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@fruitspunch

Good evening,

This topic is recurring on the forum, and I also come from a country with social health insurance (France).

In fact, there is no real answer to your question: it depends on these pre-existing conditions. And this assessment is made by  doctor of the company when you apply for health insurance. 3 possible answers:

- refusal

- accepted but with conditions (surcharge, exclusions)

- accepted without restriction.

Unfortunately, I fear that you will have to do like all expatriates: either you contact each company and they will send you proposals, or you go through a broker and he will send you others. Maybe you can start on web: many insurance co. have websites where you can get a quote quickly.

For my part, I have pre-existing conditions and I am older than you, and the insurance company Mondassur is the only one that accepted my health profile, but with a surcharge. On the other hand, it also covers these pre-existing conditions. Maybe employees at your company could give you other advices ?

Good luck!

@Goodmorningthailand

Good answer!

@Goodmorningthailand

Mansard insurance

@fruitspunch

Through the Thai company and the legal system you will get Social Security. This an insurance you will pay 5% od wages for with a maximum of 750 thb for multiple causes. The main being provident fund/pension and health insurance.  This is a 100% ALL covering insurance including pre existing conditions. You will NOT need an extra health insurance.

The insurance is valid for all government hospitals not always the best choice and some private. Depending on where you love your choice for private could be limited.

It is you choice to pay for an additional insurance but it is not a necessity. I have SS I extended after my retirement for 432 thb per month. I have some cash for paying for a private room as SS you put you in shared rooms... bunk room style. You can choose to take a small private health insurance if you want.

People that advise you to take an additional insurance as a must have do not really have experience with SS or do not know that pretry much all over the country there are good private hospitals that accept the SS as well.

Per entry of SS you will receive a kist of hospitals in the area where you work/live. VISIT them to make a choice...

Again If you live in Nahon Nowhere and they do not have a private hospital in the area accepting SS a private insurance will not help anyway other than for the room upgrade.

I live outside Hua Hin/ Cha am and could not find a private hospital that accepted SS with only 2 government hospitals so I made a choice as you can only register at 1 hospital.

They do have private hospitals but they did not accept SS. I moved here amid the covid mayhem and I was not registered yet. Went to Bangkok Hospital and paid 6.000 thb for a shot then after registration went to the HuaHin hospital and got the shot for free + a flu shot as a senior citizen.

Other people, with no real experience, will tell you what they heard about long lines and low qual8ty doctors.  Crap!! The lines are there, yes,  at entry when you need to visit a GP first that will send you to the specialist. After that directly to the specialist. If you have other issues you ask that specialist to refer you to another. No GO lines directly to specialist. At HH hospital they have SMC, Special Medical Clinic with no long lines but I need to pay 450 thb for the special service.... which I gladly pay.

The doctors are ALL university degree Doctors some even with foreign education. ALL Doctors at start of their career have to schedule part of their werkweek to work in a government hospital. Most are young yes, but that also means they are modern doctors. Males or female or 3rd gender.

If the government hospital cannot help you they will refer you to a bigger government or unviversity hospital, under your SS so for free....or to a private hospital again under SS

I hope this clears things up for good about SS and government hospitals.....

Thank you Goodmorningthailand and martinoo2002, both your answers are very helpful for me.

I think I may just try the social security first and if it somehow doesn't work out well enough, I can still try to go for private insurance. At which point the 2 companies mentioned will be my first attempts.

I have one more question: In your experience, is it possible to communicate with the doctors in public hospitals with no or vert little knowledge of the Thai language? I have been only once in a hospital in Thailand while on holiday. It was a private one in Sri Racha (Chonburi). The doctor was not young and not good at English, but they had an interpreter, so it was no problem at that time.

Also, I will be living in or near Chiang Rai city, so there should be a couple of hospitals around.

I have a Thai girlfriend who I will be living with, and she is a civil servant. She told me that she can get free treatment at public hospitals nationwide as a civil servant perk. We plan to marry some time next year, at which point I will apparently also get that benefit.

If my experience with public hospitals is good, I may not need addditional insurance at that point.  I will have to see.

***

@fruitspunch

Doctors are educated people mostly from bi lingual or prominent universities.

They speak English better than your Thai😆

@UdonPete

+1

Other people, with no real experience, will tell you what they heard about long lines and low qual8ty doctors. Crap!! . - @martinoo2002

I don't know what is a "real experience". I think that everyone has their own.

I have been to a public hospital at the provincial level several times, this is just my own experience in this own hospital, but frankly, I avoid it ! ... I only went there because I had a very specific test to pass, and it was the only establishment in the entire province with this machine. Note also that I was sent by a doctor from Bangkok Hospital (therefore private hospital) where I am used to it.

The quality of care in public hospital seems excellent, moreover I found the same specialist here who also works at Bangkok Hospital. I know many doctors who work in several different places: their own medical center, public hospital, private hospital...  These have excellent training and speak fluent English. In public hospital, note however that the comfort can be really less, the medical follow-up can also be very light (several examples around me), appointment times can be very long (3 months in my case), the waiting time is half a day (which, admittedly, can be an exciting experience in 38°C ambient temperatures).

But patients are treated, definitly.

Also, it should be noted that the public hospital has developed VIP services over the years, not to be confused with the level of comfort and care offered by basic health insurance. Quality care has a cost, that's obvious.

This only relates my own experience in these places, I do not claim that it is the same, better, or worse elsewhere. But ask my Thai wife who is covered by social health insurance why she pays for private insurance...

That said, when she worked in a factory of a large Japanese electronics company, she had high quality care. For all Thais friends or relativesworking in others large companies in various sectors (insurance, transportation, etc.), the health coverage they have is also excellent. I just notice that all these big companies send their employees to consult... in private hospitals.

So, regarding the case initiating this thread, this member should first see what level of health insurance his company offers.

Mistake

@fruitspunch

Understand but it's worth trying. I have had good service from AA Insurance Brokers try them - plus can assist you with not just your Health Insurance but also all other insurances you will need ;

@Goodmorningthailand

As far as the long lines and low quality doctors. I usually

go to Patong gov hospital but was referred to Wachira that

also is a gov hospital because they have an outstanding urologist

that a Patong dr wanted me to see. At Wachira there were probably

300 - 400 ppl that were ahead of me. I would have easily been there

all day. I have no doubt they have good doctors and this hospital has

a very good reputation just as Patong gov hospital has good service.

At Patong the wait is usually 1 or 2 hours.

Anyway, I left and went to Bangkok hospital and waited about 20 minutes

before being seen and was satisfied with this urologist. At Wachira I talked

to a Thai gent that came from one of the neighboring islands. I think this is

common to draw ppl that is somewhat of a hardship to make the trip to

Wachira,

So, I believe you can get good service from a gov hospital at a much

reduced price but depending which hospital it is you could have a very

long wait. Or not

@scbrock

Yes, the wait is there, but that is for the first time only, after that you can get appointments. And if you have other issues you ask the good doctor for his referral and an appointment date and time set. And on the appointments you have to find out what time the doctor usually goes home, be there an hour before and you are pretty close to next.

Another trick is, go in the weekend, amazing how empty it is!!! People here are only sick on a working day!!!😂

Trick number three is, go to the emergency room, exaggerate your issues theatrical (Thai Soap Style,  use the hidden talents of your Thai partner if you have one) and you are next in line......

Funding is usually limited in these hospitals so things like CT scan have a month or 2 waiting list

The hospital I go to has a special medical clinic, you can see the same doctor, with limited ques, at 450 THB per visit.

Well I can handle that....ask for it in your hospital!!

And then, most very good doctors will have a clinic on the side... ask the nurses, few bucks and you are better off and cheaper. I always find and found, and as my son experienced as well, that Bangkok hospital, or any other affiliated BDMS, overcharge and underperform

@martinoo2002

I went to the hospital on a weekend once to the emergency room

and got in immediately but I would hope so as it was an emergency

but that makes sense that ppl are calling in sick to work during the

week.

Not sure what you mean by a special medical clinic but I can ask.

especially good to see the same dr if find one that it good.

One thing I noticed at the Patong Hospital is whenever I get

something from their pharmacy they without fail add an anti-

histimine to the list. It seems they are just selling to make money

whether I needed it or not.

@scbrock

The Special Medical Clinic is just a name it is a service from the hospital, but the service is done for an additional fee, here it is 450 THB, you get to your doctor more fast than in the normal procedure of GP, with waitlist,  who decides which specialist and than his wait list.

Some of the doctors have private clinics, usually around the hospital area. Insurance will not cover it and it will not be cheap.

Two different things!!

The SMC prevents the hassle of wait list etc and next time direct to the doctor and a referral, if needed, to another doctor...without the GP, wailtist etc.

I even check with the good doctor what he prescribes, and the qty, because calculus is not a strong point of Thai at any level