A fine old mess

[Minnie the Minx]

5 minutes ago, chrissables said:

1. Not your business. 

2. Not the law.

3. Not your business.

5. Explain?

6. Why criticize if you won't state who you are criticizing? 

Have a cool cucumber thickshake and chillax some. Good for processing the OP.

[Minnie the Minx]

On another note, in Canton a similar story. Before bikes were banned.

 

Guy rode around, no helmet, knocked out by a car and they got him to hospital. Only a broken wrist and ego as he thought he was so much better than the locals.

 

20k bill he refused to pay, that no idea in Thai baht, they took his passport until he could cough up the money, was all over the channels. He also tried to do a runner and was arrested.

 

Op lucky. See my second last post.

 

You have no medical insurance you have no business being in a foreign country.

[chrissables]

8 minutes ago, Minnie the Minx said:

Have a cool cucumber thickshake and chillax some. Good for processing the OP.

Beer maybe better :)

[Minnie the Minx]

Op, you're not in Kansas Dorothy.

[CMBob]

First, as a matter of background, the OP appears to be a foreigner living in Thailand with no kind of health insurance and no apparent monetary means to pay for possible health expenses.  That alone tells you something about the judgment exercised by the OP.

 

Secondly, the OP is brought in an ambulance to a hospital unconscious and he's bitching about the tests the doctors were doing to figure out his injuries (which presumably means he was unconscious for an hour+).  I see nothing this hospital did that would have been any different than what any other (including western) hospital would do.  

 

And the OP asks "what's the best thing to do here?"  My answer is pay the hospital bill. Had they not done the tests and the OP ended up substantially or permanently injured/damaged because no action was taken, no doubt the OP would be posting a question here about how to sue a Thai hospital for medical malpractice (and, of course, asking for donations to engage a lawyer to do so)..... 

Edited April 21, 2017 by CMBob

[1FinickyOne]

If choice in medical care is important to you while you are unconscious - then maybe you should wear something written in Thai around your neck, for next time...

 

You really can't fault people who don't know you for making decisions to possibly save your life when you are unconscious. It looks like people made the best decisions to keep you alive. 

[Suradit69]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:15 PM, thequietman said:

I think its clear that the meat truck took you to that hospital because he is paid to do so.

Yes because every hospital is dying to treat farang who pedal about on a bike and stand a high chance of causing the hospital a loss. 

 

Why would any hospital pay someone to bring indigent farang to them given the high probability they would skip out without paying? If anything I would think they'd pay the ambulance drivers to give them a pass since, in too many cases, they waste time, equipment and supplies on a deadbeat.

[gmac]

11 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

If choice in medical care is important to you while you are unconscious - then maybe you should wear something written in Thai around your neck, for next time...

 

You really can't fault people who don't know you for making decisions to possibly save your life when you are unconscious. It looks like people made the best decisions to keep you alive. 

Good arguments which fall down only in the area of having to trust the hospital to carry out only necessary tests.  It is well known in Thailand that money comes first and private hospitals in general will do whatever they can to pad the bill.

[thequietman]

1 minute ago, Suradit69 said:

Yes because every hospital is dying to treat farang who pedal about on a bike and stand a high chance of causing the hospital a loss. 

 

Why would any hospital pay someone to bring indigent farang to them given the high probability they would skip out without paying? If anything I would think they'd pay the ambulance drivers to give them a pass since, in too many cases, they waste time, equipment and supplies on a deadbeat.

Meat trucks get 300 baht for government hospitals and 500 baht for private hospitals.

[1FinickyOne]

Just now, gmac said:

Good arguments which fall down only in the area of having to trust the hospital to carry out only necessary tests.  It is well known in Thailand that money comes first and private hospitals in general will do whatever they can to pad the bill.

 

Well, if that is well known, and the OP has prior experience, maybe leave instructions or a call number of a friend or someone hwo will make decisions for him the next time he is unconscious... a simple note that says, "If I am unconscious, just leave me on the sidewalk until I come to and please do nothing to resuscitate me." 

 

You want choice - retain consciousness. 

[Rob13]

On Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 0:56 AM, Deserted said:

If I was loaded I would pay it but I really am not. I couldn't even pay half of it and have lost my transport as a result. It's put me in a difficult position and I did nothing wrong. I was the victim yet I get hit for heavy bills for work that achieved nothing and I never asked for. It just isn't right to me. 

Talk to them, you can probsbly get them to come down some on the price a little. 1600 bucks is not alot of money anyway. Pay  what you can and pay the rest on installments, if you need to.

 

You're lucky to alive ,time to be thankful,not crying about being ripped off.

 

Edited April 21, 2017 by Rob13

[1FinickyOne]

On April 19, 2560 BE at 11:16 PM, Deserted said:

i went past 6 hospitals, why did I have to be taken to the most expensive one? That really bugs me. 

 

They thought a fine gentleman such as yourself would want the best care possible - when someone is unconscious, they could be on the verge of dying. 

 

 

 

[al007]

Your predicament is pretty awful, but you probably only have yourself to blame

 

You say you have been cycling for 30 yrs so I guess you are between 40 and 50

 

You have no emergency fund or cash reserves, at your age  totally irresponsible

 

I doubt you were forced to live here in Thailand

 

If you come from the UK you should return immediately, where the state will look after you

 

What would you have done had the bill been 300,000 to 400,000, you choose to ride a bicycle in Bangkok insanity and mental illness maybe, its not what you do but what the other untrained drivers do

 

And am I correct in assuming you are a teacher, if so your irresponsibility in showing others how to run their lives pretty awful

 

If you can not pay this bill you probably could not be able to afford to fly home 

 

A very big mess that is only going to get worse, how is your pension saving progressing, I doubt if you are paying voluntary contributions, so you will not get UK OAP

 

Sad very sad, I do however wish you well remember we make some of our own luck

[TravelerEastWest]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:16 PM, Deserted said:

i went past 6 hospitals, why did I have to be taken to the most expensive one? That really bugs me. 

I think that you are being unreasonable.

 

If I was in your situation I would want to go to the best hospital - and I think most foreigners would also want to and it seems that based on experience the ambulance also thought so.

 

$1,600 for emergency treatment is a fraction of what it would cost in a developed country - hard to believe that you don't have either insurance or savings put aside for medical care - and ride a bike on Thai streets - which clearly are dangerous as you know by experience.

 

Do you have a card in your wallet saying do not take me to a private hospital - only a public hospital? If you do then you may have a very good point - if not you have no point at all unless you expect psychic abilities from emergency rooms which are under a lot of pressure...

 

How do you know the ambulance drivers got a commision? And if they are private and that is how they get paid what is wrong with that? Have you paid them for their services?

 

If you had a problem uncovered by the scans would you have happily paid it?

[steven100]

12 hours ago, Deserted said:

As mentioned, had I been Thai this would not have happened. I was knocked out for a few hours with a broken nose and a few nasty cuts and a few other cuts. The main cut is above the eye. Seems all too much for a minor situation.  and I don't think its wrong to question what happens in this country. Even the woman I spoke to said 'it was their policy' in a rather sympathetic manner.   

I think your pretty inconsiderate.   You were in two accidents where ambulance and/or doctors assisted, you were unconscious both times which is life threatening. You walked out of both hospitals without paying any bill or even discussing a payment plan with them.

You are acting as though the Thais are trying to rip you off ,  which is not true ... they may have saved your life at least once if not both times.

I suggest you wear a note around your neck when riding that says '   if i am in an accident and unconscious please don't revive and don't take me to a hospital '

 

Secondly,  I suggest you give up riding ....  try jogging . 

Edited April 21, 2017 by steven100

[Rob13]

4 minutes ago, al007 said:

Your predicament is pretty awful, but you probably only have yourself to blame

 

You say you have been cycling for 30 yrs so I guess you are between 40 and 50

 

You have no emergency fund or cash reserves, at your age  totally irresponsible

 

I doubt you were forced to live here in Thailand

 

If you come from the UK you should return immediately, where the state will look after you

 

What would you have done had the bill been 300,000 to 400,000, you choose to ride a bicycle in Bangkok insanity and mental illness maybe, its not what you do but what the other untrained drivers do

 

And am I correct in assuming you are a teacher, if so your irresponsibility in showing others how to run their lives pretty awful

 

If you can not pay this bill you probably could not be able to afford to fly home 

 

A very big mess that is only going to get worse, how is your pension saving progressing, I doubt if you are paying voluntary contributions, so you will not get UK OAP

 

Sad very sad, I do however wish you well remember we make some of our own luck

It's a wake up call. If the OP wakes up and starts dealing with his position-(i.e.gets busy and starts working smart and building his $$ reserves) all is well. If he continues on with the same self-defeating lifestyle, it'll be very sad indeed.

 

[Destiny1990]

How about buying a home trainer?

[aussiandrew]

First of all you a very lucky to be still alive after having two accidents on your bike as a bike offers no protection.

Negotiate your account payment method with the hospital concerned. 

You may not be so lucky on your bike next time as we are all getting older and the reflex and balance are not what they use to be.

Good luck for the future and stay safe.

[Suradit69]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:15 PM, gmac said:

If it wasn't for the blatant overcharging and unnecessary procedures undertaken to pad bills the Farangs might a little less likely to try avoiding payment.

I'm sure in your home country someone wearing a headdress and burning incense closes his eyes and is able to diagnose you, but given the choice between doing one more doctor ordered assessment than necessary or skipping one procedure that was necessary, I'd prefer the former.

 

I'm sure it causes you  loss of face if you can't afford your own medical care or the insurance that would cover it, but my US medical insurers have never questioned or denied payment for doctor ordered procedures or assessments here and I've been quite satisfied with treatment I have received here. 

 

Rather than moan about the costs, why not seek out treatment suitable to your budget. If you go in a restaurant and eat a meal, doing a runner isn't justified because you are unable to pay the tab. 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2017 by Suradit69

[little mary sunshine]

This is why the hospitals are in financial

difficulty(govt.). People think they don't 

have to pay their bills!!

 

They  did their best, might have saved your life

if there was something serious on one of the

scans....Either carry a card that insists you

only be taken to a government hospital make

this known to everyone you know for the future,

as for now...PAY YOUR BILL!!

Deadbeat!!

Edited April 21, 2017 by little mary sunshine

[Confuscious]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:15 PM, thequietman said:

I think its clear that the meat truck took you to that hospital because he is paid to do so.

If it was me I suppose I would be a little pissed, however you can't put a price on life. Maybe go to the government hospital that he passed and find out the costs of the same procedures there and pay that to Bungrumrad hospital. I think its unfair to not pay anything.

This is your second time, take out some accident insurance. It's not that expensive. Good luck.

EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!
I have a PA insurance which cost me 3,250 baht/year and refund me 1 million baht PER ACCIDENT.
In the case I die from that accident, the PA will pay my family 2 million baht (1 million baht if the accident is motorbike related).
Absolutely no compassion with this backpacker mentality which make all foreigners look like cheap Charlies.

[colinneil]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:21 PM, Deserted said:

You don't need scans galore to save a life. Medics have done that for decades before they were in use and did it last year. I had no injuries on my chest or neck at all. Nothing, so why were they scanned, the scans showed nothing, I just had a cut above my eye and one on my chin. But they did claim I had a seizure. How true that is I don't know I was knocked out. It's not that I don't want to pay but that I can't. Not all of us have money lying about especially when I just had to pay school fees which wiped me out. The Vipawadee hospital behaved very differently.

 

You dont need scans galore to save your life !!! Bloody silly nonsense.!!!

Why post rubbish like that???

I got scans galore after my accident, and yes they helped save my life.

Without those scans, i wouldnt be posting on this thread.

[NoshowJones]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:15 PM, gmac said:

If it wasn't for the blatant overcharging and unnecessary procedures undertaken to pad bills the Farangs might a little less likely to try avoiding payment.  Taken into a private hospital as the OP was even though Government hospitals were closer, I tend to agree with his feelings on the matter.  As an accident victim you don't know what treatments are necessary, if it seemed that serious why wasn't he taken to the closest one rather than the one where the volunteer service gained the most commission.  

Excellent post Gmac, I agree with every word. But please, always keep a safe distance between yourself and the vehicle in front.

Edited April 21, 2017 by possum1931

[lovelomsak]

On 4/20/2017 at 1:13 AM, ajarngreg said:

It seems that you should read my post more careful. I wrote that you left the hospital after your first accident. Did you pay anything at the first hospital, or did you "just walk out?" 

 

   

you should be the one to read your post here is a quote from it your first sentence

Op, you walked away from a hospital after your first accident, without paying the bill, just to have another accident where you'd been unconscious.

 you didnot read his post if you wrote what you wrote.

[Xobtsiwt]

I have no sympathy for the OP; not only does he make repeatedly bad judgements relating to risk in a country notorious for its poor observance and enforcement of traffic regulations, which results in the second highest road mortality rate in the World, he also has the gall to request no comment or criticism for his blatantly foolish behaviour.

Grow up man, you need to accept the consequences of your actions.

[NoshowJones]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:29 PM, swissie said:

Could be they got their commission from the hospital in question. OR: They figured a Farang has the means to pay for a "good" hospital, knowing that sometimes government hospitals "are not so good". We will never know.

Cheers.

I think we all know the answer.

[bazza73]

On 4/20/2017 at 0:25 AM, Deserted said:

Ajarngreg Read it more carefully, I did not walk away from the first accident as no action was taken as none was needed and the point of the post is to gain opinions other than my own, so yes I do think about the situation, in fact I don't stop. And yes of course I value my own life. Read the thread more carefully. 

I disagree. You don't put much value on your life if you are going to ride a bicycle in Bangkok traffic. Obviously you learned nothing from your first accident.

[NoshowJones]

On 4/20/2017 at 0:02 AM, mommysboy said:

How about patying 5000 baht a month, and try to negotiate down.  You do owe something. 

 

A modest Thai Health policy would likely have covered most of this, and woulkd cost about 12000 baht per year.

12000 Bt per year? Is that for people in their twenties? I have just pulled out of my health insurance which I had for the last two years, it costs me 35.000Bt per year, from a local Thai company. I was advised by someone well in the know, not to pay it unless they printed out the policy in English, I asked them and they refused to do that, so I pulled out. Insurance companies cannot be trusted, and if expats are to take out health or accident insurance, they deserve to be treated fairly, and not just used as a cash cow for them. They only want your business if there is little chance you will make a claim. Yes, they are a business, but there is a thing called fairness. Capitalism strikes it's ugly head again.

[steven100]

I think your pretty inconsiderate.   You were in two accidents where ambulance and/or doctors assisted, you were unconscious both times which is life threatening. You walked out of both hospitals without paying any bill or even discussing a payment plan with them.

You are acting as though the Thais are trying to rip you off ,  which is not true ... they may have saved your life at least once if not both times.

I suggest you wear a note around your neck when riding that says '   if i am in an accident and unconscious please don't revive and don't take me to a hospital '

 

Secondly,  I suggest you give up riding ....  try jogging . 

[coppywriter]

In the Philippines there is an armed guard at the hospital door, you have to show him a receipt that you paid the bill or he will not let you out.