One man's experience at Pattaya City Hospital, Soi Buakhao

[MM 6,562]

I have a small, though painful, corn on my foot. I decided to try the new city hospital on Soi Buakhao, since it is closer to my home, new, and potentially less expensive than the private hospitals.

So, yesterday, I went there. First I was sent to a registration desk. I gave them my driver's license and was told to sit and wait. I looked around and every chair in front of that desk was occupied. Hmm. Are all these people waiting I asked myself. Yep. An hour or so later, my name was called and I was given some paper and asked to sign it. I did, and was told to take it to another station and put it in a basket. I did, and was told to sit. Once again, all 25 of the seats were occupied with people waiting at that station. 45 minutes or so later, I was called and they took my blood pressure, temperature, height and weight, asked about medicine allergies, and sent me to room #9.
I placed my papers in a basket and looked around. Good, the queue was shorter! But, each person took much longer to get thru that room. Finally my name was called and voila...a doctor! This is now about 2 1/2 hours after arrival. He checked my corn and said he'd make an appointment with surgery. Well, he didn't actually make an appointment. He sent me to another desk where they make appointments.
I was given an appointment slip for 8am today, and sent to the cashier. 300 baht for essentially 5 minutes with a doctor and 3 hours total waiting.

So, this morning, just before 8am, I get to the hospital and notice all the employees arriving too. The hospital apparently opens for business at 8am. Worse yet, there were about 50 people waiting at the Admission counter where I had to leave my appointment slip.

After 40 minutes, I was given some paperwork to sign and told to take it to the next station where they took my blood pressure asked me the usual questions they had asked the day before and told me to go to room #7. That took 20 minutes.

I went to Room #7 and there was a queue of perhaps a dozen people. I had no idea who was on the other side of the door, but it said "Examination"...not Surgery, which was my ultimate goal. I considered leaving at that point, but figured after nearly 2 hours, I might as well wait a bit more. I waited about 40 minutes and was finally called to that room where indeed, there was a surgeon. He checked the corn, suggested a treatment I had been using for a year, and agreed to remove it with electrodes...THE NEXT DAY!

Then I was taken to another desk to, I thought, get an appointment for the next day. Instead, the woman at that station looked in a book and wrote on a piece of paper "20,000". I said, twenty thousand baht? She said yes. I said, it's just a small procedure that takes 5 minutes. Are you sure? She then told me I should go to Banglamung if I didn't want to pay that much. Yikes.

I had had a similar procedure done in Pattaya International Hospital with a laser for 3,000 baht. Admittedly, this was 10 years ago, but a 600% rise over 10 years would be excessive.

I told the lady to forget it, I wasn't going to pay 20K for a minor surgery. She said, okay and sent me to another station where a woman took my papers and wrote some stuff on it, and said "Go to cashier". Huh? "Cashier for what?", I said. I explained I'd waited over 2 hours to find out the price of the procedure, and that I wasn't about to pay that, so why should I have to go to the cashier? To be honest, I was starting to lose it, but managed to keep my voice as calm as I could. I could still see the typical Thai reaction when you tell them anything negative or critical of what they do. She just walked away with my papers, leaving me wondering whether to just leave or wait for her.

A few minutes later, she came back, and in a dismissive tone, told me I could go. Small victory.

Aside from their quoted price being egregiously expensive, at least for the procedure I needed, their concept of the word "appointment" is apparently to give everyone an "appointment" at the very same time, and then to sort them out in a first come, first served method.

I'll be going to PIH or BPH, nice private typically expensive hospitals that understand the concept of "appointment" from now on.

If you value your time, you should consider this as well.

[atlas2 4,329]

Good advice thanks.

[Bushcraft 2,591]

Thanks for the heads-up, I'll avoid this place.

[captcraig2 120]

I also just finished with a painful corn that I've been trying to get over for about a year. Wife wanted me to do the hospital gig as well but instead visited a local pharmacy and was given a small bottle of medicine, a week later it was gone...Cost...45 baht!

 

Medicine is called Con Con....Works great!

[capdagde 1,954]

Ils ont l'air "con" à l'hôpital......

 

Good read MM! See you tomorrow I hope...

 

Andy

[misteregg 709]

I know somebody who had a baby born there recently. All the procedures, medical costs and medicine were ฿5,200.

Brilliant service, very clean hospital and superb, dedicated staff.

Good for babies, bad for corns.

[capdagde 1,954]

I take that back then Mister Egg. State medicine is for citizens of and contributor's to that state - I think the high price was the "falang price" i.e. why aren't you going private, falang? Not sure if MM pays his taxes/contributions here etc..... that would be the major criterion anywhere else in the world.

 

Good experiment all the same.

 

AC

Edited July 28, 2016 by capdagde

[marleyboy 140]

Thanks for that heads up.

 

Funnily enough I was going to go there earlier this year, when I had an eye infection.

 

Thinking, as its smaller......... it may be "cheaper"! Apparently not then!

[seanss 27]

Martin

 

there is a guy who does laser removal in Pattaya Klang on left side before TOT and 3rd road.

I got a large verruca wart removed a few years ago from my foot and it was inexpensive.

He also does moles, etc and removes all by laser

I imagine around 2000 bhats and little waiting time

[MM 6,562]

Martin

 

there is a guy who does laser removal in Pattaya Klang on left side before TOT and 3rd road.

I got a large verruca wart removed a few years ago from my foot and it was inexpensive.

He also does moles, etc and removes all by laser

I imagine around 2000 bhats and little waiting time

Sounds promising Sean! I'll try to find him.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[MM 6,562]

I take that back then Mister Egg. State medicine is for citizens of and contributor's to that state - I think the high price was the "falang price" i.e. why aren't you going private, falang? Not sure if MM pays his taxes/contributions here etc..... that would be the major criterion anywhere else in the world.

 

Good experiment all the same.

 

AC

That's a good point, and it's likely that's what the problem (for this farang) might have been.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[jacko 8,822]

Well for contrasts sake... I visited BHP the other day.

 

In through the main door, immediately a very attractive young lady offered to help me, I handed over my card and told her the specialist type I wanted to see. (I like this approach, you get to see a specialist in a particular field rather than a GP, and being perhaps referred). She said please sit down in a comfy chair so I didn't have to join the riff-raff at the reception desk. After 10 minutes she retuned with a slip and my card and said please go up to a particular floor in building D. Had to wait 2 minutes for the elevator. Up there I presented my slip, and was told to wait, I was called after 2 minutes to go get the vitals checked and recorded, seems to be necessary every time you visit. Sit and wait again, for 10 minutes and called again to see a doctor. After seeing him asked to sit and wait and I made myself a free coffee. A lady then escorted me down to the ground floor cashier, here I waited 15-20 minutes before I was called, presented with the bill, money taken from my credit card, then immediately to the lady nearby to receive prescribed medication, 2 items.

 

Total cost 2271 baht, including the 2 lots of pills, in and out within an hour.

(Breakdown added later.....)

1431 Baht for medication (10% discount!)

50 Baht for 'Medical Equipment' I can only think it was for the ahhh-stick or his disposable gloves.

190 Baht Packaged Medical Charge, best guess the nurse taking my BP, asking me my weight and not caring of my height.

600 baht Physician Charge.

 

 

This time it wasn't suggested I had any expensive scans!

 

Your 'appointment' comment seems to tie in with what I was told happens at The Queen Sirikit up in Sattahip.... everyone gets an 8am 'appointment' but it is really first come and then queue.

Edited July 28, 2016 by jacko

[Idefix 2,275]

Hi MM

Thanks for the report.

It confirms again what I said and continue to say to every farang: avoid this place!

 

This place was great on its first year (while "in test") and I still have the 139 baht (!) bill I paid when I visited for an eye infection (thanks to Songkran). Ridiculously cheap! :)

 

Since they are "operational", price for farangs (at least those without WP) are ridiculously high!

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

That was a great report. I know now where not to go. I got sick in Bangkok and was happy with the private hospital service. I also recall that it had few patients also. Is that hospital sort of the public option?

[Fireman Sam 336]

20,000 baht for a corn removal, wow! They must value their time somewhat more than yours.

 

Do you guys prefer to self insure rather than get health insurance due to the cost ? Or is it mostly a case of paying up front then claiming it back on the insurance.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I now know where not to go if I require any treatment in Pattaya on my next visit.

 

Regards

[MM 6,562]

Had to wait 2 minutes for the elevator.

That's completely unacceptable!

 

jacko, thanks for the reminder of what a good (though sometimes expensive) hospital is like.

[MM 6,562]

20,000 baht for a corn removal, wow! They must value their time somewhat more than yours.

 

Do you guys prefer to self insure rather than get health insurance due to the cost ? Or is it mostly a case of paying up front then claiming it back on the insurance.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I now know where not to go if I require any treatment in Pattaya on my next visit.

 

Regards

I self-insure with Medicare backup (requiring a trip to the USA as I just did for the last 2 months).

 

I'd prefer to have insurance, but I procrastinated while my health was good until I reached the age where insurance was no longer available. Then, of course, I started having some problems.

[MM 6,562]

Martin

 

there is a guy who does laser removal in Pattaya Klang on left side before TOT and 3rd road.

I got a large verruca wart removed a few years ago from my foot and it was inexpensive.

He also does moles, etc and removes all by laser

I imagine around 2000 bhats and little waiting time

Is it Dr. Somnuek?

 

Here's the Google street view https://www.google.co.th/maps/@12.9347865,100.8918074,3a,43.3y,2.44h,91.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stzyY-HtovoWSijk5KLndSQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[BigDUSA 71]

20,000 baht for a corn removal, wow! They must value their time somewhat more than yours.

 

Do you guys prefer to self insure rather than get health insurance due to the cost ? Or is it mostly a case of paying up front then claiming it back on the insurance.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I now know where not to go if I require any treatment in Pattaya on my next visit.

 

Regards

My Blue Cross/Blue Shield paid for my care in Pattaya. I paid the bill and the hospital gave me a bill, I submitted it to my insurance carrier.

[Fireman Sam 336]

My Blue Cross/Blue Shield paid for my care in Pattaya. I paid the bill and the hospital gave me a bill, I submitted it to my insurance carrier.

 

My question was more aimed at the residents/expats in Pattaya who spoke of their experiences earlier in the thread.

 

I would hope all tourists would have the appropriate health insurance before arriving.

 

 

Regards

[aldriglikvid 5]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Might I highjack the thread and ask a question? Let's say I have a travel insurance plan - what's the preferred hospital to go,if I need any medical help?

[MM 6,562]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Might I highjack the thread and ask a question? Let's say I have a travel insurance plan - what's the preferred hospital to go,if I need any medical help?

In Pattaya, it's Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[BigDUSA 71]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Might I highjack the thread and ask a question? Let's say I have a travel insurance plan - what's the preferred hospital to go,if I need any medical help?

 

 

In Pattaya, it's Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

I've used the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital and the level of care was excellent. Cost was reasonable. I'd use then again.

[torrenova 644]

In Pattaya, it's Bangkok Pattaya Hospital.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

 

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Might I highjack the thread and ask a question? Let's say I have a travel insurance plan - what's the preferred hospital to go,if I need any medical help?

 

Before you go and start racking up large bills, you had better ask your insurer that the chosen hospital is still, not like last year or decade, still on their approved list. You then need to ascertain whether your hospital is available for direct settlement or reimbursement.

 

A few years ago, PIH was thrown off a few approved lists because of their bill padding, which they tried on me. Originally BHP was not approved either and Bumrungrad has also had a run in with the insurers as my friend found out when he was an inpatient.

[torrenova 644]

....

190 Baht Packaged Medical Charge, best guess the nurse taking my BP, asking me my weight and not caring of my height.

...

 

I had a few visits there in a short time and every time they tried this nonsense even when I refused the repeated daily blood pressure crap. They then billed me more for "nursing charge" for not having any than for the time I did !

 

They also charge for nursing and doctors on the basis of what they think you can afford. Really you might say but after the birth of my child and the bill padding into the many tens of thousands, I met with all their top brass and was even told by their "owner" to (his capitals) "FUCK OFF BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY".

 

I had crib sheets they gave me accidentally which showed the minimum charge, which is essentially the charge the hospital charges the doctor. The doctor's "profit", which was shared on a percentage basis, was up to the doctor to decide, based, by their admission, on what the patient was able to afford or how much sex the doctor got from his mia noi last night.

 

8 out of 10 times I got good service at PIH over more than a decade. 1 from 10 would be stupid padding and 1 in 10 downright wanted theft, or attempted.

 

At BHP there is a tier scale for expats which is not shown but is on some literature. Again, a random walk in the pricing structure depending on how much they want to make from you.