Another Reason to Love Thailand

[TotallyOz]

I had a sinus infection last week. I finally broke down and went to the doctor in NYC. The office visit costs 300 USD. The pharmacy cost another 400 USD. I am sure that I would have been treated at Bangkok Pattaya for the sinus infection for a fraction of what I paid.

[2lz2p]

Absolutley! Doctor visit to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya (BHP), definitely the most expensive medical facility in Pattaya, will cost 500 or 600 baht for doctor consultation, 200 baht for hospital fee (a one time per day fee no matter how many doctors you visit), plus fees for any tests and medicines.

 

I just spent 2 nights 3 days in BHP for Dengue Fever - total cost including initial Doctor visit and blood test befoe admission was 32,239 baht covering Doctor, hospital stay for 2 nights, two additional blood test while inpatient, and medicines (IV, etc.) while in BHP and for home after being released. In USA, that would probably be 5 to 10 times as much -- also, in USA, the hospital doesn't give you a menu to choose your meal from (BHP's standard meal gives you a choice of two western or two oriental meals -- menu has choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day of the week. They also have an "alternate" menu if you wish to order from it and pay extra (includes choices such as club sandwich, hamburger, etc.) -- there is also a room service menu for au bon pain - a fridge with some cold drinks, a hot water jug along with instant coffee and tea bags, microwave, and in room electronic safe and a plate of fruit (apple, banana, etc) -- yeah, I had the cheapest room, geez, I hate to think what the more expensive rooms have.

 

I don't like staying in the hospital, but if you have to stay, then BHP is almost like staying in a 4 star hotel (except in a hotel, they don't wake you up several times during the night to take your BP, temperature, etc.). Also, if you push your call button, they come on the intercom within a few seconds to ask what you need and, unlike USA hospitals, you don't hear a PA system calling Dr so and so continuously throughout the night.

 

I just made my follow-up visit yesterday - cost was 937 baht (doctor and blood test - no prescriptions as he pronounced me recovered).

 

[Guest Asmerom]

600 baht for doctors fee 200 baht for hospital. That's 800baht. So where on earth does the 32000 baht come from? Is that for the tea bags and instant coffee?

 

Asmerom

[2lz2p]

600 baht for doctors fee 200 baht for hospital. That's 800baht. So where on earth does the 32000 baht come from? Is that for the tea bags and instant coffee?

 

Eye tests are also available, I'm sure they can give you a prescription for reading glasses, which can then be obtained from the many optical shops around Pattaya (actually, if you get the eye test at the optical shop, it is free and you can avoid the 800 baht BHP fee.

[Guest Asmerom]

Eye tests are also available, I'm sure they can give you a prescription for reading glasses, which can then be obtained from the many optical shops around Pattaya (actually, if you get the eye test at the optical shop, it is free and you can avoid the 800 baht BHP fee.

Is this supposed to answer my question of how your bill comes to 32,000 baht?

[Gaybutton]

Is this supposed to answer my question of how your bill comes to 32,000 baht?

 

I think the 32,000 baht is the fees charged for the hospital stay of two nights.

[Guest buaseng]

I think the 32,000 baht is the fees charged for the hospital stay of two nights.

Spoilsport! I was lookiing forward to seeing how long it would take the dummy to work it out !

 

[Guest Asmerom]

I think the 32,000 baht is the fees charged for the hospital stay of two nights.

Many thanks for opening my eyes to the astonishing hospital fees of $500/£245 pernight.

It certainly makes the prospect of innoculations against malaria and dengue fever more palatable prior to arrival.

My newly elevated status as a "dummy" would possibly explain my initial blindness to buaseng's sarcasm which seems to ooze from every pore as profusely as sweat from some more jaundiced contributors to this board.

[Guest Boxer]

More expenses with no insurance:

Prostate cancer one yr treatment and Radiation 1 million Baht.

PET scan in Hong Kong 106000 baht.++

Chemo theraphy 6 sesions 720000 baht,

If you are well get some Insurance NOW!

[2lz2p]

For those that may be interested, my room, nursing fee, hospital fee, and food was a daily charge of 7,400 baht (the lowest price room on offer) = total 14,800 baht for two days. The remainder of the 32,000 baht bill represented medication, doctor visits, lab tests, etc.

 

Yes, it is great to have insurance. I am very fortunate in that regard - I do have to pay the bill and then file a claim with my USA health insurance -- my out of pocket for any hosptial stay is $100US and I have to pay 10% of the bill for outpatient care. I have enrolled the bf in BUPA, but when I did that about a year ago, it was before they opened the new wing and upped thier daily rate from 2,600 baht to 7,400 baht per day. A day or two after they opened their new wing and upped the rates, he did have to spend a night there -- ouch! (it seems that BHP's "Thai" rate doesn't apply if a farang is paying the freight (deposit required before they admiitted him as he didn't have his insurance card available -- that was because he was beaten and robbed, which was the reason for the hospital stay).

[bedbugy]

recently had my cateracts done at my local government hospital 18500 baht each eye with top lens 1 night stay no problems

here in songkhla to go to see the doctor is 50 baht plus pharmacy if any is needed