60,000-100,000 baht for kid's general hospital visit??

Discussion

I received a health insurance quote from an agent from the company AIA today. She wrote:

"Here is health insurance plans that cover medical expense for private and good quality hospitals in Thailand. The kid (especially 0-6 years) plans premium is more expensive than adult because kid is high risk to sick and high claims. In general case like influenza or stomach pain, hospital will charge around 60,000-100,000 baht per visit."

How can this be possible? Not even in the USA would you pay that kind of money for a visit if you're kid has the flu or stomach pain.

in Thailandby nirvico

70%

26d

jameslanna

26d

It probably refers to a few days hospital stay and not simple consultation.

ChristBKK

26d

Yeah 👍 if your kid gets RSV it can stay up to 2 weeks in the hospital and it costs around 100-200k thb

We had that ourselves luckily only 7 days

KohFord

25d

Another acronym no one knows

ChristBKK

25d

You can google it 😂 the reason why there are no free children beds in the hospitals sometimes during the year. Happens also in Europe so not only Thai related but the insurances are afraid of these costs

KohFord

25d

Ok fair enough. Do children get different beds from adults?

ChristBKK

25d

Yes hospitals have own floors for small kids. Often they have beds on the floor and so on because these small kids not just lie in a bed when they are sick 😂 they also need more personal often to nurse the kids.

The rooms are often family rooms for a parent and the kid together.

In winter there is always a flu season also here in Thailand and when our boy had RSV most hospitals had no beds anymore so we had to drive 30min away to another hospital. Samitivej , Bumurang and Bangkok hospital all full 😂

The problem is that often the kids need oxygen via a mask when they have this. And stay over a week in the hospital.

ResponsibleLunch4261

25d

If you have kids you do, and if you don't, why are you on this thread?

KohFord

25d

Because it's about Thailand and I live in Thailand...

gymratt17

26d

A in/out visit to Bangkok Hospital, which is one of the more expensive ones is about 3-5K baht. If the kid has a flu they will always strongly suggest you stay overnight or a few nights because of seizure risks etc to you children- it's about 40k a night. Two nights you're in that range already.

Being from the USA as well it has been hard for me to adapt to healthcare in Thailand. My wife will always want to go to the doctor for small things that I would never go in the US. She had a flu once. In the US i'd stay home rest and drink fluids- no doctor required. In Thailand she went to the doctor and stayed in the hospital for 2 or 3 nights. As someone else said- seems overkill but as long as insurance was paying- up to you....

555112555

26d

6 nights in Pattaya memorial hospital my bill was 17k baht total. This included cost of specialist equipment and scans. Heart related.

thedenv

26d

That's insane, 40k a night? That is nuts. I actually don't believe that. Ireland/UK here, I visited a few doctors while I was there, serious stomach problems, 300 baht for medication and consultation. North East Thailand.

40k is a serious amount of money. If this is true, my perception and plans of living in Thailand need to be replanned. It's free in my country.

neighbour_20150

Chonburi

26d

10 days covid observation(just laying in bed and eating food) costed us 198k THB in Pattaya memorial hospital back in 2022. Bangkok hospital has approx 30% higher costs.

thedenv

26d

Omg I am speechless. These costs are for millionaires.

BreastExtensions

26d

No choice either if I recall correctly. If you tested positive as an arriving tourist on a PCR you’d be sent off to hospital.

There were people sitting in very expensive hospital beds with no symptoms posting here on Reddit.

They were using hotels as overflows.

KohFord

25d

I had to move heaven and earth to be allowed to stay in my own accommodation and dodge those costs in Jan 2022

interestcurve

24d

How’d you pull that off?

KohFord

24d

Insisted to my (Thai) wife I would not return to the hospital if they were gonna try and keep me. She told me it wasn't optional, so I said I'm not going to go then.

Then she made about ten phone calls in Thai to various people and they acquiesed. It was on one of the islands so she knew the relevant people.

Still had to stay in my room and send photos twice a day of the fingertip oxygen reader thingy. I could have just gone out but I obeyed. They did also agree it was 10 days quarantine from the test date rather than the day of the result but then changed their minds so I disobeyed.

Azure_chan

Thailand

26d

I mean, that's the case for high end private hospital here, as children tend to need closer care and maybe specialized equipment/medicine. For adults maybe 10-20k a night.

We have option for all range of budget. It's far cheaper in public hospital with 1-3k per night. Though it come with long queue and sometimes no AC.

baldi

Thailand

26d

Just to be clear thats THB, so 40k THB a night and this is for a private hospital, and would depend on the room you're staying in and what tier of hospital you stay in. Private hospitals will have different room types ranging from a bed on a floor or a a suite with kitchenette, extra bed, big screen tv, couch, etc that could rival a 4star hotel. The room type alone can add an extra several thousand baht per night.

Most people who would stay in a private hospital either have insurance or have money so it wouldnt break them. Majority of Thais would probably go to a public hospital which is nearly free for Thai citizens.

thedenv

26d

Thanks for explaining it a bit more.. I've never seen a kitchen in a hospital room.

baldi

Thailand

26d

Here's an idea of room types and pricing, as you'll see plenty of the rooms will set you back 10k ++ per night.

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/services-and-facilities/inpatient-accommodation/regular-accommodation

https://www.samitivejhospitals.com/patients-outside-thailand/during-your-stay/accommodations

wimpdiver

26d

very interesting. Of course there are other charges, MD, nurses, etc. But you couldn't even get a room like most of those for 10x the cost in the USA

baldi

Thailand

26d

Keeping in mind these are possibly the two most expensive hospitals in the country so their costs are substantially higher than other private hospitals.

Of course most of it is a luxury and not a necessity, but if you're stuck in the hospital with a loved one it's definitely a nice option to have.

ChristBKK

25d

I find Samitivej not so expensive to be honest seeing a doctor there for a child or adult costs you 900 thb if I remember right ofc then add some meds but I am often out again with a bill of under 50$ including medicine.

Staying overnight is a different topic ofc but for that your insurance pays anyways

ChristBKK

25d

Yeah but you get the best care you can have in both hospitals and to be honest totally worth it :)

Health insurance isn’t expensive here … you pay for in patient often only under 2000$ a year with top insurances

In Europe if you insure yourself privately you pay easy 300-500 euros a month for health lol 😂

gymratt17

26d

SO my wife's stay for the flu was about 3 nights, The total bill was around100k bhat- however her insurance covered it all. The cost of her insurance was only 40K Bhat for the year. In addition her insurance paid her 1800 Bhat a day that she had to stay in the hospital. Price seems high but insurance handled it otherwise we might of gone to a lower end hospital lol

ChristBKK

25d

The health insurance for inpatient is significantly lower than in Europe or USA if you insure yourself privately. Can only become a problem once you get really old

Thegsgs

26d

It's not "free" in your country because, presumably, your and other peoples taxes cover the cost. Thai people also get free treatment in Thai public hospitals.

KohFord

25d

I think everyone knows this already.

Busy-Perspective706

25d

"If you think is expensive... wait until the government tell you it's free."

Chronic_Comedian

26d

Fellow American so not bashing Americans but what you just stated is why American health lags most developed countries.

Americans have an attitude of, “I don’t need to see a doctor” and they allow conditions to worsen to the point of being a medical emergency which costs way more than had they gone in early.

There is a lot of negatives to universal healthcare but one thing it does do is encourage people to catch problems early before they become much more serious problems and more expensive to treat.

letoiv

26d

This is nonsense. No medical authority on earth recommends hospitalizing children when they have the flu. Thai medical authorities do not recommend this, the CDC does not recommend it, the WHO does not recommend it.

That is the issue you are responding to: a Thai hospital recommending you hospitalize your child when they have the flu.

Only Bangkok Hospital recommends this, because they love money.

None of this is connected to American political problems, which belong in a different subreddit.

Chronic_Comedian

-3

26d

I think you’re responding to the wrong person.

letoiv

26d

Are you not the guy bitching about the American health care system on a sub about Thailand in a thread about Thailand where the topic of discussion is Thai health care? Or was that a different u/Chronic_Comedian?

Chronic_Comedian

-1

26d

Oh, I’m sorry. Let me bring my comment down to your reading comprehension level.

I’ll type slowly so you can follow along.

I was responding to a comment about how frequently Thais see doctors from someone who was from America. I was trying to point out to a fellow American that one of the reasons for that is the cost of a doctor visit in Thailand vs the U.S.

And, because that person is American, I was pointing to the fact that seeing a doctor more frequently improves your odds of catching some issues earlier often making them easier to treat.

Then you started some unhinged rant about no doctor would recommend hospitalizing children which is something I never mentioned, and is why I asked if you are responding to the right person.

Keep with it though. I’m sure with more practice you’ll be able to improve your reading comprehension enough to be a valued member of the Reddit community.

letoiv

26d

How dense are you? How many times do I have to say this?

This is a sub about Thailand, that is why it's called r/Thailand, you might notice that every single topic of discussion listed in the sidebar is related to Thailand, and none of them are related to America.

No one wants to hear you complain about American culture, or whatever you exactly were doing in your off topic comment, because it's off topic here.

Go to r/America or wherever Americans talk about America stuff. We don't care. Your throwing ad hominems at me doesn't make off-topic discussion here any more welcome btw.

Dyse44

25d

It’s this. Going to hospital at the drop of a hat for things that don’t remotely warrant it. Because of the lack of an adequate primary healthcare system.

In the UK and most of Europe, as opposed to the US (given the different healthcare system), you’d be turned away at the hospital, in the case of many minor stuff that Thais go to hospital for, for wasting their time.

There are strong cross-cultural issues around healthcare that are complicating the picture with the NHS’s well-documented problems. If you look at rammed A&E departments in the UK, with unacceptable wait times, etc, you quickly find that the patients waiting there have … um … certain demographics — demographics that cause them not to understand that it’s something that warrants a trip to the GP, at best.

User deleted comment

26d

gymratt17

26d

This is true in my experience as well. However in the US we tend to avoid the hospital (due to excessive costs) until way beyond we probably should. A middle ground between the two would probably be optimal lol.

Mavrokordato

26d

Thais see hospitals and doctors as a service. They spend money and they want something in return. If a doctor says stay home, stay hydrated and plenty of rest, most Thais will feel scammed. It becomes scary when they prescribe antibiotics, sometimes for viral infections where they don’t even work, or “just as a precaution.” Utterly despicable.

User deleted comment

26d

Mavrokordato

26d

Same here. And then the huge price hikes at hospital pharmacies… Last time I spent 2,300 baht for a 10g creme. I found the same one for less than 100 baht in my local pharmacy. But it’s sucks that you can’t even fully trust your doctor anymore.

User deleted comment

26d

Mavrokordato

26d

I think there are many legitimate reasons to see a doctor. But, as you said, Thais tend to go to the next hospital as soon as they have a running nose.

Maybe I misunderstood your last sentence, but I find it important to point out that doctors are everything but lazy. Some of them have 24 hours shifts or more, with tons of patients. Doctors are universally being seen as deities yet many drop out because the work environment is so messed up. But Thailand isn’t alone with that.

User deleted comment

26d

Mavrokordato

26d

Again, I think it’s the expectation of many Thais that plays a big role in this overprescribing of whatever. Nowadays there’s a pill for literally anything.

ChristBKK

26d

Yeah I don’t get it too my wife is the same 😂 but I reached her that she can get some medicine in the pharmacy and just drink tee and rest 2-3 days 😂

Thais are like this they really go for nothing to the hospital

For kids though it’s a bit different if you have yourself a toddler that get RSV or a bad cold when he is under 3 years you will be in the hospital faster than you think especially when he refuses to drink so that’s what the quote from OP is referring to a bit

welkover

26d

That's how a healthcare system is supposed to work.

User deleted comment

26d

welkover

26d

Oh cool another guy that knows more than the doctor

Rust_Shackleford

26d

You don't need an MD to realize that there is a conflict of interest at times when there's a financial incentive to over diagnose. That's literally the opioid crisis in a nutshell. A private hospital isn't just a hospital, it's also a business. And you're not going to question the business aspect because doctor knows best? You might as well give the hospital a blank check.

welkover

26d

What I'm going to do is second guess the obstetrics MD when she says it's time for a c section because I watch Joe Rogan 👍👍👍

baldi

Thailand

26d

The answer is maybe (but not because of JRE). Hospitals here (especially private) have a very high rate of recommending c sections:

Overall, a third of babies born in Thailand now arrive via C-sections. But in private facilities, the proportion can be as high as 80%, according to The Nation newspaper.

Overall CS rate in Siriraj Hospital was 48.86%

Cesarean section rates in Thailand have been significantly increasing during the past three decades from 15.2% in 1990 to 32.5% in 2017

Rust_Shackleford

25d

There's absolutely no difference between being a conspiracy theorist and asking for an itemized bill apparently because both show signs of anything less than one hundred percent trust of the medical industry.

kirstibt

26d

My toddler has been sick in hospital a couple times. First was just a general respiratory infection (not covid, so cold or flu I guess) and she was in for a while. Loads of checks, on drips, wouldn't let her home until they were certain. Seemed like overkill to me and I wanted her home sooner but my partner insisted.

Second time was dengue which of course I made sure she stayed in the duration of what they suggested which was also a long time. The first one was at a government hospital and she is half Thai so it was cheap. With Dengue though I went to a mid tier private one and for a similar number of days and similar treatments it added up to those kind of numbers. They go overboard with diagnostics as well - x rays, every kind of test TL;DR: yes those numbers seem legit. The costs are lower for each aspect of the treatment but they really check everything so it adds up. I have had surgeries requiring multiple night stays in the same hospital she was in for dengue and it was cheaper than her stay. If the other illness had been at a private hospital it would have added up to about the same price. Then if it was a top private hospital it would have been more.

Odlanier

26d

The agent is referring to inpatient treatment not OPD consultation.

My daughter bill was 88k THB for 4D3N back in July 2023 for RSV (Respiratory Virus) at Samitivej Sukhumvit

recom273

26d

I had 4-5 days in ICU (quiter rooms in ICU) with tests, X-ray, drugs, care, consultation and it came to 100K. 30K of that was ambulance.

Unless your kid needs specialist care then it’s not going to be so much. I don’t have insurance, I have never lived in tourist areas, and have always found a reasonably priced private hospital to use in the event of an emergency.

There is always a network of anamai which are local village hospitals for antibiotics, stitching wounds, etc. I use a uni hospital for dental, and I would for health but I like private care, there are also police and army hospitals that offer a good level of service. So there are reasonable options outside private care.

Lordfelcherredux

26d

That sounds like top-tier hospital pricing.

Woolenboat

26d

I think that’s just her trying to sell the insurance package to you. AIA’s package for expat children is about 70k a year.

sans-serif

25d

It’s the same for Thai children. I find it a waste of money but YMMV. You don’t need hospitalization for RSV.

PorkSwordEnthusiast

26d

2-5k for a doctors visit with some medication. I suspect they are referring to inpatient prices here which would include a room for a few nights or more

Monkey_Shift_

26d

AIA is a f in joke. Try looking for other options. I love my private expat insurance.

sans-serif

25d

Can you share who you’re using and how much they’re charging in premium?

Monkey_Shift_

25d

I recommend any expat to check out Pacific Prime - they can give you a "free" list of providers catered to your budget and needs.

I found my provider Passport Card nearly 5 years ago. My wife and I pay an annual 300k premium. And we get covered for all visits ipd opd.. including covering for health condition (in the millions THB annually).

No regrets.Good luck.

Clear_Patience9653

25d

Thanks for this, I work for Pacific Prime Thailand and happy to see good feedback. Feel free to message if you want to chat on here for any advice 👍🏽

Monkey_Shift_

24d

Pacific Prime Thailand and Singapore are great ppl! Thank you for your service and excellent customer service. No joke...you guys have also been there answering any questions.

Busy-Perspective706

25d

Save 100k keep it available if you need , why on hearth would you take a kid with flu to hospital. Insurances are good only for catastrophic reasons. If you can get an insurance that don't cover anything below 500k, perfect get one. Will be cheap because is just protecting you in case of something very bad happen.

ruzier

26d

That price for admitted case in to a hospitals for 2-3 day.

when I'm young I used to admit to a hospitals some year 2-3 time and hospitals charged around 60k-70k for 2-3 days stay. It fortunately that I have a health insurance and it's cover all the bill.

Insurance fee at that time are 10k-20k per person per year.

My recommendation for you is, If you are afford for insurance fee you should have it for your child. But if you worry about the agent gonna rip you off. You can contact the Insurance company directly. (walk in or phone call to official number are fine.)

In Thailand we have an organization that take care of insurance company fee to not ripping off their customer you can contact this organization https://www.oic.or.th/en They will help you out.

FYI. Healthcare system provide by our government are suck. You will rarely find a good one around you.

professorswamp

26d

We have friends that admit their kids to hospital any time they are sick

gregra193

26d

You would almost definitely pay more than 100k THB for an emergency room visit in the US. Doctor visit, unlikely to cost that much.

KyleManUSMC

26d

A private (higher) tier hospital might run 40k a night. But that insurance quote sounds too high.

Spiritual-Bid7460

25d

I spent forty eight hours in patient with hepatitis on continuous drip. Then was discharged. Had to go back for more blood tests after fifteen days. Hep., virus gone, but jaundice infection gone up, so had another three days treatment, 12 hours on drip, then discharged again. Went back two weeks later for more blood tests. Got the result next day and was clear of both viruses. Total bill including doctors and nursing staff, 30k. That was back in I think 2004. Private hospital in Udon Thani. If your a tourist in touristy areas expect huge bills for hospital treatment. I had my Thai home address and was charged the same as what a Thai would of been charged.

FunnyInformation8939

25d

she probably just wanted you to accept her quotation

Deep-Juggernaut-9943

26d

My son had to stay 6 days at the hospital cuz he had pnemonia and they wanted to monitor him after we were dismissed from the hospital the bill was over 6000 USD for our stay lucky we have health insurance n didn't pay out of pocket but hospital visits can be very expensive

mistersuave

26d

Don’t get AIA. Our friends and neighbors had very bad experience from them.

BigNoisyChrisCooke

-3

26d

We don't have insurance because I don't believe in it..I consider it an idiot tax like buying lottery tickets. When my 1 year old son was super sick, we spent 3 nights in the hospital. It cost a couple of thousand dollars.

The service was great, they vacuumed his lungs and gave him great medicine and treatment. Most Thai hospitals are superb value for money.

If you like gambling with good odds, don't buy insurance.

Lordfelcherredux

26d

Probably the stupidest advice I've seen on Reddit so far this year, indicating a complete lack of understanding of what insurance is for and how it works.

BigNoisyChrisCooke

26d

It works for me :) I don't trust them, they're financially incentivised to provide you less care. I'll pay as I go thanks.

nirvico

26d

I'm from the US but I live now in a country with universal healthcare. In Thailand's case, I think I agree with you here even though I'm sure most people would not. I've received many quotes so far and I just think there's is a tiny chance we rack up $7K USD per year in healthcare costs. We are very healthy and haven't seen a doctor in over five years. For the flu or COVID, we just stayed hydrated and rode it out. For extreme cases, I might just sign up to Safety Wing. My kids also have an Italian passport where they are covered.

frapal13

26d

What's safety wing?

nirvico

26d

The most popular nomad health insurance

BigNoisyChrisCooke

26d

I presume most of the downvotes are american. If insurance was a good investment, insurance companies wouldn't make profit.

In countries with a more functional healthcare system than the US (all of them). It's better to save the money (literally). The exception being if you know a good insurance agent well in Thailand, they will help you commit insurance fraud to guarantee you get your claim.

I don't even trust insurance companies on health grounds if you don't care about the costs. They're wrongly incentivised. I'm sure they missed my dad's heart condition cos the surgery would've been expensive.

Mavrokordato

-4

26d

She’s trying to rip you off. Plain and simple.

Influenza or stomach pain up to 100,000 baht — I don’t know any country that’d charge even close to this, let alone Thailand.

Stay away from her and find yourself another agent. These agents target foreigners for a reason.

baldi

Thailand

26d

Not saying it's right, but 20-30k for an overnight stay is definitely not unheard of at a private hospital here for a child. So a 3-4 day stay could easily hit 80k ++

Mavrokordato

-4

26d

Sure, it adds up over time, that goes without saying.

Thanks for the downvote, btw.

baldi

Thailand

26d

I didnt downvote you?

Mavrokordato

-3

26d

Sorry then. Usually people downvote just because they don’t 100% agree with what was written. Must be some ThaiVisa members.

baldi

Thailand

26d

No worries, I try to be fair and only downvote if something is completely fabricated or hateful, racist, etc. and not just because I disagree.

Mavrokordato

-5

26d

Too bad this simple ethical standard is too much for some people, especially in this subreddit. Well, well…

nirvico

26d

She was highly recommended on the Expats in Thailand group. I'm certain she isn't trying to rip me off but definitely dropping a worst case scenario, which people tend to do.

Clear_Patience9653

25d

Hi, I think I know exactly who you are talking about. She only works for one company, so she will try scare you and make you believe that that is the best plan for you no matter what!

You are best speaking with an advisor who works with both international and regional insurers.

I work at Pacific Prime Thailand and I am more than happy to go through pros/cons of all the different providers.

Some regional providers have crazy waiting periods and sub limits. Most have a 4 month waiting period for anything serious - which in my opinion is stupid, defeats the point of getting health insurance.

Just be vigilant with agents working for one provider and those who aren’t willing to be honest with you!

Let me know if you want any further advice.

jonez450reloaded

-1

26d

In general case like influenza or stomach pain, hospital will charge around 60,000-100,000 baht per visit.

You're being lied to, not even a private hospital would change that much. In a public hospital, under 1,000 baht (with medicine and x-rays), private, 3-5k.