Bangkok bomb blast: Compensation

[limirl]

I want to know if the hospitals will ask for your credit card first before they treat you. Isn't that the standard for treating all farang when they end up in the ER in thailand ?

[stickylies]

the compensation is a good thing. cynical farang no understand...

[Overcome]

I suggest PrBkk research the 800 odd firemen and other rescue workers during 9/11 who have died since the event and their claims before talking about accepted conventions during and after disasters

Be that as it may and I appreciate you aren't disagreeing with my previous comment - however you are talking about an event that occurred in the USA in 2001 ... this is Thailand in 2015. I know this might come as heresy, but what might happen in the US doesn't always create the precedent for the way things should happen everywhere else in the world. Let's get back to the issue that is being debated here - some people think that the Thai government is being stingy with the amount of compensation being offered to everyone injured or the families of those killed - but I don't agree and think it's quite in line with what would be expected anywhere in Asia and instead of criticism and trying to impose on Thailand what you would expect if this was Washington, London, Ottawa or Canberra offer some congratulations for the fact that this compensation announcement has been made quickly, and as far as I understand to all victims regardless of their citizenship.

[Overcome]

I want to know if the hospitals will ask for your credit card first before they treat you. Isn't that the standard for treating all farang when they end up in the ER in thailand ?

Yes, you are correct. No different to the way local citizens are treated.

If your point is hospitals are run as businesses in Thailand then I agree. But if your point is that we poor farangs get shafted and treated differently in terms of being expected to pay or show proof of ability to pay before being treated at private hospitals then you're wrong.

Try strolling up to a hospital admission desk in the US without a medical insurance card or other proof of ability to pay or make a security deposit and see if you would be treated any differently.

[mush78]

Hope they also have their traveling insurance also , Thai immigration should check tourist traveling insurance at check point

[Reigntax]

Well, the Tourism Ministry has just confirmed the " quality" tourists it is trying to attract. Those who earn $6 usd per day, spend $20 usd on food and accommodation and who value their life at a whopping $8,500.

And they wonder why the world looks at Thailand as some backwater cess pool.

Is that how the world views Thailand? I wonder if you're wrong...

International tourism rankings suggest Thailand is still popular: 2014: 14th, 2013: 10th. (Last year, 14th despite a military takeover).

I'm sure that Thailand will weather this storm. They've had a bumpy ride for years.

Yes, you are of course correct, not the whole world. Those who have yet to experience Thainess still consider it an ideal holiday destination where the friendly smile makes for an enjoyable stay.

Those who have experience, understand that smile exists because the next potential victim has just been found.

Of course a cess pool has it use also, as long as you understand its still a cess pool at the end of each day.

[silverado]

Here is a thing . I do not believe any travel insurance policy would cover this as they all have terrorism exclusion policy

exactly and now , i believe that it will become difficult to get a travel insurance for thailand hollidays... Edited August 18, 2015 by silverado

[silverado]

Well, the Tourism Ministry has just confirmed the " quality" tourists it is trying to attract. Those who earn $6 usd per day, spend $20 usd on food and accommodation and who value their life at a whopping $8,500.

And they wonder why the world looks at Thailand as some backwater cess pool.

Is that how the world views Thailand? I wonder if you're wrong...

International tourism rankings suggest Thailand is still popular: 2014: 14th, 2013: 10th. (Last year, 14th despite a military takeover).

I'm sure that Thailand will weather this storm. They've had a bumpy ride for years.

"International tourism rankings suggest Thailand is still popular" : less and less, man... less and less

"sure that Thailand will weather this storm..." me not sure , man me not sure... and thailand will become more and more stormy , i am afraid

Edited August 18, 2015 by silverado

[needforspeed]

Simple operation with 1 day overnight at a hospital Sukhumvit soi 3.

110.000 Baht.

Its a big joke, most foreigners should have insurance for Thai people i feel sorry.

You can't use Bumrungrad Hospital as a benchmark and then pluck an unsubstantiated figure out of thin air like this and not expect to be challenged for presenting a totally distorted example that supports your view without expecting to be called out for what amounts to deliberate deception. 110k baht for one night in a Thai hospital is no more representative of the true position as is the cost of a McLaren F1 a good guide to the cost of a typical car.

They should give them nothing less then the best.

[impulse]

It's not a function of whether the government is responsible. It's not about generosity. It's about damage control.

It's about the articles that will be written back home about the tourists stuck in Thailand because they didn't have the funds to pay the hospital after they were hurt in a bomb attack. It's about the campaigns to raise funds to help the victims leave Thailand, and the reminder of why they're in their bind.

For a country that depends on tourism for a large chunk of its economy, the cost of hospital care for the victims is a small price to pay against the goodwill gained by not having the tragedy replayed again and again as the victims' stories stay in the news- not because of the bombs, but because of the money.

And on a humanitarian level, imagine the stress of being in a foreign hospital and having to worry not only about the quality of the care, but how you're going to pay for it. Travel insurance may help, may not.

[Judo Chop]

Hope they also have their traveling insurance also , Thai immigration should check tourist traveling insurance at check point

Travel insurance has exclusions relating to incidents of terrorism.

So I don't think travelers would be covered.

[impulse]

You can't use Bumrungrad Hospital as a benchmark and then pluck an unsubstantiated figure out of thin air like this and not expect to be challenged for presenting a totally distorted example that supports your view without expecting to be called out for what amounts to deliberate deception. 110k baht for one night in a Thai hospital is no more representative of the true position as is the cost of a McLaren F1 a good guide to the cost of a typical car.

They should give them nothing less then the best.

The most expensive care isn't necessarily the best care.

[howzat]

Well, the Tourism Ministry has just confirmed the " quality" tourists it is trying to attract. Those who earn $6 usd per day, spend $20 usd on food and accommodation and who value their life at a whopping $8,500.

And they wonder why the world looks at Thailand as some backwater cess pool.

Is that how the world views Thailand? I wonder if you're wrong...

International tourism rankings suggest Thailand is still popular: 2014: 14th, 2013: 10th. (Last year, 14th despite a military takeover).

I'm sure that Thailand will weather this storm. They've had a bumpy ride for years.

Thailand is still relatively safe compared to other places in the world and is hardly viewed as a cess pool by the rest of the world and that opinion is confined to the single cell pond life that often post T.V. negative blogs about Thailand. Some times wonder why they are here at all

[howzat]

Not sure but doesn't travel insurance exclude terrorist attacks etc.

[NamKAheng]

Here is a thing . I do not believe any travel insurance policy would cover this as they all have terrorism exclusion policy

exactly and now , i believe that it will become difficult to get a travel insurance for thailand hollidays...

I ask my insurer, no problem to get travel insurance for Thailand right now, but no compensation for a terrorist act like the bomb in Bangkok.

[NamKAheng]

Here in Quebec, we have the Crime Victims Compensation Act that compensates for everything regarding the person, all expenses for medical (medical, pharma, ambulance, everything), lost earnings, even compensation for long term invalidity, and that is for locals or foreigners. Doesn't compensate for material lost like a car.

[needforspeed]

You can't use Bumrungrad Hospital as a benchmark and then pluck an unsubstantiated figure out of thin air like this and not expect to be challenged for presenting a totally distorted example that supports your view without expecting to be called out for what amounts to deliberate deception. 110k baht for one night in a Thai hospital is no more representative of the true position as is the cost of a McLaren F1 a good guide to the cost of a typical car.

They should give them nothing less then the best.

The most expensive care isn't necessarily the best care.

I did not mention most expensive one, i said best one.

What i ment to say is that any medical expenses should be covered, and victims should get exess to the best medical care available.

[konying]

Here is a thing . I do not believe any travel insurance policy would cover this as they all have terrorism exclusion policy

exactly and now , i believe that it will become difficult to get a travel insurance for thailand hollidays...

I ask my insurer, no problem to get travel insurance for Thailand right now, but no compensation for a terrorist act like the bomb in Bangkok.

Yep getting insurance policy is no problem, but the act of terrorism is an exclusion clause.

Any incident terrorism related would not be covered

[konying]

Here in Quebec, we have the Crime Victims Compensation Act that compensates for everything regarding the person, all expenses for medical (medical, pharma, ambulance, everything), lost earnings, even compensation for long term invalidity, and that is for locals or foreigners. Doesn't compensate for material lost like a car.

I think you may find it does have limit.

Medical is free in Canada, i believe.

In Australia, from memory victim of assault of knife attacks get about $5000. victim of gun shot gets about $10 000 and death i think around $15 000

While figures quoted by Thai government appear to be low, for rich Thai affected, they have health insurance which would pay for treatment at private hospitals.

For poor Thai, treatment is free anyway and money offered is actually large amount for them.

Because hardly any poor thai pay any taxes, it would be almost impossible to know if they even work or when they return to work.

So while not the best compensation package, certainly not the worst. Must look at money from Thai point of view, not from foreign point of view

[Prbkk]

Here in Quebec, we have the Crime Victims Compensation Act that compensates for everything regarding the person, all expenses for medical (medical, pharma, ambulance, everything), lost earnings, even compensation for long term invalidity, and that is for locals or foreigners. Doesn't compensate for material lost like a car.

I think you may find it does have limit.

Medical is free in Canada, i believe.

In Australia, from memory victim of assault of knife attacks get about $5000. victim of gun shot gets about $10 000 and death i think around $15 000

While figures quoted by Thai government appear to be low, for rich Thai affected, they have health insurance which would pay for treatment at private hospitals.

For poor Thai, treatment is free anyway and money offered is actually large amount for them.

Because hardly any poor thai pay any taxes, it would be almost impossible to know if they even work or when they return to work.

So while not the best compensation package, certainly not the worst. Must look at money from Thai point of view, not from foreign point of view

No. It does need to be considered from a foreign perspective. It is a simple matter for the govt to pick up the tab for those foreigners who have been injured, regardless of the cost. That is what should have happened....it's not complicated. "We will look after you" sends a very powerful message, a list of benefits with limits is a piss poor response ( however well-intentioned in the context of the thai bureaucracy)

[keemapoot]

Here in Quebec, we have the Crime Victims Compensation Act that compensates for everything regarding the person, all expenses for medical (medical, pharma, ambulance, everything), lost earnings, even compensation for long term invalidity, and that is for locals or foreigners. Doesn't compensate for material lost like a car.

I think you may find it does have limit.

Medical is free in Canada, i believe.

In Australia, from memory victim of assault of knife attacks get about $5000. victim of gun shot gets about $10 000 and death i think around $15 000

While figures quoted by Thai government appear to be low, for rich Thai affected, they have health insurance which would pay for treatment at private hospitals.

For poor Thai, treatment is free anyway and money offered is actually large amount for them.

Because hardly any poor thai pay any taxes, it would be almost impossible to know if they even work or when they return to work.

So while not the best compensation package, certainly not the worst. Must look at money from Thai point of view, not from foreign point of view

No. It does need to be considered from a foreign perspective. It is a simple matter for the govt to pick up the tab for those foreigners who have been injured, regardless of the cost. That is what should have happened....it's not complicated. "We will look after you" sends a very powerful message, a list of benefits with limits is a piss poor response ( however well-intentioned in the context of the thai bureaucracy)

I agree with you, and I suspect we will see a revision or "clarification" from the Thai government more along the lines you suggest. Otherwise, it does nothing but harm Thailand's stated tourism objectives.

[konying]

Here in Quebec, we have the Crime Victims Compensation Act that compensates for everything regarding the person, all expenses for medical (medical, pharma, ambulance, everything), lost earnings, even compensation for long term invalidity, and that is for locals or foreigners. Doesn't compensate for material lost like a car.

I think you may find it does have limit.

Medical is free in Canada, i believe.

In Australia, from memory victim of assault of knife attacks get about $5000. victim of gun shot gets about $10 000 and death i think around $15 000

While figures quoted by Thai government appear to be low, for rich Thai affected, they have health insurance which would pay for treatment at private hospitals.

For poor Thai, treatment is free anyway and money offered is actually large amount for them.

Because hardly any poor thai pay any taxes, it would be almost impossible to know if they even work or when they return to work.

So while not the best compensation package, certainly not the worst. Must look at money from Thai point of view, not from foreign point of view

No. It does need to be considered from a foreign perspective. It is a simple matter for the govt to pick up the tab for those foreigners who have been injured, regardless of the cost. That is what should have happened....it's not complicated. "We will look after you" sends a very powerful message, a list of benefits with limits is a piss poor response ( however well-intentioned in the context of the thai bureaucracy)

How many foreigners have been injured?

[Soutpeel]

I suggest PrBkk research the 800 odd firemen and other rescue workers during 9/11 who have died since the event and their claims before talking about accepted conventions during and after disasters

Be that as it may and I appreciate you aren't disagreeing with my previous comment - however you are talking about an event that occurred in the USA in 2001 ... this is Thailand in 2015. I know this might come as heresy, but what might happen in the US doesn't always create the precedent for the way things should happen everywhere else in the world. Let's get back to the issue that is being debated here - some people think that the Thai government is being stingy with the amount of compensation being offered to everyone injured or the families of those killed - but I don't agree and think it's quite in line with what would be expected anywhere in Asia and instead of criticism and trying to impose on Thailand what you would expect if this was Washington, London, Ottawa or Canberra offer some congratulations for the fact that this compensation announcement has been made quickly, and as far as I understand to all victims regardless of their citizenship.

Er I was agreeing with you and used the 9/11 thing to show that accepted conventions are not in place

[TommyUK1960]

My heart goes out to the victims of this bomb. The amounts given to the families are better than nothing but very feeble. I don't see any group or charity collecting to help these injured people. Yet when some disaster in Nepal they are fighting to give money away. Don't make sense to me.

[Seelow]

Insulting maybe, Did the US Government pay all the medical bills for the Boston Bomber victim?

I don't know, why don't you tell us all the details?

[Broken Record]

And they wonder why the world looks at Thailand as some backwater cess pool.

Well, nobody on this Forum will have to ask why you don't live or vacation in Thailand.

[MobileContent]

Incredibly insulting to injured persons. No way these amounts will cover even 20% of damages and out of pocket expenses for anyone....these injuries should be treated free of charge.

Get off the grass. This is a generous gesture and entirely in line with what Thai social welfare and medical benefits are. The Thai government isn't to blame for this event and they are under no obligation to have even done this. Now let's talk about whether there were overseas visitors who were victims who did NOT have travel insurance - in this case that's all they will receive, but that's the choice that some people make when they decide not to take out travel insurance ... And when you boil it down why should it be the responsibility of the Thai taxpayer to stand the cost of a foreigner who decided they didn't need or want to pay the travel insurance premium?

This was clearly terrorism and an act of war and Travel Insurance do not cover this. For the Malaysian, Singaporean and HK citizens they might have booked with a credit card their flights so they could get some cover. Terrorism and act of War are not covered so please don't start blaming now the victims.

[MobileContent]

Here in Quebec, we have the Crime Victims Compensation Act that compensates for everything regarding the person, all expenses for medical (medical, pharma, ambulance, everything), lost earnings, even compensation for long term invalidity, and that is for locals or foreigners. Doesn't compensate for material lost like a car.

I think you may find it does have limit.

Medical is free in Canada, i believe.

In Australia, from memory victim of assault of knife attacks get about $5000. victim of gun shot gets about $10 000 and death i think around $15 000

While figures quoted by Thai government appear to be low, for rich Thai affected, they have health insurance which would pay for treatment at private hospitals.

For poor Thai, treatment is free anyway and money offered is actually large amount for them.

Because hardly any poor thai pay any taxes, it would be almost impossible to know if they even work or when they return to work.

So while not the best compensation package, certainly not the worst. Must look at money from Thai point of view, not from foreign point of view

No. It does need to be considered from a foreign perspective. It is a simple matter for the govt to pick up the tab for those foreigners who have been injured, regardless of the cost. That is what should have happened....it's not complicated. "We will look after you" sends a very powerful message, a list of benefits with limits is a piss poor response ( however well-intentioned in the context of the thai bureaucracy)

How many foreigners have been injured?

Around 50.

[konying]

Around 50.

50 hospitalised ?

Edited August 19, 2015 by konying

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