Thread: What do you think about the Sawang Boriboon Ambulance Volunteers?

A friend had an accident on his Motorbike the other day.

The SB took him to the most expensive Hospital in Pattaya ie The Bangkok Pattaya. Although there were two nearer Hospitals that were a lot cheaper.

And 'lo and behold' when he looked in his pockets his wallet had disappeared.....

"Nobody ever gets to Hospital after a nasty accident, dead or alive, with any money on them" says a traffic Cop I know.

But maybe you know different?

PS. The hospital bill for three days stay and an operation to mend the guys broken shin bone was 250000bht. They charged 1500bht each time they changed a dressing!

Originally Posted by Luckydog

The hospital bill for three days stay and an operation to mend the guys broken shin bone was 250000bht

I wonder which bone it was? The main one is the tibula and is normally fixed with a titanium pin down the inside. If thats what he had then 250,000 is cheap. I doubt if thats the case though considering he only stayed 3 days.

Of course, as foreigners we should all have insurance to cover us for these events shouldnt we?

Originally Posted by Luckydog

he looked in his pockets his wallet had disappeared

In the absense of any reliable government ambulance service I would just be grateful for the help. If that meant losing whatever cash I had on me at the time of the accident i would personally look on that as a tip for the service of being collected by SB. Its no fun being stolen from in those circumstances though. Mate of mine had 5000 taken from him when he knocked himself out riding into a tree on a honda wave.

Actually this was more han a mere tip!
He had the takings of his Beer Bar (don't know how much) his Credit Cards and Passport taken too.
I know that byestanders will nick your stuff if they get a chance. But there are usually too many witnesses around for that to occur. However, in the back of an Ambulance it's easy no?
No wonder they do the job voluntarily!

What do you think about the Sawang Boriboon Ambulance Volunteers?

hope never to need their services ..................

Do you have any proof that it was these volunteers that took the wallet?

I think not.

Pennies from heaven

Originally Posted by Luckydog

PS. The hospital bill for three days stay and an operation to mend the guys broken shin bone was 250000bht. They charged 1500bht each time they changed a dressing!

Are you sure you didn't add an extra '0' accidentaly?

Thats $8,000 for a broken shin bone per day?

If it is correct your friend has been ripped off big time.

lets hope he had insurance

God lets hope that none of us need this kind of help. That is unless you got a damn good friend with you. I pray this does not happen to any of us.

skycop51 says.....

Whilst they claim to be doing it for merit-making, the por-teck-thung do have a reputation of rifling the pockets of the injured.

Whenever a foreign film crew are being given permits to depict Thailand, the TAT will instruct you not to portray this aspect of Thai behaviour.

Originally Posted by MeMock

Thats $8,000 for a broken shin bone per day?
If it is correct your friend has been ripped off big time.

Broken shin bone is a serious injury.
We dont know what procedure was used to fix the problem, we dont know whether it was a compound fracture or not.

I don't doubt it isn't serious but $24,000 serious?

Serious?

Originally Posted by MeMock

I don't doubt it isn't serious but $24,000 serious? Serious?

How do you get it to be $24,000 ?

Whoops

Thats 8 grand total not per day.

Never mind me, carry on

Originally Posted by MeMock

Serious?

Serious, I had a similar injury 5 years ago. The doctors told me 20 years ago they would have just cut it off at the knee because they didnt have the know how to fix it. I still have the 14 inch pin and a couple of screws inside my tibia
250,000 is 7500 U$D which isnt a small sum but to repair this kind of damage could be considered cheap.
Bung recently had a dislocated shoulder that cost him 250,000 to fix, that was Bangkok though.

Wow, I am shocked. I have never taken overseas medical insurance before.

I might start re thinking that!

Originally Posted by Spin

Bung recently had a dislocated shoulder that cost him 250,000 to fix, that was Bangkok though.

What the heck did they do for that price - a shoulder transplant?

Just checked and been assured the figure for repairing the shin bone with metal plates etc was 250000bht.

And a nurse I have talked to also says they (allegedly) get 'back handers' for taking injured Farangs to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. Why else would they pass three other hospitals.........

What would happen if you were living here on a retirement visa, with just the right amount in the Bank to make you elligable for renewal, and the medical costs of sickness/accident reduced it so that you were below the level of deposit required?

Originally Posted by Luckydog

J
What would happen if you were living here on a retirement visa, with just the right amount in the Bank to make you elligable for renewal, and the medical costs of sickness/accident reduced it so that you were below the level of deposit required?

Thats me and it is a bit worrying

Originally Posted by Happyman

Originally Posted by Luckydog

J
What would happen if you were living here on a retirement visa, with just the right amount in the Bank to make you elligable for renewal, and the medical costs of sickness/accident reduced it so that you were below the level of deposit required?

Thats me and it is a bit worrying

Very worrying mate, no?
What you gonna do about it???

Originally Posted by Luckydog

Originally Posted by Happyman

Originally Posted by Luckydog

J
What would happen if you were living here on a retirement visa, with just the right amount in the Bank to make you elligable for renewal, and the medical costs of sickness/accident reduced it so that you were below the level of deposit required?

Thats me and it is a bit worrying

Very worrying mate, no?
What you gonna do about it???

Working on a deal with a Japanese company at the moment- might be the solution.

I currently do proof reading and policy endorsement checking for a Japanese insurance company - done it on and off for the last 7 years on an Ad Hoc basis and for 14 years before that through the company I was working for.

They do a "blanket" medical policy for Japanese residents and tour groups here in Phuket. Their intermittent payments to me screws up their accounting system and the boss- a good friend of mine over the years - is having a look to see if he can put my name on the policy.

Would work for free in return but it is only occasional and do not rely on the cash to get by.

Fingers crossed

Mine are crossed for you old bean.......

Bottom-dwelling body-snatchers

Originally Posted by Luckydog

there were two nearer Hospitals that were a lot cheaper

^ people die from this

Originally Posted by Luckydog

Just checked and been assured the figure for repairing the shin bone with metal plates etc was 250000bht.

And a nurse I have talked to also says they (allegedly) get 'back handers' for taking injured Farangs to Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. Why else would they pass three other hospitals.........

Situation normal. TIT.