Bumrungrad Hospital: Most Expensive and Worst Hospital in Thailand

[TotallyOz]

The boyfriend was sick today and it gradually got worse and I decided to take him to the hospital. Bangkok Nursing Hospital was close but I thought he may have an Appendicitis so we went to Bumrungrad Hospital. What a nightmare. From the moment we got there to the time we left, I have never been so pissed in years!

 

This hospital is the absolute worst excuse for a hospital I have ever seen.

 

First, we went to the Emergency Room as it was an emergency. We were told that we should register with another doctor as the Emergency Room was more expensive. I explained that I knew this and wanted it anyway. The guy behind the desk said, "Is he Thai?" I said yes. "Who pay for him?" I looked at him and said I will that was why I was there. Bitching, he went about checking him in. They did ask for a 5k baht deposit. Not something they asked for when I went there last week.

 

The doctor came over to him and was nice and suggested we check into a room as opposed to stay in the emergency room for 4 hours as he needed an IV and some Xrays. I said OK. I asked for a private room and they said they didn't have any available. OK, I took a double room. They said, "well, we only have 9th floor and they are doing construction on 8th floor till 5 or 6 and it may be noisy." I said, well, you had better put him in a room where there is no noise as he has to rest. This was a 5 minute debate and finally they took us to a room.

 

The room was with another Thai who had about 8 family members with them and all were eating spicy food that smelled. I was a little shocked but I kept my mouth closed.

 

He went for Xrays and Ultrasound and was back before too long. He threw up and I called the nurses station. I told them what happened and they looked at me. I explained I needed some fresh towels to wipe him and they brought them to me. They left the puke in the trash can until I removed it 20 min later and set it in the hall. I don't think they liked that too much.

 

The doctor had visited him before the Xray and spent a total of 30 seconds with him. I told him I wanted to speak to him after the results came in from the blood work and the Xray. He never returned. We were only supposed to be there 4-5 hours and I never saw another doctor. I asked 3 times and nothing. What an incompetent group of shits were in charge of this floor.

 

When time for check out, I went to pay the bill. It was 16,000 baht. I was surprised as I didn't think it would be that much. The doctor had charged 1500 baht for consultation (30 seconds) and never to be seen again. There were 4 charges on the bill that were incorrect and I had them redo them. One was for his drip machine. They tried to charge for 2 of them. I explained to the lady that there was only one and finally she understood that he could not be tied to 2 different drip machines at the same time. There were other errors which I had them remove. I also told them that I was upset that the doctor did not come back to see us before he was released and they said he called the floor to say it was all OK. I would have liked to have spoken to him.

 

I was not a pleasant man when the doctor did not arrive and I did say some things that were inappropriate. After the mix-up with the bill, the hard check in, the lousy nurse station, puke sitting there for me to remove, smelly spicy Thai food, 5 of the people showing in the room with their grandfather and I could go on and on.

 

Finally, they removed the needle from his hand that had the IV as they asked about service and I told them they were a shitty hospital and that I would never return. I explained that most had to do with the doctor never returning to see us or speak to us and that it was unprofessional. I had paid the bill as they requested and they had gotten a wheelchair for the BF. Then, after my tirade, they came back in and said the doctor said they could give him some pain medicine. Really? After we were checking out? OK. The BF needed it and he endured another needle puncture which he hates in order to help his pain.

 

They then asked if we wanted to stay all night at the hospital. I looked at the two nurses and said, "You are fucking kidding right? This has been the worst hospital visit I have ever seen and you think I would let him stay with this shit hole hospital?" They apologized and said, so sorry, they were short staffed and the doctor had dinner plans. What? What?

 

Even more furious, I then let my real feelings be known.

 

I have calmed out as I write this but words like Mother Fucking Cocksuckers was going to be my title.

 

The BF is relaxing. This same thing has happened to him before and we were in and out of Bangkok Pattaya in less than an hour and 1/15 of the cost and 100 times better service. A nice Arab lady was also complaining over her bill of 4 days being over 500,000 baht and she wanted it done item by item.

 

Bumrungrad Hospital sucks IMHO. Let them eat shit and fuck pigs.

 

Just my opinion of course.

[Bob]

Ah, come on, don't hold back, tell us how your really feel. As Bill Clinton used to say, I can feel your pain....hehe.

 

I spent a day and a half in Sao Paulo Hospital (Hua Hin) earlier this year in a fairly decent private room....had 5 IV drips of various stuff, doctor visits, etc., and the entire bill when I left (which included several drug prescriptions they gave me from the hospital pharmacy when I left) was 12,888 baht (or about $379.00 US). Pretty damn cheap and the service was just fine.

 

I've seen Chiangmai Ram in Chiangmai before in action (for friends) and that place too is quite acceptable (and relatively cheap).

[Guest thaiworthy]

What an experience! GT, I don't blame you one bit. This would have to be anyone's worst nightmare. Lucky the bf had you around to help him 'cause they weren't doing a thing. I hope he is feeling better by now. Keep us posted. I hate hospitals!

[Gaybutton]

That's the first time I've ever heard about anyone complaining about Bumrungrad. The only reason I can come up with as to why he and you were treated this way was because he is Thai. If that's the reason, I can't imagine why he would be treated any differently from anyone else. And if Thai's get "who cares" treatment in their own country, what possible justification would there be? Too bad this didn't happen in the USA. Your boyfriend could have made a fortune in lawsuits.

 

I could understand if he was mistreated by one scumbag, but based on your story he was mistreated by everyone he encountered. I guess you couldn't really have done this, but I wish you told them to take their bill and wipe their asses with it.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the best hospital in Pattaya is Pattaya Memorial. I've heard too many horror stories about Bangkok-Pattaya and I experienced one myself there. That hospital would be my last choice. They also charge a hell of a lot more than any of the other local hospitals.

 

At Memorial I, and anyone with whom I'm acquainted who was treated there, received excellent, competent treatment at reasonable prices. You paid 1500 baht at Bumrungrad for the doctor to take a quick glance at him. You know how much you would have paid at Memorial, and would have received quality care? 500 baht. I'll bet prices and care would have been similar to Memorial at other hospitals in Bangkok.

 

Bumrungrad has an excellent reputation and until your story I've never heard of anyone who had a complaint. But what happened to you and your boyfriend is outrageous. He could have died and apparently nobody would have given a damn.

 

If I were you I would go back, get the names of everyone who was involved with your boyfriend, and sit down with the hospital's chief administrator and raise holy hell. Then, as soon as you leave his office, my next stop would be an attorney's office.

[dapitt]

I've seen Chiangmai Ram in Chiangmai before in action (for friends) and that place too is quite acceptable (and relatively cheap).

I can 'second' this. I've had service there twice and was most pleased both times. Beats any experience I've had in the U.S. 'by a mile'!

 

 

Bumrungrad has an excellent reputation and until your story I've never heard of anyone who had a complaint.

While I have no first-hand experience with Bumrungrad, I have several friends in Chiang Mai that have had procedures done there and they praise it unreservedly.

 

[Ah... so this is how you use this 'multi quote' feature. Doh!...I finally catch on!]

[Guest fountainhall]

That's the first time I've ever heard about anyone complaining about Bumrungrad

 

I have been an occasional patient at Bumrungrad for 10 years - even before I came to live in Bangkok. At first I was hugely impressed with their service and the quality of their care. Several incidents have caused me to consider using other hospitals.

 

First, the doctor I was seeing kept me waiting several times for up to an hour after the appointment time. I accept that it is in the nature of their work that doctors will sometimes be delayed. What annoyed me was (i) discovering, after making my appointment, that the doctor was accepting patients for a much more expensive procedure prior to my appointment time, and (ii) none of the nursing staff felt it was worthwhile telling me - either in advance (they had my cellphone number) or on arrival - that there would be a longer than usual delay. Twice I had to leave before seeing the doctor as I had a plane to catch. I wrote to the Administrator suggesting they advise patients of any likely major delay (say, more than 30 minutes), but got no reply! Recently, the same thing happened when I was supposed to see a specialist. I waited for 65 minutes before being ushered into the doctor's office. He was not there. His nurse said he'd had to go and check a patient. I waited 10 more minutes and then walked out.

 

Secondly, Bumrungrad's charges have leapt up in recent years. The fee for the doctor I see has gone up from Bt. 500 to Bt. 1,100 in 3 years. Additionally, they slap a small hospital service fee on to every bill (presumably because they take your temperature, weight and blood pressure before you even see a doctor) even if you just go to the pharmacy for a repeat prescription. Again I sent a letter to the administrator. End result: the service fee was dropped from repeat prescription visits, and a hospital adjudication panel had agreed I had been overcharged on the doctor's fee for a number of visits!

 

Thirdly - and i am not sure whether this is true of all private hospitals or not, expensive procedures seem to be encouraged before more basic tests have been undertaken. Without going in to specifics, 30 years ago I experienced a condition which gave me continuing pain in part of the abdomen. After a series of checks, the doctor in the UK determined that it could be treated very simply with a specific course of medication for 6 weeks. Thereafter, it never recurred, until something similar happened a few years ago. At Bumrungrad, I outlined the history, the diagnosis and medication to the doctor. After examining me, the Bumrungrad doctor said this was a different ailment. Over a period of years, I went through almost every test in the book, including X-rays, ultra sound, camera work - even an MRI scan, and was put on courses of several different medications. Absolutely othing was ever discovered and the condition never went away. Eventually, after a particularly bad bout, he put me on to a drug that I now discover is very similar to the one I was given all those years ago. Lo and behold, the condition cleared up within weeks! Of course, I can not say that the two conditions were indeed exactly the same. Nor that the doctor was not acting in my best interests at all times. But it seems curious to me that my insurance company had to cough up well over Bt.200,000 in charges when the condition was finally alleviated with a very inexpensive pill!

 

Bumrungrad International is now a worldwide brand managing hospitals in various parts of the globe. In general, I reckon the problem for Thais who are, shall we say, neither rich nor regular patients, is that it has become much too oriented towards higher-paying overseas patients. And this may explain the disgraceful treatment of GT's bf.

[mahjongguy]

I lived in BKK for 3 years and the only time I went to Bumrungrad was on an errand, a brief meeting with a hopital employee. I noted as I trudged in on the hot dusty driveway that there were no sidewalks. Hanging around the lobby for a few minutes, I just got a vibe about the place that was not appealing.

 

Besides, I lived in Silom so it was natural for me to go to Bangkok Nursing Hospital instead. The doctors there took care of my occasional needs as well as my aging geezer stuff. Because I have abnormally bad teeth, I even had my dental work done there. This included a risky jaw surgery that went so well it got written up in an American surgical periodical.

 

Living in Pattaya now, I have been going to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. So far so good, but I am wary of them. If and when the time comes for something major again, I'll be off to Bangkok to the kind and reliable folks at BNH.

 

I'm sorry about what happened to your b/f. I've seen the way that Thais sometimes treat those that they consider their inferiors, and it's not pretty. I hope that in such a situation I will focus on getting a good result and save my venting for later. It sounds like you were lucky not to have gotten tossed out on your ear.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

As I was reading your post, GT, I kept thinking this sounds like many hospitals in the US. It's crazy that in Thailand, Thais are treated so badly. Have you ever noticed in restaurants, usually Thais are served last? If we are having the same food and I get served first, I pass it to my bf and the waiters/waitresses get very confused looks on their faces.

[Guest Patexpat]

As I was reading your post, GT, I kept thinking this sounds like many hospitals in the US. It's crazy that in Thailand, Thais are treated so badly. Have you ever noticed in restaurants, usually Thais are served last? If we are having the same food and I get served first, I pass it to my bf and the waiters/waitresses get very confused looks on their faces.

 

Sometimes my Thai friend insists on paying - now that really throws the waiting staff - and when they bring the change back you can tell they are not sure who to give the change to!

[payless]

I like to read a review of a hospital, bar, restaurant etc. which recounts good or lousy service. I hope this is setting a precedent on this board and others will be able to name establishments and write their reviews in a similar vane.

I am delighted you have set the precedent and the moderator is so OK with it.

[Gaybutton]

GT's experience and some of the comments that thus far followed are very disturbing. Until now, based on my own experience and stories I have heard from others, I had full faith in Bumrungrad and it would have been my first choice if something serious occurred and I had time to go there. Now I'm not so sure.

 

Unfortunately, this sort of thing seems to be typical of many Thai hospitals. Some people receive excellent care and others end up as GT did. Try as I might, I cannot come up with any kind of excuse or justification for the treatment GT and his boyfriend were subjected to, along with the prices, in comparison to other hospitals.

 

I know GT quite well. For him to be this angry, as a matter of fact for him to be angry at all, then he had to have been pushed far beyond the patience a great many people would ever have tolerated.

 

In my opinion it's not the hospital that matters. It's the doctors and the staff by whom you are treated that makes all the difference, no matter where the hospital is. Based on these stories, now the only reason I can see to single out Bumrungrad for treatment would be if there is a need for medical equipment that cannot be found in other hospitals.

[Guest Geezer]

I have been an inpatient at Bumrungrad on four occasions totaling five weeks, and have made numerous outpatient visits. On each occasion I could not have been treated better. I could relate many examples of exceptional care, but this will suffice.

 

After an aortic valve replacement (my lead cardiologist has five board certifications in the US, and practiced at the National Institute of Health) I was in the Cardiac Care Unit for a week. After I moved to a general floor the CCU nurses stopped by to visit on their own time after finishing their shifts.

 

I have often thought that tourists to Thailand should visit a good Thai hospital. Their jaws would drop in amazement.

[Gaybutton]

I could not have been treated better.

That's my whole point. You were fortunate enough to have the right doctor and the right staff. The part that's on my "I Don't Get It" list is the fact that GT's treatment was precisely the opposite. Why? The problem that creates is now nobody can be certain they will receive care similar to the care you received. They can only hope they will receive a similar level of care. No pun intended, but that's a bitter pill to swallow.

[Guest Hedda]

I wish I could say I feel sorry for you, GT, but I don't. You've made no secret on this board of your penchant to go first-style in most everything you do when it comes to your Thai boy friends, so I wasn't surprised to see you trundling your boyfriend off to the emergency room at Bumrumgrad Hospital for a stomach ache, which is like dropping into the Four Seasons for a cheap bowl of pork noodles.

 

People who choose Bumrumgrad should have the good grace not to complain about prices. The same rules apply at Tiffany's, Prada or Versace. Poor service, on the other hand, is another matter and they obviously failed you in that department.

 

Perhaps if you hadn't sprinkled your report with all those unnecessarily foul expletives, I might have been able to generate more sympathy. Instead, I found myself mystified by the resort to four-letter violence. On reflection, I guess everyone's entitled to a bad hair day, be they Bvlgari, Bvmrungrad - or some irate posting board bvll. Just glad to hear the young man is fine.

[Guest fountainhall]

In fairness to Bumrungrad, I know Thais and foreigners who say they have had excellent treatment there.

 

On a slightly flippant note, there is one thing that really surprises me about the hospital. As you enter the older building and go up the elevator to the first level, there is a panel outlining a special wellness centre and programme run by the hospital. Ten yards to the right there is a McDonald's! I totally fail to understand why a hospital permits a McDonald's to operate within its walls.

[Guest taylorsquare]

About 2 years ago,i was with a Australian farang who slipped over and split his head.

 

We got a baht bus to the hospital,we meant pattaya bangkok private hospital,but....the driver misunderstood and took us to the Pattaya Public hospital.

 

We went into the waiting room to see a lot of people and the old state and i knew instantly this was not a private hospital it was the government public hospital.

 

However my friend needed to see someone and a male nurse looked at him immediately,they then put a bandgage on his head,we waited about 15 minutes,a lady doctor took him into a room and bandaged his bleeding head.

 

The hospital staff were polite,and bandaged his head.

They told him if he wanted a catscan he wuld have to remain overnight but he declined.

 

They made him sign some papers,which were in english by the way,and didnt charge a cent.!!!

[Guest RichLB]

I have been a patient of Bumrungrad in the past and have nothing but praise for their doctors and nurses. My experience was as different from GT's as night and day. Even if I wanted to criticize the care I received I would be unable to find anything to complain about. I have accompanied a friend to the hospital for another procedure and he has the same level of praise as do I.

 

In trying to figure out what could explain GT's experience, all I can come up with is that he went through the Embergency Room. As you know, ER doctors serve with constant stress, must make decisions on the fly which can have serious consequences if wrong, and depending on the traffic flow just may not have sufficient resources to handle the unpredictable flow of patients. If GT's boyfriend was only experiencing a stomach ache it is likely he was a low priority to the staff upon discovering nothing serious was amiss. Sure, it would have been better if the doctor had returned for a consultation, but it's possible there were more immediate demands on his time. A similar (although less likely) explanation could be made for the non-removal of the vomit. I'm also surprised GT did not request private room, but if he did not it seems unreasonalbe to complain that the BF had a room mate. I can't think of an excuse for the errors in billing, though.

 

I confess that Bumrungrad will still be my hospital of choice and hope that GT's experience was an isolated event explained by factors we know nothing about.

[Guest taylorsquare]

Can I just ask,is Bumrungrad the public hospital or a private hospital?

 

What is name of the pattaya public where thais get free health care.

[Guest]

Ah, come on, don't hold back, tell us how your really feel. As Bill Clinton used to say, I can feel your pain....hehe.

 

I've seen Chiangmai Ram in Chiangmai before in action (for friends) and that place too is quite acceptable (and relatively cheap).

 

LOL I did hold back Bob.

 

I have been to Chiangmai Ram many times and agree with you.

 

 

I hope he is feeling better by now. Keep us posted. I hate hospitals!

 

Thanks. He is a bit better today but only in the last hour or two.

 

Bumrungrad International is now a worldwide brand managing hospitals in various parts of the globe. In general, I reckon the problem for Thais who are, shall we say, neither rich nor regular patients, is that it has become much too oriented towards higher-paying overseas patients. And this may explain the disgraceful treatment of GT's bf.

 

I think you are right.

 

Besides, I lived in Silom so it was natural for me to go to Bangkok Nursing Hospital instead.

 

I have been here as well and that will now be where I go in Bangkok.

 

I like to read a review of a hospital, bar, restaurant etc. which recounts good or lousy service. I hope this is setting a precedent on this board and others will be able to name establishments and write their reviews in a similar vane.

I am delighted you have set the precedent and the moderator is so OK with it.

 

As I have stated over and over, honest reviews are always welcome. Don't post reviews that will get us into legal trouble and you will be fine. When can I expect your first review?

 

I know GT quite well. For him to be this angry, as a matter of fact for him to be angry at all, then he had to have been pushed far beyond the patience a great many people would ever have tolerated.

 

Thanks. It does take a lot to get me upset and this was one of those times. If it had been me, I would have reacted differently. But, watching the BF and seeing the horrible service was not something I could stand.

 

I have been an inpatient at Bumrungrad on four occasions totaling five weeks, and have made numerous outpatient visits. On each occasion I could not have been treated better. I could relate many examples of exceptional care, but this will suffice.

 

Glad it worked out for you. I spoke to a friend who was there today and had a great experience. That is wonderful for you both. My experience there was not so pleasant.

 

That's my whole point. You were fortunate enough to have the right doctor and the right staff. The part that's on my "I Don't Get It" list is the fact that GT's treatment was precisely the opposite. Why? The problem that creates is now nobody can be certain they will receive care similar to the care you received. They can only hope they will receive a similar level of care. No pun intended, but that's a bitter pill to swallow.

 

Agree!

 

I wish I could say I feel sorry for you, GT, but I don't. You've made no secret on this board of your penchant to go first-style in most everything you do when it comes to your Thai boy friends, so I wasn't surprised to see you trundling your boyfriend off to the emergency room at Bumrumgrad Hospital for a stomach ache, which is like dropping into the Four Seasons for a cheap bowl of pork noodles.

 

People who choose Bumrumgrad should have the good grace not to complain about prices. The same rules apply at Tiffany's, Prada or Versace. Poor service, on the other hand, is another matter and they obviously failed you in that department.

 

LOL If you think I was complaining about the price of the hospital you are wrong. I went there because I was told it was the best. Price was irrelevant to me. Sorry, but that is the case. But, with that price, I expect excellent service. When I eat at Le Bernadin in NYC, I expect a certain quality. If I go there and don't get it, I won't return.

 

Your analogy is "trundling your boyfriend...." is a bit off the rocker. I am not sure why anyone would be nasty about me wanting to take the BF to a good hospital. Honestly, I don't get it.

 

Sorry the expletives offended your good nature.

 

Can I just ask,is Bumrungrad the public hospital or a private hospital?

 

It is private.

[Guest finally]

Last year I needed a hospital for my Thai mate who had a serious health problem. The "public hospitals" had not been able to help him. I asked some expats who had been in BKK for years and got the information that Bumrungrad Hospital was "soso" and by far too expensive. I finally sent him to the "Christian Hospital" in Silom str. and this place was really ok. They did a "big " blood check, Xray etc., the doc was very polite and friendly and gave him some medicine, too. The bill was about 3000B. I showed the doctor s report to a friend of mine in Europe who works in a private hospital and he came to the same dignosis like the Thai doctor and he even would have given the same medicine. My friend was surprised how accurately his Thai collegue had worked. This year my mate went to the same hospital again and he made the same....good ...experience.

[Guest Astrrro]

Until now, based on my own experience and stories I have heard from others, I had full faith in Bumrungrad and it would have been my first choice if something serious occurred and I had time to go there. Now I'm not so sure.

 

It's a good idea to have a plan. I guess I've always thought that if it were something major such as as a heart bypass hat Bumrungrad would also be my choice.

 

Maybe something a little less serious I had been thinking Bangkok Pattaya since I have stayed overnight in Bangkok Rayong in my teeraks room and was impressed with the service.

 

My dentist is in Pattaya International and yes I know she's more expensive than the street clinics and I'm sure there quite good but I don't want to risk the wrong clinic and have Somchai the Pok Pok man working on my teeth.

 

The one time I had a lingering ear infection, I went to the doctor there but only after first telling my problem to a pharmacist and then a week later a street doctor, then when it lingered for over three weeks I thought maybe I'd see a different or better doctor so I went to Pattaya International.

 

Pattaya International seems good but there pharmacy is expensive and I wonder if it's possible to have them write a prescription to be filled elsewhere, but that is probably frowned upon by the hospital, not sure.

 

GT, sorry to hear of your bad experience and hope your boyfriend is now 100% healthy!

[Gaybutton]

my mate went to the same hospital

Would you care to share the name of the hospital? The only "Christian" hospital I know of in Bangkok is the St. Louis Hospital.

[Guest finally]

Would you care to share the name of the hospital? The only "Christian" hospital I know of in Bangkok is the St. Louis Hospital.

"The Bangkok Christian Hospital" Silom Road 124...

 

Website: http://www.bkkchristianhosp.th.com

[firecat69]

I'm the friend GT had lunch with and if this was a restaurant review I would laugh because GT has terrible taste in restaurants.

 

However this was serious and I know how GT cares for his BF and I can only imagine how mad I would be if someone special to me was treated that way.

 

However I fall in line with most of the other posters of having nothing but the best of care at Bumrungrad. In fact today my friend went there and we first went to the emergency room and explained the problem and they just said go to the 16th floor and see a specialist (urologist).

 

I had done some research on urologists in the past and asked if Dr Chodchoy was available. It was 825am and he was scheduled to arrive at 9am and had many appointments. We waited and were taken first at 902 am. I am sure there were people with appointments who had to wait but this is the proper way to handle things.

 

Doctor was worried about kidney stones and ordered xrays, ultrasounds, urine, tests and blood work. They offered him a semi private room to rest in while waiting for results from tests. They said about an hour and it eneded up being 1 hour and 45 minutes.

 

The problem was not as serious as first thought and some oral medication and pain pills were prescribed. Dr. advised us to monitor temp. and if he got a fever then return to Hospital.

 

Dr Chodchoy was just as professional as I thought he would be and was very thorough before and after examination.

 

 

His charge was 600 baht , ridiculously low by any standard for a Dr. of his repute. The total bill was a little over 10,000 baht which by today's standards ,I consider quite reasonable.

 

Last year I went to the emergency room in the USA had an ultra sound , xray , saw a GP and got no medication,

 

The bill was $1480 or about 50,000 baht.

 

I'll take Bumrungrad any day.

[Guest fountainhall]

His charge was 600 baht

 

I am curious to know how Bumrungrad charge for their doctors' fees. The one I see charges Bt. 1,100 and I note on the invoice there is a 'Patient letter' (A, B, C etc.). I suspect, but have no way of proving, that the charges vary according to whether the patient is Thai, local farang, overseas farang etc.

 

I lived in Silom so it was natural for me to go to Bangkok Nursing Hospital instead

 

I have been there only twice. I think it is marginally more expensive that Bumrungrad.