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Bangkok General Hospital subsidiaries lower prices [21 January 2008]
Bangkok Eastern Hospital Group (part of the Bangkok General Hospital group of hospitals, which also include Bangkok General Hospital, Samitivej Hospital and BNH Hospital in Bangkok) has decided to cut prices for lots of services by around 20%. This apparently in response to lower consumer purchasing power.
The hospitals where this reduction applies include : Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Bangkok Hospital Rayong, Bangkok Hospital Chanthaburi, Bangkok Hospital Trat, Bangkok Hospital Koh Chang, and Bangkok Hospital Samui.
Apparently the last year showed slower overall growth in number of patients treated, and the proportion of foreigners seeking treatment has also decreased. The new pricing strategy is also meant to entice more local people to use the services.
We ourselves have no personal experience with any of the hospitals mentioned (Bangkok Eastern Hospital Group). However, we did hear on a few occasions, people complain about the high price level at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
More generally speaking, we did observe that certainly prices for outpatient treatments have been rising substantially over the last few years, at Bangkok's prime private hospitals. Hopefully, it will not become a case of 'killing the goose that lays the golden eggs'. We should not forget that foreigners who use the medical services in Thailand not always are fully covered by insurance, and are price-sensitive to some degree. It sometimes takes little to change a reputation. If word goes around that treatment in Bangkok is becoming more expensive, the rather booming (at least till last year, profits of both Bumrungrad Hospital and Bangkok General Hospital have been rather stagnant lately) medical tourism service industry may take a substantial hit.
More : Health Statistics | Cost of Medical Treatment in Thailand | Medical Tourism in Thailand
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