)
Boy gets better and life goes on. (could happen anywhere)

This is news? Really?

[yogavnture]

didn't even read your whole post . thier are good hospitals and bad ones in every country. now im from usa. so I would go to mayo clinic in Minnesota with any real issue. otherwise I would want an English speaker, if I was in asia and needed real help I think I would strongly consider india. Thailand, not sure. depends on issue. remember one thing. all hospitals are selling services. buyer beware anywhere. including usa. but i want a surgeon trained in usa.

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

I have found the Thai Healthcare system to be far better than anything I've experienced in Europe. Plus all the doctors are from Thailand which is good as it stops any communication problems if you speak Thai..Although most doctors are fluent in Thai, English and possibly even a third language.... Last Year I spent over six hours in an A and E in England with a very sick four year old. The reason we were in an A and E was because the quickest appointment we could get to see a doctor in a local clinic was 9 days!! Eventually, when a doctor showed up he was a non native speaker who was barely understandable..The ward was full of drunk people and drug addicts! The hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer.The health system here really puts Europe to shame.And we have the audacity to refer to Thailand as a 'developing country'(some uneducated people even refer to Thailand as a third world country!!)

The article about the OP highlights the arrogance of the West towards other countries. It is a weak attempt at continuing the Australian media's attempts to disparage Thailand. The fact that the man in question can't wait to get back to Thailand says it all really...

[daveAustin]

On the other hand, been running/biking through the jungle in shorts/vest for 15 years, all sorts of falls, cuts and bruises against rock, metal, wood and plants in the wet season, or whenever, and never a hint of any sort of infection. It's not a given you will get sick, this lad was just unlucky. Stop being a bunch of namby-pambies.

[cumgranosalum]

didn't even read your whole post . thier are good hospitals and bad ones in every country. now im from usa. so I would go to mayo clinic in Minnesota with any real issue. otherwise I would want an English speaker, if I was in asia and needed real help I think I would strongly consider india. Thailand, not sure. depends on issue. remember one thing. all hospitals are selling services. buyer beware anywhere. including usa. but i want a surgeon trained in usa.

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

I have found the Thai Healthcare system to be far better than anything I've experienced in Europe. Plus all the doctors are from Thailand which is good as it stops any communication problems if you speak Thai..Although most doctors are fluent in Thai, English and possibly even a third language.... Last Year I spent over six hours in an A and E in England with a very sick four year old. The reason we were in an A and E was because the quickest appointment we could get to see a doctor in a local clinic was 9 days!! Eventually, when a doctor showed up he was a non native speaker who was barely understandable..The ward was full of drunk people and drug addicts! The hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer.The health system here really puts Europe to shame.And we have the audacity to refer to Thailand as a 'developing country'(some uneducated people even refer to Thailand as a third world country!!)

The article about the OP highlights the arrogance of the West towards other countries. It is a weak attempt at continuing the Australian media's attempts to disparage Thailand. The fact that the man in question can't wait to get back to Thailand says it all really...

As soon as you hear "in my experience" or "i have found" you can be sure you aren't going to hear a reasoned argument - just someone's personal perspective - as they don't realise how limited this is it is basically invalid and pointless to counter.

[yogavnture]

except usa and possibly india. to say bkk has the best standards anywhere is not really accurate. depends on hospital and surgeon, that includes usa service., depends on hospital and surgeon

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

You might be right about local clinics, but the standard of care at hospitals in Bangkok is second to none.

[KissMyAxe]

Not really a fair headline, at first glance you would maybe assume another falaang bashing.... this could happen anywhere!

[Andrew65]

Travel insurance is the moral of the story.

Isn't travel insurance void during martial law?

Do you honestly think no one has been able to make a claim on his travel insurance since the coup took place? Or during any of the previous coups?

Obviously you need to buy coverage specific for travel that includes Thailand and that would not exclude personal accidents or illnesses unrelated to political unrest. You need to choose insurance that suits your travel needs, not just rely on something you may get if you use a certain credit card or brand of sun-blocker.

Am I still covered by my travel insurance?

Usually the imposition of martial law, or the usurping of power by the military, would invoke an exclusion clause in your policy – all bets are off. ...

At Travel Insurance Direct we think not, therefore we’re not applying the exclusion. We’re continuing to cover you as normal. Remember though, even before martial law was imposed you would not be covered for anything that happened to you if you went and sought out the protests and got involved. That still applies. Don’t deliberately involve yourself in the unrest.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/travel-news/martial-law-in-thailand-travellers-questions-answered/story-fnjjv9zn-1226924230435

Good advice. there were quite a few people back in 2010 who did the opposite, and regretted it!

[yogavnture]

he didn't need travel insurance for that wound. I bet he paid about 4000 baht max for that fishing line to be put in. what he needed was malpractice insurance

[madmitch]

Travel insurance is the moral of the story.

Isn't travel insurance void during martial law?

Obviously travel insurance is perfectly valid for medical treatment and any loss that is not a direct or indirect consequence of martial law. as I have been stating since day one.

Now will everyone believe me?

[JonnyMoz]

Wouldn't a tetanus jab and anti septic cream, and simply keeping the wound clean prevented this?

[bangkokbanks]

Who sewed him up, Ray Charles?

You got me laughing, I rarely chime in but had to for this. For those that have been around awhile we know med care in Thailand is great, I've been stitched up, my kids have too without any issues. To see the picture above, my God man, who the heck did that hack job? Someone needs to tell that poor sap it's not all that bad here.

[Burnleylad]

Kind of related but I recently came off my bike and completely smashed my little pinky up, lost a lot of flesh...saw the doc 3 times but the rest of the time have been cleaning it myself and taking antibiotics and it almost fully healed now...not one smigeon of infection. This guy was just very unlucky!

[cumgranosalum]

It is sad that people have blind faith in Thai healthcare - some pay the price for this, but few realise the risk they are taking.

this person had no option but to follow the course he did - he might have acted quicker when infection set in - but then most people are unaware of what the early signs of infection can be.

Drawing comparisons with procedural delays in other systems is not a valid argument - after many years experience inside the Thai healthcare system and talking to many foreign workers in major hospitals I can tell you that here are SERIOUS flaws in the Thai system. ........ Training and accountability being the foremost.

Don't think that just because there in ONE doctor there who is "good" means the system is good too - the whole system depends on ALL those working there - it doesn't even matter if they have the "latest equipment' if they aren't operating in correctly it doesn't mean a thing.

Personal experience is not valid - many people leave hospitals thinking it was great because they were "cured" - yet they don't have any idea of whether or not they got the most appropriate treatment.... or simply just lucky.

Thai healthcare is a lottery - the guy in the OP is an example of this - an elementary blunder by a Thai Medical practitioner that in any other country would have resulted in some form of official action is here regarded as "just one of those things"

[daveAustin]

didn't even read your whole post . thier are good hospitals and bad ones in every country. now im from usa. so I would go to mayo clinic in Minnesota with any real issue. otherwise I would want an English speaker, if I was in asia and needed real help I think I would strongly consider india. Thailand, not sure. depends on issue. remember one thing. all hospitals are selling services. buyer beware anywhere. including usa. but i want a surgeon trained in usa.

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

I have found the Thai Healthcare system to be far better than anything I've experienced in Europe. Plus all the doctors are from Thailand which is good as it stops any communication problems if you speak Thai..Although most doctors are fluent in Thai, English and possibly even a third language.... Last Year I spent over six hours in an A and E in England with a very sick four year old. The reason we were in an A and E was because the quickest appointment we could get to see a doctor in a local clinic was 9 days!! Eventually, when a doctor showed up he was a non native speaker who was barely understandable..The ward was full of drunk people and drug addicts! The hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer.The health system here really puts Europe to shame.And we have the audacity to refer to Thailand as a 'developing country'(some uneducated people even refer to Thailand as a third world country!!)

The article about the OP highlights the arrogance of the West towards other countries. It is a weak attempt at continuing the Australian media's attempts to disparage Thailand. The fact that the man in question can't wait to get back to Thailand says it all really...

'Hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer'? Eh up, another one's gone troppo. Look at the way they stitched him up, etc. Would you say that if you'd actually seen rats running around and wards totally open to the elements and roads?

You've never seen the myriad drunks, druggies and those on pesticides at all times of the day in Thai hospitals then? I've been to many, all over the country. What time of day were you in UK A&E? Only time I've seen drunks is on Fri/Sat nights? If the kid was seriously sick, you would have been seen immediately and get free ambulance service from anywhere in the country. Btw, don't be tempted to lump the UK health service into one barrel because of the experiences of one A&E in one hospital. That makes you sound very naive in trying to bolster your dead-end argument. There are some amazing NHS hospitals and you haven't even touched on the private sector yet which makes your rip-off yankee ones look like halfway houses.

[claffey]

didn't even read your whole post . thier are good hospitals and bad ones in every country. now im from usa. so I would go to mayo clinic in Minnesota with any real issue. otherwise I would want an English speaker, if I was in asia and needed real help I think I would strongly consider india. Thailand, not sure. depends on issue. remember one thing. all hospitals are selling services. buyer beware anywhere. including usa. but i want a surgeon trained in usa.

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

I have found the Thai Healthcare system to be far better than anything I've experienced in Europe. Plus all the doctors are from Thailand which is good as it stops any communication problems if you speak Thai..Although most doctors are fluent in Thai, English and possibly even a third language.... Last Year I spent over six hours in an A and E in England with a very sick four year old. The reason we were in an A and E was because the quickest appointment we could get to see a doctor in a local clinic was 9 days!! Eventually, when a doctor showed up he was a non native speaker who was barely understandable..The ward was full of drunk people and drug addicts! The hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer.The health system here really puts Europe to shame.And we have the audacity to refer to Thailand as a 'developing country'(some uneducated people even refer to Thailand as a third world country!!)

The article about the OP highlights the arrogance of the West towards other countries. It is a weak attempt at continuing the Australian media's attempts to disparage Thailand. The fact that the man in question can't wait to get back to Thailand says it all really...

As soon as you hear "in my experience" or "i have found" you can be sure you aren't going to hear a reasoned argument - just someone's personal perspective - as they don't realise how limited this is it is basically invalid and pointless to counter.

I thought forums were for posting your opinion and debating with other people??? I've been here over ten years now. I've been to many hospitals. My son was born here five years ago. I've heard many good stories about the hospitals here. We only read negative reports here because positive reports are not newsworthy. .. By the way thank you for your own personal perspective on my post. As it's your own view it is obviously also invalid and pointless. Seems to me you couldn't disagree with my view so you tried to disparage my post by calling it pointless!! Are you in a position to compare the Thai Health system with Europe's? This topic is about the Thai health system and one man's experience of it.(which was positive)...Your post contributes nothing to this debate...

[claffey]

didn't even read your whole post . thier are good hospitals and bad ones in every country. now im from usa. so I would go to mayo clinic in Minnesota with any real issue. otherwise I would want an English speaker, if I was in asia and needed real help I think I would strongly consider india. Thailand, not sure. depends on issue. remember one thing. all hospitals are selling services. buyer beware anywhere. including usa. but i want a surgeon trained in usa.

the moral of the story is to be aware of the dangers of the Thai healthcare system........... don't think because someone is wearing a white coat or they have modernist armchairs and a fish tank that these people are either trained to the standards you expect or even have the same ethics..........this is NOT just local clinics, this applies to major hospitals as well.

Whoever did that stitching needs to go back to their old job - making handbags

I have found the Thai Healthcare system to be far better than anything I've experienced in Europe. Plus all the doctors are from Thailand which is good as it stops any communication problems if you speak Thai..Although most doctors are fluent in Thai, English and possibly even a third language.... Last Year I spent over six hours in an A and E in England with a very sick four year old. The reason we were in an A and E was because the quickest appointment we could get to see a doctor in a local clinic was 9 days!! Eventually, when a doctor showed up he was a non native speaker who was barely understandable..The ward was full of drunk people and drug addicts! The hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer.The health system here really puts Europe to shame.And we have the audacity to refer to Thailand as a 'developing country'(some uneducated people even refer to Thailand as a third world country!!)

The article about the OP highlights the arrogance of the West towards other countries. It is a weak attempt at continuing the Australian media's attempts to disparage Thailand. The fact that the man in question can't wait to get back to Thailand says it all really...

'Hospitals in Thailand are much cleaner and safer'? Eh up, another one's gone troppo. Look at the way they stitched him up, etc. Would you say that if you'd actually seen rats running around and wards totally open to the elements and roads?

You've never seen the myriad drunks, druggies and those on pesticides at all times of the day in Thai hospitals then? I've been to many, all over the country. What time of day were you in UK A&E? Only time I've seen drunks is on Fri/Sat nights? If the kid was seriously sick, you would have been seen immediately and get free ambulance service from anywhere in the country. Btw, don't be tempted to lump the UK health service into one barrel because of the experiences of one A&E in one hospital. That makes you sound very naive in trying to bolster your dead-end argument. There are some amazing NHS hospitals and you haven't even touched on the private sector yet which makes your rip-off yankee ones look like halfway houses.

Actually I was in three different hospitals and at different times of the week. All of them were as I posted. I've been to over 20 Thai hospitals and they were in every way superior to the NHS. The NHS now diagnoses patients over the phone. I guess you could call this 'Englishness'!! Anyway, this topic is about the Thai Health System.The man in the article did not say anything negative about the Thai Health System. The stitches fell apart due to the infection and the wound opening up... The thousands of Medical tourists who travel here every year are a testament to the standard of the Thai Health System.People come here from around the world to have their medical problems addressed...I had a friend diagnosed with a tumor in his stomach last year. Within 6 hours the tumour was removed and Chemo started. He had made a full recovery after a few weeks... In Europe a simialr patient would be on a waiting list for months, allowing the cancer to spread around their bodies. This has happened to many people that I know. I advised some of them to come to Thailand but they didn't, mainly due to holding prejudiced opinions just like you...

[cumgranosalum]

Bacteria is different in Thailand? If it's 'stronger' it might just be down to the misuse of antibiotics regularly dispensed for colds and flu which are viral, and for almost anything else.

that's not how it works - it is down to incorrect procedure by the staff - and incorrect admin of anti-biotics - overuse of antibiotics doesn't have effects of individuals as such.

[papa al]

i always have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide at the house and with me when i travel.

just pore it all over a wound like water. very cheap. end of problem.

18 baht at Boots for a small bottle that fits in your pocket.

no sir - not always the end of the problem - you could have a nasty shock too.

Only if you pour the H2O2 on an electrical device.

[AleG]

I had a Thai doctor to once tell me that the bacteria in Thailand is not the same for farang as it is for Thai people.

Even the bacteria is against us!

I would interpret this as meaning that Thai people may have more of a resistance to bacteria that is present here in Thailand. That makes perfect scientific sense...

It does, it's the reason tourists get "Delhi Belly", or more properly, traveler's diarrhea; they are exposed and get sick from pathogens their immune system has not encountered before that do nothing on the residents that have developed immunity to them.

[yogavnture]

if u want a sex change then bkk is top notch in the world. but what do they do with all those penises when they chop them off? throw them In the garbage bin?

[thaibeachlovers]

Travel insurance is the moral of the story.

Isn't travel insurance void during martial law?

Not that old rubbish again! Travel insurance is OK in Thailand. If it wasn't I wouldn't have got paid out a while back. It would probably have to be directly related to martial law in some way to be denied.

And, I wish they would stop referring to tourists as 'travellers'. There haven't been any 'travellers' in Thailand since the first farangs got off the banana boat on Samui many years ago.

[thaibeachlovers]

if u want a sex change then bkk is top notch in the world. but what do they do with all those penises when they chop them off? throw them In the garbage bin?

You obviously have no idea as to how they do the operation, but they don't "chop the penises off". I'll leave it to any that want to know what really happens to google it.