Thread: Uninsured Brit In Critical Condition Following Hua Hin Motorbike Accident

Originally Posted by cyrille

The logic may well be 'English speaking staff command higher salaries, and they are needed because of farang patients

All ASEAN countries teach English as the accepted language of meetings for all members. As such I suspect all Thai trained hospital doctors are expected to be able converse in English. My local village "GP" type clinic, with nurse level staff, has English speaker, my local town area hospital has English speaking nurses, both medical and admin and doctors. They also allow relatives to sleep on the floor next to the bed, "manage" food, washing and assisting patient's bathroom visits.

In my only personal experience of Thai Government hospitals, one of two local province main hospitals, my female doctor upon meeting me asked if I would prefer Thai or English to be spoken. I requested English and she spoke very clearly and authoritatively in English. She also spoke Thai to my Thai wife, when replying yo her questions. After her examination of me and a consultation with her males boss where they both explained their diagnosis, procedure to correct the problem and timeline, to me in English and my wife in Thai.

The primary tests involved a short theatre visit. In the theatre it was an all female team, top to bottom. Perfect theatre and equipment. Arranged for the afternoon of my first visit.

The main procedure, arranged one week later, was a mixed team of sexes.

The hospital ward was 99% Thais, culture was Thai. The nurses dealing with me spoke English. The Thai patients seemed to be mainly male, motorcycle accident patients and the females were mainly, broken noses - family fight , patients.

Two consults prior to procedures, two theatre visits - one for confirmation of diagnoses, one for the agreed procedure, one week waiting for admittance and 4 days pre and post-op ward accommodation - no AC, no private WC, free 10" Thai TV for the select few in the local beds, free Thai or "western" hospital food choice, a holdall sized bag of pills and potions to take away.

All for 40,000THB.

Equal to any hospital visits I've experienced in the UK. I suspect also cheaper, considering the "contributions" automatically extracted from me during the years of me paying UK taxes. Try finding a Thai speaker in the UK system, GP or hospital!

My wife who had taken out medical insurance had a "very bad pain" in her stomach one evening. Off in the truck to the local Bangkok private hospital. Welcomed us late one evening and after a few hours wait to be seen by the doctor, my wife was admitted for observation. Private A/C room and WC, couch for me to sleep on - pillow and cover from bedroom closet, food for my wife and a 30" TV. She was discharged the following afternoon with a bag of pills. Symptoms dissipated.

Cost, after insurance, 2,000THB.