Government concerned with foreigners being ripped off by Thai hospitals

[JOC]

Great.. the general cares at least, can't say I ever seen the previous government care about us.

He must understand that most guys that live here prefer him over the old government (except a vocal minority).

Of course hospitals rip of foreigners its common knowledge. Part of the reason why i got insurance.

With Costas on "medical leave" (there goes half of the "majority") someone has to speak for the general!!

Even you Mr One Eye Robbie must realize the Mr P's support here on Thaivisa is dwindling by the minute.

But I will give you 10 for effort..................

[soalbundy]

Recently had rotator cuff surgery at BNH in Bangkok. Initial quote was 360-400,000 Baht. When they found out I had insurance which would cover 75% and would be paid directly to the hospital the cost went up to just over 510,000 Baht. Nothing was covered up and they freely admitted that the cost went up because they had to deal with the insurance.

That's not much different from Germany, if you have private insurance they are allowed to charge the insurance 3 times what it would have cost under state insurance.

[rethaier]

It's a no-brainer. One price for all. And investigate the other rip offs also like national parks, tourist attractions and greedy Thai vendors of all kinds.

[jackanapes]

this has always been one of my favourite topics I am glad the government are holding an enquiry into hospital unfair charges whether there will be a satisfactory outcome remains to be seen the stock answer has always been we have to charge these prices in order to survive .

[soalbundy]

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I have gone to Bumrungrad for four times this year and found that everything cost me 20% more than last year. That's a big increase. Has anyone else noticed this? Maybe I should ask them for a discount. I have no idea what they are charging other patients or if their charges are standardized for everyone.

They have foreigner price for treatment at their international clinic. The most criminal hospital in Thailand.

but to be fair it is supposed to be the finest hospital in Thailand with a lot of specialists on call, they even do open heart and brain surgery. It's a bit like buying a Rolls Royce, they charge over the limit because they can.

Edited May 11, 2015 by soalbundy

[SOTIRIOS]

....better make a much longer list than JUST hospitals...

[hugh2121]

Not long ago I went to a major hospital in Pattaya (I suppose I can't say the name due to some bizarre rules in this country) for a zona (herpes zoster). The doctor was extremely unpleasant (not the point here I know) but he diagnosed it right away (good on him) and checked with an immediate lab test. So far so good (almost).

Then I was sent to pay the bill and get the medicine, which is acyclovir 800 made in Thailand by Vilerm.

- Physician's evaluation : 800. Not cheap but similar to other places.

- Laboratory : 200. I'd say very reasonable.

- As for the medicine itself... they sold me 30 tablets at 2250 bahts. That's 75 bahts a pop. I paid because I didn't know but next time I went to my favourite pharmacy in Jomtien I asked her if she sold that drug too. Yes she does, it's exactly the same brand, same dosage, same everything ... except she sells it for 26 bahts a pill.

So clearly the hospital ripped me off by selling me a drug at three times its normal price.

The thing is we foreigners tend to not imagine for one second that a hospital would do that, which turns us into ideal cash cows : we pay without giving it a second thought. But hospitals here can rip you off big time, especially in tourist areas, and they will, so my advice is keep your eyes open and compare prices whenever you can.

Never buy your meds from any hospital. Demand name and dosage of med from doc and buy from pharmacy. Have you seen what they charge for Tylenol? Prescribed for everything.

[victor70]

Great that the General gives attention to this again corruptive behaviour...but too litle too late: 3 out of 4 Belgian Insurance organisations stop covering medical expenses in Thailand as from January 2015. Last year a friend of me was charged 4 times more in Thailand than in Belgium..."Thainess" again...

If Thai continue doing this, many farang will leave and spend their money elsewhere, instead of building a house here, support a family and pay for education of Thai children.

I know BHP hospital from when they started, at that time here bills where normal but as they started to grow big they get more expensive.

Been to a neurologist just chake hand been there about 5 minutes bill 1,200 Bhat

my hart-specialist he is no more interested in me because Ben old 72 years visited max 5 minutes 1,000 Bhat

this they think this is client service my a...

my doctor in Belgium hake care for is patient

Here it is in & out as quick as possible

[riverhigh]

Just three months ago I had to have minor surgery and of course I asked at one of the International hospitals in Bangkok how much it would cost.

I was quoted 300,000 Baht for the surgery, with one night in hospital. Thinking it was a quite expensive, I asked at a well known Thai hospital how much they would charge. They quoted 90,000 Baht for the same operation.

I accepted the second hospital and a few days later the International hospital called me to ask if I was interested in the operation. I told them that I had received a better offer. The woman asked if I lived in Thailand (the whole conversation was in Thai!). When I replied that I did, her reply was “Oh, then we can give you a better price.” and went down to 150,000 baht.

I had the operation at the second hospital and was very pleased with everything.

No more International hospitals in Bangkok for me.

Re: I told them that I had received a better offer. The woman asked if I lived in Thailand (the whole conversation was in Thai!). When I replied that I did, her reply was “Oh, then we can give you a better price.” and went down to 150,000 baht.

The whole conversation in Thai ..... I think that was the major factor in lowering the price ... Falang live in Thailand long time, Falang go to public hospital.

[Christie Paul]

Elective procedures can be obtained very reasonably - but if you're vulnerable and in a compromised state, its another matter entirely.

The international reputation of the Thai medical system was pristine - it now has a status comparable to that of the Ukrainian mafia.

[kiwikeith]

Should this not be done while also looking at what costs are to locals as well as underlying costs to hospitals. Since the data is so similar and would give a better picture of costs if public health if correlated with numbers of each type of visit or stay.

Exactly! I myself have been very well treated by the Thai public system it is the private ones that rip like San Paulo and Bummingrad.

There is also a level of rip in the public system.

I did some voluntary work to help Thais with HIV and even though medication is free to Thai nationals they kicked patients out of some public hospitals and refused them medication.

I found a well educated Thai Dr and he sent the patient on to another hospital and he was provided medication free.

Money , money ,money but only for those in greed.

[SCARLETIBIS1]

I can only comment on our own personal experience with private Thai hospitals and coincidentally that was today.

My wife woke up this morning and found blood in her urine on her first toilet call. We promptly visited Bangkok Hospital in PHS and the service was efficient, friendly and affordable.

In and out of the hospital within forty-five minutes and all for 1300 baht, which included consultation and antibiotics. No requirement to fall back on our travel insurance for such a reasonable amount.

If we want to talk about expensive private treatment in the UK then we can talk all day. Thailand comes no where near.

I am privately covered by my employer in the UK and no way could I afford it without their generosity.

So you paid 1300 baht to tell someone your good lady wife had blood during her toilet break in the morning. They gave her some tablets and 45 minutes after arriving you left.

You should have gone to Boots they would have given you the same tablets for 200 baht.

That is a good point. Never buy the drugs from the hospital pharmacy. It is always a rip off. I also recommend you always add up the charges. More than likely their adding machines don't work properly. I have caught different hospitals twice charging me more than the items added up to not including the bogus charges.

[robblok]

Great.. the general cares at least, can't say I ever seen the previous government care about us.

He must understand that most guys that live here prefer him over the old government (except a vocal minority).

Of course hospitals rip of foreigners its common knowledge. Part of the reason why i got insurance.

With Costas on "medical leave" (there goes half of the "majority") someone has to speak for the general!!

Even you Mr One Eye Robbie must realize the Mr P's support here on Thaivisa is dwindling by the minute.

But I will give you 10 for effort..................

That explains why the topics that are ant redshirt get loads of likes and your post never come close to them.

But tell me in all seriousness what has the previous government ever tried to to for us foreigners ?

This is the first time I ever see us getting a helping hand.

Actually this government has done so much more governing this country then the previous government ever did. Sure the guy has a short fuse (real bad thing) and I don't agree with everything but all in all this is a blessing for this country. All the dirt of the Shins gets dug up and action is taken onto so many fronts its amazing. Now I agree that there should be more follow up.. its a Thai thing not to follow up I guess.

Taxi's are finally held accountable (or at least a lot more as before) many other things too while the previous government was only busy getting Mr T back and stealing from Thailand with all their scrams.

Now this.. foreigners on the agenda.. During dr T his reign the 90 days reporting got instated again.. we all hate that. Prayut made sure we can do it online.. who do you prefer.. the guy that makes it harder for us .. or the one that makes it better.

[gandalf12]

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Everyone else in Thailand is ripping of foreigners!!

So why not the hospitals??

As we all are aware "health-care" in Thailand is all about money!!

Just read BP today, cover story about the local Florence Nightingales ripping of their own senior citizens!!

No limits to the greed!!

Name a country were it isnt about the money? the costs in Canda are ridiculous. I had a 10 minute chat to fill in a form for a medical there and it cost C$250 (about Baht 7,000). No examination just ticking the boxes

[recycler]

This should be an argument between the insurance companies and the hospitals.

BPH is banned by several foreign health insureres.

The issue is that there is no way foreign insurance companies can negotiate prices with Thai commercial hospitals. So the only think they can do is tell their customers to go somewhere else, but that will lead to unsatisfied customers.

These systems work within countries where the insurance companies represent the majority of the domestic customers.

It's similar to the US where foreign insurers have people running around only to negotiate prices with hospitals, probably that would be an option in Thailand too, if they don't do it already.

[SCARLETIBIS1]

Great.. the general cares at least, can't say I ever seen the previous government care about us.

He must understand that most guys that live here prefer him over the old government (except a vocal minority).

Of course hospitals rip of foreigners its common knowledge. Part of the reason why i got insurance.

With Costas on "medical leave" (there goes half of the "majority") someone has to speak for the general!!

Even you Mr One Eye Robbie must realize the Mr P's support here on Thaivisa is dwindling by the minute.

But I will give you 10 for effort..................

That explains why the topics that are ant redshirt get loads of likes and your post never come close to them.

But tell me in all seriousness what has the previous government ever tried to to for us foreigners ?

This is the first time I ever see us getting a helping hand.

Actually this government has done so much more governing this country then the previous government ever did. Sure the guy has a short fuse (real bad thing) and I don't agree with everything but all in all this is a blessing for this country. All the dirt of the Shins gets dug up and action is taken onto so many fronts its amazing. Now I agree that there should be more follow up.. its a Thai thing not to follow up I guess.

Taxi's are finally held accountable (or at least a lot more as before) many other things too while the previous government was only busy getting Mr T back and stealing from Thailand with all their scrams.

Now this.. foreigners on the agenda.. During dr T his reign the 90 days reporting got instated again.. we all hate that. Prayut made sure we can do it online.. who do you prefer.. the guy that makes it harder for us .. or the one that makes it better.

You know, it is easy to say you care or you are concerned here. Every time a Thai runs me over he/she says they are sorry. I doubt they know the meaning of the word. Someone once told me it isn't what you say, it is what you DO. Hope the good general knows the difference but I wouldn't hold my breath. This is LOS (S doesn't mean smiles fools) LOL

[kinmaew]

Sounds like a great place to live and invest my life savings!!

[recycler]

Great.. the general cares at least, can't say I ever seen the previous government care about us.

He must understand that most guys that live here prefer him over the old government (except a vocal minority).

Of course hospitals rip of foreigners its common knowledge. Part of the reason why i got insurance.

With Costas on "medical leave" (there goes half of the "majority") someone has to speak for the general!!

Even you Mr One Eye Robbie must realize the Mr P's support here on Thaivisa is dwindling by the minute.

But I will give you 10 for effort..................

That explains why the topics that are ant redshirt get loads of likes and your post never come close to them.

But tell me in all seriousness what has the previous government ever tried to to for us foreigners ?

This is the first time I ever see us getting a helping hand.

Actually this government has done so much more governing this country then the previous government ever did. Sure the guy has a short fuse (real bad thing) and I don't agree with everything but all in all this is a blessing for this country. All the dirt of the Shins gets dug up and action is taken onto so many fronts its amazing. Now I agree that there should be more follow up.. its a Thai thing not to follow up I guess.

Taxi's are finally held accountable (or at least a lot more as before) many other things too while the previous government was only busy getting Mr T back and stealing from Thailand with all their scrams.

Now this.. foreigners on the agenda.. During dr T his reign the 90 days reporting got instated again.. we all hate that. Prayut made sure we can do it online.. who do you prefer.. the guy that makes it harder for us .. or the one that makes it better.

No Thai government cares about foreigners, they care about the money coming in.

Another illusion is that corruption would be less under a different government, the money is just diverted to other pockets.

Just count you blessings if at least your Thai wife cares for you!

[razer]

The title should read Tourists, not foreigners. There are many foreigners living here that are never ripped off by hospitals.

The only one ever to rip me off was Bamrungrad, but they rip off Thais and foreigners.

Same here. Had major surgery for hernia at St Louis ,,, surgeon and anesthesiologist excellent ... total cost with private room 58,000 baht. Went to Bummer-grad to have a small skin cancer removed in a 30 minute procedure and it cost 30,000 baht. I had insurance in both cases.

[trogers]

Sounds like a great place to live and invest my life savings!!

Yup! Just don't get sick...

[jackanapes]

a favourite topic of mine hospital over charging this practice has been in effect as long as I can remember and a government enquiry is long overdue at the end of the day I cant see any changes because the stock answer has always been we have to charge these prices in order to survive .

[cumgranosalum]

Most of the comments here are simply subjective or anecdotal. if the Thai authorities actually do a proper investigation it would of course be helpful as it is quite clear that no-one actually knows what the whole picture is in Thailand - this in itself is a very damning indictment of the way the Thai healthcare system is run.

however, as I said before it remains to be seen if a reliable report will be the outcome...on previous form, this would look doubtful.

Members may remember a few years back that the Abhisit government tried to bring in some customer rights legislation ...... this was greeted by a protest of doctors who wore black armbands suggesting it would restrict their ability to work effectively.......despite the fact that the regulations were similar to most successful healthcare systems in Europe.

If this is anything to go by, any inquiry into how hospitals are run - especially the lucrative private sector - will be met with stonewalling and lack of transparency.

[soalbundy]

Great.. the general cares at least, can't say I ever seen the previous government care about us.

He must understand that most guys that live here prefer him over the old government (except a vocal minority).

Of course hospitals rip of foreigners its common knowledge. Part of the reason why i got insurance.

With Costas on "medical leave" (there goes half of the "majority") someone has to speak for the general!!

Even you Mr One Eye Robbie must realize the Mr P's support here on Thaivisa is dwindling by the minute.

But I will give you 10 for effort..................

That explains why the topics that are ant redshirt get loads of likes and your post never come close to them.

But tell me in all seriousness what has the previous government ever tried to to for us foreigners ?

This is the first time I ever see us getting a helping hand.

Actually this government has done so much more governing this country then the previous government ever did. Sure the guy has a short fuse (real bad thing) and I don't agree with everything but all in all this is a blessing for this country. All the dirt of the Shins gets dug up and action is taken onto so many fronts its amazing. Now I agree that there should be more follow up.. its a Thai thing not to follow up I guess.

Taxi's are finally held accountable (or at least a lot more as before) many other things too while the previous government was only busy getting Mr T back and stealing from Thailand with all their scrams.

Now this.. foreigners on the agenda.. During dr T his reign the 90 days reporting got instated again.. we all hate that. Prayut made sure we can do it online.. who do you prefer.. the guy that makes it harder for us .. or the one that makes it better.

You know, it is easy to say you care or you are concerned here. Every time a Thai runs me over he/she says they are sorry. I doubt they know the meaning of the word. Someone once told me it isn't what you say, it is what you DO. Hope the good general knows the difference but I wouldn't hold my breath. This is LOS (S doesn't mean smiles fools) LOL

The general needs the brownie points

[soalbundy]

Most of the comments here are simply subjective or anecdotal. if the Thai authorities actually do a proper investigation it would of course be helpful as it is quite clear that no-one actually knows what the whole picture is in Thailand - this in itself is a very damning indictment of the way the Thai healthcare system is run.

however, as I said before it remains to be seen if a reliable report will be the outcome...on previous form, this would look doubtful.

Members may remember a few years back that the Abhisit government tried to bring in some customer rights legislation ...... this was greeted by a protest of doctors who wore black armbands suggesting it would restrict their ability to work effectively.......despite the fact that the regulations were similar to most successful healthcare systems in Europe.

If this is anything to go by, any inquiry into how hospitals are run - especially the lucrative private sector - will be met with stonewalling and lack of transparency.

I think all health care systems in Europe lose money and are supported with tax money. The Bat Tong or 30 Baht system costs the hospitals a lot of money,one way of making up the loss is to charge high prices for private patients so obviously the doctors do't want any changes there which i can understand. I have heard good reports from farangs who have gone to government hospitals, very cheap.

[likeaking]

Many hospitals in Thailand have a three tier billing system wherein Thais pay the lowest, resident foreigners pay more and tourists pay the most. If you're an expat, show them your passport with the appropriate stamp and your bill will likely be less.

Of course a local pharmacy will charge a fraction of what a hospital does. It costs money to build and staff a hospital. A physician has to prescribe the medication, a pharmacists has to dispense it and a nurse has to administer the medication and all of this has to be recorded and records kept. Also, beware purchasing refrigerated medications from local pharmacies. I was given a prescription for antibiotics, ones to be kept refrigerated, and went to two local pharmacies. When I handed the pharmacists the prescription they would pluck the medication off the shelf in the shop. Both times the medication was manufactured one year prior and the expiration date was one year hence. But one year of being unrefrigerated renders the medication useless, if not dangerous.

No one likes to get ripped. At the same time, pinching baht on health car is false economy.

[trogers]

Most of the comments here are simply subjective or anecdotal. if the Thai authorities actually do a proper investigation it would of course be helpful as it is quite clear that no-one actually knows what the whole picture is in Thailand - this in itself is a very damning indictment of the way the Thai healthcare system is run.

however, as I said before it remains to be seen if a reliable report will be the outcome...on previous form, this would look doubtful.

Members may remember a few years back that the Abhisit government tried to bring in some customer rights legislation ...... this was greeted by a protest of doctors who wore black armbands suggesting it would restrict their ability to work effectively.......despite the fact that the regulations were similar to most successful healthcare systems in Europe.

If this is anything to go by, any inquiry into how hospitals are run - especially the lucrative private sector - will be met with stonewalling and lack of transparency.

Perhaps a few doctors wearing black armbands before a firing squad would collapse those stonewalls?

[Neeranam]

Why is it OK to overcharge foreigners 10 times at national parks while hospitals can't overcharge us?

Is that pure Thainess?

They don't, they give residents(including foreigners) discount like most countries, certainly my one, UK an America.

[Neeranam]

Why is it OK to overcharge foreigners 10 times at national parks while hospitals can't overcharge us?

Is that pure Thainess?

They don't, they give residents(including foreigners) discount like most countries, certainly my one, UK an America.

[straylight]

Get insurance and let them deal with the bill. To not have medical insurance out here is just stupid.

[natway09]

The general standard of health care in most private hospitals is certainly as good as most countries in the world.

Certainly not 3rd world treatment as 2 replies have mentioned. The eye hospital in Asoke has Singaporeans attending rather than

use the local one in Singapore, cheaper & better they say,

There may be a few of the "Hi So" hospitals overcharging like as mentioned Bumrungrad but they rip everybody off.

For you in Pattaya Memorial's charges are very attractive & they certainly know what they are doing