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This just in from the Isaan expert. I never knew I needed a work permit and ta bian ban to get treated at a hospital. 

Quote from the boy'

I was REALLY sick last week in Bangkok. Now, I can answer a message by Gylenthal and it's exactly what I thought:

1) I don't have a ta bian ban. I didn't have my work permit. I was in Bangkok alone with a Canadian friend coming here on holiday. My social security card didn't apply because it was not in Korat. I don't have private health insurance.

2) I asked a Tuk Tuk to go to a PUBLIC hospital. I know friends who spent easily 10,000 baht per night in a private hospital.

3) Service was slow. The nurse at the entrance was talking to her friend when I arrived and it took easily 5 to 10 minutes before she took my temperature and blood pressure. I was 39.5 Celcius. I had a severe infection, including lungs (pneumonia) and others.

4) I asked to be on a "stretcher" cause I was very weak. They put me on one, add 'serum'. After 1 or 2 hours, I also had X-Ray and blood sample. Results 30 minutes later.

5) They gave me intraveinous anti-biotics, and later, pills.

Total bill: 700 baht. I was there maybe 5 to 6 hours.

So, no Ids except my passport.
No extreme bill. All services.
It would have been probably faster and better in a private hospital. But I imagine my bill would be few thousand more...

Why would anybody think you need a work permit to go to a public hospital, it's not subsidised for us, we just pay the full price. Which isn't a lot.

From my personal experience and that of friends, State run hospitals require only ID and accept passports in the case of foreigners. The suggestion that you have to prove you work and prove your address is ludicrous and whoever wrote that should speak to a good lawyer to get straightened out.

Perhaps some other information is needed if the illness or injury seems to be serious but that doesn't look right either. An admissions clerk is in no position to make such a judgement and, in any case, work permit, social security card and proof of address do not prove ability to pay. Another possible exception is cases where treatment for mental illness is being requested because I think that is seen as not essential by the State hospitals.

It's baloney and, despite all the huffing an puffing of the author of that piece, he was admitted on no more than proof of identity. In fact, he didn't say that he was asked for those documents but merely said that he didn't have them with him. Writing for the sake of it.

Anyone know who the author is? He should be asked to stop spreading scare stories.

He's also unwise not to have health insurance. I know that many foreigners don't have cover but major treatment can wipe out your savings in no time at all. To be fair, not knowing who he is, he might have some disability that bars him from taking insurance.

Another thought.

He says he had pneumonia. That's not a 6 hour job. He'd be laid up for weeks on medication. Perhaps he didn't need to stay in hospital but, having arrived on a stretcher, he wouldn't then jump up, grab his pills and flounce off down the road for a beer.

Whoever this guy is he's talking rubbish. Is he making up a story to cover what he was really up to in Bangkok?

He's also unwise not to have health insurance. I know that many foreigners don't have cover but major treatment can wipe out your savings in no time at all. To be fair, not knowing who he is, he might have some disability that bars him from taking insurance.

Almost every insurance company in Thailand requires an HIV-AIDS test before they will write you a policy. If you are found to be positive, they will not insure you. If his business is flourishing as he claims, money would not be the issue in purchasing insurance. Perhaps he should have kept his pants on. He should have thought about that before he started doing this.
...(link to obscene video removed by admin.)

The Bangkok Pattaya is a private hospital, the most expensive here, they want to see money for expensive treatments before they start, either a credit card or your insurance cover card, they are the only one who turn people away, wont find no charity there.

Sure, but this guy was just a namby pamby wuss who went in on a stretcher, got a bit of attention (maybe that's his Achilles heel) and minced off down the street hours later having paid a small bill. Bangkok Hospital would have welcomed him in without hesitation.