Bangkok Hospitals and charges for foreigners

[mogandave]

If my experience at Bangkok Pattaya Hosp. holds true at B'Grad, there's the Thai price, the resident expat price and the tourist price.

Same (very high) pricing for all at Bumrungrad.

Their heavy utilization by wealthy middle easterners may explain why their charges have risen so high. They have a clientele that can readily afford it.

Personally I utilize them only when I want care form a specific doctor who is not provately accessible elsewhere. Which does happen.

I like bummer for most stuff (my insurance likes them) but go to Chula for my liver.

[defib]

If Bumrangrad now very expensive, what would be the best instead or does it depend on problem. Here in UK I have had three endoscopy procedures for stomach, bladder and colon. If I had these investigations in Bangkok which hospital would be best, and/or least expensive? I would prefer just to use one hospital for all health matters if possible, when fully retired there.

[Sheryl]

Unfortunately using one hospital for everything does not work well as it is the individual doctor who matters, not the hospital, and no hospital has the best specialists for all conditions.

The least expensive option is always a government hospital. In Bangkok, Chulalongkhorn University Hospital has an after hours clinic where you can see top specialists by appointment...but more red tape, waits and inconveniences than at a private hospital and you need a Thai speaker with you at least the first time to help navigate the system. You also have to do your own research to figure out which doctor to request, and this is easier at private hospitals which list doctor CVs online. But if willing to put in the extra time and effort, can certainly both save a lot of money and get decent care at Chula. It is a very large teaching hospital so would be rare that they would not have what you need.

Pretty much all the other private hospitals currently cost less than Bumrungrad. But Bumrungrad is still not bad if all you need is a consultation, and has a very large roster of specialists as well as the best and most detailed website lisitng of doctor CVs. It is when you get into procedures or, worse yet, hospital admission, that it gets really, really pricey.

The non-profits (St Louis, Bangkok Christian etc) cost less than the for-profits. However they have a smaller roster of doctors.

Never buy medications from the hospital pharmacies at a private hospital unless it is a controlled substance as mark-ups are huge. Most medications can be bought over the counter here, exceptions being narcotics, tranquilizers and the like.

There is no getting around the need to carefully research and choose the doctor you consult for a specific problem unless you are prepared to risk substandard care.

Health insurance is a must. Even if you solely utilize government hospitals, a serious illness/accident can run up bills over a million baht.

There are UK-based health insurance policies specifically for expats.

[mogandave]

Cigna in the US has a great expat policy, I had it for a few year.

Switched to BCBS, which is much slower, but cheaper and okay.

[ding]

We switched from Bumrungrad to BNH.

I had gone to Bummer since the hospital cards were done with an ink pen.

[Bantex]

In 2010, I had an operation in Bumrungrad to remove a large kidney stone with a 7 night stay. I was treated extremely well, English speaking doctors and nurses, my anaesthetist had trained in Birmingham, England. Cost was over 200K but my insurance paid for the lot.

[MUSTYJACK]

There are UK-based health insurance policies specifically for expats.

Could you provide names or links to reputable UK based expat insurance companies.

[Sheryl]

https://www.cignaglobal.com/ is just one of many

Google "UK expat health insurance" and you will find many more

Or work with a broker

[loppylugs1]

If my experience at Bangkok Pattaya Hosp. holds true at B'Grad, there's the Thai price, the resident expat price and the tourist price.

Do not know which category this fits in Near neighbour (farang) getting on a bit,well quite a bit, 80 next time around,needed hernia op,got a few quotes,military hospital 200 thousand baht,another BKK Pattaya at 175thousand baht,got one for India at 20 thousand plus cost of gauze,Thai wife did want to go with him to nurse so elected to have the 175k quoted at BKK. At his age he should go home,but nursing home awaits

Had bill for the BKK hospital after the op,almost twice as much as first estimate well over 400K,asked for itemised bill, turns out surgeon billed him twice at 66 k,but still hefty increase ,plus 1000 a day for new dressings for a month As he said the insurance quotes at his age are enormous

Yes have a few neighbours,another visiting a friend in BKK Pattaya hospital found he was locked in the room with his friend for three hours,before they allowed his release

[thaiduncankk]

https://www.cignaglobal.com/ is just one of many

Google "UK expat health insurance" and you will find many more

Or work with a broker

I looked at their website and got an extortionate quote online, and I am only 55.

Within 5 minutes, I had a salesman calling me from the UK, trying to sell me the policy !

I politely declined, then had to hang up, as he would not take no for an answer.

[mogandave]

https://www.cignaglobal.com/ is just one of many

Google "UK expat health insurance" and you will find many more

Or work with a broker

I looked at their website and got an extortionate quote online, and I am only 55.

Within 5 minutes, I had a salesman calling me from the UK, trying to sell me the policy !

I politely declined, then had to hang up, as he would not take no for an answer.

How much was it?

[thaiduncankk]

https://www.cignaglobal.com/ is just one of many

Google "UK expat health insurance" and you will find many more

Or work with a broker

I looked at their website and got an extortionate quote online, and I am only 55.

Within 5 minutes, I had a salesman calling me from the UK, trying to sell me the policy !

I politely declined, then had to hang up, as he would not take no for an answer.

How much was it?

Over 160,000 baht per year, without reading the small print about preexisting conditions etc.

[Sheryl]

Actually I find their rates quite reasonable, as long as you take a deductible and copay. Did you have a deductible and copay in your quote?

The phone call bit is annoying and unfortunately seems true of all the insurance companies...you can't get an online quote without inputting a phone number, and once you do, you get sales calls.

i have dealt with it by just typing in a string of nines for the phone number

[1FinickyOne]

Bumrungrad is beautiful but can get expensive... I have an annual skin check at CM Ram - the doctor is very thorough - I have had growths removed a couple of times and never remember it being more than $2-300 US... don't remember the price exactly but I always seem to walk out of there pleased with the service and doctor and thinking, wow, this was reasonable...

$5,000 seems like an awful lot in comparison...

good luck to you.

[Sheryl]

https://www.cignaglobal.com/ is just one of many

Google "UK expat health insurance" and you will find many more

Or work with a broker

I looked at their website and got an extortionate quote online, and I am only 55.

Within 5 minutes, I had a salesman calling me from the UK, trying to sell me the policy !

I politely declined, then had to hang up, as he would not take no for an answer.

How much was it?

Over 160,000 baht per year, without reading the small print about preexisting conditions etc.

That must be including outpatient cover, which is usually not worthwhile and always extremely expensive. Look only at in-patient policies (which will also cover day surgeries and procedures like colonoscopy, MRI etc).

You can get inpatient only cover for less than half that if you take a deductible.

Point of comparison: about US $2,500 for someone in their early 60's with a deductible of

$750 and 30% copay up to a maximum out of pocket of $5,000/year.

[gamini]

There are threads here singing the praise of Dr.Anna at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, about 1.5 hours from Bangkok.

I just had a basal cell carcinoma excised by her from my forearm this past week, and the total cost was ~B15,000, or about US$415. Including the time waiting for the operating room, I was in and out in about 1.5 hours, so you could return to Bangkok the same day.

Dr.Anna speaks fluent English and specializes in skin cancers.

It would have cost you one tenth of that at Siriraj. Bt1,500 for the same operation. Thats why I always go there.

[lopburi3]

Actually 15k is not a high price - my last such operation here in Bangkok was 30k and prior to that always ran 25k - but this is plastic surgeon pricing for a bit more serious SCC type. You can have a general surgeon remove for much less.

[mogandave]

I would have done it for Bt 150, that is one tenth of what Siriraj charges.