Medical Emergencies for non-Thai speakers

[cyberfarang]

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?

CMX asked a simple question and he received simple answers. Most of us don`t need contingency plans because we either live with a Thai partner, wife or girlfriend, gay partner whatever of have people we can contact if such emergencies should arise.

Everybody is responsible for their own well being and should have foresight enough to make arrangements and have assistance at hand if they require it, especially in a country where English is not the first language and where to contact at what times, which can be confusing and bewildering.

There is a company called, Chiang Mai Buddy that claim they can assist Chiang Mai expats with anything, well, almost anything anyway, for a fee of course. Their site address, http://chiangmaibuddy.com/

I have no ways of knowing if this company is good or not but it maybe a good idea that CMX and others in similar situations contact them to see what they have on offer.

[falang khinok]

Well in Europe it is quiet common for old people to live on their own not even knowing their neighbours and if I read some comments here about some gf/wife's (raiding the account selling the house ? once u away in hospital etc ) I think the guy is better off by himself with a dog ( a true friend often better than any human can be ) in Europe there is a kind of emergency bottom they can wear if they fall ? unable to get up they press that bottom ( it works like a little cell phone ? )and immediately are connected to the emergency service they have signed up with. who know them have keys etc. so they come in no time helping out also u have to call ? regularly if not they call ? in checking up if uare still ok ) I wonder if something like this is available here in the big cities.???

In germany The Red Cross and others offer such services

[falang khinok]

Since sos is gone ??????/

Check this link.

https://www.internationalsos.com/locations/asia-pacific/thailand

[coppywriter]

There is an app

BES i lert u

I have it on my iPhone. You can call an ambulance with just one click. It has a tracking system to find you if you can't speak for any reason.

[Kabula]

I suggest you register at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai and visit a doctor there to have a record. The hospital provides excellent emergency service with experienced emergency doctors always on duty.

I was before treated at Ram Hospital but went to ask for a second opinion at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai.

When as emergency occurred my wife who is Thai called Ram Hospital to ask for help and was told to bring me to the hospital. They didn't have an ambulance available.

She then called Bangkok Hospital who was very helpful and after some guidance sent an ICU ambulance with an emergency doctor and two male nurses to pick me up, treatment started at my home and all the way to the hospital.

The staff at Bangkok Hospital speak good English much better than Ram Hospital.

I have a good medical insurance which covered all the cost.

Wishing you good health and happiness.

I personally registered at 4 hospitals in Bangkok and gave them copies of my International major med policy.

This way in case of an emergency I can go to the closest hospital and not waste a lot of time filling out forms.

Having served in the military I keep one dog tag on my key chain to identify my blood type and they can identify me in case I forget my wallet. I do carry copies of my passport, retirement visa extension, last entry stamp, and 90 day report confirmation. Also, I carry my Thai drivers license.

I always ask Thai women that I meet that are fluent in English for their phone number and put it in my cell phone in case I need a translator or a part time nurse! I always pay them for their time! Grin...

Edited June 13, 2016 by Kabula

[NancyL]

I suggest you register at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai and visit a doctor there to have a record. The hospital provides excellent emergency service with experienced emergency doctors always on duty.

I was before treated at Ram Hospital but went to ask for a second opinion at Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai.

When as emergency occurred my wife who is Thai called Ram Hospital to ask for help and was told to bring me to the hospital. They didn't have an ambulance available.

She then called Bangkok Hospital who was very helpful and after some guidance sent an ICU ambulance with an emergency doctor and two male nurses to pick me up, treatment started at my home and all the way to the hospital.

The staff at Bangkok Hospital speak good English much better than Ram Hospital.

I have a good medical insurance which covered all the cost.

Wishing you good health and happiness.

I personally registered at 4 hospitals in Bangkok and gave them copies of my International major med policy.

This way in case of an emergency I can go to the closest hospital and not waste a lot of time filling out forms.

Having served in the military I keep one dog tag on my key chain to identify my blood type and they can identify me in case I forget my wallet. I do carry copies of my passport, retirement visa extension, last entry stamp, and 90 day report confirmation. Also, I carry my Thai drivers license.

I always ask Thai women that I meet that are fluent in English for their phone number and put it in my cell phone in case I need a translator or a part time nurse! I always pay them for their time! Grin...

Sounds like you've done a nice job of getting prepared. One of the things the brighter, more caring head ward nurses do when a patient turns up who is unable to communicate (like in a coma) and doesn't have anyone with him, is to go thru his phone and call his contacts to see if they can locate family and friends. Sounds like a head nurse is going to hear some interesting stories about you someday.

Oh -- if your have a PIN on your phone, don't worry. Many people use some variant of their birthday as the PIN for their phone.

[gandalf12]

Looking at all the emergency numbers being quoted here is unbelievable. I am not saying these numbers are wrong but there should be one number for the whole country. The telephone exchange can be set to direct the call to the local emergency unit. The idea of having multiple numbers demonstrates one thing and that is the people who set it up have no idea about numbering plans or on telecommunications.

This needs to be rationalized as a matter of urgency

[MadMac]

... there should be one number for the whole country.

That number is 1669.

[sawadee1947]

give me a call if you need help 0809420451 Peter

[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?

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.

So can Thai Visa and that`s free. Is Lana care a free service?

Edited June 13, 2016 by cyberfarang

[Oscar2]

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?

1669

[Paul Laycock]

Oscar2 thanks.

[jonwilly]

I have a friend let's call him A.

An elderly friend of A, late 70's and in poor health, fell in his place and could not get up or move for 3 days. He lay there until the maid came for one of her visits.

Since then, 4 years, I have an arrangement with A, I send him an E Mail every morning. No mail and he Mails me and or Phones.

No answer and he contacts my Condo office.

On Sunday no one in office so I get a personal visit.

john

Edited June 13, 2016 by jonwilly

[Oscar2]

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.

what false information! according to you, only Bangkok C.M. is any good. you would be much better off at Theppanya in an emergency than at Bangkok C.M.where hardly anyone goes. Theppanya receives many medical emergencies and accident cases every day and night. there are ambulances dropping off patients there all day and night. they saved my life once. they DO HAVE doctors there 24/7 (emergency surgeons and physicians), but it can take a few hours for a specialist to come if you arrive in the middle of the night. the doc who operated on me was brilliant, studied and practiced in the USA. he told me he frequently has to open people's chest and operate on their heart to save their life when they arrive half dead. the nursing staff was not so good but the doc and the specialists who came at 6:00 were great. they came to the scene of the accident in a modern ambulance with 2X EMT and a R.N. i don't recall now, years later what language we conversed in, but the surgeon spoke fluent English and was a great guy.

don't slag them off. not only Bangkok C.M. is great.

[hml367]

Isn't Bangkok Hospital a sponsor of CEC?

[MadMac]

You guys are funny. Try to get an ambulance out from the BKK or any of the other "golden watertap" hospitals around noon or at Saturdays to the outskirts, because they have whatever service and insurance coverage, and in the meantime you are dead.

I'd not mind to end up on a pickup and be driven to the local vet, if they could keep me alive, rather than following a lot of BS posted here.

The number is 1669 or if you have no other choice, dial 112, that's the number every mobile allows to dial, even without SIM.

[harrry]

I have had a quick trip in Chiangmai to the emergency in an ambulane and can only speak highly of the ED at SriPat.Suandork.

They did their work well and I had the choice of the private Suandork...at high cost or the normal Sripat where the care in the ward was exceptional. (this is one of the few hospitals that prefer not to have relatives sleeping as they provide full nursing service 24 hrs and good care at a reasonable price.

I have also called an ambulance in Chiangrai when I fell out of bed and because of my medical conditions could not get off the floor. They came quickly, did not laugh very much at the sight of a farang saying his prayers leaning on the bed with his bare backside pointing to Mecca. They also would not take any money for their service.

To call an ambulance in Australia the flagfall is $1000

[CMX]

THANKS ALL!

I've devised 3 plans, all thanks to your contributions.

Wisdom is actually available on Thaivisa, it appears, sometimes, after culling.

PLEASE CLOSE SUBJECT

[T_Dog]

Living in Thailand, you need to learn how to survive without the services you expect in the West.

[gandalf12]

... there should be one number for the whole country.

That number is 1669.

Reasonable number but difficult in an emergency situation. That i why most emergency numbers around the world consist of 3 digits with a maximum number of 2 different digits i.e. 911, 999, 100

Having said that numbering plans do not appear to be a strong point for the Telecom companies here in Thailand. Casing point is the additional digit that ws added to mobile numbers

[mesquite]

Usually your hotel or condo manager can get you medical treatment. I carry two credit cards plus some cash, my insurance card, and my US passport card 24/7. I am registered with the US Govt STEP program and they have all my next of kin, who can pull the plug info. It also helps to have a network of trusted friends who can help out if things get messy with a substandard doctor. I've had two emergency medical crises, one here and one in another country, and both went smoothly due to having all of the above, the credit cards being the most important.

At some point all of us who are still alive will have to figure out where we are going to go to die. I grew up in the US Southwest and had several relatives and friends of my parents/grandparents who moved there to die, in some cases, though, living very long lives anyway. So I am used to that way of thinking.

Edited June 13, 2016 by mesquite

[MadMac]

Reasonable number but difficult in an emergency situation.

There are (not only mobile) phone memories or even whiteboards. Write it down on your kitchen door. Heck, someone suggested to call that club of ladykillers in Pattaya. Go figure

[Lowriesuzanne]

I hire a RN as a house administrator, $4,000 baht a month, whether I'm in Chiang Mai or not. NOW, thanks to all your comments, I will wear my cell phone in my waist purse and input her number. Also, insurance info and basic medical info. I will give her a copy of all information. I think you have saved my life. Whether I'm in California or Chiang Mai, my waist purse has to be able to solve everything. I carry a blood sugar meter and a fruit paste strip for low blood sugars plus insulin for high. I need to carry Kaiser numbers also for California. Thank you, Thai Visa.

[lostinisaan]

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!

Unreal thoughts in a real post? People die in much more civilized countries and only the postman, or neighbors start to smell that smell.

Can't you smell that smell of your inhuman post?

[Lowriesuzanne]

I wonder if more seniors in Chiang Mai would like to hire my house administrator to be a "guardian angel". She is retiring after teaching at the nurses college for 30 years. She is a RN with lots of experience. She solves my problems: like where to buy a complete surgical kit to take with me when I scuba dive in remote places. Like the marine wilderness off the coast of Burma. She instructs my maid and gardener. I pay her $48,000 baht each year, one month at a time. She has my back. I email her and call her whenever I need help. She phones her network of nurses and gets information. That's how I "discovered" Oh-Ka-Jhu, an organic salad place where I eat 2x week and take home a salad for another 2 meals. She buys soil for my garden, instructs the gardener where to paint and repair, tells the maid what I want. I don't speak Thai. Just not able to hear those tones. She takes me to Ram-1, driving my car and always takes me to the airport and guides me through the process of leaving and arriving in Chiang Mai. I'm 73 now and hope to live another 10 years in Chiang Mai with her help. She babysits my little dog, living in my house at night when I am away. She has an ATM card to my household account, keys to my house and car, and is a huge help to me.

[cyberfarang]

THANKS ALL!

I've devised 3 plans, all thanks to your contributions.

Wisdom is actually available on Thaivisa, it appears, sometimes, after culling.

PLEASE CLOSE SUBJECT

After all this advice posters have given you, some involving great expense, at least you could tell us what are your 3 plans?

[Peterw42]

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

199 is the fire brigade

Police

Telephone: 191 (national emergency number)

Homepage: http://www.royalthaipolice.go.th (Thai)

Tourist police (only in holiday resorts)

Telephone: 1155 (national)

Homepage: http://www.thailandtouristpolice.com (Thai/English/German..)

E-mail: [email protected]

This specially trained police department is available to tourists in holiday resorts. All of the officers can speak English and some can speak other foreign languages.

Fire Brigade

Telephone: 199 (national emergency number)

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Telephone: 1669 (nationwide)

[harrry]

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

199 is the fire brigade

Police

Telephone: 191 (national emergency number)

Homepage: http://www.royalthaipolice.go.th (Thai)

Tourist police (only in holiday resorts)

Telephone: 1155 (national)

Homepage: http://www.thailandtouristpolice.com (Thai/English/German..)

E-mail: [email protected]

This specially trained police department is available to tourists in holiday resorts. All of the officers can speak English and some can speak other foreign languages.

Fire Brigade

Telephone: 199 (national emergency number)

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Telephone: 1669 (nationwide)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_(emergency_telephone_number)

but not sure it works here

[SantiSuk]

I want to know where I can get one of those emergency bottoms to press (post#33), hoping for a female one

[northernjohn]

THANKS ALL!

I've devised 3 plans, all thanks to your contributions.

Wisdom is actually available on Thaivisa, it appears, sometimes, after culling.

PLEASE CLOSE SUBJECT

After all this advice posters have given you, some involving great expense, at least you could tell us what are your 3 plans?

Completely agree with you.

Ask a very good question get many good answers and refuse to tell any one.