By Robin Westley Martin

Survivor! I had listened, fascinated, to the story that Claudia Anghel had just related to me. I had first met her at a party on the busy Bangkok social scene – pre-Covid – a couple of years ago, and knew little of her hidden depths.

At the age of 19 Claudia told me she had travelled to Japan, via Romania, where she was born, and Canada. She was a small-boats enthusiast, and soon met some like-minded people in The Land of the Rising Sun, so a few of them got together, decided to get on a catamaran and go looking for adventure. They found it!

Only a few hours after they had cast off, and land had faded from view, the sky above them tuned ominously dark. The blackened clouds roiled, the wind picked up speed and force, and the waves got higher and higher as the minutes ticked by. Soon the decks were awash, and after every pitch and roll of the boat water was heading below as the boat bucked and plunged, flooding the hold.

It quickly became a rote reaction of the crew to frantically bail out the water after every surging ingress, to avoid sinking, and being sent to a watery grave as the next incoming torrent threatened to engulf them. They had been forced to tie themselves to any available stanchion to avoid being thrown from the ‘cat’ into the storm-driven sea.

The perfect storm they had found themselves at the centre of lasted for a week, and the mostly inexperienced sea voyagers remained sleepless and hungry for most of that time. There was barely time to eat, or do anything else except struggle to survive … it was all about traversing their way through the tempest and coming out safely the other side. Nothing else mattered. But eventually the power of the cyclone began to abate, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief as they sighted a coastline … they wearily limped towards a landing in their battered craft, and with their bruised bodies.

It was not to be a fairy-tale ending. Rather than being welcomed back to shore after their fight with the elements, they were greeted with suspicion rather than succour. They had arrived in waters patrolled and controlled by the US Navy. But after what they had been through – and overcome – the unwelcoming greeting they received was of little import to the battle-hardened crew. It does not surprise me that this adverse seafaring experience did not dissipate Claudia’s love of sailing, She currently has over 20 years’ experience behind her, and has taken to the oceans in everything from small dinghies to mega-yachts.

The fifth installment of our 10-part series describing newsworthy ​events in Thailand over the past 50 years begins with the year 1987. The September issue covered 1982-1986.

1987 is the year CentralPlaza Chiang Mai Airport. Also known as Central Airport Plaza (established as Tantraphan Airport Plaza) was inaugurated, as were Kasem Bundit University in Bangkok and Mitsubushi Motors (Thailand). The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was initiated to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and continues to this day as a major event in the boating world. Also founded were Phayathai 2 private hospital, Raimon Land PCL real estate developers and TPI Polene PCL, a large manufacturer of cement and petrochemicals. Foreigners with HIV were banned from entering Thailand and several national parks were established including Namtok Chat Trakan in Phitsanulok province, Khao Laem in Kanchanaburi, Mae Wong in Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaeng provinces, Phu Chong-Na Yoi in Ubon Ratchathani and Phu Toei in Suphan Buri. 

January
• ‘Visit Thailand Year’ was kicked off by an elaborate parade in a campaign to position the country as a top international tourist destination. Bangkok Governor Chamlong Srimuang issued a ban against all street vendors in the city, leading to a vendors’ protest outside Government House. Simultaneously the commissioner of the Bangkok Metropolitan Association (BMA) police force told his officers they could arrest sidewalk vendors who were obstructing pedestrian traffic. 

• About a half million devoted Buddhists came from all over the country to the cremation ceremony of Luang Poo Waen Sujinno held at Wat Doi Mae Pang in Chiang Mai. He was one of the most revered monks in Thailand. About 10,000 Buddhist monks also attended the nationally televised ceremony presided over by the King and Queen. The monk passed away on July 2, 1985. 

• One of the first refugee camps for Cambodian refugees in Thailand, Khao-I- Dang, located about 20 kms from Aranyaprathet, was closed as the Thai government started preparations to start repatriation of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians who had crossed over the border in the previous decade. The refugees at Khao-I-Dang were transferred to temporary camps before being sent to Cambodia. ​

Late Koyo culinary treats at Yamazato
​The Okura Prestige Bangkok is presenting the late Koyo (autumn) culinary specials in its Michelin Plate signature Japanese restaurant Yamazato with special Gozen lunch platters and a multi-course Kaiseki dinner featuring seasonal ingredients such as mackerel, saury and capelin fish, chestnuts and persimmons.

Lunch and dinner from 1 - 22 November 2020, lunch: 11:30 - 14:30, dinner: 18:00 - 22:30. Priced at THB 1,600++ for Gozen lunch and THB 4,700++ for Kaiseki dinner.
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Contact 02 687 9000 or email yamazato@okurabangkok.com or book on our website www.okurabangkok.com

`Saturday Lazy Lunch' at Chatuchak Cafe 
Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok has relaunched its popular lunch from 12.00 to 14.30 hours at THB 988 net per person (including soft drink).

Menu includes `Seafood Island' and a `Carving Corner' featuring meaty specialities. Other highlights include Dynasty's classic Peking duck and Cantonese dim sum variety, Hagi's sushi, sashimi and Japanese specialties, and Don Giovanni's authentic pasta favourites.
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Call +66 (0) 2541 1234.

By: Deborah Bundityanond
      Owner, Rabbit Resort Pattaya
      Dongtan Beach, Pattaya

For more than 20 years a Pattaya resort hotel prospered. Then Covid-19 struck and business collapsed. But that’s not stopping its owner, a former self-proclaimed Southern California beach girl, from staying positive, whatever the future holds

​No wonder wine is expensive. An importer was recently sent four bottles of wine from Spain as samples for possible future distribution here. Simple enough, right? The importer thought so – until he got the bill: the agent wanted 28k baht to clear customs, 2k per bottle in duties and a further 20k for ‘handling.’ Which works out at 14k per bottle! Is Thailand in danger of becoming a third world business partner?

In early April 2020 media reported that the Thai government warned private hospitals not to send medical bills to COVID-19 patients or their families, saying their medical expenses will be paid for by the government.

The warning, posted on the Government House Facebook page, followed complaints that COVID-19 patients at private hospitals were being required to pay for treatment and services that in some cases topped 100,000 baht.

The government said private hospitals should keep records of medical treatment and services and send the bills to related agencies for reimbursement. The MOPH’s draft regulations on reimbursement were approved by the cabinet.
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If patients have health insurance, however, they are being encouraged to use their policies first. The Social Security Fund for workers in the private sector, the welfare fund for state officials and the “gold card” universal fund would wholly or partially cover the cost of COVID-19 treatment based on the fund to which the patients belong.

People who are covered by the “gold card” scheme are eligible to receive treatment for COVID-19 free of charge effective April 2, 2020 according to an announcement in the Royal Gazette. The announcement says if patients seek treatment at private hospitals, reimbursement will be made in line with the MOPH regulations.

When COVID-19 testing fees were published in the local press in March of this year, many people expressed shock at the exorbitant amounts charged by public and private hospitals.

Khasod English website reported on March 16 that Roongreung Kitpati, an advisor to the Ministry of Health, said those without symptoms or at-risk travel history should refrain from getting checkups, which could overcrowd hospitals and use up test kits.

“If you aren’t sick, please don’t get tests because it’s useless and wastes money. Most tests yield negative results. But if you are in an at-risk group, such as someone having contact with an infested person, please contact the Department hotline,” Mr Roongreung said.
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Since March most hospitals have reduced prices for testing. Among 16 hospitals in the metropolitan Bangkok area contacted by The BigChilli at the end of September to ask the fees – see list below – only two charge foreigners more than Thais. This should elate those foreigners who always complain about 'double standards'. The wait for test results from these 16 hospitals varies from four hours to two days.

How complaints about medical fees are being treated
· In this exclusive report, we look at ways the government is curbing excessive charges for locals and foreigners
· Only two hospitals have dual pricing for COVID-19 tests
​By MAXMILIAN WECHSLER

Healthcare is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries - and Thailand is very much part of it. Modern, well-equipped hospitals are accessible in Bangkok and all 76 provinces.

Sooner or later most of us enter the hospital system, and in Thailand it’s a lot easier to seek treatment in a private hospital than a government facility, especially for foreigners.

Even though it comes at a much higher cost, many expats and tourists still consider medical care here a bargain compared to their own countries. And despite some criticism, most are impressed with the quality of care they receive.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) legitimately claims that Thailand has gained worldwide recognition for its excellent healthcare services. According to the 2019 edition of the prestigious US magazine CEOWORLD Health Care Index, which ranks 89 countries according to factors that contribute to overall health, Thailand has the sixth best healthcare system in the world. Taiwan occupied the top slot, followed by two other Asian nations, South Korea (second) and Japan (third), with Austria and Denmark rounding out the top five.

The Health Care Index is a statistical analysis of a country’s overall healthcare system that includes infrastructure, competence of health care professionals, availability of quality treatments and medicines and government commitment. The index also takes into consideration environmental and social factors in individual countries including access to clean water, sanitation, overall obesity rates, tobacco use and government readiness to enforce health measures, for example by imposing fines on people who violate restrictions on tobacco use. 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul hailed the CEOWORLD ranking, announced in August 2019, as confirmation that the determined efforts Thailand has made toward developing its healthcare sector have paid off. In September last year Minister Anutin said the government must not rest on its laurels, as mere rankings do not matter as much as how well the ministry performs its duty of maintaining public health. “It was a collective effort that got us here,” he added.

There is general agreement among patients that the accolades are well deserved, but on the home front it’s not all bouquets for Thailand’s hospitals and overall health care system. Locals often complain of waiting for hours at government hospitals when they have a health problem. The waiting period for further medical tests or surgery in non-emergency cases might be weeks up to a few months.

Expats complain they are charged more at government hospitals and some private hospitals, while others say they’ve been scheduled for unnecessary and costly procedures.