Most of you that keep in touch with me here and email know that I am visiting friends/clients of my life/relationship/health coaching. Needed a huge panel of fairly obscure blood tests plus medicine management negotion taking quite a lot of doctor time.

Total cost (foreigners) was a mere 3k baht. Mine, a smaller panel of tests and Parkinsons checkup was 290 Baht! Free hospital card and an address in the province then viola, ushered direcrly to the doctor and vampires.

I am amazed.

Which hospital please ?

Phonthong. You maybe can use Happy Bungalow as your address?

Are you saying foreigners pay more?

Do you have a "prakan sang kom" social security card for working here?

Just having an address doesn't give anyone cheaper treatment.

No, I am saying pay EQUAL as Thai. I paid exact same and I am on a tourist visa. Dr. visit is 50 baht!

I don't think they know about dual pricing around here, but this isn't exactly tourist central. So far I've only used the local hospital for a dental check up but I paid the same as anyone else.

EDIT: Typo corrected.

You can register at any government hospital and receive care for the same cost as a Thai.....nothing new.

Don't need an address in the province. As a foreigner (or for that matter any Thai) who is paying out of pocket, can go to any government hospital, any time. It is only for coverage under one of the government's free health care schemes that oen is limited to hospital that covers the location you live (or are recorded as living).

Most government hospitals do not have different prices for foreigners, exception being some that see a high volume of foreign patients and have gotten, shall we say, entrepreneurial.

Do not be deceived by the low cost of outpatient care. In a very serious illness or catastrophic injury, it is quite possible to wrack up bills of a million baht or more. Usually not at a provincial level hospital, but that is because they do not have specialty ICUs and much capacity for highly specialized surgeries, for which they they would refer you upward to a regional or national hospital.

Don't need an address in the province. As a foreigner (or for that matter any Thai) who is paying out of pocket, can go to any government hospital, any time. It is only for coverage under one of the government's free health care schemes that oen is limited to hospital that covers the location you live (or are recorded as living).

Most government hospitals do not have different prices for foreigners, exception being some that see a high volume of foreign patients and have gotten, shall we say, entrepreneurial.

Do not be deceived by the low cost of outpatient care. In a very serious illness or catastrophic injury, it is quite possible to wrack up bills of a million baht or more. Usually not at a provincial level hospital, but that is because they do not have specialty ICUs and much capacity for highly specialized surgeries, for which they they would refer you upward to a regional or national hospital.

Wow... good info. Sticky that, please.