Medical Emergencies for non-Thai speakers

[CMX]

Since SOS has gone, I've wondered how I might call out for help from the medical world. Only speak English, French, some German.

In my 70's now, and living in an all tiled floor, I live alone, never mind the intelligent dog I feed.

But suppose, I said to myself, I fell and broke a bone. Also suppose I have my smartphone with me?

I'm only looking for a source, not a debate, please. Just a suggestion for where I might phone to put in as a number.

[taotoo]

Tourist police maybe. Might be 1699 or 1155. Or maybe get the number for your nearest private hospital that has 24h A&E.

[stoneyboy]

You could take the number from one of the thousands of Doctors on Thai visa.

[cyberfarang]

It always amazes me just how many elderly expats there are living alone in Thailand that have no plan B if in the event of an emergency. You should always have contacts close to home but too many consider themselves too independent not needing anybody, that is until things go wrong.

Do you know any reliable Thai people that speak a little English and could act as an intermediary between you and the emergency services if circumstances arise when you are in need of assistance? What about Farlang acquaintances with Thai wives or Thai girlfriends you could call if need be? I would think this is a must in your situation. I certainly would not rely on phoning a hospital where some stupid 18 year old girl may answer your call and not understand a word you`re talking about. It`s also not the job of the tourist police to respond to medical emergencies and they may be interested or may not. Something to consider and should be taking seriously.

[Lowriesuzanne]

Wear your phone, credit card and $500 baht. Find a taxi service in English, keep the number. You need a maid who can feed your dog. I have a house "administrator" who has my keys, can drive my car, is an RN, babysits my dog, and who I call in emergencies. She administers the gardener and maid. She is paid $4000 baht a month to help me. She runs everything smoothly. She lives in my house when I'm away and takes care of my dog. I do not wear socks or house slippers in the house. Bare feet only. You probably won't slip if barefoot. She takes me to ram-1 when I run out of insulin. Bangkok hospital is closer. I should open an account there.

[gamini]

Tourist police maybe. Might be 1699 or 1155. Or maybe get the number for your nearest private hospital that has 24h A&E.

your nearest goverenment hospital will have an emergancy number. Nearly all doctors in Thailand speak English

[CMX]

Yes. I've asked the question foolishly, without location. Obviously a difference with regard to response time and facilities with English speaking 24/7 responders..

I live in Sansai, out off the old Alt. 1001 to Maejo, north of the 3'd ring road, nowadays called 1367.

I wish to thank those who have not been facetious. Thus, a closer and competent place would be better. (I'm pretty far from hospitals on the row W of the canal in town, but then I fretted about pain.)

The notion of hiring a mae baan has merit. I'm considering that as well. Many thanks so far.

[lostinisaan]

OP, you wrote that you speak some German?

Please call this number if there's an emergency. It's an institution that helps German citizens, but they'll get you in touch with the right people from your area: They also speak English and of course Thai.

OP, it's really sad to hear of one more foreigner who doesn't have anybody and living completely on his own. Why don't you go out more often and find some guys your age. I don't know where you're living, but I'm sure you';re not alone.

Best of luck finding some good people you can contact. Why not hiring somebody to get your place cleaned and to look after you. So many people don't have a job. And if you've got a problem she'll have the right phone numbers to call. I guess you're in Chiang Mai area, I've heard of some places where you could fresh up your German.

Social Help Bangkok:

Telephone +66 (0)2 287 3761 Mobil +66 (0)83 233 3622

E-mail: [email protected]

Pattaya:

Mobil +66 (0)91 729 4962

E-mail: [email protected]

Edited June 12, 2016 by lostinisaan

[cyberfarang]

Tourist police maybe. Might be 1699 or 1155. Or maybe get the number for your nearest private hospital that has 24h A&E.

your nearest goverenment hospital will have an emergancy number. Nearly all doctors in Thailand speak English

You can`t rely on that. Many doctors may speak English but it won`t be a doctor answering the emergency calls, also many government hospitals don`t man their phones 24 hour hour, it`s becomes up to the patients to get family, friends or neighbours to take them to the hospital.

[northernjohn]

Rajevej Hospital across from the Holiday Inn has ambulances. Carry their number with you I am sure that they will always have some one speaking English there. During the day they have a interpreter on staff

I once called the Bangkok hospital and got the operator shuffle and in the end they didn't know. A friend of mine went there got all the tests and they said he was OK even though he was still pissing blood then he asked to have a melanoma spot removed and he had to go to the Ram but he still had to give them 600 baht for that consultation. He got it removed for less at the Ram. Not that the money mattered he has good insurance.

I personally have people who speak Thai on my phone list I can call. You might want to consider carrying some sort of identification and residency in Thai with you. I am fortunate that I am in reasonably good health and chances are my Thai wife will out live me she is 17 years younger than me.

[Lowriesuzanne]

Good health can disappear in an eye blink. You and I need to write out instructions with phone numbers to instruct our administrators, spouses, or friends what to do while we are lying on the floor incapacitated. Printout and attach to refrigerator or frame and hang on the wall. My house administrator has an atm card that gives her access to my household account. Now how do I add funds to that account if I am unable to go to the bank? Hmm. I also need to add my son's name to my savings account and make out a notarized will. Also, I need to write down my insurance numbers and how to contact my insurance company. I've got a lot of work to do.

[Oscar2]

unreal. and some bad and inaccurate information. the number for help is 1669 not 1699!

i can't believe there are people who come to this country to live and don't have any Thai friends or acquaintances to help them in an emergency. it makes no sense at all. in fact i have heard that there are falangs living here who don't know ANY Thai people!

[Oscar2]

Tourist police maybe. Might be 1699 or 1155. Or maybe get the number for your nearest private hospital that has 24h A&E.

your nearest goverenment hospital will have an emergancy number. Nearly all doctors in Thailand speak English

You can`t rely on that. Many doctors may speak English but it won`t be a doctor answering the emergency calls, also many government hospitals don`t man their phones 24 hour hour, it`s becomes up to the patients to get family, friends or neighbours to take them to the hospital.

first of all, there is often no answer at tourist police ......so forget that. second, all doctors speak English and Latin - to an extent. it's the universal method for medical professionals to communicate. but you are right, you won't find them taking telephone calls. patients need family, friends or neighbors to help them in an emergency.

everyone should know enough Thai to at least make a telephone call in the event of an emergency! come on...

[uptheos]

Register with Dr. Morgan.

She will give you her SOS number and get help to you, or come out to you personally.

If you've got a tiled floor DON'T wear socks. Either bare feet or some kind of footwear

but just socks and you're likely to slip and break something.

[taotoo]

unreal. and some bad and inaccurate information. the number for help is 1669 not 1699!

i can't believe there are people who come to this country to live and don't have any Thai friends or acquaintances to help them in an emergency. it makes no sense at all. in fact i have heard that there are falangs living here who don't know ANY Thai people!

I was clearly referring to the tourist police, not ambulances - and also prefixed it with 'might be' - unreal.

[Trujillo]

It's important to remember to have someone you can trust totally have a copy of the key to your house. Preferably someone close to your in location. If you fall and/or are incapacitated, having the ambulance come to your house will not be enough if they can't get into your property because of a locked gate and/or locked front door(s).

Alternately, secret a set of keys somewhere near the front/side of the house where if need be, you can direct by shouting or by phone the location of the keys for aid to access your house.

[NancyL]

Some good advice about posting emergency contact numbers on the wall in your home and having someone your trust have a key to your home and also know the contact numbers. If you live alone, you should have a plan to "check in" with someone every day. It could be as simple as a phone call or email contact. You could fall at home and not be able to contact anyone.

Bangkok Hospital indeed has fully equipped 24 hr E/R and since the OP lives in San Sai, this hospital would be a convenient choice for him. He should go and have one of their health check-up screenings so they have some basic data about him in their computer. Also, he should take a tour of their hospital and perhaps establish a relationship with one of their doctors as his "primary" doctor. I use Dr. Apichart, a cardiologist who is good with patients who have issues with high blood pressure and cholestrol. Other friends like Dr. Atikun, a pulmonologist.

While Dr. Morgan, near Hang Dong is good, she's not very convenient for someone in San Sai and isn't affiliated with a hospital.

Excellent advise about having a "household bank account" at a local bank with an ATM card that one other person has access to. This account should have about 100,000 baht in it at all times because it may be needed to make a deposit at a hospital to get emergency medical treatment started. Even if you're in a coma, it's possible for a trusted person, even one without Power of Attorney, to get a Thai bank to release funds from your account for payment of medical bills. This simply isn't possible with foreign bank accounts, of course.

And while there are many advantages to living in the country, you may wish to consider if it's time to move into the city, perhaps in a condo or in a moo baan with other foreign neighbors who can look in on you. I know several people who made the decision give up homes in the country and to take up condo living once they reached their mid 70s. It's very convenient to be able to call the building security to come help or get help if you fall or have the maintenance people or housekeeping staff come pronto to fix problems.

[pogal]

unreal. and some bad and inaccurate information. the number for help is 1669 not 1699!

i can't believe there are people who come to this country to live and don't have any Thai friends or acquaintances to help them in an emergency. it makes no sense at all. in fact i have heard that there are falangs living here who don't know ANY Thai people!

Actually 1669 is for outside of Bangkok only (Narenthorn)

1646 is inside Bangkok. (Erawan)

They "should" be able to speak English. I have heard varying amounts.

These are government ambulance coordinating centers so depending on your condition you may get anything from a volunteer rescue car, to an advanced ambulance with nurses, EMT's or maybe even a doctor. These ambulances will come from government hospitals or participating private hospitals (normally low end private hospitals). The rescue vehicles will come from rescue foundations such as Poh-Teck-Tung or Ruamkatanyu.

You can then ask to be taken to the hospital of your choice. If you do not have insurance or money I would recommend Chulalongkorn hospital for accidents, they have a large and experienced staff with all the resources you need. Recuperation may not be so good. General sickness etc. also not so good. but then if you are unwise enough to not have insurance then you will have to take what you can get.

If you want to be assured of an advanced ambulance you need to call your hospital of choice BUT.... the problem is, they have limited resources and so if they are busy they may not be able to dispatch an ambulance quickly. It's kind of catch 22, call 1669 or 1646 you can be assured of a fairly rapid response but then the quality of service may not be adequate when they arrive. Sometimes when a rescue vehicle arrives it may decide to call an advanced ambulance from the government hospital to take over but then at least you will have someone there that can start CPR or help you in some way.

My personal advice is, "IF" you think you are having a heart attack or other SERIOUS problem call 1669 (if you live outside of Bangkok and 1646 inside Bangkok) and then call your hospital of choice.

When your life is at stake then I wouldn't be afraid to slightly annoy one ambulance service by calling both

Edited June 13, 2016 by pogal

[Trujillo]

Bangkok Hospital indeed has fully equipped 24 hr E/R and since the OP lives in San Sai, this hospital would be a convenient choice for him.

Actually, Thepanya Hospital would be closer.

[Paul Laycock]

I don't know if this is a worthy reply, I slipped, passed out and smashed by hip, it took me 10 plus minutes to crawl back to my mobile. I live alone and this is a real concern to some people. The outcome for me was I was able to get my sister in law to call an ambulance as I didn't know the emergency phone number. What is the number for emergencies regardless of where you are?

[NancyL]

Bangkok Hospital indeed has fully equipped 24 hr E/R and since the OP lives in San Sai, this hospital would be a convenient choice for him.

Actually, Thepanya Hospital would be closer.

They don't have a doctor on duty 24 hr/day and I'd have concerns about their English-speak ability in times of crisis.

[MadMac]

The general emergency hotline is 199, 112 should also work worldwide on a mobile phone. Your best bet however in a medical emergency is 1669. You can find the number on almost all ambulances if you open your eyes. It's a central dispatch hotline that will channel your call to all the rescue vehicles, ambulances, body snatchers and scavengers in your area.

As this is a commission based (private) business, first come, first served, they will rush to you like killer bees and arrive usually in less than 5...10 mins. You could of course also wait for any hiso ambulance from a hospital with golden water taps, your insurance pays for that, but perhaps you drop dead in the hour they need to reach and find you.

Worst advise is probably to call the German Rentner Club aka DHV in Pattaya to get you emergency medical services in Sansai.

[pogal]

The general emergency hotline is 199, 112 should also work worldwide on a mobile phone. Your best bet however in a medical emergency is 1669. You can find the number on almost all ambulances if you open your eyes. It's a central dispatch hotline that will channel your call to all the rescue vehicles, ambulances, body snatchers and scavengers in your area.

As this is a commission based (private) business, first come, first served, they will rush to you like killer bees and arrive usually in less than 5...10 mins. You could of course also wait for any hiso ambulance from a hospital with golden water taps, your insurance pays for that, but perhaps you drop dead in the hour they need to reach and find you.

Worst advise is probably to call the German Rentner Club aka DHV in Pattaya to get you emergency medical services in Sansai.

Where did you get these numbers 199 and 112 from? who are they?

Genuinely interested. Thank you. you can either reply here or PM me

[Ovaltine]

If you live in Chiang Mai, Lanna Care Net is very helpful. [email protected] or google for their website

[MadMac]

199 is the same as 911 in US, the Thai cabinet approved 911 also last year but AFAIK this has not been implemented yet. 112 is a worldwide GSM standard and "hardcoded" in the network.

[cyberfarang]

If you live in Chiang Mai, Lanna Care Net is very helpful. [email protected] or google for their website

Do they provide a service that expats can phone 24/7 for assistance to reach any emergency services?

[gamini]

unreal. and some bad and inaccurate information. the number for help is 1669 not 1699!

i can't believe there are people who come to this country to live and don't have any Thai friends or acquaintances to help them in an emergency. it makes no sense at all. in fact i have heard that there are falangs living here who don't know ANY Thai people!

Agreed. I don't know why they want to live here. I live here because I like Thai people. I have many wonderful Thai friends and never have any problems. They are always there to help me.

[thaiduncankk]

unreal. and some bad and inaccurate information. the number for help is 1669 not 1699!

i can't believe there are people who come to this country to live and don't have any Thai friends or acquaintances to help them in an emergency. it makes no sense at all. in fact i have heard that there are falangs living here who don't know ANY Thai people!

Agreed. I don't know why they want to live here. I live here because I like Thai people. I have many wonderful Thai friends and never have any problems. They are always there to help me.

Although I have Thai friends, and in general, I like Thai people, it almost certainly not the reason I live here.

[Paul Laycock]

gamini, Oscar2, hope you never have any medical issues, It was a simple question requiring a simple answer.

If you were to have a medical emergency and were on your own, what would you do. I suffered two strokes and can assure you the last thing your going to be able to do is prance about looking at Google or your phone for numbers that may or may not work.

So what is your contingency plan should this arise in the early hours of the morning let alone day time?

[NancyL]

If you live in Chiang Mai, Lanna Care Net is very helpful. [email protected] or google for their website

Do they provide a service that expats can phone 24/7 for assistance to reach any emergency services?

No, it's not a 24/7 emergency service. They can be helpful with problem-solving and helping to make you aware of resources and solutions.