Reader Submission: Hospital Visit
Coming from the direction of Pranburi you will encounter three hospitals located on the Petkasem Road when you enter Hua Hin, the first is the Bangkok hospital, beautiful, modern, well cared for, but quite expensive but equipped with every comfort, many foreigners who ( insured or not, the latter just pull their wallets) managed to find their way to this Hospital.
The second hospital you will come across on the Phetkasem Road driving in the direction of Cha-am is the Sant Paolo Hospital. Also here friendly and caring staff, assisted by a very friendly interpreter if necessary, prices are lower here than in the aforementioned hospital. Here you will find a mixture of Thai patients and foreign residents or real tourists.
The third hospital also located on Phetkasem Road is Hua Hin Hospital. A real Thai hospital, where the high new construction, to replace the current old building, is progressing steadily. When you enter there, you immediately see that as a foreigner you represent an obvious minority here. I estimate the number of Thai visitors at just over 99%.
The reason for this high percentage of Thai visitors lies in the fact that for this group living in Hua Hin there is a so-called 30 Bath scheme (you could almost call it a national insurance scheme), which was once introduced by Thaksin. This very accessible hospital is, if you visit it for the first time, a true step back in time, overcrowded with rows of chairs everywhere occupied by very quietly awaiting their turn, mostly elderly patients, often accompanied by one or more family members.
The corridors are also frequently occupied with mainly old people in not the most modern wheelchairs or who are lying in bed waiting for their turn. As a farang, there is the possibility to receive preferential treatment against payment of 200 Bath, which means that you are treated “for the crowd” in many departments. The question remains whether this is fair? For the farang, 200 baht is little money, for the working Thai almost two-thirds of his daily wage. An insurmountable amount for the non-working and family-dependent Thai, so just waiting for your turn is the credo.
I have been visiting this Hospital for about two and a half years now, very messy, old and not very organized, at least it seems at the beginning. However, I can say that I do not use the 200 baht scheme and that being there early (in my case at 6 am) is a condition to wait less. Today again for the regular check-up of my very limited functioning heart (only for 46%). At that time there were already countless Thai patients waiting, which always surprised me how early those people had arrived and how late they had left home.
When handing in the paper on which my appointment was indicated, which had to be checked, it turned out that I still received preferential treatment. Reason, as I hope to turn 70 this year, have respect for the elderly. That was new to me but a nice bonus, so blood was quickly taken from me and transported to the laboratory.
Because I was not allowed to drink or eat anything since last night, I quickly went to the ground floor to satisfy my first hunger at the stalls in the courtyard and to enjoy a delicious espresso. After having fulfilled some formalities such as weighing, determining length and measuring blood pressure, it was time to speak to the treating doctor (the same one every time). I had number 21 and since this doctor cares little about how many patients are waiting for him, care towards the patient is his top priority and it was my turn after more than 2 hours. My records were on his desk, he looked sternly at the lab results, going over my medication 10 different to take over the day.
After some talking back and forth I was told that all values were okay, but my kidney function clearly left something to be desired. With nutritional advice, a repeat appointment in your pocket to hand out the medicines. The blood test, the visit to the specialist and 3 months of medication and after paying only 1570 baht, it was still a matter of waiting for the medication to be handed out. Finally we were able to leave the hospital at 13.00:XNUMX. It was striking that it was less busy in the various waiting areas, but was certainly not empty yet.
If you want a consultation or advice and you have the necessary time to spare, spend a day in this, for me, great hospital without frills.
Submitted by Yuundai
I would like to know how the hygiene is there. I have already been to several of these hospitals, but I did not find it particularly clean there. This is an important point for us to choose a hospital.
The hygiene is just as good as in other hospitals, only here it is an old building with makements, which of course does not promote hygiene
If you come from Pranburi (just before you leave Pranburi) you have a fourth hospital: the military hospital of the Thanarat Barracks, where you also end up as a foreigner.
Then a comment about “the salary of a Thai”. Not everyone earns that little. The salary of "the Thai" is not 300 baht per day. That's the minimum wage. Or does everyone in the Netherlands only earn the minimum?
In any case, the costs are much lower than in the other two in Hua Hin. A good friend of mine had an inguinal hernia. This had to be operated on. I don't remember the exact prices, but I believe that the Bangkok Hospital as well as the San Paulo Hospital asked about 100.000 Baht (Bangkok Hospital 135.000 Baht).
In the Hua Hin Hospital he paid (with preferential treatment and his own room) a total of 9000 Baht. Had he shared a room, it would have been only 7000 baht. That's what I call huge differences.
He had not even exceeded the own share that he had to pay for the operation. So even if his insurance had paid in the Netherlands, he would have paid more in the other hospitals.
I had an implant placed at the military hospital in Pranburi. That tooth cost around 50.000 baht everywhere, I paid 43000 baht for it and I was allowed to pay it in installments too.
Perhaps it would have been cheaper in the Hua Hin hospital, but that was not an option for me when my tooth broke, because we live in Pranburi and I could get there faster.
I have been visiting Hua Hin Hospital regularly for almost 10 years. There I had two groin operations and two cataract operations. Everything went smoothly without complications. About every three months I get checked for diabetes and blood pressure. It takes a little extra time, but always helped satisfactorily. The costs are very good.
A hospital visit is emotionally certain when this happens in Thailand.
Gained experience last year in Sirijah hospital in Bangkok. Same image with a lot of Thai waiting their turn. The falang just joined in. Finally helped with a retinal detachment in my left eye.
The impressions are overwhelming in terms of the amount of people and counters, but the medical help and knowledge is top notch if you let go of your Western prejudice. Hygiene is Ok, staff knows what is important in this despite the many people and a slightly old building. I found this to be a real life experience and a very positive one. What is never will forget. In NL you really only wake up after the operation. And that's pretty much alone.
You don't wake up alone in Thailand. Nurses are with you at that moment and immediately let your family and acquaintances attend. Waking up comfortably after an operation.. I thought it was very important.
I have no problem with the Thai "loso" hospitals.
I know Hua Hin Hospital very well. In 2016 I was hospitalized there in critical condition after a car accident. I spent a few weeks in intensive care and then another 29 days in the nursing ward.
The doctors and staff were great.
After that I had to come back regularly for another six months for examinations. The article captures the atmosphere very well. A lot of people also had a lot of patience. I once lost my temper. They couldn't find my file and without that file I couldn't go to the specialist. I knew where my file was, but the receptionist wouldn't listen. I was ashamed that I was out of my mind, but then made a new appointment.
I emphasize that I was treated excellently and that everything looked pretty neat, including the toilets.
I regularly visit the lamphun state hospital and today also happens to be .
Usually for prostate check, had a biopsy done under general anesthesia last year due to fissures at the time and later cataract surgery in January of this year.
Great staff .
It is a fact that you usually have to wait a long time , sometimes it seems as if half the province is there with family and all .
Today I had to be there again for a check-up.
At around ten o'clock in the morning the appointment form was given to the nurse at the department desk.
Then to the blood test department, back to the dept desk and asked when it was my turn at the Urinologist doctor.
She said come back around half past one, and I spent the rest of the time shopping in Lamphun with my wife.
Back on time and after an hour and a half I was outside again with medication and all.
Then why hang around all day in the hospital.
Early in the morning, my wife brought freshly picked mangoes from our own orchard for the doctor and his staff.
And the costs fell again.
You don't see me in a private hospital anymore, I have gained experience with it.
And believe me, the high costs do not go to the salary of the nursing staff and other working staff such as cleaners, etc.
When I was in one of those private hospitals a few years ago , my spouse and I had often spoken to the nursing staff in the room at night , so that is the only way I know how things are there .
Jan Beute.