Koh Phangan hospital backtracks after pregnant English tourist is unable to pay medical bill

[little mary sunshine]

1 hour ago, realenglish1 said:

As some posters have said It is Illegal for someone or an entity  to retain your passport For the record Don't give anyone your passport PERIOD 

 

 

Please read all the info in the Passport.  It is NOT your passport,

it is the property of the government of your Country.  Allow a copy

to be made, however, you keep The Passport, ALWAYS.

[johnhw]

2 minutes ago, chuang said:

When i read TV i read with an open mind....I think i don't have to be a rocket scientist to differentiate between right and wrong..

This is an interesting forum with people of diverse thinkings..... 

how many diverse options in a tunnel?

[little mary sunshine]

1 hour ago, ThaiWai said:

 

Why does everyone think embassies are sources of free travel, medical and legal expenses?  

 

 

 

Some people never pay attention to the Rules and Regulations that

TheEmbassies of their  Country provide and their responsibilities to

their citizens over seas....these are the same irresponsible people

that cry and complain when the Embassy doesn't assist them.  Your

government  isn't responsible for you, it's your own personal responsibility.

[Strange]

2 hours ago, ghworker2010 said:

One time I had to leave my PP as a bond when hiring a moped bike. I didnt like doing it but it was all ok in the end. Sometimes you do have to give your PPort

 

9 Years in Thailand and not one single time have I given up my passport to some idiot behind a counter. And when I do, its just so they can take a copy and hand it back while I bird-dog the hell out of it. 

 

They have tried of course, and the scooter thing is one they like to try it on with, but there are about a billion scooter rental places and they will take a passport copy just fine. You just have to vehemently refuse, politely of course, or if left absolutely zero choice, offer to pay an extra 50 baht a day or a slightly larger deposit. 

 

But honestly I would advise you to never do that again, as you don't have to. Scooters, Cars, Hotels, you don't have to. Copy is all they need. 

[Don Mega]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

do you have insurance.......yes

 

her path was set from there

 

these greedy huge insurance institutions turn healthcare into a massive scam, exactly why the US health system is a mess 

I dont agree.

 

I presented my self to bangkok pattaya hospital after I had a stroke.

 

I was plonked on a bed in ER on a drip for 5 hours whilst my insurance coverage was confirmed.

 

once insurance was confirmed then it was full steam ahead  from there.

[Johnniey]

8 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

 

Some people never pay attention to the Rules and Regulations that

TheEmbassies of their  Country provide and their responsibilities to

their citizens over seas....these are the same irresponsible people

that cry and complain when the Embassy doesn't assist them.  Your

government  isn't responsible for you, it's your own personal responsibility.

The embassy should at least contact relatives in their country to help with expenses.

[TSF]

100,000 baht for 1 night, an ultrasound, and a ride to Surat. Hospital was shafting her with the bill, then when it blew up and back down fast. Typical sly scumbags. Should be an international investigation into hospital rip-offs in LOS. Back some years ago when I was active on the Thailand Travel Forum there were reports all the time of ridiculous bills made up by Thai hospitals. One Aussie woman reported she felt ill and went to a hospital at Koh Samui, had a consultation with a doctor, was given some meds...14,000 THB charged against her travel insurance. Out and out fraud. 

 

But yeah, I know, it's their country, they can do what they like....blah..blah...blah

[KhonKaenKowboy]

Be careful what you whish for....the hospitals don't have to treat you.  RAM in CM offer to let you leave your passport instead of paying up front, while waiting for insurance to lay...so you do have a choice, but your choices become fewer when you are a dumfook, 5000 miles from home with no money.  More excrete from the great nanny state of England.  Now, every other foreigner will have it tougher at admittance time.

[metisdead]

Inflammatory posts as well as off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[KhonKaenKowboy]

4 minutes ago, TSF said:

100,000 baht for 1 night, an ultrasound, and a ride to Surat. Hospital was shafting her with the bill, then when it blew up and back down fast. Typical sly scumbags. Should be an international investigation into hospital rip-offs in LOS. Back some years ago when I was active on the Thailand Travel Forum there were reports all the time of ridiculous bills made up by Thai hospitals. One Aussie woman reported she felt ill and went to a hospital at Koh Samui, had a consultation with a doctor, was given some meds...14,000 THB charged against her travel insurance. Out and out fraud. 

 

But yeah, I know, it's their country, they can do what they like....blah..blah...blah

14,000?  Would have been that in Dollars in the US.....and I don't think being in a 50% tax bracket is much of a solution.

[johnnybegood2]

22 minutes ago, TSF said:

But yeah, I know, it's their country, they can do what they like....blah..blah...blah

This isn't the case here though. This particular hospital is owned by a foreigner.

It's not his country, and it wouldn't hurt doing some research.

Why is he running a hospital here instead of in his own country?

Why is there a huge paypal button on his about us page?

Does he have any criminal background? Do Thais really need "better" equipment or "better medical care" ??

 

19 minutes ago, KhonKaenKowboy said:

Be careful what you whish for....the hospitals don't have to treat you.  RAM in CM offer to let you leave your passport instead of paying up front, while waiting for insurance to lay...so you do have a choice.

It's not the case here either, they aren't offering you anything.

They won't tell you what the costs are up front.  (because then you'll clearly go to the local Thai-owned Koh Phangan Hospital)

After they've already paid your Hotel/Hostel owner his commission fee.

There is no such thing as a price list.

Even on their facebook page you can see they're talking about "negotiating" and "discount rates" with locals + expats.

 

There's far too many red alerts here when it comes to this hospital. It's only two years since they've opened!

If you cant see it, or prefer to keep the racial profiling comments (whether its aimed 60 y/o men or British women)

Enjoy it, can't expect everyone to sit here and enjoy it though.

Over and out.

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by johnnybegood2

[tomacht8]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

 

she didn't run up any bill the hospital did when they thought it would be an insurance claim

 

lets ponder this for a moment

 

She had a 1 night stay in a room - how much ? well I'd guess maybe 2000baht

She had an untrasound - my guess would be 3000 baht

Doctor fee - 1000 x2 ....2000baht

nursing fee - we'll call it 2000baht

 

various medication food etc - 3000baht

 

= a grand total of 12k baht so lets round it up to 20k

 

100k baht seriously

For 100.000 Baht she should get a pair of advanced silicon E+ cup ti... breasts plus a facelifting inclusive 4 days hospital and a belly button piercing for free on top of it.

100.000 Baht for this little medical care, no way.

[soalbundy]

5 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

You can't fix stupid. Pregnant, full moon party, spends all the cash having a great time, doesn't read the insurance policy. Time for some reflection young lady.

She wasn't even Australian other wise she could have blamed her condition on the tuk tuk journey

[Kiwiken]

Great mum to be come to Thailand without sufficient travel insurance. Parties up exposing her child to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Then spits the Dummy at a 2228 pound hospital bill which she inflicted on herself. She should be imprisoned until the bill is paid. Too many freeloading Tourist worldwide. Cover your ass or bring lots of K Y

[KhonKaenKowboy]

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

The issue isn't about the person and her lifestyle or her morality- it is about the Hospital overcharging and trying to hold her passport to extort the money from her. It also isn't about the attitude or lifestyle of retired people in Thailand.

I will say it for the umpteenth time- Healthcare is a human right. Any caring society should want to take care if its citizens. Money and profit making should never come into the picture. All hospitals should be either government run or not for profit. All Nations in the World should have a National healthcare scheme that takes care of its citizens and residents and if they cannot pay- the Government pays.  If  all Governments would agree to this- the a mechanism of reimbursement can be worked out for those residing or travelling in other countries.

Insurance companies and unregulated pharmaceutical companies are what makes the system worse; highly expensive; and totally profit oriented. 

and how many drug patents has NHS obtained in the last 10 years compared to money driven GSK or Pfizer?  

[Straight8]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

 

I have been living in Thailand for 13 years and had dealings with hospitals many times including surgery, Like I said rounded up to 20k and we are talking about this particular case not anyone elses

 

the hospital were taking the p I ss period

 

Many times? Try taking better care of yourself Smeds!!!

[little mary sunshine]

3 hours ago, ParadiseLost said:

The world where English comprehension dictates that comments should be taken in context... The original post stated most people were upset with charging, I merely pointed out most people would be happy if charges were fair - including profit.

 

Just because things are so does not mean you have to like it... Perhaps in your world you are happy to be gouged but I doubt that would include 'most people'...

 

 

Nothing was was taken out of context;  more a matter 

interpretation of "fair" charges.  Dealing with well

educated physicians, in expensive medical settings one

would expect to pay a premium price for medical care,

often life saving...unlike, some of these cheap UK travelers

that expect everything to be paid for by other people's taxes

and feel no personal responsibility to pay for their own

care.   Medicine is a business.

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by little mary sunshine

[ParadiseLost]

2 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

Nothing was was taken out of context;  more a matter 

interpretation of "fair" charges.  Dealing with well

educated physicians, in expensive medical settings one

would expect to pay a premium price for medical care,

often life saving...unlike, some of these cheap UK travelers

that expect everything to be paid for by other people's taxes

and feel no personal responsibility to pay for their own care.

 

So we agree to ...agree?

[NCC1701A]

Headline tomorrow:

"Thai police believe UK woman's story of a bleeding uterus may be false."

 

 

[Straight8]

1 hour ago, Johnniey said:

No, not you directly.

 

Does it say anywhere that she was drinking?

 

I think the post about Fetal Drinking Whatever was highly inappropriate. 

 

Nah, she wouldn't have been drinking, she was there for some R&R, knitting booties for her baby... seriously!!!

 

What are the odds, she was not drinking and not there to party??

[Sig]

Reading posts on here is about as enlightening as listening to a Clinton vs. Trump debate. It also becomes understandable why the likes of these posters would support either one of them. The number of assumptions flying about are so incredible it makes me wonder how people get along in life!
Anybody with 2 brain cells working in tandem know that the hospital was scamming big time! But, then again, for those with no experience with much in Thailand, it is worth some of the explanations given about just how much of a scam shop this hospital is.
But how on earth can anyone make any of the many ridiculous assertions made in here with absolutely no first-hand, or even second-hand, information.
She was drinking? I've been to that party myself without drinking. And she very well may not have known she was pregnant when she came to Thailand over a month ago. She is apparently 3 months pregnant. That could be an approximation where she could be a bit over 2.5 months pregnant. It says she has been here a month. That could be an approximation where she may have been here 40 days or so. She could be one of the many women who do not have regular periods and wasn't particularly alarmed at not having a period in a month and a half or two. Some say, where is her husband/boyfriend? Is a girl not allowed to travel alone??? Apparently she has friends here and/or is traveling with friends. The insurance not covering pregnant women is not an issue to blame her about since nobody has a clue whether she knew she was pregnant when she went traveling.
The number of idiotic comments on here are really astonishing. Did you guys grow up reading tabloid journalism believing it to be a reflection of the real world? I wish your UFO piloted by Jesus Christ would hurry up and get here to bring you home! You are ruining this site... making it an utter waste of time to read.

[Sig]

1 minute ago, Straight8 said:

 

Nah, she wouldn't have been drinking, she was there for some R&R, knitting booties for her baby... seriously!!!

 

What are the odds, she was not drinking and not there to party??

You have no idea whatsoever, so why bother speculating only for the worst of someone? Does it make you feel superior? Is that what floats your boat, to feel like you are better than others?
It could be very likely that she found out she was pregnant upon traveling and being with a bunch of friends who were headed out to the party, why should she just stay in her room alone? Something wrong with hanging out with friends who are drinking while abstaining yourself? It is quite normal in my circles. Is there some reason why everyone needs to drink?

[free123]

7 hours ago, boooker said:

First of all nobody as third party has the right to withold your passport as it still belongs rented service to you by Gov.

Read last page....secondly if you have a travel Insurance read the small print...exclusion of treatment...thirdly Hospital can claim fee from patient after policy not cover you.And last then it becomes a legal case between 2 parties with regards to payment.

Passport can only be claim by authorities such Police by criminal cases ....not pay is a civil case afterall.

Anybody whom give a passport aka motorbike rental is aswell in the wrong as you not entitle to hand over your passport to a third party ..read your own GOV law.

Despite practise is here by doing so but it is wrong if you go along with it by giving your passport instead of copy ...and if you do so than you legally spoken negligence your own International Law rights yourself.

Hospital here loosing a large amount every year because no insurance or policy is not known by themselves ....so if you do not have coverage in any event whom is to blame.

But Hospital practice withold passport is a violation under the International Law ..as claims admin is not a state police and prostecuter this is the court.

You need to know at least a little of your Law rights and duties.

why falangs think they are entitlet for free hospital here....or why they dont have a insurance that vovers them ..next time they will demand payment in cash BEFORE even someone look at her and tell her later insursnce u claim urself...and if u dont have the cash they let u die on the footpath .... thanks for thos low scum to ruin it for everybody else...

[Thaidream]

I am not familiar with the NHS or other Western countries but they don't normally as national policy originate drugs or get patents on them but they certainly could. The problem is that the Pharmaceutical companies and the insurance industry both private entities are holding the whole health industry hostage. Because of this they raise prices to a an unsustainable level and this is passed along to the consumer who can not afford it. Take the profit out of all this and let the Government provide healthcare. I assure you that the US Medicare system and the NHS does not pay anywhere near the prices that the average consumer pays for drugs.

A perfect example of the greed in the drug industry occurred in the 90's when the AIDS drugs were invented. Thailand had a huge Aids crisis and people were dying because neither the Thai government or the Thai consumer could afford the price of these drugs. The Thai government broke the US patent and made the Aids drug itself for a very low cost and thousands of lives saved in Thailand.  What is also interesting about this case is the Us Trade Rep lodged a formal protest against Thailand but Thailand won the case as there is a special provision for a country to break an international patent when lives are at stake.

Again, take the massive profit out of healthcare and the pharmaceutical companies, if they want to stay in business, will have to accept a fair, but much lower price for what they develop and sell. If they refuse, the patents can be broken and countries develop their own pharmaceutical industry. The cheapest drugs in Thailand are available at the Government Pharmecutical Agency not at private drugstores.

[Straight8]

1 minute ago, Sig said:

You have no idea whatsoever, so why bother speculating only for the worst of someone? Does it make you feel superior? Is that what floats your boat, to feel like you are better than others?
It could be very likely that she found out she was pregnant upon traveling and being with a bunch of friends who were headed out to the party, why should she just stay in her room alone? Something wrong with hanging out with friends who are drinking while abstaining yourself? It is quite normal in my circles. Is there some reason why everyone needs to drink?

 

Right, I have no idea, but you do ha genius?

 

Aren't you speculating? Of course you are!! Your opinion is different to mine, hence your defensive reply.

 

What are the odds, I am right and you are wrong.

 

Gee....another one who believes in the tooth fairy.

[NCC1701A]

Let all hope this woman is going to be OK and learns to travel with a credit card or some source of emergency cash.

 

And to help keep these hospital cost in an international perspective, I was in an American hospital with kidney stone pains. I was in the emergency room for three hours. One Xray was performed and  I received IV pain killers. No over night, nothing special, just sitting in the ER.

 

The bill was $11,000 for this three hour visit to the ER, or about 390,500 baht at today's exchange rate. My prescription pain killers for use at home were not included in this bill.

My insurance covered it, but the hospitals really milk the insurance companies.

 

I have a friend in California who beat leukemia, total cost, 1.1 MILLION USD. 

 

I have Bupa insurance in Thailand, valid worldwide except, you guessed it, in America.

 

[ParadiseLost]

Want to bet the most vocal critics have never been to a full moon party, or any kind of party for that matter? Most likely never even set foot on KP...? 

 

Their envy is hidden with false modesty (I would never...), while their pretend indignation (how dare you...) is used to mask the obvious paranoia their bitch comments display. A kind of closeted hypocrite, armed with a keyboard and nasty disposition, spending way too much time alone, best years long gone.

 

Add alcohol and the world is theirs... Young people wanting to have fun are condemned and anyone having a differing opinion is attacked without concern for manners, dignity, etc. etc.

 

Just put Trumps face to their comments and it all makes sense?

[Sig]

9 minutes ago, Straight8 said:

 

Right, I have no idea, but you do ha genius?

 

Aren't you speculating? Of course you are!! Your opinion is different to mine, hence your defensive reply.

 

What are the odds, I am right and you are wrong.

 

Gee....another one who believes in the tooth fairy.

I'm not speculating squat. I was offering a viable opposing idea to your speculation. I have no clue what the true situation is and don't think speculation is productive. And especially such that only focuses on putting somebody down, somebody that for all you know is one of the nicest people you'd love to meet. Of course, they could be scum too. What good does it do to waste your time, and other reader's, speculating one way or the other, but especially what good does it do to trash somebody with no cause?
I shouldn't even bother wasting my time responding except that I have a modicum of hope that even people who do this nonsense will take a hint and stop it.

[Straight8]

3 minutes ago, Sig said:

I'm not speculating squat. I was offering a viable opposing idea to your speculation. I have no clue what the true situation is and don't think speculation is productive. And especially such that only focuses on putting somebody down, somebody that for all you know is one of the nicest people you'd love to meet. Of course, they could be scum too. What good does it do to waste your time, and other reader's, speculating one way or the other, but especially what good does it do to trash somebody with no cause?
I shouldn't even bother wasting my time responding except that I have a modicum of hope that even people who do this nonsense will take a hint and stop it.

 

Listen to this guy.

 

8 pages later still here, replying to posts. If it is such a waste of time, what are you doing here, I'm kinda confused.

 

It's an open forum, people are allowed to share their opinions, are they not?

 

So before you go and accusing me or anyone else putting someone down, re-check your posts & tell me who is putting who down.

 

You wanna play the hero role, cool.. but  Stop being a hypocrite!!

 

[Sig]

4 minutes ago, ParadiseLost said:

Want to bet the most vocal critics have never been to a full moon party, or any kind of party for that matter? Most likely never even set foot on KP...? 

 

Their envy is hidden with false modesty (I would never...), while their pretend indignation (how dare you...) is used to mask the obvious paranoia their bitch comments display. A kind of closeted hypocrite, armed with a keyboard and nasty disposition, spending way too much time alone, best years long gone.

 

Add alcohol and the world is theirs... Young people wanting to have fun are condemned and anyone having a differing opinion is attacked without concern for manners, dignity, etc. etc.

 

Just put Trumps face to their comments and it all makes sense?

Yep, pretty much....
I have been to the full moon party. Not my thing so much, but was with friends on a post wedding holiday trip to the island that coincided with one of these parties. They wanted to see what it was all about and I tagged along. I enjoyed being with people who were having a blast. And how can it be that I didn't even drink a drop of alcohol!? God forbid! I just don't care for it much, unless with a meal... no big deal.

As for putting Trump's face to these people who seem to get a rise out of only finding the worst in anyone, except themselves of course, I think you could just as well put Clinton's face. Same same but different....