Brit dies in Bangkok hospital after being stranded for 2 month while family struggled to pay bill

[Andrew65]

Britain's NHS does it all the time. It an't known as the World's favourite health service for nothing.

There was a case fairly recently where a Nigerian woman having triplets (ectopic) had treatment worth £140,000 on the NHS, then swanned-off back to Lagos without paying a penny!

Maybe this be a lesson to people trying to save a few ££££'s by not having travel insurance.

Why should Thailand have to "foot this bill" ?

British taxpayers are stupid for paying foreigner's medical bills. They should have kicked said person onto the streets.

While everyone in a genuine emergency should be treated first THEN asked to pay later, no one and especially not a foreigner (except in exceptional cases) should be discharged without payment.

There are some astoundingly stupid people on this forum. If a patient admitted to a UK hospital, is not entitled to free treatment but falls ill or is involved in an accident in the UK and has to be treated at the NHS's expense, how is refusing to discharge them going to help the NHS in any way. One of the biggest problems the NHS faces is a shortage of beds due in part to the fact that they cannot discharge patients until there is somewhere for them to go. In the case of the elderly, this can mean they cannot be discharged until some nursing home or sheltered accommodation can be arranged. There is a shortage of that so it can take some time. These patients are called "bed-blockers" and they are an increasing problem for the overstretched NHS. You think it's going to help to create a few more "bed-blockers" held in hospital captivity until they pay their bill; how exactly are you going to stop them just walking out the door, chain them to their bed!

There are very many people in the UK who are convinced that what you say in your second sentence is wrong in many cases (in reality).

.

You've obviously never heard of health & benefit tourism? These are some of the things that Mr Cameron was trying to change in his renegotiation with the EU.

In one of my other posts, I have quoted a conservative estimate of £65 million, as the amount of money owed to the NHS by overseas patients.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Andrew65

[zaZa9]

I think that one of the problems here is that the private hospitals have realised over the years that when they are treating patients who are insured, they almost have "carte blanche" to charge as much as they want for their services. I have yet to hear of an Insurance Company taking a hospital to task over the charges for their services.

Usually one of the first questions you are asked at a private hospital is "Do you have insurance?", and I do know from personal experience that the bill for any treatment is increased substantially when an insurance claim is involved.

Unfortunately, private hospitals are now becoming more aware of the fact that private treatment here is/was cheaper than many Western countries, and are now increasing their prices accordingly. I can think of one private hospital that has almost doubled its prices over 10 years or so, and often the patient has to "haggle" with various hospitals to get the better price.

So, yes, once again, another instance of the LOS trying to fleece the tourists of as much cash as they can, and they are in the business of making money, so medical treatment has to be paid for. The only solution for non urgent treatment is to shop around. As an example, I see a local doctor who charges about 300 baht for an appointment, and the cost of medication/treatment on top. I know of another doctor a little way out of town who charges 200 baht, and another doctor in the middle of town who charges 500 baht (10 years ago it was 200 baht!) If you go to the most expensive local hospital, they will charge you 4000 baht for a doctor's consultation before any treatment. The ironic thing is that at least one of the aforementioned doctors also works at a local hospital, where the prices for an appointment are about 5 times what you would pay at his surgery!

Agree with this uptil the point you want to single out Thailand !

Look at any travel policy , and then the 'add-on' for the USA , Canada , and Japan.

They arent the Most expensive countries in the world , but they are the ones who charge WAY more on non-citizens AND by huge percentages.

I can go and see a specialist at Phuket International at 1,000 baht a consultation !

There is no comparison.

My last visit to a Dr in Australia 3 years ago , yes , just a GP , had a gap ( so not covered by Aus Medicare ) of 300 baht , the same amount you are complaining about WITHOUT the major part of the fee ( about 2,00 baht ) being paid for by the government.

'Fleece the tourists' is IMO overstated and misleading at best.

[cumgranosalum]

dcnx, on 20 Jul 2016 - 06:13, said:

Pattaya28, on 20 Jul 2016 - 04:57, said:

Maybe this be a lesson to people trying to save a few ££££'s by not having travel insurance.

Why should Thailand have to "foot this bill" ?

Don't know her situation but most insurance doesn't cover existing conditions. Many people get the shaft due to this.

“Kathryn had been ill for a long time and suffers from arthritis,”

You don't die from arthritis, if she had a pre existing serious conditions the sister would have said so,

where were the UK embassy in this story and they did to help the situation?

I'm sure if this lady was well connected she would have alive today, sadly, she was a no body

just enough not to really try harder or donate money for the repatriating back to the UK,

This woman could have been saved easily, .... Shame on the UK people and government......

THere is nowhere that actually says what was wrong - the arthritis is just a red-herring.

The thing is if she would have survived if sent home, how come she died here...why couldn't the Thai hospital save her?

[moobie]

There really needs to be an international investigation into foreigners treatment in Thai hospitals.

Basically how much does their ability to pay affect their chances of survival?

why? what does Thailand owe a foreigner? did Thailand ask them to come over? what ever happened to taking vacation only if you could afford it?

nowadays people move all over there is no home ? and no holiday we live in a world with no boundarys so the future will be a world citizen one world currency the human right to go and live on the planet wherever one wants so it should be paid by taxes a world tax that covers everybody paid by multinationals so free medical for all world citizens

As I'm in the process of reading "Roaming - Living & Working Abroad in the 21st Century" by CM Patha you would honestly think I would agree with you but unfortunately I don't. You see the case of the deceased and the comments on this subject display just how far away we are from homogenous Global life views. The truth of it is that some of us can travel quite freely and with a bit of application find work almost anywhere but for others barriers both bureaucratic and physical are in place and grow taller with time. And if I was to be totally crass I would suggest the richer the individual the easier is the process.

Anyhow and back on subject, as I have mentioned previously on the case of the deceased in another Thread, she hails from an area of low economic value which in 1991 was the scene of the Meadowell Riots. A very blue collar or welfare dependant area. My guess is that she has not bothered to take insurance to save a few quid in a similar manner to the fit and young post-graduates I am surrounded by do bother to do so because they have a "will not happen to me" attitude. This attitude does not just extend to travellers/visitors to Thailand though. Throughout my recent journies to the place I have heard numerous tales from expats that they do not bother with insurance as it is too expensive and once they do come "a cropper" they will just hop on a plane home and be treated accordingly. God help them though if they are hit with incapacitation prior to this - a thought which never seems to cross their minds.

As for those of us who are more cautious, we are often insured through our bank accounts here in the UK and although boring it is worthwhile spending an hour or so reading the details to find and later discuss/negotiate on the caveats involved. And a private confession, the reason I am insured is not for personal "selfishness" but rather I do not want to be a burden on others should anything unfortunate arise due to my choices.

PS. For those from England, it would be well to keep up with the news today. It would appear that if you have not visited your GP in 5 years there is a good chance you could be de-registered. This following a "successful" trial previously carried out in East Anglia.

[Patsycat]

The last time i glanced at their gofundme page, they had a thousand pounds in the pot.

That would have paid a sister a flight and hotel room, to be with her dying sister.

That woman died all alone, without her family or her boyfriend beside her. That is what is sad about this.

They should give that money back to the people that actually cared enough to send them 10 quid for their sad story.

And why did the boyfriend run off back home when she was in hospital?

I get sickened by those gofundme things - some are good, but most are just playing on peoples emotions. Good luck to them getting her home. Add another 50 grand to their bill.

If that was my sister - i would have been there every minute of every day. And she for me.

Instead of flashing my bling and my fake tan on a sob story gimme money thingy.

I agree that it should be stamped in your passport that you have insurance, if you can't get the stamp - you stay at home. Thus, saving a lot of people heartbreak and bankruptcy.

[berybert]

dcnx, on 20 Jul 2016 - 06:13, said:

Pattaya28, on 20 Jul 2016 - 04:57, said:

Maybe this be a lesson to people trying to save a few ££££'s by not having travel insurance.

Why should Thailand have to "foot this bill" ?

Don't know her situation but most insurance doesn't cover existing conditions. Many people get the shaft due to this.

“Kathryn had been ill for a long time and suffers from arthritis,”

You don't die from arthritis, if she had a pre existing serious conditions the sister would have said so,

where were the UK embassy in this story and they did to help the situation?

I'm sure if this lady was well connected she would have alive today, sadly, she was a no body

just enough not to really try harder or donate money for the repatriating back to the UK,

This woman could have been saved easily, .... Shame on the UK people and government......

And shame on you. This woman is a human. It matters not where she came from. Why didnt you contribute to getting her back to her home country. Shame on you.

[anto]

The last time i glanced at their gofundme page, they had a thousand pounds in the pot.

That would have paid a sister a flight and hotel room, to be with her dying sister.

That woman died all alone, without her family or her boyfriend beside her. That is what is sad about this.

They should give that money back to the people that actually cared enough to send them 10 quid for their sad story.

And why did the boyfriend run off back home when she was in hospital?

I get sickened by those gofundme things - some are good, but most are just playing on peoples emotions. Good luck to them getting her home. Add another 50 grand to their bill.

If that was my sister - i would have been there every minute of every day. And she for me.

Instead of flashing my bling and my fake tan on a sob story gimme money thingy.

I agree that it should be stamped in your passport that you have insurance, if you can't get the stamp - you stay at home. Thus, saving a lot of people heartbreak and bankruptcy.

> Good luck to them getting her home. Add another 50 grand to their bill.<<

..Cremate her for maybe B5000 ,and take her home as hand luggage .The 1,000 Sterling should cover a member of her family come over to arrange it .

Edited July 20, 2016 by anto

[Andaman Al]

Maybe this be a lesson to people trying to save a few ££££'s by not having travel insurance.

Why should Thailand have to "foot this bill" ?

Common human decency?

Common human decency will not help the Thai health service when it goes belly up. The hospital displayed [plenty of common human decency. They treated the woman ! They did not withhold treatment.

As for the sister saying it has cost more because the 'Doctors kept her alive longer', that is simply ludicrous. It is a Doctors job to keep you alive. I can just imagine the uproar in the UK media let alone on here, if the Thai Doctors had refused treatment and as a result the woman died. The same family that has made the comments above would be suing. It is very sad and made worse by the response from the family. The Thai hospital treated the woman and wanted paying for the services they provide. Thais pay for it so why not anyone else. I can't even believe we are having this discussion on Thai visa. People actually blaming the British Embassy. This was ENTIRELY the fault of the woman concerned, who, despite being fully aware of her pre-existing medical conditions elected to travel 7000 miles without any form of medical insurance. Simple !!

[natway09]

Sorry Guys ,,, 28,000 Bht a day in an intensive care unit is very cheap.

Get caught in the USA would be 4 times that

The Tourist Minister should leave the next ELECTED Government ( if that ever happens) to sort out the sex issue

but this is one she could have a look at. Maybe an extra 200 Bht departure tax directly to a health fund insurance fund

for visitors to Thailand who come for 30 days or less & only 2 times a year.

Long term expats to show a Health Insurance Policy of minimum 1 mil for visa extension (or the money in Thailand)

[Scouse123]

Sorry Guys ,,, 28,000 Bht a day in an intensive care unit is very cheap.

Get caught in the USA would be 4 times that

The Tourist Minister should leave the next ELECTED Government ( if that ever happens) to sort out the sex issue

but this is one she could have a look at. Maybe an extra 200 Bht departure tax directly to a health fund insurance fund

for visitors to Thailand who come for 30 days or less & only 2 times a year.

Long term expats to show a Health Insurance Policy of minimum 1 mil for visa extension (or the money in Thailand)

No , no no,

Nothing like this should be placed in the hands of the Thai powers-that-be, especially access to cash designated for health as I can guarantee it will be hijacked and stolen for further abuse and even more pigs at the trough than there are now.

Nor, is this problem unique to Thailand. My God, the Thais have only just added something on the ticket for added airport security measures, unheard of in other countries.

Where does it end? Foreigners walking through the temples make the pathways no good, let's put some ' fee ' on the ticket, they use to much water to bathe and shower in, let's upgrade the systems and put it on the air ticket....it would never stop and it's nonsense!!!

Health insurance for traveling should be done and sorted at the point of departure in the persons home country before they leave.

Countries should be zoned, or at least continents, as to bear in mind health costs and Health insurance should be based accordingly on a sliding scale for the amount of cover, with a minimum compulsory amount of cover required.

[Basil B]

It may seem a huge sum of money to us mere mortals living on a pension but for an organisation like the NHS whose budget for 2015/16 is £116.4 billion (that's £116,400,000,000) £65 million is a drop in the ocean; 0.0558% of the annual budget, in fact

The simple answer to this and a range of other issues in the benighted UK is a properly implemented Identity database. The Blair/Brown labour government started down this road at a cost of £ billions and even reached the stage of issuing the first few ID cards to, I think, airport staff. It became a very unpopular idea when the ship of fools that was the Gordon Brown premiership decided that they would be obligatory and that they would cost £50. Obligatory, no problem; but £50 BIG problem. If only they had just bitten the bullet and said they would be free! Unsurprisingly, the incoming Tory government of David Cameron cancelled the nearly completed project at a cost of £ billions to the taxpayer.

If a system of photo ID cards were implemented, a persons entitlement to NHS treatment could be checked with the card (via the central database that sits behind any such system) and anyone without a card would automatically be entitled to emergency treatment only.

It presents zero technical challenge to do this along with 100s of other useful services. Moving house: then change your address on the ID card database and everyone who sends you a bill is automatically updated without you having to contact every damned one of them. Most countries in Europe already have a system like this and they work really well. Why not the British!

£65 million, but that's the ones they have billed...

My guess is that 65m could be many times that, that money could be used by the the NHS to help NI contributors abroad.

If a system of photo ID cards were implemented, a persons entitlement to NHS treatment could be checked with the card (via the central database that sits behind any such system) and anyone without a card would automatically be entitled to emergency treatment only.

We do not need cards any more, bio-metrics on a national database, photo up on a screen or fingerprint scanner.

All very well, but other countries that have ID cards allow their use in place of a passport (inside the EU, for example). Having such a database is one thing, but allowing other countries to access it for ID purposes is a very different matter. The technology exists, for sure, but it might a technological leap too far for the average person in the street. Start off with a plastic card with a photo on it and when folk are used to that, ramp up the sophistication if people will accept it without getting too paranoid.

Their entitlement to healthcare and indeed access to their healthcare records could be controlled by the card, their driving licence details, details of their passport(if any), their university transcript along with other official qualifications, their NI contribution records and so on. The list is endless.

We are not in Shengan and highly unlikely we will ever be.

I was disusing something for use within the UK.

I have often thought that instead of having bio-metrics on a chip inside a passport, have a chip inside a passport that allows limited access to the passport office database, ie Photo and bio-metrics, without the passport other countries could not get the information, but national databases could be more secure than a chip inside a passport.

[aussiandrew]

I wonder if the hospital will hang onto the body until the bill is paid? At least bringing the ashes home will be cheaper than an air ambulance.

Foot Note:In Thailand only relatives can move/touch the dead person. RIP

[MiKT]

I think that one of the problems here is that the private hospitals have realised over the years that when they are treating patients who are insured, they almost have "carte blanche" to charge as much as they want for their services. I have yet to hear of an Insurance Company taking a hospital to task over the charges for their services.

Usually one of the first questions you are asked at a private hospital is "Do you have insurance?", and I do know from personal experience that the bill for any treatment is increased substantially when an insurance claim is involved.

Unfortunately, private hospitals are now becoming more aware of the fact that private treatment here is/was cheaper than many Western countries, and are now increasing their prices accordingly. I can think of one private hospital that has almost doubled its prices over 10 years or so, and often the patient has to "haggle" with various hospitals to get the better price.

So, yes, once again, another instance of the LOS trying to fleece the tourists of as much cash as they can, and they are in the business of making money, so medical treatment has to be paid for. The only solution for non urgent treatment is to shop around. As an example, I see a local doctor who charges about 300 baht for an appointment, and the cost of medication/treatment on top. I know of another doctor a little way out of town who charges 200 baht, and another doctor in the middle of town who charges 500 baht (10 years ago it was 200 baht!) If you go to the most expensive local hospital, they will charge you 4000 baht for a doctor's consultation before any treatment. The ironic thing is that at least one of the aforementioned doctors also works at a local hospital, where the prices for an appointment are about 5 times what you would pay at his surgery!

Actually, the situation re insurance companies and hospitals is completely the opposite of that which you have postulated. The Insurance companies have fixed rates for most procedures and if the hospital insists on the full amount you will have to pay the extra.

I had this happen to me about 6 years ago on one of my odd spells of working in the UK/France when the insurance co refused to pay the asking rate for the anesthetist. I was at least told before the op (whilst lying on a gurney being pre-medicated!) and had the choice of agreeing to pay the extra cost myself(fortunately only a couple of hundred quid) or having the anesthetist pack-up and go home half way through the op.

Also in Thailand the insurance had to agree the costs with Bangkok hospital for a big operation when I ripped out my biceps tendons, they were very tough negotiators. But the docs and nurses were great. I have had many ops (big and small) in Bangkok Hospital (Rama 9) Bangkok Hospital Pattya and the BNH (good dentists too)and always had much, much, much better treatment than is available on the NHS and at much less cost than private hospitals in the UK charge.

Usually the hospitals are much happier if you have no insurance and agree to foot the bill yourself, especially if you are a regular customer. Anyway, its almost impossible to get good health insurance at an affordable cost if you are older.

[NRGF]

When I became very ill in Thailand and had to the hospital they would not admit me until I produced my credit card, they were not interested in my insurance. In the Netherlands you will not be admitted without proof of insurance but in the UK its all for free, isn't the British NHS wonderful.

[tingtongfarang]

Condolences to the family, it must be a difficult time.

But this whole insurance discussion is funny, I mean there is no 'magic insurance' that will manage any situation a person could get themselves into.

I think at least one poster has pointed out that it seems there is no mention in the article of the fact that the patient did not have insurance....... we just don't know.

So, as much as everyone wants to bang on about having insurance, from what I have learnt it's barely worth the paper it is written on:

1. Most travel insurance companies are a rort and their default first action is to 'decline' a claim, any claim that is

2. Most travel insurance companies cover very little when a person has consumed alcohol - I can only assume riding on vehicles which are not fit for the road/ocean etc., would also be similar

3. Insurance companies are there to make $$$$$ not help people in their time of need - don't buy into all that marketing rubbish.

Insurance sounds great in principal, but in reality for the nominal charge they usually involve, I would be very surprised if they would ever cover such a large cost as in the OP. I would always recommend having travel insurance, but I would never be relying on it to get me out of trouble.....it's just an extra sort of tax i guess.

Had a friend working for a travel insurance company who had the job of declining claims both verbally-e and snail mail, highly trained looking for any option to default, working in a team,

Cant imagine the guilt or depression levels, not something i could deal with.

[wvavin]

Don't need to be too sad because majority of the Thais would die too with this medical bill!

[bkkcanuck8]

Don't need to be too sad because majority of the Thais would die too with this medical bill!

A majority of Thais would not be treated at this hospital.... they would be in a public hospital not a private one....

[billd766]

I think that one of the problems here is that the private hospitals have realised over the years that when they are treating patients who are insured, they almost have "carte blanche" to charge as much as they want for their services. I have yet to hear of an Insurance Company taking a hospital to task over the charges for their services.

Usually one of the first questions you are asked at a private hospital is "Do you have insurance?", and I do know from personal experience that the bill for any treatment is increased substantially when an insurance claim is involved.

Unfortunately, private hospitals are now becoming more aware of the fact that private treatment here is/was cheaper than many Western countries, and are now increasing their prices accordingly. I can think of one private hospital that has almost doubled its prices over 10 years or so, and often the patient has to "haggle" with various hospitals to get the better price.

So, yes, once again, another instance of the LOS trying to fleece the tourists of as much cash as they can, and they are in the business of making money, so medical treatment has to be paid for. The only solution for non urgent treatment is to shop around. As an example, I see a local doctor who charges about 300 baht for an appointment, and the cost of medication/treatment on top. I know of another doctor a little way out of town who charges 200 baht, and another doctor in the middle of town who charges 500 baht (10 years ago it was 200 baht!) If you go to the most expensive local hospital, they will charge you 4000 baht for a doctor's consultation before any treatment. The ironic thing is that at least one of the aforementioned doctors also works at a local hospital, where the prices for an appointment are about 5 times what you would pay at his surgery!

I used to go to the local doctor and he used to charge about 100 baht plus the cost of the medicines. Eventually I gave up on him and his wife and I now go to the local public hospital where many of the staff speak English, some of them quite well, and the doctors fees there are 70 baht a visit.

Even when I had an ingrowing toenail removed at the local hospital it didn't cost more than 750 baht and the subsequent dressings changed daily at the local clinic were free. They still trim my ingrowing toenail (yes it did grow back) for free.

I live in rural Thailand which probably accounts for the lower prices but I do go to a private hospital in Khampaeng Phet every 3 months for a blood sugar (FBS) and a blood clotting test (INR).

The prices for the service went up 300 baht last time as the cost of the service rose from 400 to 700 baht, the first rise in 4 years. The doctors fee was 100 baht.

I have kept all the receipts and all the original FBS and INR reports so I have a fair idea of the costs involved that I pay for.

I have no idea where you live but I would suggest that you try using the local public hospital as it will be cheaper.

[anto]

>>I have no idea where you live but I would suggest that you try using the local public hospital as it will be cheaper.<<

Sure the local Government hospitals will be far cheaper ,and they are all over Thailand .There can be long waits though just to be seen .You may have died in the mean time .It would be my only option though if i had a heart attack as i can not get cover ,due to a history of Hypertension .

[bkkcanuck8]

>>I have no idea where you live but I would suggest that you try using the local public hospital as it will be cheaper.<<

Sure the local Government hospitals will be far cheaper ,and they are all over Thailand .There can be long waits though just to be seen .You may have died in the mean time .It would be my only option though if i had a heart attack as i can not get cover ,due to a history of Hypertension .

Wow, a long wait.... sounds like the emergency entry at the hospital in Canada I went to (20+ years ago).... if you are not spurting blood from an artery or on deaths doorway.... you had a long wait.

[billd766]

I wonder if the hospital will hang onto the body until the bill is paid? At least bringing the ashes home will be cheaper than an air ambulance.

Foot Note:In Thailand only relatives can move/touch the dead person. RIP

Another footnote.

When my MIL died last November my wife called the Pu Yai Ban and he sent 4 guys down with a temporary coffin to get my MIL out of the house, into the coffin and around to the wat, so please excuse me if I don't believe you, but I am speaking from experience of rural Thailand.

I weigh over 100 kg and if I die upstairs in the house do you think that my wife and 12 year old son will be the only persons to get my body downstairs and into a coffin? After all they are my only relatives here unless she waits until some of her family come up from BKK and that shouldn't be much longer than 12 to 24 hours, especially if they are at work.

[billd766]

>>I have no idea where you live but I would suggest that you try using the local public hospital as it will be cheaper.<<

Sure the local Government hospitals will be far cheaper ,and they are all over Thailand .There can be long waits though just to be seen .You may have died in the mean time .It would be my only option though if i had a heart attack as i can not get cover ,due to a history of Hypertension .

I have a similar problem, having already had 2 stents put in a few years and I take 4 heart medications daily.

[anto]

I wonder if the hospital will hang onto the body until the bill is paid? At least bringing the ashes home will be cheaper than an air ambulance.

Foot Note:In Thailand only relatives can move/touch the dead person. RIP

Another footnote.

When my MIL died last November my wife called the Pu Yai Ban and he sent 4 guys down with a temporary coffin to get my MIL out of the house, into the coffin and around to the wat, so please excuse me if I don't believe you, but I am speaking from experience of rural Thailand.

I weigh over 100 kg and if I die upstairs in the house do you think that my wife and 12 year old son will be the only persons to get my body downstairs and into a coffin? After all they are my only relatives here unless she waits until some of her family come up from BKK and that shouldn't be much longer than 12 to 24 hours, especially if they are at work.

You dont have neighbors ?We have too many living in a Gated Moobaan. Most i only know to say hello to ,but still they would help in an emergency .

[Dumbastheycome]

Approximately 28,000 baht/day bill run up.

It makes the idea of compulsory health insurance look quite sensible.

the hospitals would love that!

Actually, no. My experience is that the private hospitals on Samui go out of their way to void insurance for faster payment,

Retrospective foesight foresees Guru spek awaits this.

[lor]

Maybe this be a lesson to people trying to save a few ££££'s by not having travel insurance.

Why should Thailand have to "foot this bill" ?

Common human decency?

Common human decency will not help the Thai health service when it goes belly up. The hospital displayed [plenty of common human decency. They treated the woman ! They did not withhold treatment.

As for the sister saying it has cost more because the 'Doctors kept her alive longer', that is simply ludicrous. It is a Doctors job to keep you alive. I can just imagine the uproar in the UK media let alone on here, if the Thai Doctors had refused treatment and as a result the woman died. The same family that has made the comments above would be suing. It is very sad and made worse by the response from the family. The Thai hospital treated the woman and wanted paying for the services they provide. Thais pay for it so why not anyone else. I can't even believe we are having this discussion on Thai visa. People actually blaming the British Embassy. This was ENTIRELY the fault of the woman concerned, who, despite being fully aware of her pre-existing medical conditions elected to travel 7000 miles without any form of medical insurance. Simple !!

I do not understand. Thailand now has compulsory travel insurance. It was brought in some time ago. The price is automatically added to your air ticket. I read a thread detailing how to make a claim on it. The hospitals never tell you about it but there is an office you can go to to claim. Personally I believe the private hospitals charge you and then, without you knowing, claim in the government insurance. I have no proof on this but living in Thailand for 12 years makes me believe it is so.

[LindsayB]

I'd like to see the hospital charges for a Thai receiving the same treatment.

Hospitals, like some tourist trap restaurants have the "special menu" with the special prices for the subhuman farangs.

Yep just like in Canada.I went to a orthopaedic surgeon for a ski injury in May this year

!st visit rates

Canadian without Insurance $170

Tourist with or without insurance $600

Pay before you see the Doctor.

[bkkcanuck8]

I'd like to see the hospital charges for a Thai receiving the same treatment.

Hospitals, like some tourist trap restaurants have the "special menu" with the special prices for the subhuman farangs.

Yep just like in Canada.I went to a orthopaedic surgeon for a ski injury in May this year

!st visit rates

Canadian without Insurance $170

Tourist with or without insurance $600

Pay before you see the Doctor.

Don't know why the difference is other than a Canadian can be without insurance if they return from overseas (it takes a while for residency requirements within each province).

[bkkcanuck8]

With all the bleating about how someone - anyone or any government should foot this poor family's bill that it was all about compassion and human decency for these third parties to step up.... and even after I posted how to find the link (in the story) there was a complete lack of contributions from people that were bleating about human decency and compassion... apparently it is important except for when you have to reach into your own pocket directly....

[MaiChai]

I am just trying to think how you could run up such hospital bills. Travel insurance i have had in the past says you should use government hospitals. So why was she not moved to a government hospital if she could not afford the treatment? Why were they not told the cost of the treatment as time was passing?

[bkkcanuck8]

I am just trying to think how you could run up such hospital bills. Travel insurance i have had in the past says you should use government hospitals. So why was she not moved to a government hospital if she could not afford the treatment? Why were they not told the cost of the treatment as time was passing?

I have no doubt the family were informed long ago about the costs -- the private hospital that I dealt with in Bangkok required a minimum cash deposit or credit card to charge for a 20,000 baht deposit which they indicated cover the first day (without the expensive machines such as life support). The hospital was trying to move her and the family were resisting from what I could glean from the fund raising campaign (regardless of what they told the newspaper). If they were using a credit card it would have likely been suspended within a few days of use because of fraud detection and out of the normal activity on it of considerable size... and they would have had to deal with the partner to make sure the bill was paid while he was visiting... the partner left because his visa expired ... though if the partner really wanted to .... it would not be difficult to extend the visa (I have done it on many occasions and the partner had good reason for continuing here).... though maybe they were too financially strapped.

Hope (even fleeting hope) can be a financial killer.... you have hope that the person will recover and you don't want them moved to some lesser hospital or hospice while you are able to delay it. It is human nature.

BTW, If anyone runs into a situation where they need an MRI and are too cheap to pay what they are quoted (I was quoted 42,000 baht for an MRI by a local hospital in Bangkok - they were going to do a multi-positional MRI -- though in reality a one position - the neck would have sufficed). I waited until I visited my sister in Hanoi and saw a doctor at the "Family Medical Practice" that referred me to a local imaging clinic that did the MRI for about 4,000 baht (2,500,000 dong) -- though it can be more expensive if you have insurance or need assistance (it is a "little" distance from the clinic).... since it can be a little hard to find for foreigners (the building at the address was closed, but there was a car-park you walked through to the back where they have the MRI setup).... There were of course charges for the consultation and medicine from the medical practice.

Edited July 20, 2016 by bkkcanuck8