Govt plans to turn Thailand into medical hub for foreign tourists

[JSixpack]

4 minutes ago, chainarong said:

 they should stop talking and do something

 

But here they have done more yet we're still saying they're not doing anything. Actually Thailand has grown into much more of a hub than it used to be and doing pretty well on the medical tourism front. You might check the stats (SHOCK; numbers?) to realize that.

 

 

[JSixpack]

13 minutes ago, Rancid said:

Yes, but as it never happened they still need to remind everyone that it will happen...perhaps one day.

 

We're just gon' ignore the fact that Thailand's grown into one of the world's top medical tourism destinations so's we can sneer at a new little gov't incentive. Heh. Thais can't do nothing.

[tominbkk]

I thought they tried to do this a decade ago?

[JSixpack]

2 hours ago, BuckBee said:

Thai hospitals are appallingly under skilled, you got more chance picking a winning lottery ticket (at 80bt) than getting lucky in getting  an experienced and competent and ethical doctor .

 

No. Check the Health forum and see below.

 

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The long term visa is also another long term joke lol .

 

No, sounds positive. Every little bit helps. Glad you've so easily amused yourself, as TVF posters do.

 

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A world class circus would be better idea as got best clowns in the world in thailand lol .

 

Just more ignorant nonsense.

 

 

Nation-wide the healthcare system in Thailand treated 2.81 million foreign patients in 2015, up 10.2%. In 2013, medical tourists contributed an estimated USD4.7 billion to the Thailand’s economy.

Medical tourism makes up 0.4% of Thailand’s GDP, while tourism overall accounts for around 6% to 7%, and is considered the third most important economic driver in Thailand.

 

The prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) certification for healthcare service providers, worldwide, has been awarded to 52 hospitals, specialised clinics, or medical centres in Thailand, up from 22 three years ago. . . .

    --http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2016/08/thailands-medical-tourism-thrives/
 

Well, guess I'm done fighting TVF trolls for today. It's a nice day in Pattaya!

 

[JSixpack]

11 minutes ago, tominbkk said:

I thought they tried to do this a decade ago?

 

Got off to a good start as you see (lil' bump in the road w/ the global financial crisis)

 

 

and it has been continuing. What's your problem?

Edited July 13, 2017 by JSixpack

[hkt83100]

I suggest they start training the staff at hospitals. I had two small operations in a hospital in Phuket City, and both times the nurse failed to pull all stitches. First time one was left, the second time three! Not very hub-like, if you ask me. And no, it was NOT at Vachira.

[joeyg]

Although I say I mostly really like Thais and Thailand, over the past couple of years I have been very disappointed with the health care I have received at BKK Pattaya Hospital.  Also the costs are sometimes more than the USA.

 

Having said that.  I have found a doctor I really like here in a small clinic in Naklua.  Dr. Tinakorn at Loma Clinic on Naklua road is a very good GP/Primary care provider.  Costs are very reasonable.  

 

My opinion is effected a lot by having been a Primary Care Physician for many years.

[YetAnother]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The government is also considering extending the maximum limit for Long Stay Visa to 10 years for visitors from 14 countries, with the validity being five years when issued but can be extended for another five years. 

is this the same as we heard not long ago about '10 year visa' ?; that 'offering' had some serious drawbacks attached to it; 3M in bank, medical ins...

Edited July 13, 2017 by YetAnother

[Boss]

If it actually happens, the prices for care and treatment will soon go through the ceiling. REF: Thai greediness

[nontabury]

25 minutes ago, JSixpack said:

 

Got off to a good start as you see (lil' bump in the road w/ the global financial crisis)

 

 

and it has been continuing. What's your problem?

The Thais are very good at marketing. However if you want good medical care and treatment,at affordable cost,try India. As this is what many farangs in Thailand are now doing.

[sawadee1947]

I can see the $-signs in their eyes already. That will not work as long foreign docs are not allowed to work in hospitals (same other scientists) according Thai jobs only for Thais. Thais docs have no experience if not trained in foreign countries (US, Korea, EU)             So " Medical Tourists" will and shall go where in Asia they get the best docs, and that is KOREA, well known already, especially for cosmetic surgeries.

[joeyg]

1 minute ago, sawadee1947 said:

I can see the $-signs in their eyes already. That will not work as long foreign docs are not allowed to work in hospitals (same other scientists) according Thai jobs only for Thais. Thais docs have no experience if not trained in foreign countries (US, Korea, EU)             So " Medical Tourists" will and shall go where in Asia they get the best docs, and that is KOREA, well known already, especially for cosmetic surgeries.

Sad to say that's true.  I have met a few docs that trained in the USA.  My Dentist here trained at UCLA.  Top shelf guy.

[NCC1701A]

I'm a sex addict.

 

Can I get a long term visa while I seek treatment?

 

 

[joeyg]

3 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I'm a sex addict.

 

Can I get a long term visa while I seek treatment?

 

 

Knowing you have a problem is half the battle...   "I feel your pain"... 

[Retiredandhappyhere]

29 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I'm a sex addict.

 

Can I get a long term visa while I seek treatment?

 

 

What are the symptoms?  I want some!  

[AhFarangJa]

2 hours ago, JSixpack said:

No, Bumrungrad is a publicly traded company (BH) "owned" by all its many shareholders, and anyone can buy shares and be nurtured by dividends and capital gains. The average person in Western countries probably isn't going to be able to afford immediate care by the very best specialists at the very best private hospitals.

 

We could do without these little 99 percenter rants and misinformation.

Bumrungrad International Hospital was established as a 200-bed facility in September 1980 with an investment of 90 million Thai baht.^[3] Bumrungrad is Southeast Asia’s largest private hospital.^[4] As a regional referral centre for specialty medicine, it is one of the world’s popular medical tourism destinations.^[5][6] The majority shareholders in the hospital are Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, Bangkok Insurance Public Company Limited, Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited and the Sophonpanich family, one of Thailand’s leading business families.^[3][7]

Taken from Wikipedia website.

Granted it is a public listed company. But the majority shareholders are as above.

 

While I am in no way decrying the service provided by the above hospital, I was agreeing with a previous poster that maybe it would be more beneficial to concentrate on bringing a better health service to the general populus.

 

Finally, regarding your final little gibe, what we really need more of on this forum is a tolerance for another person's freedom of speech, and differing viewpoints without resorting to calling them rants, misinformation or other such verb forms, simply because they do not fit in with your particular perception of the world.

[Kabula]

Medical costs will probably double with foreign Insurance Companies granting surgeries and then after the surgery is performed, deny the claim on a pre-existing condition with a boilerplate denial letter. 

[JSixpack]

2 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Granted it is a public listed company. But the majority shareholders are as above.

 

And I know that of course. Glad I've contributed to your education so that you've now learned that Bummie isn't in fact "Owned by the Sophonpanich Family and Bangkok Bank." Probably a good idea for you to check Wikipedia first before coming here to post misinformation. Bangkok Bank is also a publicly traded company, BTW. So if instead of sneering at "medical hub" our ace TVF Medical Tourism experts had invested a million in BH 10 years ago (10 years ago seems important here for some reason), they'd have about 4 million today with which to alleviate whinging. So shrewd, really. So my point stands that everyone can benefit from Bummie's success, and some directly, like the staff and their extended families who work there.

 

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I was agreeing with a previous poster that maybe it would be more beneficial to concentrate on bringing a better health service to the general populus.

 

Maybe but you see that's not what you said in your post. Nor did you prove any point about being more beneficial, agree or not.

 

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what we really need more of on this forum is a tolerance for another person's freedom of speech, and differing viewpoints without resorting to calling them rants, misinformation or other such verb forms, simply because they do not fit in with your particular perception of the world.

If they're rants and misinformation they're going to be called what they are. Period. Nor will it do to try to blow smoke on the misinformation to try to claim that it really wasn't.

[JSixpack]

5 hours ago, YetAnother said:

is this the same as we heard not long ago about '10 year visa' ?; that 'offering' had some serious drawbacks attached to it; 3M in bank, medical ins...

 

No. Did you see anything about 10 years in the OP? All visas have the drawbacks of having a time limit and a cost. Next.

Edited July 13, 2017 by JSixpack

[JSixpack]

6 hours ago, hansnl said:

The prices nowadays charged by the private hospitals are getting higher day by day.

So I presume this hubthing will get to nothing.

Hospital B

Cataract plus lens, day treatment, no room, 63,000 baht.

Shopping around in Holland prices from €800 till €1240. (30,000 till 47,000, so-called passing patients tariff)

Including intake visit, operation in day treatment, 2 control visits.

Which is not included in the price for the Thai hospital.

 

 

Let's include that hotel bill in Holland for the medical tourists. And you have also to consider the cost at a good public hospital in Thailand, which is far less.

[Jonmarleesco]

The idea of a hub, presumably, is that it offers quality for a reasonable price.

 

Medical quality in LoS depends on which hospital you approach - diagnoses and treatment advice differ wildly, as does the price each quotes for the same procedure.

 

If the government is serious about a medical hub, then it needs to do its research.

[Jonmarleesco]

1 hour ago, Kabula said:

Medical costs will probably double with foreign Insurance Companies granting surgeries and then after the surgery is performed, deny the claim on a pre-existing condition with a boilerplate denial letter. 

Is there a particular reason why that would be foreign companies?

[JSixpack]

5 hours ago, nontabury said:

The Thais are very good at marketing.

 

So you agree, unlike the other posters, that the new visa is part of a good medical marketing strategy.

 

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However if you want good medical care and treatment,at affordable cost,try India. As this is what many farangs in Thailand are now doing.

 

The new visa program isn't aimed at farangs or farang countries. It's aimed at Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and China, like the older one for the Gulf Cooperation Council. So TVF farangs are really just blowing hot air as usual about something that doesn't affect them at all.

 

Edited July 13, 2017 by JSixpack

[JSixpack]

11 minutes ago, Jonmarleesco said:

The idea of a hub, presumably, is that it offers quality for a reasonable price.

 

Medical quality in LoS depends on which hospital you approach - diagnoses and treatment advice differ wildly, as does the price each quotes for the same procedure.

 

If the government is serious about a medical hub, then it needs to do its research.

 

Research about what? Sounds more like the tourist should do the research; and I'm sure most of them do before coming over here.

 

I think a lot of medical tourists go through medical tourism services, actually.

[maxcorrigan]

15 hours ago, Jessi said:

Another HUB!!!!!

Thailand the Country of HUBS.

Yep, so many hubs but no wheels going anywhere!

[joeyg]

4 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Is there a particular reason why that would be foreign companies?

It's called standard operating procedure/standard of care.

 

[lamyai3]

18 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I'm a sex addict.

 

Can I get a long term visa while I seek treatment?

 

 

Short term, long term... up to you

[lamyai3]

20 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I am sure your average rice farmer in the sticks will be happy to know the government's plans when he is sitting in the local hospital all day to see a doctor for 5 minutes.

He'll be sent directly to the poetry wing. FWIW, us farang have never been thusly regaled...

[Kabula]

17 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Is there a particular reason why that would be foreign companies?

Because Thai  Insurance Companies have stricter government regulations that are enforced.  The only option to control foreign Insurance Companies is to deny hospital entry with the unfair Insurance Companies.  That really cuts into profits so most go with the flow as they are being taken advantage of they increase their prices.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Kabula