Government concerned with foreigners being ripped off by Thai hospitals

[Time Traveller]

Agree with most of what has been said here and these are actual personal examples, not anecdotal:–

– My g/fs Brother had a growth in his neck which was getting larger (was about the size of a tennis ball in the end) and nothing the local hospitals could do, other than to give him iodine pills, seemed to help and his family was just about resigned to the fact that he was going to die. So we took him to Bangkok Phuket hospital, because I could not stand by and watch him die and we needed to get another opinion.

So my g/f accompanied him in to see the specialist, and to cut a long story short, after a couple visits and tests, he was found to have a benign tumour of the thyroid and an operation was suggested and the price given to her was around 80,000 to 100,000 baht.

When I accompanied them on the last visit and the nursing staff saw that a farang was going to foot the bill, it suddenly increased to 160,000 baht and when I queried this, the nurse said that it was because the surgeon had forgot to put their fee on the original quote. However we had the original quote and the surgeon’s fee was certainly on it. It was no more than a rip-off so I demanded the X-rays we had already paid for and went to another hospital and the whole procedure was done for just over 100,000 baht, this because there were unexpected complications.

That was about three years ago and he has been fine ever since.

-- At the opening of the Bangkok Phuket hospital colonoscopy unit, I enquired as to the cost of a colonoscopy and was told as an opening "offer" it could be done for 13,000 baht, this after I told them that I would foot the bill. When I turned up for the colonoscopy and the nurse asked if I had insurance, I said that I did and she said she would check to see if they would pay the bill, and this was confirmed. However a new bill was produced for me which exceeded 20,000 baht and after some embarrassing questions, I ascertained that it was loaded because the insurance company was paying.

– Being fair-haired, I am prone to skin cancers, several of which I have had removed over the years and I had one particular "growth" of some description growing in the corner of my eye so I went to Bangkok Phuket hospital and saw the skin specialist who said that she would surgically remove it and I would probably need to see the cosmetic surgeon to get it fixed without scarring and just the initial cost would be 11,000 baht plus the additional for the cosmetic surgeon.

I wasn't satisfied with this so I saw the skin specialist at Phuket International hospital who recommended I use Aldara cream for a period of about a month. So I did and the growth completely disappeared.

Total cost for the visit, inspection and advice, plus a couple of solar keratosis burnt off was 1600 baht.

It seems that all private hospitals will try to rip you off, some more than others.

I don't quite understand the logic by overcharging foreigners. If you have the choice to go to any country, why would the foreigners come to the highest priced hospitals in thailand? Maybe they are just taking advantage of the people that can't get visas to countries with better hospitals.

[Muzarella]

Very bad this posting just now is here....after I got problems with the bill on my first experience with a hospital, and exactly with one mentioned here. Was very clear that the hospital tooks advantage of AIA insurance, and was trying to do it with me too.

Hospitals here knows about prices of medical treatments in foreign countries, and use that to overcharge its services to us. Disgusting!

It happens the same in foreign countries, with every service connected with Insurance, and people pays that, in one form or another.

I hope the Thai Government will create kind of insurance for resident foreigners...like in some few countries with a lot of expats living at. Travelers, better to get insurance in country of origin...Will be another rip off...but in its own language.

[WhamBam]

Quoted 120,000 Baht for an operation that took the local govenment hospital 30 minutes and an overnight stay at a cost of less than 8,000 Baht, guess which hospital I used? During the overnight stay I had a massive asthma attack that was quickly dealt with using a nebulizer. That cost would have been added on by the original hospital and I hate to think what the total charge might have been.

The government hospital were concerned the price was too high too when they presented me with the bill. Needless to say, I hot footed it to the nearest ATM and drew the money happily for such a good service.

Yes the government hospital was not as clean, airy and as posh as the original 'international' hospital, but the staff were caring and efficient. The only reason I was not given a private room at the government hospital was because they were all full at that time. Maybe a blessing in disguise too as the other patients in the room got the nurses to me damn quick when my asthma attack started.

I feel this 'government' could do with making some more private rooms available at the state run hospital(s) where people like myself would be happy to pay an extra premium and the funds go to the hospital to help fund the poorer Thai and foreign patients. I believe it would be far better option than the prices quoted by the 'international' hospitals.

[BlackJack]

about time as the hospitals seem to have priced themselves out of the market

the medical tourist is now going to other countries for treatment or even getting it done in their own country

some hospitals openly sign things such as foreigners must pay 500 baht more etc.

then when it comes to take away medicine its much cheaper to buy on the street

I have a living Will so that hospitals cant drain my account before I die

[circusman]

Listen up folks, NO hospital requires that you use their services. You have no reason to bitch. Your not forced into anything.

[torpedo1970]

"Government concerned with foreigners being ripped off by Thai hospitals"

As everyone else is ripping off foreigners why would the Government be concerned only about the hospitals?

[Jim walker]

I use the BNH all the time for my own ailments and dental care and have had some family members having various operations and long stay and short stays at the hospital and I have never used insurance always found the service first class and the prices very reasonable, I think the prices should be judged by the quality of service you receive will dictate whether you go back again for repeat custom and if you feel you are ripped off you would take your custom else ware.

[Thai at Heart]

My wife's friend works for AIA and she spends a huge amount of time reducing bills submitted for claims. . The insurers know that the hospitals pad the bills which of course feeds through to everyone's premiums.

[cumgranosalum]

Agree with most of what has been said here and these are actual personal examples, not anecdotal:–

– My g/fs Brother had a growth in his neck which was getting larger (was about the size of a tennis ball in the end) and nothing the local hospitals could do, other than to give him iodine pills, seemed to help and his family was just about resigned to the fact that he was going to die. So we took him to Bangkok Phuket hospital, because I could not stand by and watch him die and we needed to get another opinion.

So my g/f accompanied him in to see the specialist, and to cut a long story short, after a couple visits and tests, he was found to have a benign tumour of the thyroid and an operation was suggested and the price given to her was around 80,000 to 100,000 baht.

When I accompanied them on the last visit and the nursing staff saw that a farang was going to foot the bill, it suddenly increased to 160,000 baht and when I queried this, the nurse said that it was because the surgeon had forgot to put their fee on the original quote. However we had the original quote and the surgeon’s fee was certainly on it. It was no more than a rip-off so I demanded the X-rays we had already paid for and went to another hospital and the whole procedure was done for just over 100,000 baht, this because there were unexpected complications.

That was about three years ago and he has been fine ever since.

-- At the opening of the Bangkok Phuket hospital colonoscopy unit, I enquired as to the cost of a colonoscopy and was told as an opening "offer" it could be done for 13,000 baht, this after I told them that I would foot the bill. When I turned up for the colonoscopy and the nurse asked if I had insurance, I said that I did and she said she would check to see if they would pay the bill, and this was confirmed. However a new bill was produced for me which exceeded 20,000 baht and after some embarrassing questions, I ascertained that it was loaded because the insurance company was paying.

– Being fair-haired, I am prone to skin cancers, several of which I have had removed over the years and I had one particular "growth" of some description growing in the corner of my eye so I went to Bangkok Phuket hospital and saw the skin specialist who said that she would surgically remove it and I would probably need to see the cosmetic surgeon to get it fixed without scarring and just the initial cost would be 11,000 baht plus the additional for the cosmetic surgeon.

I wasn't satisfied with this so I saw the skin specialist at Phuket International hospital who recommended I use Aldara cream for a period of about a month. So I did and the growth completely disappeared.

Total cost for the visit, inspection and advice, plus a couple of solar keratosis burnt off was 1600 baht.

It seems that all private hospitals will try to rip you off, some more than others.

"Agree with most of what has been said here and these are actual personal examples, not anecdotal:–" - they are anecdotal.

[cumgranosalum]

My wife's friend works for AIA and she spends a huge amount of time reducing bills submitted for claims. . The insurers know that the hospitals pad the bills which of course feeds through to everyone's premiums.

"My wife's friend works for AIA" - really?

[bikerbri]

Most of the doctors and surgeons working in private hospitals have their full time jobs in the public hospitals.The easiest way to find out if you are being ripped off by the international hospital is to find out the surgeons public hospital and ask them to quote a price.I have done this and was quite surprised how the price came tumbling down when I mentioned that I had an alternative quote.Never ever get an International hospital to prescribe you with medications,they will charge you double what your local pharmacist will charge.

[cumgranosalum]

Most of the doctors and surgeons working in private hospitals have their full time jobs in the public hospitals.The easiest way to find out if you are being ripped off by the international hospital is to find out the surgeons public hospital and ask them to quote a price.I have done this and was quite surprised how the price came tumbling down when I mentioned that I had an alternative quote.Never ever get an International hospital to prescribe you with medications,they will charge you double what your local pharmacist will charge.

doctors in Thailand are only obliged to work full-time in government hospitals for a few years after training....after that they can more or less do as they please.

[tancred]

Two nights in Petcharat Hospital.51,470.00 Bht,many items listed,met by a Greeter who gave us "good price"with discount,no food, Don't get ill in LOS. Think GF got kick back,

[bennyboy13]

Don't know what the big deal is. If you have no reciprocal Medicare and a tourist in Australia you also get charged and arm and a leg. Compared to the prices in Oz. Thailand is cheap

[FangFerang]

Headline should read: "Government Concerned Foreigners talking about Being Ripped Off By Thai Hospitals".

[cumgranosalum]

Don't know what the big deal is. If you have no reciprocal Medicare and a tourist in Australia you also get charged and arm and a leg. Compared to the prices in Oz. Thailand is cheap

that's not what they are talking about - they are talking about an ADDED cost aimed at foreigners for the same treatment given to others.

[bennyboy13]

Don't know what the big deal is. If you have no reciprocal Medicare and a tourist in Australia you also get charged and arm and a leg. Compared to the prices in Oz. Thailand is cheap

that's not what they are talking about - they are talking about an ADDED cost aimed at foreigners for the same treatment given to others.

Aha. Well that truly is crap then

[cumgranosalum]

Don't know what the big deal is. If you have no reciprocal Medicare and a tourist in Australia you also get charged and arm and a leg. Compared to the prices in Oz. Thailand is cheap

that's not what they are talking about - they are talking about an ADDED cost aimed at foreigners for the same treatment given to others.

Aha. Well that truly is crap then

would you care to expand on that?

[Xonax]

Just a few months ago, I went to a hospital to see a doctor, as my cronic migraine / headache / neckpain had gotten worse, or the migraine medicine i used to take had stopped working, or maybe even worsening the migraine. I asked about advice for better / different medicine and was as usual prescriped 4 or 5 different types of useless crap medicine. Furthermore the doctor suggested me to do a MRI scanning, which I refused, as I had this done in Europe years ago, and this suggestion was clearly an attempt to increase the profit for the hospital and the doctor personally.

For several years I have had a 35% co-payment in my insurance for back- and neck-pain due to previous conditions, why I yearly need to declare all doctors treatments, medications and suggestions. But due to the doctors greedy and reckless suggestion of a MRI-scanning, my health insurance now suddenly will not cover any neck-pain, shoulder pain and other neck / shoulder related symptoms, unless I submit a fresh MRI-report, which I definitely have no intention to do, as I feel absolutely no need for supporting the hospitals obvious scam. After visiting the doctor, I have later found, that the worsened migraine was caused by my my pre-diabetes and that I can minimize the migraines by keeping a strict low carb diet. But unfortunately my Insurance company didn´t care about that and keeps requiring a fresh MRI-report or no cover.

Also in the health sector of Thailand, foreigners are seen as walking ATM´s, so next time i feel a little sick, I should better go and visit the pharmacist in Boots instead of the hospital.

[losworld]

If they keep this up they will lose medical tourism to India in increasing amounts. The greed is insatiable here.

[flyingdoc]

Bumrungrad charge a deposit of 100,000 baht before treatment of any sort if staying overnight and then further charges on top. This far exceeds any charges at private hospitals in the U.K. !

[VINCENT2012]

at least ..........!

ok here is my testimony, it is a bit long (the story ..)but 100% true

http://www.dr.erawady-mitrabhakdi.sitew.org

http://www.muscleandnerveclinicbangkok.sitew.org

in my opinion after knowing all hospital from ubon and 4 of the famous one in bangkok

all hospital are more expensive than a 5 star hotel

all medecines, even an aspirin or a simple paracetamol pill are sold a crasy price

abuse in taking money for schecking your weight and blood pressure even when it is absolutly not necesary.

abuse in telling you to make mra and mri or what ever with machinery, only to make money with you

abuse in medecin given, no controll of it , you can ask what you want if you pay.

but the worst thing is that they are not profesional at all in general......for a heavy staff you better go back to your country because here it is only a matter of money.

it is called health tourism and the capitalism knows that it is an easy way to get rich or richer very fast without too much effort.....

the entreprise who will never bankrup are food , health and death business.....now you know where to invest!

Edited May 11, 2015 by VINCENT2012

[avander]

Private hospitals are one thing and not sure if I can argue their pricing but a certain city hospital in Pattaya told me they were charging me 2 times more than my previous visit on the basis they are a Thai only hospital! I hope the public system is also being investigated!

[domdom]

Hello

Personal experience..

Chao Pya hospital cardiologic checking.. nearly 30.000 bahts with exams included (we had all exams made one month before abroad but they insisted in doing all again).. Medicine.. 29.000 bahts for 3 months.. They were very upset when we refused to take them, refused to issue a doctor prescription to allow us buying in a pharmacy.. The doctor went down to the hospital pharmacy and told us the medicine was not available in chemistries (bullshit, we had checked before).. I finally got a copy of the bill with medicine names and costs.. I found everything in a pharmacy for half price quoted, more than this, there was a mistake in the medication.. One medicine abroad is 300 mg and here exists only in 150 mg.. The doctor had not doubled the number of medicine.. No comment..

Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.. Went to enquire for a simple skin consultancy.. I had some little stains to "burn".. Announced cost.. 1500 for medical checking, then minimum 8000 bahts and above to "burn" the stains.. I went to a dermatologist who has a private clinic and works also in memorial hospital..Very professional, and I am very happy with her job. I payed 1100 bahts including the medicine to take and apply during 8 days..

Bangkok hospital in BGK : very good eye specialist, all tests and exams including OCT.. 3300 bahts.. very reasonable..

No mistery why Bangkok Pattaya Hospital doesn't have an agreement with the french system but Bangkok hospital has..

I think the government should ask evidences from foreigners.. This would help checking how wrong things go sometimes..

Have a nice day

[VINCENT2012]

Don't know what the big deal is. If you have no reciprocal Medicare and a tourist in Australia you also get charged and arm and a leg. Compared to the prices in Oz. Thailand is cheap

that's not what they are talking about - they are talking about an ADDED cost aimed at foreigners for the same treatment given to others.

Aha. Well that truly is crap then

would you care to expand on that?

and normally "cheap" is synonim of "c.h.i.t".....food included!

[emilymat]

It is not only the sometimes highly inflated costs that happen at many private hospitals it is the prolonging of proper diagnosis and treatment that should be looked into. I was ill and in my own mind was sure it was dengue. Visited Bangkok Pattaya hospital. Tests were made, answer inconclusive. A few days later more tests again inconclusive. After a few more days doctor says better to check for dengue. Need to send blood to Bangkok for analysis as BPH can't do it. Will take a week. Week later confirmed dengue. Total outpatient cost over 9000 baht. Soon after friend was not feeling well and went to Memorial hospital. After an hour dengue fever confirmed and sent home with instructions on how to care for himself. Cost baht 500. BPH deliberately in my opinion prolonged diagnosis, lied about blood test all to make the bill as high as possible. On another occasion Memorial charged me baht 900 for eye drops available at Fascino for baht 25. Have yet to try new Pattaya city hospital but have heard good reports. Will most certainly boycott the two previously mentioned private hospitals.

Intersting.

Some years ago, before I lived here permanently, I felt unwell and visited a doctor in Pattaya (She was a Filipino and I had been advised she spoke perfect English, which is what I needed in order to explain how I felt).

Anyway, she took a blood test and almost immediately told me I had dengue fever and needed to be admitted to hospital. In a flash, there was an ambulance outside the surgery and I was whisked off to BPH. ( I could have walked).

After two nights on a drip I was discharged with a pretty high bill (Can't remember exactly as I had medical insurance as I was on 'holiday'.)

About two years ago I had the same symptoms and was told by a local Thai doctor (very friendly guy) and he said I was simply suffering from dehydration. Went home, bed for 24 hours with plenty of drinks and the next day I was fine.

Believe me, the symptoms were identical.

The lessons I learned.

Firstly I was told that there was a deal between the original doc and the hospital to send them farang patients.

Secondly, because many people feel anxious and vulnerable they tend to accept what is being told by the medical 'experts'.

Thirdly, a friend was in hospital for an infected leg. He asked me to check his bill one day when I visited him. The thing that stood out was 10,000 baht per day for an anti-biotic injection.!

Finally, although I am fit and healthy at present (73) I am leaving Thailand in September and returning to Europe. The main, overriding reason, is my fear of falling seriously ill, or having an accident, and ending up in one of these expensive hospitals and using up all my savings (if they were enough). If they weren't enough I may simply end up on a funeral pyre. Someone said, "Well tell the ambulance to take you to a government hospital". Sounds fine unless you are unconscious or on life support.

Can only get health insurance at 500 pounds per month, which I simply cannot afford, as it is a third of my income.

Not looking for sympathy just illustrating the practical decisions one has to take. It may be different for posters who come from north America or other parts of Europe, but at least we have a free health system in the UK, which I paid into for 48 years. I know it has its problems but it still exists.

[SiSePuede419]

Rule #1: Private hospitals are for people with more money than time & "common sense".

If you have both time and "common sense" then go to a GOVERNMENT hospital, take a book to read and wait your turn. Usually, out for around $5 or less.

PRIVATE hospitals are raw, unregulated CAPITALISM. It is their duty and OBLIGATION to rip you off as much as possible.

Doh, 555...

[balo]

I think it's the insurance companies that's causing the overpricing in Thai hospitals. It's been going on for years, as long as foreigners do not complain since the insurance is paying for most of the threatment , it will never stop.

[Dario]

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.

If he would really care, he would reinstate the "Health Card for Foreigner" which was scrapped last year.

[Kiwi1]

Some time back had major surgery (cancer of bowel and prostate) followed by radiation therapy and three years of chemo at the big government teaching hospital in Chiangmai. Hospital variously know as Sripat, Suan Dok, Sripat.

Have had other treatments including laser surgery for cataracts both eyes. Have also attended A & E for dog bite and abrasions after a bad fall. Through all this I have been treated with great skill, care, and kindness. Am very grateful for the care I have received and prices have always been very reasonable.

A & E very good and no waiting. Whole experience better than A&E back home where long wait unless matter urgent. And one often waits in the company of unpleasant drunks.

Have reported on my treatment to medical friends back in New Zealand and the reply has always been that if they are doing what they say they are doing it is best international practice.

Sure, you may have to wait to be seen for routine checks, but no problem. Just bring a good book.

Cannot recommend a private hospital nearby which misdiagnosed me and put my life at risk.

I do have basic accident insurance policy provided by a Thai bank. As an older person have never carried comprehensive medical insurance as costs too heavy. My major medical adventures in Thailand cost less than I would have spent on insurance over the years since I retired.

I did have the option of returning to New Zealand and having my hospital treatment for cancer free of charge under our national medical system, but the costs of setting myself up in a flat plus paying for a care giver and cleaner etc while convalescing would have been considerable, perhaps of the same order as the hospital treatment in Thailand.

As a side issue, if one is an older person, worth researching methods of making a dignified departure if seriously afflicted. If not prepared may not be able to proceed when the time is right.