Health in Phuket

You never think about it... but...

Before you go on holiday, check with your insurer, health insurance company, etc...

Here in Thailand, your insurance can intervene directly but there may be delays and when you find yourself in an unfortunate situation, it is not easy to have all your head, to have the reflexes to contact your insurance, and to have the patience to wait for your answer. In addition to that, the time difference means that in many cases, you will have to wait until you get back to the office hours in your home country... a situation I have already experienced several times with acquaintances who needed immediate care.

If you can advance the requested amount with a Visa card, no problem, you will be taken care of. It is then up to you to discuss the terms of reimbursement with your insurer. 

You will see later in the article (Do you have enough to pay?") that even with a young Thai girl, we find ourselves in the same situation.

Getting treatment in Phuket is not a problem, at least not in terms of facilities, drugs, care.

This article is not intended to favour one establishment over another, but to inform you about some prices and the price differences that may exist between two locations.

In private hospitals, you can't pay? well, go elsewhere... it's not more complicated. Yes, you read it right. If you are unable to prove that you can pay, you will be politely asked to seek treatment elsewhere... we will come back to this later.

What could be more natural than to worry about your health before making a long trip to spend a holiday in a country where you normally go to have fun and not to see doctors.... But that's it, it sometimes happens that a health problem appears very quickly and unexpectedly.

Buses and minibuses, shopping malls, banks are highly air-conditioned places where it is generally quite cold and therefore, one is never safe from catching a good "death".

At the beach, you can quickly catch sunstroke without noticing it, or be stung by a jellyfish.

On some beaches in Phuket, there are sometimes risks of walking on rocks or corals that are very "sharp". If this happens to you, you should know that you should never leave a small cut, however small, without care and say to yourself, it will be fine, we'll see about it tomorrow...

Never leave a small wound lying around. You can go to the nearest pharmacy or clinic (it's even better) to clean the wound and disinfect.

On the road, not to mention serious accidents, a fall on a motorcycle or bicycle can happen quickly even when you are more careful. A scratched leg or elbow can hurt a lot, but you shouldn't leave it lying around either.

Thailand is a very dusty country during the dry season, and very humid during the monsoon season (frequently 90% humidity): the risks of infection are high even for a mild cut.

Whatever the problem, the care provided in Phuket is of high quality and there is no fear of having it on this side.

On your side, however, it is up to you to know before you leave what your coverage is in the event of simple health costs or even hospitalization.

Finally, once these concerns have been more or less resolved, the hospital where you were treated will issue you a detailed invoice in English.

Thailand does not require any vaccination. Nevertheless, given the tropical climate it is strongly recommended to take some precautions before embarking on this long journey.

The main vaccinations recommended...?

• Diphtheria
• Hepatitis A and B
• Tetanus

We could add the rabies vaccine and the yellow fever vaccine.
There is currently no vaccine against malaria or dengue fever.

There are many pharmacies on the island of Phuket. Some are well stocked with drugs.

Be wary, however, sometimes for an equivalent drug that you find in Europ, here, it may be more heavily dosed.

Many pharmacies (especially in Patong) are open very late at night, or even all night....
Drug prices vary by pharmacy.
If the staff do not speak English (or very rarely), the pharmacist generally speaks English quite well.

On the other hand, don't expect too much from people who are highly skilled in prescribing... in Europe you can ask your pharmacist for advice without going to see your doctor... here, this is only rarely the case. Very often it is employees who are behind the counter and their advice is rather strange or even worrying. I am not saying that it is general, but personally I have been asking for a product to treat a problem several times and I have been offered something that has nothing to do with it. So mistrust. 

The solution, if you are offered a product whose characteristics you do not know and if you are equipped with 4G, go immediately to the net to get information on the product in question... you will quickly be determined.

Also at the price level... a very recent example: a box of Vitamin type tablets sold 390THB in traditional pharmacy... we find the same product for 260THB in the pharmacy part of a Superscheap...   

Neighbourhood medical offices, called here: "clinic": they are usually open in the late afternoon around 5pm. The doctors you find there work during the day in hospitals and return to their doctor's office after their shift. They are generally equipped and able to perform X-rays, blood tests, urinalysis or minor benign surgeries. The cost is very reasonable.

The nurses at the reception do not necessarily speak English, but the doctor will be able to explain the nature of your illness, if you understand English.
If your health problem requires more intensive care, you are advised to go to a hospital.

In general, whatever the facility you visit, you will receive excellent care.

If you have all the insurance and you will be reimbursed on your return to Europe, so the question of price no longer arises, you should nevertheless know that you will be obliged to advance the costs, unless you have insurance with an agreement with the hospital to which you are going. It's up to you to know.

If not, your situation may look like this:

Example: At Bangkok Hospital in Phuket, my daughter-in-law (who is Thai) had an appendicitis attack. Very quickly, after auscultation, the surgeon's diagnosis was clear, sharp and precise: immediate emergency operation.

I was given a quote in the next few minutes on a corner of the table, and was asked to pay 80% of the sum, which I did without hesitation. If I had not been able to advance the funds the girl would not have been treated and would have had to be transferred to Vachira Hospital...? in the 85,000THB 

This may be shocking, but that's the way it is. This situation could be considered as "no assistance to anyone in danger" but you should also know that this concept does not exist in Thailand. 

You can't guarantee your payment, go elsewhere!

A heart attack can happen to anyone at any age.

It should be noted that as far as the cardiac part is concerned, Bangkok Hospital is at the forefront.

It is therefore important to know before your departure, if such a tile arrives, how you will be able to advance the costs if you are not covered by a specific insurance.

It is not necessarily obvious when you have a big problem and find yourself in the emergency room to solve this kind of administrative and financial problem if you haven't thought about it in the first place.

Certainly, it is not by being in the emergency room with a big problem that you will solve this problem.

It is better to plan this well in advance.

The prices indicated are the prices charged at Bangkok Hospital, therefore the highest but comparable to the International Hospital.
If for a question of cost, you prefer to choose a cheaper establishment, it is quite your right, however, despite the price, for any heart problem, I recommend Bangkok Hospital without hesitation.