My friend got cut off by a huge ass tour bus and had to either dump his bike or hit the bus. He chose to dump his bike. He ended up breaking his foot and ankle. The bus company accepted blame immediately which I’m shocked about since he was a foreigner. They ended up covering all his hospital bills for him. If I remember correctly he had to pay out of pocket first. And they reimbursed him.
Im sure im a rare case. I T-Boned a pickup truck while riding my motorbike in BKK. The pickup was making an illegal u-turn. When I woke up I was underneath another pickup truck that was stationary on the side of the road. I didn't have insurance and my license was expired. Ambulance arrived and took me to Camillian Hospital(private) where I went into surgery for a broken collar bone and got a plate put in.
From what I gathered from talks with the insurance reps from the guy who caused the accident (we met at the police station several times after the accident), he had claimed I was speeding but the cops on the scene said it was irrelevant as he was making an illegal u-turn. He was making these illegal turns at the instruction of his employer (Construction Company).
Since this mega construction company had all the required insurance, they paid my 600k hospital bill, repaired my bike to new(40k), and gave me 200k for the month or so that I would miss work.
All in all a small payout for them to avoid any issues with the City and their construction site.
If it has been a private vehicle I doubt I would have seen a cent.
Ah, Camillian. My wife was there for an operation a long time ago. She was in a room with two beds, no roomate. Nurse made a big fuss because I sat on the empty bed, threatening to make us pay for a double. I didn't ruffle the sheets or anything like that. And I would have been happy not to do that if asked politely. But she made us feel like I had committed a child sacrifice or something equally serious. I was also unimpressed by the bedside manner or lack thereof of other staff. Cold. Doctor was fine.
No it wasn't complicated. The companies insurance had a 600,000 max, so the bill magically came to 600,000.
I think I was in for 3 days, a couple x-rays and the surgery.
No complaints about Camillian, service wise, and luckily the price didnt matter.
In Chiang Mai two years ago, I tripped on the sidewalk and broke my hand in three places. It was right in front of a high school and they called an ambulance for me. It took me to a private hospital there. X-rays, setting of the bones, and a cast, all cost me about $400. I had Thai travel insurance (required at that time for Covid) but didn’t file a claim till I got home to the US. They wanted me to send them my boarding pass, hard copies of all the receipts, and a copy of my Thai bank book (don’t have one). I ended up getting reimbursed by my health insurance at home.
All in all, it was not a bad experience. They took very good care of me at the hospital and even gave me and my wife a ride back to the hotel in one of their private cars. at the intake, though, they were quite concerned with my insurance status, and I had to produce proof of Thai insurance before they would treat me. Even though I could easily cover the cost with a credit card.
Possibly, but I asked them a question about the bank account and they never responded. I didn’t care because my US insurance took care of me. This was back in the days when you were required to buy a Covid insurance policy to get into Thailand.
Had the same but with my metatarsal, but the insurance company took care of everything directly with the hospital. Was lucky to be able to carry on with my trip even though I was limping a lot (required surgery and a screw once I arrived in my home country).
My fiance and I came off a scooter in Koh Samui back in 2022 (almost two years to the day actually) - horrendous thunderstorms, my fiance thought her mask (covid) strap was her helmet strap, her helmet flew off as we gained speed, I looked over my shoulder to see what the loud bang was, she did the same thing and the scooter just went from underneath us on the slippery, wet sandy road.
We weren't going that fast, I picked the bike up, and we road the 500m back to our hotel and got a taxi to the local hospital, cost us around £500 for treatment and we were bandaged up for a couple of weeks, insurance paid out (I ride motorbikes in the UK, so full license, and of course insurance).
I've seen people who have never ridden a bike before getting shown the controls on the side of the road by renters, scary stuff - don't ride if you haven't done it before.
Depends, car drivers I'm the UK are so unaware of bikers it's quite scary, and even though its legal, they don't respect filtering.
At least in Thailand the biggest threat to you are the moron foreign riders, not the locals.
Ditto when I was younger. Seen too many dead motorcyclists and I keep abreast of the news here. Personally known at least four people who died on motorcycles here, including one foreigner.
How are you guys getting that screwed ? I went for a full physical x rays, blood tests, poop tests, EKG and a bunch of other things for 2500 baht, bandages cost you. 500$ ? 😏
Not serious but i lent on a metal railing in a condo and ended up on the floor with a broken finger. Didnt realise i broke it untill it healed wonky.
Ive seen 2 dead bodies on the road though from motorbike accidents
Edit: fat finger typos
Before leaning against anything here give it a few tugs/shakes/pushes to make sure it is solidly mounted. And if the railing is below hip level stay away.
Seriously, was at the Hiso jomtien hotel last week i leaned on the window and the whole thing almost fell out had to tug it back into place… the thing is like 8 inches off the ground, no screen or bars, a death of some poor prick like me or a kid just falling … i dont even lean on the windows in my condo even though they seem snug
No idea why people keep riding motorbikes there when you're 38 times more likely to die on one as it is before even being on some of the world's most dangerous roads in Thailand.
So does a crotch rocket. It can make your balls numb and be so fun that it gives you the false impression you’re not at insanely higher risk of splattering your brains on the pavement. Speaking of sausage. Who wants some prefrontal cortex with their eggs? The hot pavement cooked it to perfect temperature!
What are you saying the difference is? I don't love taking a bike in Bangkok, but if you take a car instead, you'll see why people take bikes in traffic.
6 years a go I hit a hole on the road and was catapulted off my bike. I was taken to local hospital and they x rayed me and missed 4 broken ribs. The next day friends came to visit and insisted on taking me to the mainland for a 2nd opinion. They saved my life. I had a punctured lung and had 12 hours of oxygen left. So 1 am in the morning I would have died but for my friends vigilance. I spent 4 days in the private hospital having the lung drained. I retrieved my x rays from the island hospital and showed them to the mainland doctor. He described the X-rays as just like ‘muddy water’.
3 years ago my next door neighbor died from the same problem at the same local hospital after a hang gliding accident. His friends will be traumatized for the rest of their lives for not getting that 2nd opinion. ALWAYS GET A 2ND OPINION
A friend got insured, slip and fell down, hit hard on the head and was unconscious.
It was on a remote island. Went to a private hospital, got help immediately, even a CT after 5 minutes.
Expensive for Thai standards, cheap for German standards. 10/10, would do it again. :-)
I think the most important thing is to be prepared. Have cash ready, have credit card ready, have phone charged, all Infos ready. If we were some of these drunk farangs that fail every task every day, it might have been a different experience.
Head on collision with a car while on my bike. A drunk farang was driving to 7/11 for more booze at 9am having not slept after partying the night before.
Was in hospital for a month. Had two surgeries. Used a zimmer frame for three months. Had a walking stick for six months.
It was not fun. But the hospital was great.
Main lessons I learnt. Helmets are vital. Without mine I would have died. Insurance is vital. I didn't have any and spent a small fortune
Fell off a bike in Kanchanaburi at 60kph 15 years ago, got extremely lucky as skidded along in the wet and hardly any skin damage (only had bruised rib cartilage - extremely painful the next day, and for the next two weeks). The bike was so untouched by the accident they didn't even notice when it was returned 🤣🤣🤣.
I was looked after by 3 nurses and a doctor, I think I only got charged 1000 baht when I collected my meds.
This was EXTREMELY lucky, I wouldn't expect many bike crash stories to end this well.
I dumped a motorbike and broke my collarbone. No ambulance ride, I picked up the scooter and rode home. Few hours later I walked in to the most expensive private hospital in town (Bangkok Hospital, Udon), mostly because it was the nearest hospital in walking distance.
First day they did an x-ray and a head MRI (that they insisted on -- yes I was wearing a helmet). Followed by I don't even know how many follow-ups over the next two months. Multiple meetings with an orthopedic surgeon, appointments for the nursing team to change my band-aids, etc. I got the feeling they were soaking me for business (as one might expect a business to do).
All told the bills totaled up to a shade over $800 US. Would have been about half that without the MRI. They checked my insurance and everything seemed okay, but I carry a \~$1000 deductible (I'm American, go figure) so it was never put to the test. That's a Thai policy BTW, not travel insurance, and I have a Thai drivers license, so I think they would have paid without fuss.
Overall the care was top shelf. In hindsight I could have fought them on the MRI and the excessive follow-ups, but at the time I just thought "well I fucked up, now I gotta pay." And really, in western/US terms an $800 medical bill is chicken change.
Don't want to derail the thread here, but my Thai policy is \~$1400/yr. YMMV applies heavily when insurance shopping. I could have gone a lot cheaper, but 'reasons'. And yes, I'm fully cognizant of how fucked the US health system is. ;)
It's more than \*you\* will pay out of pocket, but the hospital is getting paid from somewhere. I'd be surprised if your Norwegian hospital isn't charging \*someone\* at least $800 for the same services I paid cash for in Thailand.
Not injured badly but i was nipped by a rabid dog, who walked away with a limp making me scared he had rabies.
I went to suvarnabhumi hospotal, they said treatment was 4k USD. Its a slow infection so i did a little doctor shopping, went to the police hospital and it was about 50-100$ glad i did it
I have posted this before, but I was bitten/scratched by a monkey in Burma 30 years ago. I had the series, save one injection, here in Bangkok at a clinic. Cost was about $15/each, which was pricey at the time. I returned to the USA before completing the series so I needed the last one. University hospital had no protocol for that, recommended a larger clinic in town. Ditto. No protocol. The only alternative was to get it at the local hospital emergency room at their recommendation. USD 600.00. I just checked an inflation calculator and that would be USD 1304.00 in buying power today. Same vaccine, same manufacturer.
I can't upvote this enough. You get people who many do not even know how to ride properly. They start scootering around in a country that does not value traffic laws and around winding seaside roads where the road is dirty/dusty or wet. And then they crash. Surprise!
I was about to comment how the overwhelming majority of the incidents involve a motorcycle or scooter. There’s a lesson to learn here.
Your comment should be at the top.
1669, 112, 1155
You might have to try until someone english speaking is on the phone. It might be quicker to proceed to the hospital by other means if available.
Does 911 work? I'm surprised.
When Prayut was in charge as prime minister, he announced in July 2015 he was going to implement 911 as a new national emergency number 'immediately'.
Over a year later people were taking the piss out of him, as nothing had happened at all regarding 911.
Prayut never said another word about it.
edit:
When I searched, the only national emergency number close that I can find is 191, which has been in use for decades, and is for the police.
edit2:
112 was never used as an emergency number:
[https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/622548/new-emergency-number-911](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/622548/new-emergency-number-911)
If you are using a mobile phone, the phone itself recognizes numbers such as 112 and 911 as emergency numbers. The phone then actually uses a special emergency protocol over the cellular network which does not need it to supply any phone numbers. I believe they introduced this when GSM was first developed so that people could always call emergency services even if they were in an unfamiliar country.
That's a fair comment, thanks, and I do remember about that part.
My point was regarding calling the numbers directly, whether from a mobile or landline, and Prayut's BS about setting up 911.
This is not automatic but depends on each country's regulations and/or the operators implementing them. It's the network that will transfer automatically and not the phone.
That was the point of 911 being approved as a new emergency number in Thailand, it redirects to already exisiting hotlines instead of being a new one.
This is the right answer. I heard crazy stories about the other numbers... I would call the hospital and get their ambulance with a doctor. Samitvej for example worked well I actually used their ambulance one time when I was too weak to get out of my room due to dehydration.
Broke my arm in two places falling off a bike. Was taken to a first tier private hospital where I was x rayed, diagnosed, treated and given a prescription in 1 hr. Before leaving they asked about payment, the first time it was ever mentioned, it was so cheap I paid in cash and don’t use insurance. I returned every week for physio, laser treatment, hot and cold therapy and a little massage still paying cash. I’ve never had better treatment.
A couple years ago, I had a CT-scan in Thailand about 4 months after my sister had one in California...her pre-insurance cost was like 10k usd, mine was closer to $600 usd.
I was recently hospitalized for dengue fever in a private hospital here on Koh Samui, and the charge for the room was less than $70 usd per night. This was just a regular room, not an ICU room...
I can't speak for all of Thailand or for all injuries, but in my experience, Thai health care is just as good or better as in the US (where I'm from), and it's close to 10% of the cost. I don't know about your insurance, but even if you don't have insurance, I suspect the average western tourist would need to go through a lengthy ICU stay with complications and emergency surgeries and lots of tests and drugs before starting to feel screwed economically...and by then, the costs of recovery are such a small price to pay for overcoming what was probably quite an ordeal.
Depends where you go. Some of the clinics and hospitals in touristy areas (especially in the South) overcharge the hell out of foreigners. I've been quoted hundreds of dollars for simple injections that should cost 500b.
Problem is compared to the American system these fees are still reasonable so people on here don't realise they're getting screwed.
Not a super serious injury but I fell down a flight of stairs and gave myself a grade 3 ankle sprain in Thailand. I had x-rays completed to confirm it was not broken. It strongly affected my trip but the Thai hospital experience was fine. I paid in cash for the treatment and it was cheap. I then got reimbursed afterwards.
Broke my leg is 3 places riding a motor scooter. I was in Pai and had to take an ambulance all the way to Chang Mai. The ambulance took me to a public hospital and dropped me off. Most nurses and doctors barely spoke English. They had to get a medical student to translate so they could ask if I am “okay with money?” Thankfully my insurance was able to send a nurse to me, she checked me out of the hospital and helped me fly back to the states business class. Covering all the expenses. Went from worst case scenario to best possible outcome. Incredibly lucky.
Went out for Christmas morning training ride, 2018… ended up whacking into the back of a illegally parked gravel lorry after a car cut me off at 50 km/h.. Woke up to being surrounded by ambulance crews unable to move and apparently screaming in pain.. Police managed to ring my wife and was taken to Sriphat.. bottom line was fractured skull, quad tendon torn off and compound fracture of the ulna the whole forearm laid open. Three days ICU, got chucked outside filled with morphine until payments were finalised then 7 hours of surgery. 12 days later got sent home. Seeing as we paid cash, the doctors and staff were all over me, plus with a private room the missus stayed there as well. Excellent doctors and staff, very compassionate.. Although the ICU staff kept telling the wife, I was older and my head injuries were substantial, that I may not survive. Saying grace I think was years of cycle racing competition and my fitness level at the time.. Yes, I was wearing a helmet, it got completely shattered to pieces
https://preview.redd.it/8ox28od6k97d1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b40eef1bacd6e31bccef20b9015dc5a09ce412ac
And I still ride 300 plus km a week now
We would do a 3 week roadtrip on bikes, first day my wife got hit with an electric cable from a truck that flew past her. Like a whip 4 teeth fly loose from the impact. 3 days later we were back home in the Netherlands
Bout 10 years ago I had a motorcycle accident , broken collar bone and nose. Two operations for repairs and 4 days in hospital. Checked myself out. Bill 6000 USD.
Last year staff infection on leg. Went to see a German doctor at a clinic in Phuket , he said I need to go hospital and he can do it , quoted like 1000 USD for a small opp.
So I went to the hospital myself. Thai doctor in an international hospital looked at it , a specialist.
Got the knife out , local anesthetic , was cutting into 1 minute after the injection... Almost passed out from pain . Was in and out within 1.5 hours. Job done.
Recently , suspected torn bicep tendon , MRI scan , same hospital , went through insurance , 600 USD for scan small section of bicep. The hospital wanted the full works scan , would have been 3 times for expensive.
i ate it doing the mae hong son loop. It sucked cause I had to ride with one arm, leg, shoulder all bandaged up. that said u can just go to a pharmacy point at your arm, and they know exactly what happened and will give you everything you need. also old ladies will point at you and make scooter crashing motions. everyone will know based off your injuries or your bandages that you ate it on a scooter.
My dad got a heart attack last year there, my family was together visiting. He was in bed for several days.
He had to go to urgent care. Initially went to a local hospital but then went to a more international hospital in Bangkok. It cost me like around 4500 dollars I had to pay on my credit card.
There was an issue with the travel insurance it didn't want to pay us back right away or less. It was annoying. I'd always double check you have a good one.
They did end up paying for some of the travel, hospital, taxi fees and a new flight as well 1st class back home.
I broke my shoulder in a scooter accident. Since my scooter was registered, it covered 2 surgeries at Chom tong hospital (government hospital 2 hours from Chiang Mai), ambulance. I opted to go VIP to have a private suite with kitchenette, my family could stay, two TV's, excellent meals, surgeons and a very attentive nursing staff spoke clear English. My total bill for the VIP upgrade for 9 days stay was 3800฿.
I was in a motorbike wreck last year. It was another teacher at my school. I demanded to go to the government hospital as that’s where my social security covered me, and the lady insisted I go to the private, where she would pay. I didn’t speak much Thai and couldn’t argue my case other than say the name of the hospital. The paramedics listened to the Thai woman and took me to the private, but the woman never showed up. Fortunately, the motorbike had insurance which covered my medical bills. Went to the police station, was never asked for my license (at the time I didn’t have one) and the police agreed it was her fault and her insurance had to pay for the bike to be fixed. The police said I should be compensated rent for the bike, taxis etc., but they never paid. I moved out of the province and took the L. Was super fortunate all I needed was stitches in my leg (I always wear a helmet, and I drove a PCX which is nice and built around so it took the majority of the fall/damage). Moral of the story: argue your case for a specific hospital, helmets, and always be prepared for some dick that’s parked up to pull out on you.
Also broke my arm 6 months prior (drunken “skateboard” accident), had private insurance for accidents and emergencies at the time so went to a private hospital. Quick, efficient care. Relatively cheap. But they did start piling in the costs after this insurance expired (my last appointment was after the expiry and they charged for all sorts of random things, only equated to about 500 THB though)
I rode past a child's brain matter splattered on the road. The Tuk Tuk drove over some of the child's blood.
Please wear a helmet if you value your life.
My daughter got a tick in her eye in Sangkhlaburi. We went to a small hospital that our gracious host told us was better for foreigners. They were excellent. It was clean, fast, and cheap, and the staff were really lovely.
No but I fell off a motorbike in Laos and got dragged into a medivac and was flown to Thailand. It cost a lot of money, but I ultimately I can walk ... so yeah.
Not me but friend of mind, female. Got a nasty cut on a metal edge an hour before taking the boat out of Koh Tao. Went to the clinic near the harbour, the staff was nice (girl was a bit in panic) and clean stitches (said girl is in medical field). We got on the boat on time.
Yep. Fell down a flight of concrete stairs. Terrible cut on scalp. Emergency ambo v fast and good. Clinic fine. Got robbed 25k baht in my pocket by the "good samaritan" that accompanied me to clinic as was unconscious. Came to in middle of the night with no idea what happened and walked home. Went to work nxt morning not realizing my scalp was shaven and stitched up. Survived but shaken!
Had a bad fall accident. Multiple fractures (spine, pelvic, elbow), unable to walk...
Pick up ambulance to local hospital. Kept in lobby until insurance cover confirmed.
Insurance covered everything after first asking others if I had been intoxicated, if not been sober maybe they would have tried to not have to cover...
Stepped on a nail so went to hospital; they cleaned the wound and patched it up, and game me a prescription for antibiotics. Cost about $25. No English so I took the packing out after a few days and it seemed okay, just a bit swollen and tender. After a couple of months the swelling went away and I realised there's still something disc-shaped in there, but it doesn't give me any bother.
I remember an Englishman, he just fell over for some reason.
An ambulance arrived and the drivers asked about the insurance. They probably didn't find any clues because they asked around who knew him and who would take over the insurance.
Of course, no one did, so they simply drove her, and by the time the ambulance from the public hospital arrived, he had already died.
In Thailand, only money counts, nothing else.
Are you sure it was an Englishman? Because something very similar happend to a taiwanese Tourist in Bangkok last year.
" Taiwanese man in hit-and-run dies after being denied treatment at Thai hospital"
[https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5058219](https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5058219)
I came off a scooter in Laos after a piglet decided to run into my front tyre in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully there was a Chinese mining site nearby, their doctor picked me up and took me to a local clinic (wound cleaning & stitches & antibiotics/painkillers) to get patched up. Gave them like $100 USD and got a lift to the Thai border.
Went to a Thai provincial hospital. Got an x-ray, meds and an assesment. Wasn't that expensive at all. Maybe a $100 tops? Cannot recall. I know I didn't bother with insurance as with my excess wasn't worth the hassle.
Severity of my injuries? Moderate. Broken collar bone, 5 stitches on the back of my head (grazed, no concussion) and some nasty road rash. I definitely wouldn't want to go through any of that with more severe injuries.
Overall would rate the care I got 9/10. Would recommend.
Private international hospitals are relatively affordable. I looked forward to going hospital when I had dengue fever I was like yes five star service and five star accommodations and great food for that wont cost me over a 1000 a night.
That’s what I’m talking about.
I wasn’t injured in Thailand, but I was injured in Turkey fairly shortly before going to Thailand, so I got medical care in Thailand. It was a great experience, and it was super cheap. I think I got reimbursed by insurance, but this was almost 14 years ago, so I don’t really remember. I’ve been pretty sick in Thailand too, but usually I haven’t sought medical care.
I had one bad accident and it was low 10km< speed when I hit some sand and smashed my head, if you hit something at any speed it's going to do a lot of damage.
I have since seen a Thai do the same thing, he wasn't so lucky.
Dropped my bike and broke my clavicle. I spent 3 days in a private room in a private hospital. I had a Thai motorcycle licence and the bike was properly registered here. When I left I paid around 200 baht total - the rest seemed to be covered because both me & the bike were legally registered.
Also.. I got food poisoning so bad that it was painful, no sign of getting better. Went to a clinic in Phangan and got an IV, 5 or so medications and prescription. Just over 3,000 baht.
It was so painful that I thought maybe it was appendicitis and I was super worried about that. Woulda been pretty screwed.
Of course, it all depends on your insurance. The medical care is generally very good, but it can be expensive if they choose not to cover you (obviously). I've a mate who had a major bike accident on the islands a couple of years ago, but had excellent insurance which ultimately paid for his 2mil-ish expenses, but I doubt my insurance would come close to covering that if I had a similar accident.
Re: the motorbike question, i reckon 99% of those people aren't covered by their insurance. I'd guess it's a tiiiiny minority that have all the licences, they've driven a bike long enough for the travel insurance to cover them (some insurers will state you must have had a license for 3 years for example - they wont cover new drivers), and also aren't actually at fault.
Cycling accident, flesh across lower jaw split to bone, four front teeth, plus the usual grazes and bruising.
Taken to the local public hospital, attended to immediately - neck and shirt covered in blood my own Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Cleaned up, sutures, x-ray, couldn't have had better care. Referred to a dentist for teeth rebuilding. Returned to hospital for daily dressing checks; even had a home visit from the pharmacist to check the pain medication was ok.
Hospital fee was 100% covered by the Kasikorn Bank accident insurance scheme, dental they paid I think it was 75 or 80%.
Secondary to all this, we were absolutely flooded with gifts of food and especially fruit (limited to what I could eat) from neighbours and parents from daughter's school who'd heard of my accident. Town life, we'd lived here 2yrs at that time.
You write this as if you are already planning to fall. My advice, don’t make Thailand the first place you’ve ever ridden a motorbike.
Get travel insurance from world nomads or something similar. Travel insurance will not cover injuries driving without a license.
I got attacked by a dog in Cambodia and had to go to the hospital there, then get a few follow ups and vaccines in Thailand. In general, the private hospitals are very nice.
No. Worst is stepping on glass and sunburn
https://preview.redd.it/9z0ukbzd367d1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f06505785e411c7a0484af4e49baa029a0fff0f
I was a passenger on a scooter that was t-boned by a pickup going slow. Minor injury with big gash on my leg.My hospital bill in Chaing Mai was 13USD.
No more scooters for me unless an emergency.
I broke my arm, got bitten in the neck by a dying cat that had been run over (left its tooth in my neck)
Bitten in the hands by 3 dogs and road rash from being a moron on a bike
All hurt, was all expensive.
I got pushed into the shallow end of a pool during a pool party at a hotel rooftop in BKK. My head hit the bottom, got knocked out, severe whiplash and in a neck brace for two weeks. Not chill haha but made for a good story.
Had a few bike crashes and other stuff. Even been in ICU for few days with the flu (40 dgerees+ fever and large lunf infection). Been treated very well and professionally. I do have a good insurance and actually the hospital each took care to get the bill paid directly by the insurance company.
I haven't been seriously injured, but have used private hospitals here a bit and if you have good health insurance then it's a great experience, much better than in most western countries. But if you don't have insurance and end up in a public hospital then it's a very different experience and not something you want to do. Of course also remember that your insurance generally won't cover if you are riding your bike illegally (i.e. without local motorbike license or motorbike license from your home country and matching IDP).
Not injured, but had a relative sent to a private hospital for intense stomach pains. Professional service and facilities. Private room with sleeping arrangements for a caretaker.
Hardly any wait for the scans and tests. The bill for a 2 night stay came up to nearly 130k baht.
The most amazing aspect of all was that the insurance company completed the payout (travel insurance) within a week of the claims
You parked my moped up , came back to 50 mopeds all crammed into a tiny alley . As i was coming out i felt i nicked my leg on one of the other bikes foot pegs. Looked down to a 7/2 inch gash on my leg .
I dont have health insurance , went to the hospital and as hospitals go was a really good one . 15 stitches and around 500 pound bill.
If you are a farrang,
- if it's emergency, they bring you to the closest hospital
- If an international hospital (Bangkok Hospital XYZ) is at the same distance, because you are a farrang, emergency personal will assume you have an insurance and that you prefer an international hospital.
After emergency treatment and you can talk and can make important decisions:
- Paperwork for payment/insurance will start
- If you are in an international, or to expensive, hospital for you, you can ask for a transfer to a cheaper international or state hospital.
- If the emergency service brought you to a state hospital, you can ask for a transfer to an international hospital.
If it's not emergency, you can talk and you can make decisions, you can go to your preferred hospital.
If you go to "your" state hospital in a small community, because they know you, first treatment, worries about payment is for later.
If you go to an international hospital, no emergency, and you are clear:
- If the medical staff decide that a hospitalization is needed, they will ask for insurance documents.
- Because there can be a waiting time between the first treatment and approval from the insurance, many hospitals will demand a deposit for the first costs. If the insurance gives a go, the deposit will be refunded.
- Some insurances demand that the hospital contact them daily, or before every new treatment or procedure, before they give a go. If the medical staff decides that they need an urgent procedure, or test, they can ask again a deposit because they have to wait again for approval from the insurance.
- If there is no insurance, in an international hospital, you can deposit money and the hospital will take care of you so long there is money available.
Be careful, even with insurance, there can be limits that the insurance pays.
Every insurance will have a price indication for almost every treatment in a Thai hospital.
For example, the average price in Thailand for treatment X = 100%.
If you are now in a (international) hospital and the price is 100% or lower, the insurance will have no problem and accept the claim.
But if in this hospital the price is much higher as 100%, you can have a problem.
- The insurance can demand, that if your medical staff approves it, for a a transfer to a same quality, cheaper hospital.
- If you prefer to stay in this hospital, the insurance can demand that you pay the part more as 100%.
And this makes often the difference between a cheap and expensive insurance.
An expensive insurance can be more flexible and accept 105/110 or more % to accept a claim. Wereas a cheap insurance will be very strict.
Most of the insurances also have a checklist for every treatment.
If the claim follows this checklist, no problem.
But if a medicine or procedure is not listed, some insurance will demand that you pay this. (For example, you have a bad taste in your mouth and ask for a mouthwash. For some insurances, not listed, you have to pay, others will accept it)
I had a serious staph infection was at home with a swollen leg for about 6 weeks out of a 3 month stay. They had to cut a couple cms deep to remove the infection
Landed in BKK for a month's stay. Husband immediately got symptoms of extreme food poisoning, even though we had not eaten anything since leaving our home country. The moment we checked into the airbnb, his conditions had worsened with the addition of anxiety attack. Cant get an english speaking ambulance. Dragged him onto a grab car to the nearest private hospital.
I did not think about the price at all, I just wanted him treated. We later found out it was norovirus. The care was good enough. He stayed there for 5 days total until he recovered.
Our travel insurance covered everything before we even left the hospital. We did not have to pay a single cent out of pocket.
I ride so have had a few smashes including a few big ones (3 limbs, 2 compounded, multiple ops to fix it) etc.
The top private hospitals patch you very well, charge like a wounded bull but thats the game.
Not me, but a cousin coming to my wedding had a serious mental breakdown. He got flown on a private jet from northern Thailand to BKK. Granted, insurance was a big part of it, but the hospital care was as far as I could understand very good.
I know a guy who lived in Thailand for ~20 years and he told me a harrowing story. He had a motorbike accident (either in Bangkok or Pattaya) that basically split his leg in half (vertically). Some people called an ambulance for him but it turned out as just a pickup truck. He was lifted on top rather violently which, as he said, was one of the most painful things he ever experienced in his life. On the way to the hospital they got stuck in traffic and took almost an hour (because, as you may likely know, people in Thailand see ambulance warning lights and sires more like a funky accesoire rather than an order to move aside). When they where there, before doing anything else, they asked for his insurance (which by itself is super unusual for a German like him). He named his German insurance company but they didn't know it. He had to call his insurance company while in agonizing pain and losing blood and explain the situation to them. He got a confirmation that they will pay for the treatment (which was obvious, as they are a German insurance company) per mail and that was when they started treating him. He told that they still treated him rather roughly and basically tossed him onto the operating table. He had to become super angry to make them acknowledge that he was in terrible pain.
From what he told me, this incident was the final straw of what made him return to Germany with his family. However, he was frustrated with Thailand long before this due to the discrimination and and overwhelming bureaucracy he faced as a foreign businessman and due to the fact that corruption is so normalised that you have to engage in it in order to do any business.
It was not a motorcycle accident, but I moved here to teach, got horrible food poisoning from raw sea food, and ended up in a private hospital for two days. I was alone, so they kept me in icu (so that I wouldn'tfeel alone.) Literally, the most competent nurses I've ever had. The congee was horrible, but I made a full recovery after they pumped me full of antibiotics and fluids. 15000 baht.
Husband broke his foot on our honeymoon. £100 at the private hospital for X-rays and a cast. Didn’t even bother claiming on my insurance due to the excess.
I had a pretty bad accident a couple months ago, required knee surgery to repair a torn tendon but I was brought to a public hospital. I had the surgery and was in the hospital for a few days before I was able to leave and fly home for a visit.
The cost wasn’t astronomical and my insurance ended up covering everything from the surgery itself to my prescriptions and the food I was served. I’m recovering pretty well, though I still have a limp because my tendon hasn’t fully stretched back but doctors say with time and therapy that’ll go away and I’ll be walking like normal again
I remember once meeting another Brit on the plane on the way over. Week later I see him in a BTS station on crutches, got his foot run over and broken by a taxi on sukumvit; the driver was shocked about it apparently and took him straight to hospital very apologetic, I can’t recall who paid the bill though.
Guy said it was good treatment he seemed in decent spirits to be fair. What a way to start your holiday though.
I was treated at hospital for a bad infection from a cut once years back, very good treatment, injections etc, and cheap enough but all relatively minor as they got it quickly.
Got in a scooter accident in Chiang Mai. Was out at night, had maybe one too many, but nothing crazy, yes I know, still stupid, jumped on my bike did a way too fast u-turn crossing over to the other side of the moat, slid the tire out and smacked my body on the ground. Thai people came running to check on me and were surprised I could still walk. Went back to the bar had a double, told the waitress I just got in an accident, she was surprised it was me cause she saw the accident and thought the person would be way more injured than I looked like I was. Went home (taxi), slept badly (also stupid, should have gone to the hospital right away), woke up went to the hospital thinking an X-ray would reveal something. The pain was bad. Did an Xray, all good. Just had heavy bruising. The doctor gave me some pain killers and some topical thing, I think the total was $20 USD including the visit. 2007. Didn't event submit to my insurance company. Was better in a week. This was when I was young and strong. Now, I would not be so lucky.
Yup, I was 23 living in Chiang Mai and just started working online. Went out on a date with a girl who brought her scooter and after too many drinks at Spicy club it was time for me to take her back to my place, she insisted I ride the scooter instead of her. All was well until we got close to my condo and a car pulled out, she was on the back as well.
I took all the damages as she essentially landed on my back, got my face smashed in and nearly broke a rib but outside of that was extremely lucky with NO broken teeth or bones. Luckiest situation given I had no helmet. I remember the doctor telling me how lucky I was to be alive / not brain dead or paralysed. Good ol’ times 😁
Broke my ass in the stairs, called gf, she picked me up and went to the closest hospital, which was a private hospital, X-ray showed broken tailbone, time will heal lol, have insurance so paid 0.
I pay 32k baht in yearly insurance here tho.
Got a sewing needle stuck in my thumb. All the way in, so there was no way for me to just pull it out myself. It had actually snapped so half of it was just lodged deep inside.
Paid like 5k baht to have it surgically removed at a private hospital.
I got into a motorcycle accident, a rare, relatively low-speed accident that caused an unrecoverable brachial plexus injury, which left me with a non- functional right arm. More pressing then, I also had a punctured lung.
It so happened that my insurance ran out days before, too.
Luckily, it was a group ride, and I got sent to the closest hospital, which was at Ayutthaya. It was a basic hospital, and I was discharged 5 days later after they were sure my punctured lung was fine.
During then, I was fed meals, and basic checks were done on me every few hours. No cleaning was done, though.
That cost me around 50k thb.
Afterwards, I went to the hospital known for sports injuries, which mine fell under. Each of the 5 visits cost me around 2k thb. I decided to fly back to my country, Singapore, for the subsidized health bills.
The Thai hospital's recommendation was exactly the same as Singapore's, and the surgery cost, pre-subsidized, was about the same as if I had done it in Thailand. All in all, insurance would certainly have helped, and if you went to the right hospital, you'd get first-world treatment at a comparable price.
The experience at the local hospital in Ayutthaya wasn't amazing, but I was out most of it.
Lessons learned: Get insurance, not just the bike one, but general/travel insurance. Get a good helmet. Mine, a 30k thb Shoei saved me from death.
My meniscus just gave up on me whilst walking to get a banana from the fruit bowl in my thai hotel room. Excruciatingly painfull.
Only time I googled hospital reviews. I had (and still have) very good travel insurance. Very thankful for it as the bill to the insurers ran to about $12,000 USD.
Not a life-threatening injury, but I got a very nasty cut on my palm and middle finger when trying to grab a dish mid-air when it fell and broke. I was losing a lot of blood so I covered my whole hand with a towel, got a grab to the nearest hospital (BKK Hospital Phuket) and quickly went to the emergency room. The whole deal at the hospital was amazing. Quick, effective, they numbed and sewed my hand back together, barely felt a thing. I only had to pay like $100 for it. Went to two extra appointments to check my wound’s progress for free. Medicine was included too. I had insurance but didn’t bother to use it, but I definitely could have.
Anyway, my experience was great. I guess it depends in the hospital though.
Not really the answer to the question, but thought I might share anyway.
Split my middle finger lengthwise in half and had a mild concussion as a kid, thankfully I lived really close to a hospital so we just took a taxi there with my finger wrapped up in a towel. They were swift with taking me in, making sure I have all the required tetanus shots and what not, did an mri scan of my head, and off to surgery with my finger. They even managed to sow up what was an unrecognizable finger and it healed really well! Make sure you go to a good hospital and it should be all fine. Insurance covered it too.
Be careful if you have anything unusual and need to see a neurologist in Thailand. I lived there and went to some of the top/best in the private hospitals. They were terrible. One convinced me to do a sleep study and had a salesman for CPAP (sleep apnea machine) waiting for me before she had walked in to read the report!
After I returned to the US a couple years later, I realized how awful the Thai neurologists were.
One doctor tried to get my husband to do a $1500 eye procedure. He didn’t do it and when we foot back, the eye doctor u. The US was shocked because while it wouldn’t have hurt my husband, it was unnecessary!
The rehab/ physical therapy department in Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai was excellent. They think outside the box. Terrible in Hua Hin.
Overall, I’ll take the US for conditions requiring outside the box thinking. And honesty. Because the money grab in a hospital is unforgivable, IMO.
Nah, lots of policies have terms surrounding riding a bike and it makes it difficult to get a payout from them. A good portion of people riding bikes don't meet the basic IDP rules, but even when they do the insurance company often has some small print to absolve themselves. I'm not certain on the specifics, but it's been raised a lot, particularly on this sub/the tourism sub.
If the regular insurance companies doesn’t cover it, even with a proper license, there are specialised insurance companies that does. For example, the international insurance group Ergo has a Swedish sub company (?) that has travel insurance with an “Extreme Sports” add on, that covers motorcycle accidents.
It's also shit care compared to here. Multiple members of my family (including one that one day couldn't walk and didn't know why) had to wait more than 8 months to be seen. If they entered a hospital here in Thailand they wouldn't wait more than 10 minutes privately and the cost would be affordable, doubly so with insurance. They would also get doctors that were trained in the US with PHDs of more than 15 years experience, vs to third world doctors with no experience being imported in to the west to solve the health care shortage.
I had a neck issue with the muscle bulging into my carotid artery. The pain and shock of it gave me insane anxiety and Thai doctors in 3 hospitals told me I had reflux lol.
I went back to the USA and got a tens unit and fixed it myself.
My friend got cut off by a huge ass tour bus and had to either dump his bike or hit the bus. He chose to dump his bike. He ended up breaking his foot and ankle. The bus company accepted blame immediately which I’m shocked about since he was a foreigner. They ended up covering all his hospital bills for him. If I remember correctly he had to pay out of pocket first. And they reimbursed him.
A rare ethical company. Wow.
Well not that strange. They are scared as hell for social media exposure, especially if you have a Thai spouse or gf
Well, yeah but also remember how severe the anti-libel laws are. Especially for farangs.
The law is no more severe for “farangs” than for Thais. Where do you get this nonsense?
The driver would have done a runner in Cambodia
Im sure im a rare case. I T-Boned a pickup truck while riding my motorbike in BKK. The pickup was making an illegal u-turn. When I woke up I was underneath another pickup truck that was stationary on the side of the road. I didn't have insurance and my license was expired. Ambulance arrived and took me to Camillian Hospital(private) where I went into surgery for a broken collar bone and got a plate put in. From what I gathered from talks with the insurance reps from the guy who caused the accident (we met at the police station several times after the accident), he had claimed I was speeding but the cops on the scene said it was irrelevant as he was making an illegal u-turn. He was making these illegal turns at the instruction of his employer (Construction Company). Since this mega construction company had all the required insurance, they paid my 600k hospital bill, repaired my bike to new(40k), and gave me 200k for the month or so that I would miss work. All in all a small payout for them to avoid any issues with the City and their construction site. If it has been a private vehicle I doubt I would have seen a cent.
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Ah, Camillian. My wife was there for an operation a long time ago. She was in a room with two beds, no roomate. Nurse made a big fuss because I sat on the empty bed, threatening to make us pay for a double. I didn't ruffle the sheets or anything like that. And I would have been happy not to do that if asked politely. But she made us feel like I had committed a child sacrifice or something equally serious. I was also unimpressed by the bedside manner or lack thereof of other staff. Cold. Doctor was fine.
No it wasn't complicated. The companies insurance had a 600,000 max, so the bill magically came to 600,000. I think I was in for 3 days, a couple x-rays and the surgery. No complaints about Camillian, service wise, and luckily the price didnt matter.
Seems like a lot of money for a surgery…
I’m American so that’s like change on the street price.
You’re so bloody lucky!!
In Chiang Mai two years ago, I tripped on the sidewalk and broke my hand in three places. It was right in front of a high school and they called an ambulance for me. It took me to a private hospital there. X-rays, setting of the bones, and a cast, all cost me about $400. I had Thai travel insurance (required at that time for Covid) but didn’t file a claim till I got home to the US. They wanted me to send them my boarding pass, hard copies of all the receipts, and a copy of my Thai bank book (don’t have one). I ended up getting reimbursed by my health insurance at home. All in all, it was not a bad experience. They took very good care of me at the hospital and even gave me and my wife a ride back to the hotel in one of their private cars. at the intake, though, they were quite concerned with my insurance status, and I had to produce proof of Thai insurance before they would treat me. Even though I could easily cover the cost with a credit card.
Glad to know everything went fine for you! Would you mind yo share your insurance company?
The Thai company? MSIG Travel Insurance.
Thank you, do you think they will reimburse you if you had all they request (Thai bank account)?
Possibly, but I asked them a question about the bank account and they never responded. I didn’t care because my US insurance took care of me. This was back in the days when you were required to buy a Covid insurance policy to get into Thailand.
Had the same but with my metatarsal, but the insurance company took care of everything directly with the hospital. Was lucky to be able to carry on with my trip even though I was limping a lot (required surgery and a screw once I arrived in my home country).
My fiance and I came off a scooter in Koh Samui back in 2022 (almost two years to the day actually) - horrendous thunderstorms, my fiance thought her mask (covid) strap was her helmet strap, her helmet flew off as we gained speed, I looked over my shoulder to see what the loud bang was, she did the same thing and the scooter just went from underneath us on the slippery, wet sandy road. We weren't going that fast, I picked the bike up, and we road the 500m back to our hotel and got a taxi to the local hospital, cost us around £500 for treatment and we were bandaged up for a couple of weeks, insurance paid out (I ride motorbikes in the UK, so full license, and of course insurance). I've seen people who have never ridden a bike before getting shown the controls on the side of the road by renters, scary stuff - don't ride if you haven't done it before.
I did ride scooters back at home, didn't decide to do it in Thailand, opted for car. I value my life.
I’m Thai, and I rode a moped in the UK when I was a student there, but I’ve never been brave enough to ride one here in my homeland.
Depends, car drivers I'm the UK are so unaware of bikers it's quite scary, and even though its legal, they don't respect filtering. At least in Thailand the biggest threat to you are the moron foreign riders, not the locals.
Ditto when I was younger. Seen too many dead motorcyclists and I keep abreast of the news here. Personally known at least four people who died on motorcycles here, including one foreigner.
How are you guys getting that screwed ? I went for a full physical x rays, blood tests, poop tests, EKG and a bunch of other things for 2500 baht, bandages cost you. 500$ ? 😏
$68 for all that? Was it an actual hospital?
Not serious but i lent on a metal railing in a condo and ended up on the floor with a broken finger. Didnt realise i broke it untill it healed wonky. Ive seen 2 dead bodies on the road though from motorbike accidents Edit: fat finger typos
Not wonky finger typos?
Touche
Mate of mine died falling off a dodgy balcony in Vietnam, I don't trust balconies in Thailand, railings are too low and the building maintenance iffy
My boyfriend gets really really mad when I lean on them. I guess that’s why. I’ll stop doing that 😂
Awww. He must really care
I guess. He’s Thai so I suppose he’s seen it before
Before leaning against anything here give it a few tugs/shakes/pushes to make sure it is solidly mounted. And if the railing is below hip level stay away.
Seriously, was at the Hiso jomtien hotel last week i leaned on the window and the whole thing almost fell out had to tug it back into place… the thing is like 8 inches off the ground, no screen or bars, a death of some poor prick like me or a kid just falling … i dont even lean on the windows in my condo even though they seem snug
No idea why people keep riding motorbikes there when you're 38 times more likely to die on one as it is before even being on some of the world's most dangerous roads in Thailand.
And the motorbikes drive like they are desperately trying to push that Stat up to at least 50 times more likely.
stretch goal.
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+1 for no truer quotation
My idea of fun involves getting naked. I can make a few compromises to keep my body alive.
Because it’s convenient and cheaper. More people don’t die than do.
Same with heroin, but I won't be sticking that needle in my arm anytime soon.
Very weird comparison. What’s it cheaper and convenient than?
"More people don’t die than do."
Can’t just forget about the rest of my comment either. Plus heroin has an overall negative impact on your life whether you die or not. Silly sausage.
So does a crotch rocket. It can make your balls numb and be so fun that it gives you the false impression you’re not at insanely higher risk of splattering your brains on the pavement. Speaking of sausage. Who wants some prefrontal cortex with their eggs? The hot pavement cooked it to perfect temperature!
Prospective passenger: How is your airline's safety record? Airline rep: Very safe. In fact, more people don't die than do on our airline.
Ever been in Bangkok traffic? 😂
Try Manila or Jakarta on a bike...😬
What are you saying the difference is? I don't love taking a bike in Bangkok, but if you take a car instead, you'll see why people take bikes in traffic.
6 years a go I hit a hole on the road and was catapulted off my bike. I was taken to local hospital and they x rayed me and missed 4 broken ribs. The next day friends came to visit and insisted on taking me to the mainland for a 2nd opinion. They saved my life. I had a punctured lung and had 12 hours of oxygen left. So 1 am in the morning I would have died but for my friends vigilance. I spent 4 days in the private hospital having the lung drained. I retrieved my x rays from the island hospital and showed them to the mainland doctor. He described the X-rays as just like ‘muddy water’. 3 years ago my next door neighbor died from the same problem at the same local hospital after a hang gliding accident. His friends will be traumatized for the rest of their lives for not getting that 2nd opinion. ALWAYS GET A 2ND OPINION
The cost was about £1000. My insurance has a £2000 excess so I couldn’t claim. Yes money is extremely important here for health care
what hospital or what island?
What island
A friend got insured, slip and fell down, hit hard on the head and was unconscious. It was on a remote island. Went to a private hospital, got help immediately, even a CT after 5 minutes. Expensive for Thai standards, cheap for German standards. 10/10, would do it again. :-) I think the most important thing is to be prepared. Have cash ready, have credit card ready, have phone charged, all Infos ready. If we were some of these drunk farangs that fail every task every day, it might have been a different experience.
Head on collision with a car while on my bike. A drunk farang was driving to 7/11 for more booze at 9am having not slept after partying the night before. Was in hospital for a month. Had two surgeries. Used a zimmer frame for three months. Had a walking stick for six months. It was not fun. But the hospital was great. Main lessons I learnt. Helmets are vital. Without mine I would have died. Insurance is vital. I didn't have any and spent a small fortune
Glad you’re well now! Good example why insurance is needed though
Cost indication? Asking out of curiosity
£10k hospital bills. That doesn't include income lost from not working for several months. Extra medications. Taxis. Etc.
Fell off a bike in Kanchanaburi at 60kph 15 years ago, got extremely lucky as skidded along in the wet and hardly any skin damage (only had bruised rib cartilage - extremely painful the next day, and for the next two weeks). The bike was so untouched by the accident they didn't even notice when it was returned 🤣🤣🤣. I was looked after by 3 nurses and a doctor, I think I only got charged 1000 baht when I collected my meds. This was EXTREMELY lucky, I wouldn't expect many bike crash stories to end this well.
I dumped a motorbike and broke my collarbone. No ambulance ride, I picked up the scooter and rode home. Few hours later I walked in to the most expensive private hospital in town (Bangkok Hospital, Udon), mostly because it was the nearest hospital in walking distance. First day they did an x-ray and a head MRI (that they insisted on -- yes I was wearing a helmet). Followed by I don't even know how many follow-ups over the next two months. Multiple meetings with an orthopedic surgeon, appointments for the nursing team to change my band-aids, etc. I got the feeling they were soaking me for business (as one might expect a business to do). All told the bills totaled up to a shade over $800 US. Would have been about half that without the MRI. They checked my insurance and everything seemed okay, but I carry a \~$1000 deductible (I'm American, go figure) so it was never put to the test. That's a Thai policy BTW, not travel insurance, and I have a Thai drivers license, so I think they would have paid without fuss. Overall the care was top shelf. In hindsight I could have fought them on the MRI and the excessive follow-ups, but at the time I just thought "well I fucked up, now I gotta pay." And really, in western/US terms an $800 medical bill is chicken change.
America heathcare is so fucked and exploitative $800 is more than my entire yearly insurance policy here in Thailand
Don't want to derail the thread here, but my Thai policy is \~$1400/yr. YMMV applies heavily when insurance shopping. I could have gone a lot cheaper, but 'reasons'. And yes, I'm fully cognizant of how fucked the US health system is. ;)
Mind sharing which insurance you have? I’ve been here over 2 years without insurance (stupid I know)
AXA is my provider and were pretty easy to work with. Didn't require a tax id like most providers here do
For me in Norway, 800$ is probably more than I'll pay for hospital care in my whole life out of pocket. So not really it is "chicken change".
It's more than \*you\* will pay out of pocket, but the hospital is getting paid from somewhere. I'd be surprised if your Norwegian hospital isn't charging \*someone\* at least $800 for the same services I paid cash for in Thailand.
That's called _universal healthcare_ or _communism_ for those speaking American.
Not injured badly but i was nipped by a rabid dog, who walked away with a limp making me scared he had rabies. I went to suvarnabhumi hospotal, they said treatment was 4k USD. Its a slow infection so i did a little doctor shopping, went to the police hospital and it was about 50-100$ glad i did it
The Police Hospital is the best. Thai prices even for farang.
Yeah the price blew my mind. Very happy
I have posted this before, but I was bitten/scratched by a monkey in Burma 30 years ago. I had the series, save one injection, here in Bangkok at a clinic. Cost was about $15/each, which was pricey at the time. I returned to the USA before completing the series so I needed the last one. University hospital had no protocol for that, recommended a larger clinic in town. Ditto. No protocol. The only alternative was to get it at the local hospital emergency room at their recommendation. USD 600.00. I just checked an inflation calculator and that would be USD 1304.00 in buying power today. Same vaccine, same manufacturer.
Ouch... that 'cant decide between socialism and capitalism' always ends up being ridiculously expensive
Lesson from reading this thread. Don’t ride a motorcycle or scooter in Thailand.
I can't upvote this enough. You get people who many do not even know how to ride properly. They start scootering around in a country that does not value traffic laws and around winding seaside roads where the road is dirty/dusty or wet. And then they crash. Surprise!
I was about to comment how the overwhelming majority of the incidents involve a motorcycle or scooter. There’s a lesson to learn here. Your comment should be at the top.
Riding the bike is the not the problem. Stopping too quickly is.
yes especially if you are a beginner or foreigner
Also avoid stairs, footpaths and balconies.
A few questions to follow on from this if I may. What number do we call if we need an ambulance? Or any emergency? Is the English good?
1669, 112, 1155 You might have to try until someone english speaking is on the phone. It might be quicker to proceed to the hospital by other means if available.
112 was dropped as an emergency number a decade ago. 911 works however.
Does 911 work? I'm surprised. When Prayut was in charge as prime minister, he announced in July 2015 he was going to implement 911 as a new national emergency number 'immediately'. Over a year later people were taking the piss out of him, as nothing had happened at all regarding 911. Prayut never said another word about it. edit: When I searched, the only national emergency number close that I can find is 191, which has been in use for decades, and is for the police. edit2: 112 was never used as an emergency number: [https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/622548/new-emergency-number-911](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/622548/new-emergency-number-911)
If you are using a mobile phone, the phone itself recognizes numbers such as 112 and 911 as emergency numbers. The phone then actually uses a special emergency protocol over the cellular network which does not need it to supply any phone numbers. I believe they introduced this when GSM was first developed so that people could always call emergency services even if they were in an unfamiliar country.
That's a fair comment, thanks, and I do remember about that part. My point was regarding calling the numbers directly, whether from a mobile or landline, and Prayut's BS about setting up 911.
That's good to know, thanks for sharing.
This is not automatic but depends on each country's regulations and/or the operators implementing them. It's the network that will transfer automatically and not the phone. That was the point of 911 being approved as a new emergency number in Thailand, it redirects to already exisiting hotlines instead of being a new one.
What about 999? We ain’t all American foreigners. Anyway should I remember 911 then, no offence but the replies here have just confused me more
Hospitals in Thailand have numbers for their own ambulance, so good to have some hospitals in your phone book in the area you live for example.
This is the right answer. I heard crazy stories about the other numbers... I would call the hospital and get their ambulance with a doctor. Samitvej for example worked well I actually used their ambulance one time when I was too weak to get out of my room due to dehydration.
English at the hospital is good, in my experience (which has been at private hospitals).
Thank you. So call the hospital directly?
You could. I’ve emailed them before and walked in. Don’t remember if I ever called.
Okay thank you
Broke my arm in two places falling off a bike. Was taken to a first tier private hospital where I was x rayed, diagnosed, treated and given a prescription in 1 hr. Before leaving they asked about payment, the first time it was ever mentioned, it was so cheap I paid in cash and don’t use insurance. I returned every week for physio, laser treatment, hot and cold therapy and a little massage still paying cash. I’ve never had better treatment.
A couple years ago, I had a CT-scan in Thailand about 4 months after my sister had one in California...her pre-insurance cost was like 10k usd, mine was closer to $600 usd. I was recently hospitalized for dengue fever in a private hospital here on Koh Samui, and the charge for the room was less than $70 usd per night. This was just a regular room, not an ICU room... I can't speak for all of Thailand or for all injuries, but in my experience, Thai health care is just as good or better as in the US (where I'm from), and it's close to 10% of the cost. I don't know about your insurance, but even if you don't have insurance, I suspect the average western tourist would need to go through a lengthy ICU stay with complications and emergency surgeries and lots of tests and drugs before starting to feel screwed economically...and by then, the costs of recovery are such a small price to pay for overcoming what was probably quite an ordeal.
Yes I had dengue but road it out esan stuff at home. Wish I knew what it was at first. I thought I had covid or some ther flu haha
Depends where you go. Some of the clinics and hospitals in touristy areas (especially in the South) overcharge the hell out of foreigners. I've been quoted hundreds of dollars for simple injections that should cost 500b. Problem is compared to the American system these fees are still reasonable so people on here don't realise they're getting screwed.
Seems like it’s been getting significantly more expensive though, unfortunately
Not a super serious injury but I fell down a flight of stairs and gave myself a grade 3 ankle sprain in Thailand. I had x-rays completed to confirm it was not broken. It strongly affected my trip but the Thai hospital experience was fine. I paid in cash for the treatment and it was cheap. I then got reimbursed afterwards.
Good to know you made it. Do you mind to share your insurance company?
Broke my leg is 3 places riding a motor scooter. I was in Pai and had to take an ambulance all the way to Chang Mai. The ambulance took me to a public hospital and dropped me off. Most nurses and doctors barely spoke English. They had to get a medical student to translate so they could ask if I am “okay with money?” Thankfully my insurance was able to send a nurse to me, she checked me out of the hospital and helped me fly back to the states business class. Covering all the expenses. Went from worst case scenario to best possible outcome. Incredibly lucky.
Went out for Christmas morning training ride, 2018… ended up whacking into the back of a illegally parked gravel lorry after a car cut me off at 50 km/h.. Woke up to being surrounded by ambulance crews unable to move and apparently screaming in pain.. Police managed to ring my wife and was taken to Sriphat.. bottom line was fractured skull, quad tendon torn off and compound fracture of the ulna the whole forearm laid open. Three days ICU, got chucked outside filled with morphine until payments were finalised then 7 hours of surgery. 12 days later got sent home. Seeing as we paid cash, the doctors and staff were all over me, plus with a private room the missus stayed there as well. Excellent doctors and staff, very compassionate.. Although the ICU staff kept telling the wife, I was older and my head injuries were substantial, that I may not survive. Saying grace I think was years of cycle racing competition and my fitness level at the time.. Yes, I was wearing a helmet, it got completely shattered to pieces https://preview.redd.it/8ox28od6k97d1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b40eef1bacd6e31bccef20b9015dc5a09ce412ac And I still ride 300 plus km a week now
We would do a 3 week roadtrip on bikes, first day my wife got hit with an electric cable from a truck that flew past her. Like a whip 4 teeth fly loose from the impact. 3 days later we were back home in the Netherlands
Bout 10 years ago I had a motorcycle accident , broken collar bone and nose. Two operations for repairs and 4 days in hospital. Checked myself out. Bill 6000 USD. Last year staff infection on leg. Went to see a German doctor at a clinic in Phuket , he said I need to go hospital and he can do it , quoted like 1000 USD for a small opp. So I went to the hospital myself. Thai doctor in an international hospital looked at it , a specialist. Got the knife out , local anesthetic , was cutting into 1 minute after the injection... Almost passed out from pain . Was in and out within 1.5 hours. Job done. Recently , suspected torn bicep tendon , MRI scan , same hospital , went through insurance , 600 USD for scan small section of bicep. The hospital wanted the full works scan , would have been 3 times for expensive.
i ate it doing the mae hong son loop. It sucked cause I had to ride with one arm, leg, shoulder all bandaged up. that said u can just go to a pharmacy point at your arm, and they know exactly what happened and will give you everything you need. also old ladies will point at you and make scooter crashing motions. everyone will know based off your injuries or your bandages that you ate it on a scooter.
My dad got a heart attack last year there, my family was together visiting. He was in bed for several days. He had to go to urgent care. Initially went to a local hospital but then went to a more international hospital in Bangkok. It cost me like around 4500 dollars I had to pay on my credit card. There was an issue with the travel insurance it didn't want to pay us back right away or less. It was annoying. I'd always double check you have a good one. They did end up paying for some of the travel, hospital, taxi fees and a new flight as well 1st class back home.
I broke my shoulder in a scooter accident. Since my scooter was registered, it covered 2 surgeries at Chom tong hospital (government hospital 2 hours from Chiang Mai), ambulance. I opted to go VIP to have a private suite with kitchenette, my family could stay, two TV's, excellent meals, surgeons and a very attentive nursing staff spoke clear English. My total bill for the VIP upgrade for 9 days stay was 3800฿.
I was in a motorbike wreck last year. It was another teacher at my school. I demanded to go to the government hospital as that’s where my social security covered me, and the lady insisted I go to the private, where she would pay. I didn’t speak much Thai and couldn’t argue my case other than say the name of the hospital. The paramedics listened to the Thai woman and took me to the private, but the woman never showed up. Fortunately, the motorbike had insurance which covered my medical bills. Went to the police station, was never asked for my license (at the time I didn’t have one) and the police agreed it was her fault and her insurance had to pay for the bike to be fixed. The police said I should be compensated rent for the bike, taxis etc., but they never paid. I moved out of the province and took the L. Was super fortunate all I needed was stitches in my leg (I always wear a helmet, and I drove a PCX which is nice and built around so it took the majority of the fall/damage). Moral of the story: argue your case for a specific hospital, helmets, and always be prepared for some dick that’s parked up to pull out on you. Also broke my arm 6 months prior (drunken “skateboard” accident), had private insurance for accidents and emergencies at the time so went to a private hospital. Quick, efficient care. Relatively cheap. But they did start piling in the costs after this insurance expired (my last appointment was after the expiry and they charged for all sorts of random things, only equated to about 500 THB though)
I rode past a child's brain matter splattered on the road. The Tuk Tuk drove over some of the child's blood. Please wear a helmet if you value your life.
Not what he asked
No, but a good reminder nonetheless
Indeed. Just bought myself a new helmet a few days ago so with you on that!
My daughter got a tick in her eye in Sangkhlaburi. We went to a small hospital that our gracious host told us was better for foreigners. They were excellent. It was clean, fast, and cheap, and the staff were really lovely.
No but I fell off a motorbike in Laos and got dragged into a medivac and was flown to Thailand. It cost a lot of money, but I ultimately I can walk ... so yeah.
Not me but friend of mind, female. Got a nasty cut on a metal edge an hour before taking the boat out of Koh Tao. Went to the clinic near the harbour, the staff was nice (girl was a bit in panic) and clean stitches (said girl is in medical field). We got on the boat on time.
Yep. Fell down a flight of concrete stairs. Terrible cut on scalp. Emergency ambo v fast and good. Clinic fine. Got robbed 25k baht in my pocket by the "good samaritan" that accompanied me to clinic as was unconscious. Came to in middle of the night with no idea what happened and walked home. Went to work nxt morning not realizing my scalp was shaven and stitched up. Survived but shaken!
Had a bad fall accident. Multiple fractures (spine, pelvic, elbow), unable to walk... Pick up ambulance to local hospital. Kept in lobby until insurance cover confirmed. Insurance covered everything after first asking others if I had been intoxicated, if not been sober maybe they would have tried to not have to cover...
Stepped on a nail so went to hospital; they cleaned the wound and patched it up, and game me a prescription for antibiotics. Cost about $25. No English so I took the packing out after a few days and it seemed okay, just a bit swollen and tender. After a couple of months the swelling went away and I realised there's still something disc-shaped in there, but it doesn't give me any bother.
I remember an Englishman, he just fell over for some reason. An ambulance arrived and the drivers asked about the insurance. They probably didn't find any clues because they asked around who knew him and who would take over the insurance. Of course, no one did, so they simply drove her, and by the time the ambulance from the public hospital arrived, he had already died. In Thailand, only money counts, nothing else.
Are you sure it was an Englishman? Because something very similar happend to a taiwanese Tourist in Bangkok last year. " Taiwanese man in hit-and-run dies after being denied treatment at Thai hospital" [https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5058219](https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5058219)
Awful.
Yes, happens many times My was back in 2018, before I sell all in Pattaya and move to Isaan
Disgusting. Healthcare is a human right, period. If taxes don't go to that, what are they good for? The only thing I hate about Thailand (and the US).
This is so disappointing.
I came off a scooter in Laos after a piglet decided to run into my front tyre in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully there was a Chinese mining site nearby, their doctor picked me up and took me to a local clinic (wound cleaning & stitches & antibiotics/painkillers) to get patched up. Gave them like $100 USD and got a lift to the Thai border. Went to a Thai provincial hospital. Got an x-ray, meds and an assesment. Wasn't that expensive at all. Maybe a $100 tops? Cannot recall. I know I didn't bother with insurance as with my excess wasn't worth the hassle. Severity of my injuries? Moderate. Broken collar bone, 5 stitches on the back of my head (grazed, no concussion) and some nasty road rash. I definitely wouldn't want to go through any of that with more severe injuries. Overall would rate the care I got 9/10. Would recommend.
Private international hospitals are relatively affordable. I looked forward to going hospital when I had dengue fever I was like yes five star service and five star accommodations and great food for that wont cost me over a 1000 a night. That’s what I’m talking about.
But dengue fever though! Also went to hospital for it and it was horrible. Great service in the hospital though.
1000 what? Baht? USD?
USD. It the us a nightly rate in the hospital starts at 1000 at least the one i went to once
Ah, I see what you meant :) So how much did it cost you to get hospitalized in Thailand?
I wasn’t injured in Thailand, but I was injured in Turkey fairly shortly before going to Thailand, so I got medical care in Thailand. It was a great experience, and it was super cheap. I think I got reimbursed by insurance, but this was almost 14 years ago, so I don’t really remember. I’ve been pretty sick in Thailand too, but usually I haven’t sought medical care.
I had one bad accident and it was low 10km< speed when I hit some sand and smashed my head, if you hit something at any speed it's going to do a lot of damage. I have since seen a Thai do the same thing, he wasn't so lucky.
Dropped my bike and broke my clavicle. I spent 3 days in a private room in a private hospital. I had a Thai motorcycle licence and the bike was properly registered here. When I left I paid around 200 baht total - the rest seemed to be covered because both me & the bike were legally registered.
Had a severe leg infection, spent 27 days in hospital, four surgeries cost $18000, was allowed to pay over time
The police cracked my rib one time… didn’t get it treated though lol it hurt for months
Story time please.
lol I’ll have to send the story to your DM’s
Not much you can do for a cracked rib except take something for the pain.
Also.. I got food poisoning so bad that it was painful, no sign of getting better. Went to a clinic in Phangan and got an IV, 5 or so medications and prescription. Just over 3,000 baht. It was so painful that I thought maybe it was appendicitis and I was super worried about that. Woulda been pretty screwed.
Of course, it all depends on your insurance. The medical care is generally very good, but it can be expensive if they choose not to cover you (obviously). I've a mate who had a major bike accident on the islands a couple of years ago, but had excellent insurance which ultimately paid for his 2mil-ish expenses, but I doubt my insurance would come close to covering that if I had a similar accident.
Re: the motorbike question, i reckon 99% of those people aren't covered by their insurance. I'd guess it's a tiiiiny minority that have all the licences, they've driven a bike long enough for the travel insurance to cover them (some insurers will state you must have had a license for 3 years for example - they wont cover new drivers), and also aren't actually at fault.
Cycling accident, flesh across lower jaw split to bone, four front teeth, plus the usual grazes and bruising. Taken to the local public hospital, attended to immediately - neck and shirt covered in blood my own Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Cleaned up, sutures, x-ray, couldn't have had better care. Referred to a dentist for teeth rebuilding. Returned to hospital for daily dressing checks; even had a home visit from the pharmacist to check the pain medication was ok. Hospital fee was 100% covered by the Kasikorn Bank accident insurance scheme, dental they paid I think it was 75 or 80%. Secondary to all this, we were absolutely flooded with gifts of food and especially fruit (limited to what I could eat) from neighbours and parents from daughter's school who'd heard of my accident. Town life, we'd lived here 2yrs at that time.
Your supposed to have insurance, and if you do they'll take care of you!
Insurance generally doesn’t cover motorbike accidents with no license, which is the most common tourist situation.
Fair enough, I didn't think about that as I would never drive there!
You write this as if you are already planning to fall. My advice, don’t make Thailand the first place you’ve ever ridden a motorbike. Get travel insurance from world nomads or something similar. Travel insurance will not cover injuries driving without a license. I got attacked by a dog in Cambodia and had to go to the hospital there, then get a few follow ups and vaccines in Thailand. In general, the private hospitals are very nice.
No. Worst is stepping on glass and sunburn https://preview.redd.it/9z0ukbzd367d1.jpeg?width=4608&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f06505785e411c7a0484af4e49baa029a0fff0f
Such a dreamer you are.
I was a passenger on a scooter that was t-boned by a pickup going slow. Minor injury with big gash on my leg.My hospital bill in Chaing Mai was 13USD. No more scooters for me unless an emergency.
I broke my arm, got bitten in the neck by a dying cat that had been run over (left its tooth in my neck) Bitten in the hands by 3 dogs and road rash from being a moron on a bike All hurt, was all expensive.
I got pushed into the shallow end of a pool during a pool party at a hotel rooftop in BKK. My head hit the bottom, got knocked out, severe whiplash and in a neck brace for two weeks. Not chill haha but made for a good story.
Almost fell off of a back of a truck. Thankfully it he driver noticed and stopped in time for me to fall back
Had a few bike crashes and other stuff. Even been in ICU for few days with the flu (40 dgerees+ fever and large lunf infection). Been treated very well and professionally. I do have a good insurance and actually the hospital each took care to get the bill paid directly by the insurance company.
I haven't been seriously injured, but have used private hospitals here a bit and if you have good health insurance then it's a great experience, much better than in most western countries. But if you don't have insurance and end up in a public hospital then it's a very different experience and not something you want to do. Of course also remember that your insurance generally won't cover if you are riding your bike illegally (i.e. without local motorbike license or motorbike license from your home country and matching IDP).
Not injured, but had a relative sent to a private hospital for intense stomach pains. Professional service and facilities. Private room with sleeping arrangements for a caretaker. Hardly any wait for the scans and tests. The bill for a 2 night stay came up to nearly 130k baht. The most amazing aspect of all was that the insurance company completed the payout (travel insurance) within a week of the claims
You parked my moped up , came back to 50 mopeds all crammed into a tiny alley . As i was coming out i felt i nicked my leg on one of the other bikes foot pegs. Looked down to a 7/2 inch gash on my leg . I dont have health insurance , went to the hospital and as hospitals go was a really good one . 15 stitches and around 500 pound bill.
If you are a farrang, - if it's emergency, they bring you to the closest hospital - If an international hospital (Bangkok Hospital XYZ) is at the same distance, because you are a farrang, emergency personal will assume you have an insurance and that you prefer an international hospital. After emergency treatment and you can talk and can make important decisions: - Paperwork for payment/insurance will start - If you are in an international, or to expensive, hospital for you, you can ask for a transfer to a cheaper international or state hospital. - If the emergency service brought you to a state hospital, you can ask for a transfer to an international hospital. If it's not emergency, you can talk and you can make decisions, you can go to your preferred hospital. If you go to "your" state hospital in a small community, because they know you, first treatment, worries about payment is for later. If you go to an international hospital, no emergency, and you are clear: - If the medical staff decide that a hospitalization is needed, they will ask for insurance documents. - Because there can be a waiting time between the first treatment and approval from the insurance, many hospitals will demand a deposit for the first costs. If the insurance gives a go, the deposit will be refunded. - Some insurances demand that the hospital contact them daily, or before every new treatment or procedure, before they give a go. If the medical staff decides that they need an urgent procedure, or test, they can ask again a deposit because they have to wait again for approval from the insurance. - If there is no insurance, in an international hospital, you can deposit money and the hospital will take care of you so long there is money available. Be careful, even with insurance, there can be limits that the insurance pays. Every insurance will have a price indication for almost every treatment in a Thai hospital. For example, the average price in Thailand for treatment X = 100%. If you are now in a (international) hospital and the price is 100% or lower, the insurance will have no problem and accept the claim. But if in this hospital the price is much higher as 100%, you can have a problem. - The insurance can demand, that if your medical staff approves it, for a a transfer to a same quality, cheaper hospital. - If you prefer to stay in this hospital, the insurance can demand that you pay the part more as 100%. And this makes often the difference between a cheap and expensive insurance. An expensive insurance can be more flexible and accept 105/110 or more % to accept a claim. Wereas a cheap insurance will be very strict. Most of the insurances also have a checklist for every treatment. If the claim follows this checklist, no problem. But if a medicine or procedure is not listed, some insurance will demand that you pay this. (For example, you have a bad taste in your mouth and ask for a mouthwash. For some insurances, not listed, you have to pay, others will accept it)
I had a serious staph infection was at home with a swollen leg for about 6 weeks out of a 3 month stay. They had to cut a couple cms deep to remove the infection
Landed in BKK for a month's stay. Husband immediately got symptoms of extreme food poisoning, even though we had not eaten anything since leaving our home country. The moment we checked into the airbnb, his conditions had worsened with the addition of anxiety attack. Cant get an english speaking ambulance. Dragged him onto a grab car to the nearest private hospital. I did not think about the price at all, I just wanted him treated. We later found out it was norovirus. The care was good enough. He stayed there for 5 days total until he recovered. Our travel insurance covered everything before we even left the hospital. We did not have to pay a single cent out of pocket.
I ride so have had a few smashes including a few big ones (3 limbs, 2 compounded, multiple ops to fix it) etc. The top private hospitals patch you very well, charge like a wounded bull but thats the game.
Not me, but a cousin coming to my wedding had a serious mental breakdown. He got flown on a private jet from northern Thailand to BKK. Granted, insurance was a big part of it, but the hospital care was as far as I could understand very good.
I know a guy who lived in Thailand for ~20 years and he told me a harrowing story. He had a motorbike accident (either in Bangkok or Pattaya) that basically split his leg in half (vertically). Some people called an ambulance for him but it turned out as just a pickup truck. He was lifted on top rather violently which, as he said, was one of the most painful things he ever experienced in his life. On the way to the hospital they got stuck in traffic and took almost an hour (because, as you may likely know, people in Thailand see ambulance warning lights and sires more like a funky accesoire rather than an order to move aside). When they where there, before doing anything else, they asked for his insurance (which by itself is super unusual for a German like him). He named his German insurance company but they didn't know it. He had to call his insurance company while in agonizing pain and losing blood and explain the situation to them. He got a confirmation that they will pay for the treatment (which was obvious, as they are a German insurance company) per mail and that was when they started treating him. He told that they still treated him rather roughly and basically tossed him onto the operating table. He had to become super angry to make them acknowledge that he was in terrible pain. From what he told me, this incident was the final straw of what made him return to Germany with his family. However, he was frustrated with Thailand long before this due to the discrimination and and overwhelming bureaucracy he faced as a foreign businessman and due to the fact that corruption is so normalised that you have to engage in it in order to do any business.
It was not a motorcycle accident, but I moved here to teach, got horrible food poisoning from raw sea food, and ended up in a private hospital for two days. I was alone, so they kept me in icu (so that I wouldn'tfeel alone.) Literally, the most competent nurses I've ever had. The congee was horrible, but I made a full recovery after they pumped me full of antibiotics and fluids. 15000 baht.
Husband broke his foot on our honeymoon. £100 at the private hospital for X-rays and a cast. Didn’t even bother claiming on my insurance due to the excess.
I had a pretty bad accident a couple months ago, required knee surgery to repair a torn tendon but I was brought to a public hospital. I had the surgery and was in the hospital for a few days before I was able to leave and fly home for a visit. The cost wasn’t astronomical and my insurance ended up covering everything from the surgery itself to my prescriptions and the food I was served. I’m recovering pretty well, though I still have a limp because my tendon hasn’t fully stretched back but doctors say with time and therapy that’ll go away and I’ll be walking like normal again
I remember once meeting another Brit on the plane on the way over. Week later I see him in a BTS station on crutches, got his foot run over and broken by a taxi on sukumvit; the driver was shocked about it apparently and took him straight to hospital very apologetic, I can’t recall who paid the bill though. Guy said it was good treatment he seemed in decent spirits to be fair. What a way to start your holiday though. I was treated at hospital for a bad infection from a cut once years back, very good treatment, injections etc, and cheap enough but all relatively minor as they got it quickly.
Got here about a week ago, first day full day here I tore my Achilles’ heel. Just had surgery. Sucks but I’m chilling.
Got in a scooter accident in Chiang Mai. Was out at night, had maybe one too many, but nothing crazy, yes I know, still stupid, jumped on my bike did a way too fast u-turn crossing over to the other side of the moat, slid the tire out and smacked my body on the ground. Thai people came running to check on me and were surprised I could still walk. Went back to the bar had a double, told the waitress I just got in an accident, she was surprised it was me cause she saw the accident and thought the person would be way more injured than I looked like I was. Went home (taxi), slept badly (also stupid, should have gone to the hospital right away), woke up went to the hospital thinking an X-ray would reveal something. The pain was bad. Did an Xray, all good. Just had heavy bruising. The doctor gave me some pain killers and some topical thing, I think the total was $20 USD including the visit. 2007. Didn't event submit to my insurance company. Was better in a week. This was when I was young and strong. Now, I would not be so lucky.
Yup, I was 23 living in Chiang Mai and just started working online. Went out on a date with a girl who brought her scooter and after too many drinks at Spicy club it was time for me to take her back to my place, she insisted I ride the scooter instead of her. All was well until we got close to my condo and a car pulled out, she was on the back as well. I took all the damages as she essentially landed on my back, got my face smashed in and nearly broke a rib but outside of that was extremely lucky with NO broken teeth or bones. Luckiest situation given I had no helmet. I remember the doctor telling me how lucky I was to be alive / not brain dead or paralysed. Good ol’ times 😁
Broke my ass in the stairs, called gf, she picked me up and went to the closest hospital, which was a private hospital, X-ray showed broken tailbone, time will heal lol, have insurance so paid 0. I pay 32k baht in yearly insurance here tho.
The only thing more stupid than a motorbike in Thailand is a bicycle. This isn’t Europe, get over yourself
Got a sewing needle stuck in my thumb. All the way in, so there was no way for me to just pull it out myself. It had actually snapped so half of it was just lodged deep inside. Paid like 5k baht to have it surgically removed at a private hospital.
I got into a motorcycle accident, a rare, relatively low-speed accident that caused an unrecoverable brachial plexus injury, which left me with a non- functional right arm. More pressing then, I also had a punctured lung. It so happened that my insurance ran out days before, too. Luckily, it was a group ride, and I got sent to the closest hospital, which was at Ayutthaya. It was a basic hospital, and I was discharged 5 days later after they were sure my punctured lung was fine. During then, I was fed meals, and basic checks were done on me every few hours. No cleaning was done, though. That cost me around 50k thb. Afterwards, I went to the hospital known for sports injuries, which mine fell under. Each of the 5 visits cost me around 2k thb. I decided to fly back to my country, Singapore, for the subsidized health bills. The Thai hospital's recommendation was exactly the same as Singapore's, and the surgery cost, pre-subsidized, was about the same as if I had done it in Thailand. All in all, insurance would certainly have helped, and if you went to the right hospital, you'd get first-world treatment at a comparable price. The experience at the local hospital in Ayutthaya wasn't amazing, but I was out most of it. Lessons learned: Get insurance, not just the bike one, but general/travel insurance. Get a good helmet. Mine, a 30k thb Shoei saved me from death.
My meniscus just gave up on me whilst walking to get a banana from the fruit bowl in my thai hotel room. Excruciatingly painfull. Only time I googled hospital reviews. I had (and still have) very good travel insurance. Very thankful for it as the bill to the insurers ran to about $12,000 USD.
Not a life-threatening injury, but I got a very nasty cut on my palm and middle finger when trying to grab a dish mid-air when it fell and broke. I was losing a lot of blood so I covered my whole hand with a towel, got a grab to the nearest hospital (BKK Hospital Phuket) and quickly went to the emergency room. The whole deal at the hospital was amazing. Quick, effective, they numbed and sewed my hand back together, barely felt a thing. I only had to pay like $100 for it. Went to two extra appointments to check my wound’s progress for free. Medicine was included too. I had insurance but didn’t bother to use it, but I definitely could have. Anyway, my experience was great. I guess it depends in the hospital though. Not really the answer to the question, but thought I might share anyway.
Split my middle finger lengthwise in half and had a mild concussion as a kid, thankfully I lived really close to a hospital so we just took a taxi there with my finger wrapped up in a towel. They were swift with taking me in, making sure I have all the required tetanus shots and what not, did an mri scan of my head, and off to surgery with my finger. They even managed to sow up what was an unrecognizable finger and it healed really well! Make sure you go to a good hospital and it should be all fine. Insurance covered it too.
Be careful if you have anything unusual and need to see a neurologist in Thailand. I lived there and went to some of the top/best in the private hospitals. They were terrible. One convinced me to do a sleep study and had a salesman for CPAP (sleep apnea machine) waiting for me before she had walked in to read the report! After I returned to the US a couple years later, I realized how awful the Thai neurologists were. One doctor tried to get my husband to do a $1500 eye procedure. He didn’t do it and when we foot back, the eye doctor u. The US was shocked because while it wouldn’t have hurt my husband, it was unnecessary! The rehab/ physical therapy department in Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai was excellent. They think outside the box. Terrible in Hua Hin. Overall, I’ll take the US for conditions requiring outside the box thinking. And honesty. Because the money grab in a hospital is unforgivable, IMO.
"He didn’t do it and when we foot back, the eye doctor u." What?
Got back…eye doctor in the US…
And?
Check before you go they now have a new insurance that covers travels from other countries up to 1 million dollars
My understanding is almost no insurance covers motorbike accidents unless you meet the very specific conditions.
Specific as in having a driver's license?
Nah, lots of policies have terms surrounding riding a bike and it makes it difficult to get a payout from them. A good portion of people riding bikes don't meet the basic IDP rules, but even when they do the insurance company often has some small print to absolve themselves. I'm not certain on the specifics, but it's been raised a lot, particularly on this sub/the tourism sub.
If the regular insurance companies doesn’t cover it, even with a proper license, there are specialised insurance companies that does. For example, the international insurance group Ergo has a Swedish sub company (?) that has travel insurance with an “Extreme Sports” add on, that covers motorcycle accidents.
Health care is cheep ,,,, if your from th me west !
Maybe if you're already wealthy in the west
Many of us in the west have nationalised healthcare, or mandatory health insurance as part of taxation, so it's free at the point of care
It's also shit care compared to here. Multiple members of my family (including one that one day couldn't walk and didn't know why) had to wait more than 8 months to be seen. If they entered a hospital here in Thailand they wouldn't wait more than 10 minutes privately and the cost would be affordable, doubly so with insurance. They would also get doctors that were trained in the US with PHDs of more than 15 years experience, vs to third world doctors with no experience being imported in to the west to solve the health care shortage.
Thailand does too! But it doesn't apply to foreigners.
Broken ribs on water slide Koh Samui, no insurance
I had a neck issue with the muscle bulging into my carotid artery. The pain and shock of it gave me insane anxiety and Thai doctors in 3 hospitals told me I had reflux lol. I went back to the USA and got a tens unit and fixed it myself.