Hospitals on Thailand’s border with Myanmar face dwindling resources

December 19, 2024

BANGKOK – The Facebook page Drama-addict has highlighted concerns raised by medical personnel at Thai border hospitals regarding the increasing number of foreign nationals crossing the border, particularly to give birth, and taking advantage of Thailand’s healthcare system.

Many are aware of the “Stateless Persons and Individuals with Unclear Legal Status” rights, which allow them to receive free medical treatment through a fund designed to cover such expenses.

This situation has significant repercussions for Thai citizens, who face reduced access to healthcare as overburdened border hospitals struggle with shortages of medical personnel and resources. These hospitals have also accrued billions of baht in debt from unpaid medical bills by foreign patients.

According to one healthcare worker at a Thai border hospital, pregnant women often cross over from Myanmar, claiming they will pay their medical fees out of their own pockets.

Interpreters accompanying the patients reportedly inform the hospital staff that the mothers can claim free healthcare using their child’s birth certificate. This practice is widely discussed within foreign communities, further increasing the influx of patients.

The source expressed concern as to how much longer Thailand can sustain this financial burden
Without urgent action from the government or relevant ministries, the Thai healthcare system risks collapsing.

One border hospital is now reporting that foreign nationals account for two-thirds of all births, with 160 foreign births compared to 80 Thai births in the past month.

Nationwide, these unpaid expenses have accumulated into billions of baht.

A healthcare worker also revealed that brokers target foreign nationals not covered by Thailand’s social security system, charging fees of thousands to tens of thousands of baht to facilitate their treatment in Thailand. These patients often fail to pay, flee back to their home country, or seek assistance from social welfare funds, leaving Thai hospitals to bear the financial burden. Meanwhile, brokers pocket the fees, and hospitals receive no compensation.

Dr Attaporn Limpanyalert, spokesperson for the National Health Security Office (NHSO), acknowledged that cross-border healthcare issues are not new, as people living near the border often come to Thailand for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds. However, he stressed that if such practices are part of an organised scheme, it poses a more serious problem that requires immediate attention.