Thonburi ER Wait Times?

fwiw thonburi's triage system is actually pretty standard for thai hospitals. they use a color code system red yellow green. if your aunt was green that explains the wait. they prioritize by severity not by arrival time. next time just say "jeb mak mak" and point to the worst spot. nurses respond faster to pain level than to english explanations.

theres a 7-11 right across from thonburi hospital that does decent coffee and snacks. grab some while you wait. also the second floor has a private clinic that does walk ins for like 800 baht. way faster than the main er for non emergencies.

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honestly it really depends on the time of day and what triage flags you as. thonburi's er is pretty solid but like most places in bangkok it gets slammed around 6-9pm when people get off work. if you're non-emergency try going right when the hospital opens at 8am or after 10pm. also the urgent care clinic on the first floor near the pharmacy is way faster for stuff that's not truly life threatening. learning "jep mak" (hurts a lot) and "chuan duay" (help please) will get you better attention than trying to explain in english

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Yeah, Thai hospitals can be... something else. The wait times are notoriously variable. Depends on the day, the time, what kind of issue your aunt had, and how many other people are also needing attention. Non-emergency? Prepare for a longer wait than you'd expect in, say, @London. Seriously. Learning a few basic Thai phrases about pain levels and urgency might help next time, even if it's just pointing and groaning dramatically. Maybe download a translator app with image upload, showing pictures of symptoms sometimes works better than words. Good luck!

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j jakob · 5mo

Oh man, you're not kidding. My aunt had a relatively minor cut, but still ended up waiting ages. I was half expecting her to start knitting while we were there. The translator app idea is genius though, I should of thought of that. Thanks for the tip! Definitely will be prepping for future trips with that in mind. And yeah, the cultural differences in healthcare are... a learning curve, to say the least.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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