Dealing with emergency situations in Thailand

it's pretty scary being sick in Thailand
before I was under the impression that it was only Thai doctors that give pills and ask questions later
this according to what I read and see in movies is actually all over the world
the drug companies have the doctors by the testicles
I've learned that a 2nd and even a 3rd opinion is the way to go
you can even demand to buy your pills outside the hospital to save money
see Thaivisa.com
recently I went to Thonburi hospital for a 3rd opinion
it turned out that I needed an operation completely different to what I had been told
I would highly recommend Thonburi
the nurses are second to none and the place is spotless
I'm not sure where it sits on the price scale but for me it was well worth the money
Dominic

It really depends on where you have an issue in thailand.  If you read the thai papers online or watch the news then you will see that the foreigner should always keep their cool. As if not things can get ugly quickly and don't expect anyone to jump in and help.

It is hard for foreigners to adjust to the rules being bent and broken. Foreigners often have a moral and ethical attitude and in many cases will fight over these. Be it in a car on the road, a be accident, people pushing in front of you etc.

So who are you going to call. If someone dies and theyre a foreigner call the police.

If you're in an accident try to take as many picture as you can. 360 degrees and make sure you get all the audience in as well as where the vehicles are.

If you get busted for drink drive, again depends where you are, then if you pay an on the spot fine all good and well. If not you will be jailed and front court.  Do not refuse a breathalyser as this is an admission of guilt.

Make sure you have travel insurance as this will cover most things except if you a drunk driving.  The maximum payout for compensation is top 300000 baht and expect a long wait as this is a civil matter.

Look in the classified and find a lawer.

You have the right to a lawyer and so wait until they can see you before you give a statement or write and sign anything.

There are 100,000 other things and so pm me if you need to.

About health.
It is all ways best to have insurance to cove you,

If like me, not able to get a insurance, Not for a price i want to pay, Because of pre existing diseases i have.
One have to pay out of pocket.

When i live in Bangkok and Nonthaburi i have agreement with a privat hospital near me (This was before my wife, and i learn that Military hospital are better and cheaper, IMO)

I have to show my Thai bank book once a year, And they update their system to it.
So if it say 1 million baht, their know i have that money, And can start treatment right away i come to hospital, even so if i was not consciousness.
Plus i make it so, That if i was awake, their have to check with me for every 25.000 baht hospital use, And i want a specific bill pr day.
Lucky never have to use, Only have 1 accident in my time here, when i fainted at my home and broke 2 teeth.

After i got married, My wife know she have to contact my Mom or big sister in Denmark, And their can give her my pin code to my Thai bank account (ATM Card), And if need more money, Mom and big sister have the option to send money from my Danish bank account.

But i know that my Thai wife´s familie is going to steep in and take care of the bill for me to i am okay again, If one day i got sick, go to hospital.
So i fell pretty "Safe" about all of this.


I never have any problems here in Thailand in +5 years, And hope i never do.
But my wife´s familie have good friends in high police position and i have mobil number to him, And he going to come and help out if i every need him.
As he told me, never sign any thing before he come and take of things for me.
Wait wait, If problems one day.

The police man´s brother is a good lawyer.

So i do fell i am in pretty good sharp here.

Yes
good for you
however when you make the call to the police and lawyer be prepared to pay as they dont work for nothing.

Military hospitals good as many doctors that work at the big provate hospitals have to work at the government hospitals on a rotating basis.

I have a living Will as I dont want to be in a position where I cannot make decisions for myself.
The order is legal in Thailand and the hospital cannot revive you under this document order.

hi mam i am from thailand i really need job i speak english n hindi n littel thai can u help me pls **** thank u

I don't know how old you are, or what kind of condition you have, but you might want to try Thai Life Insurance they carry a rider for medical (Hospital only)  6 hours or longer in the hospital they will pay. And they will insure you up to 90 years old. Good Luck To You.  Patrick

@Blackjack2010 wrote:
Yes
good for you
however when you make the call to the police and lawyer be prepared to pay as they dont work for nothing.

Easy to hear, That you and i come from different country, And have different Thai families and Thai friends.

I was happy to experience that Thai (My Thai familie and Thai friends) are the same as we Danish people when it come to help out.
We charge 0 for helping out, If we have to drive a long way, We accept money to cover the expenses like Gas, high way fee.

I was happy to hear Thai saying, If we don´t want to help you, We say NO; But friends / familie help when can.
If we take your money, We not you Good Friends / Familie !!!!

So NO, Help from the policeman and hes lawyer brother are not going to cost me money. Beside expenses to come to me.

Sure if i have to go to court the be some legal fee to pay.



I use the policeman and hes wife for my Married-Extension as my 2 witnesses.
Beside the Gas money for the 200 km round trip and highway fee, He ask for nothing else.
Even so i know he take the day of work.

I was nice to see Immigration rush me through my application because of hes "business card".
I didn't have to wait for my queue to come up.
30 min. to do it all.
Normal take 60-90 min at Immigration office, plus the long wait time.
To see Immigration wai him over and over, And Immigration so polite this time.

I pay for seafood when we finish at Immigration.

So i for sure going to use him and hes wife next year again for my Married-Extension.




@California4me

Thanks for the info about insurance, I now pay my self, As i save up every month.
It is pretty cheap to pay your self here in Thailand.
Military, Universitet Hospital are very cheap, And i found the Universitet Hospital close to where i live now 2-3 km from my home, To be very good.
So i will use that as stop #1, And if need more serious help, To be transferred to the Military hospital i bee using for around 3 years before moving.
As they "know" me.

I am happy for your family situation however once before I was told there is no free lunch and this applies to Thailand.

That is all I will say.

My advice ( from personal experience in Thailand ) is that if you get into a sticky situation with locals; i recommend clearing the issue with a brief conversation and let it slip under the bridge - smile and wai - raising ones voice in public will make matters worse; it makes them lose face and thus will have to get back at you one way or another..

As far as cops are concerned; if they try or ask to squeeze some money out of you; just pay them.  Yes, pay them cause the legal or juridical course will cost you 10x more. 

Dont expect cops to be on the foreigners' side even if he is right.  So better to avoid conflic with anyone in Thailand.

Hope that helps.

you are on your own..........
-police response is slow and uneven, especially to English language.
-Tourist Police only work in limited areas, not just outside of Bangkok for example.
-a street disagreement--price, scam, bumping while walking, refusal of hospitality, etc.--expect to be outnumbered by Thai and to find that in these cases, Thai are always right.
-Thai lawyers lack basic professional ethics, realtors too.
-Your child will always pass, but do not expect a cooperative teacher for parents.
-Demanding "your rights" to officials gets very negative results.
-Most road accidents are YOUR fault.
This is not cushioned by all the various safety nets of USA, but if foreigners behave themselves, their real problems will be few.

I know a guy who had a crash on a scooter broke his jaw, ankles pretty badly was looking pretty grim for him as he could not work etc.

He was helped by a local woman who he was friends with. She took him to her families home and for 8 weeks and fed him through a straw initially.

2.5 years later they got married.

Wow,that is a Great Story.  But am sure it's not going to change people from wanting to drive a motor scooter in this country, no matter how dangerous it is. If you are Thai I understand because it is the cheapest source of transportation.  But most Expats have a choice.  They go down every single day in front of are condo.

I agree it will not stop people riding scooters but I think the main aspect of that story was the fact it was a thai family who nursed the chap back to health during his time of need.

I saw loads of tourists with injuries as a result of motorcycle/scooter accidents but the one that stands out was 2011 an Irish guy who sat in the bar I was in, preaching how dangerous scooters are and how he had been lucky to be alive. He crashed into a tree no other vehicle involved. He was coming home from a bar at 2am and had drank 5 buckets of alcohol!

There aren't any emergency situations in Thailand if you have money.
If your low on money nearly every situation can be an emergency lol.