Health care resort Hua Hin

September 23, 2010
Bangkok Hospital

Some people don't like to travel abroad because they are afraid the health care is not as good as in their home country. We can tell these people have nothing to fear. In beach resort Hua Hin, Thailand health care is very good.

Hua Hin has two hospitals up and running.

The first is Sao Paolo Hospital. This is a private hospital in the center of town. This hospital is within two kilometers of our accessible accommodations, Villa Coconut Grove and apartments Tira Tiraa.

The second hospital is Hua Hin Hospital. This is a government hospital and they provide excellent care. They have a trauma center, a cardiac ambulance, a CT-scan, english speaking hostess and beautiful first class rooms (hear say). Even the King of Thailand has his own floor in this hospital. One of our customers went here to see a orthopedic doctor and he was very satisfied. Except for the time he had to wait. They don't work with appointments. So you have to wait for your turn.
See this post to read about his story.

The third hospital is still being built and is scheduled to open at the end of this year. This is a privat hospital. They provide excellent care to foreign people. And this hospital is in walking distance of our adapted villa Coconut Grove. Till now foreign people choose to go to Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok in case this is needed.
At the end of this year they can stay in Hua Hin.

In case you have any questions about health care in beach resort Hua Hin we will try to provide you with this information.

Careresorts Hua Hin, Thailand

Care takers Da and Mood
Anantarak Health Training School
Hua Hin, September 2010

Some time ago a family contacted us about a holiday in our wheelchair accessible apartment in Hua Hin. The women, Els, was using a wheelchair and normally her husband, Ruben, takes care of her in The Netherlands. During their holiday they wanted a nurse to take care of her and asked if we could provide this service like we promise on our homepage.

We can provide this care on our holiday resort. We have contacted Anantarak Health Training School for a care taker. The first day the manager of Anantarak is coming to ask what kind of help is needed. A caretaker is coming along and stays to help out immediately. Our guest / customer can negotiate this care directly. We are only present in case translation from Dutch into English is needed.

In case you are thinking of having a caretaker during your holiday in one of our adapted holiday accommodations in Hua Hin you don't have to worry about the price. This care is cheap, very cheap. The care takers are professionally trained and speak some English. Their home base is just 50 meters from our accessible Tira Tiraa apartments in Hua Hin.

Personal help for disabled in Thailand provided by Anantarak together with the service of our housekeeper will give you a perfect holiday in which you and your family can recover from all days stress. You will find real relaxation since all your needs are being met.

Trouble in Paradise, Careresorts founded.

July 2010, Hua Hin Hospital

Just another story of one of our guests. And like a true Thai they accept bad things can happen and good things will come to them.

During a stay of one of our guests in our accessible Villa Coconut Grove a discus collapsed of our male visitor. So here is trouble in Paradise big time. Not able to take care for his wife, crawling in bed from pain keeping him awake, no feeling in parts of his left foot and still time left before they could go home. So our staff needed to take action.

First pain medication. On recommendation from a very experienced European nurse and a search on internet for this specific pain killer our housekeeper bought Arcoxia 90 mg for him in the local farmacy. No prescription needed here.

Second they had to call their travel insurance. Sitting for twelve hours is not possible in his situation. So a change of tickets is needed and they were in need of support on their way home. After one week a friend is allowed to come over and assist them on their way home.

Third is to go to the hospital to have a check up at his back in the Hua Hin Hospital. Our staff is coming along to translate. No appointment possible so they have to wait on their turn to see the orthopedic doctor. Meanwhile he has an X-ray taken. The results are private but the interesting thing is that the hospital has English speaking staff which can accompany the foreign visitor.

And fourth to get personal care for his wife. A Hua Hin based company can provide two nurses, each one shift of 8 hours. And with some students to train our guest can tell she got some good and sweet care of two lovely Thai women.

So from this point on Hua Hin Careresorts Thailand is founded.

Accessible hotels Hua Hin, the Thai way

January 2010.
Jan in front of The Old Buffalo, Hua Hin.

A few months back I got an email from a Norwegian woman about her trip to Thailand. She found a place to stay and ask me for wheelchair accessible transport to Hua Hin. Since I was very curious where she was going to stay I asked the name of the hotel. It was The Old Buffalo. The same night we went to see the place already sure it wasn't what she hoped for. At instant we saw this place is not accessible. So we took pictures at the outside and wrote her an email that we would arrange her tranfer but that the hotel wasn't accessible. See the picture here.

She wrote back to us the owner would make a ramp. Since the entrance is on the road the ramps would be very steep. And so it was. The ramp was as long as the staircase is high. She tried the ramp and the first time she nearly fell over backwards. We went into the hotel helping here with the luggage, etc. And I took pictures to show to Jan later. He was staying outside because he tought the ramp was to steep and to dangerous. After the ramp and the entrance follows a narrow hallway (no turning here in your wheelchair). The elavator to the top floor is fine, but then the worst part begins. Step up, step down, only sun on the roof top terrace, etc. Barking dogs at night. Cars driving up and down the road, parking in front of the restaurants down stairs.
This is just another example of Thai accessibility although an Englishman is running this place. He should know better.

I have two positive things to say about this place. The view from the roof top terrace is great. And you are in the middle of the town.
So why not turn this roof top into a luxurious loungebar or first class restaurant? You already have a pub / restaurant downstairs appreciated by many people.

My advice. DON'T GO THERE WHEN YOU ARE IN A WHEELCHAIR.

Accessible travel. How to choose!

September 11, 2010.
Road down to Hua Hin.

Many years of traveling in my powered wheelchair doesn't make me the Guru of accessible travel. But I can tell a lot about my experience. I have traveled in a caravan, I have traveled to cottages, I have been flying to different parts of the World and stayed in different kinds of accommodations. Accommodations more or less adapted to handicapped people. Sometimes very satisfying, sometimes very disappointing.

So here some tips how to choose your accommodation.
1 Find the original website of the accommodation. Google the hotel, the resort, etc.
2 Read carefully the description. Try to find all the information about accessibility.
3 What is important to you. Write an email to the accommodation with all your questions about accessibility.
4 Location. In the center of town, at the skirts of the town center or in the middle of nowhere. Ask for proof. For instance the picture. A resort which aims to be accessible and tells you they are 10 min from the town center. Is this ten minutes of walking, driving a car, cycling a bike or what? I investigated the location. They are 12 km out of the center in the middle of nowhere.
5 How to get around. Most of the time you will and have to go out for lunch and/or dinner. Or you just want to walk and look around at your destination. I go crazy at the country side. I like to see and to meet people. I don't like to stay in a resort where the only distraction are the same people at the same pool every day. And I don't like to order a taxi every time I think of leaving the accommodation. I don't like to take shuttle service at fixed times. I like to be free in my wheelchair. So check how you can get around.
6 Price Price can vary a lot in Hua Hin. So check out the different possibilities like hotel, guesthouse, villa or apartment. Ask how many people can stay for this price. And what you get for your money. For instance the resort in the picture. This resort asks 15.200 Baht / 40.2 = 378 Euro per night for a groundfloor apartment in high season, max 4 persons, in the middle of nowhere. Compare this price to Tira Tiraa ground floor adapted apartment. Apartment per night, high season, 4 persons, down town Hua Hin, 167 Euro or 6713 Baht.

Do you have more tips. Please write a comment on this Blog. We and fellow disabled travelers will appreciate every positive input.

Accessible travel, last minute offer.

February 12, 2005
Schiphol Airport, The Netherlands.
2005 first time, now no secrets left.

Three days ago we have left for our next stay in Thailand. Reason is the eightyth birthday of a good Dutch friend. He has served the Dutch Military during the Korean War and is now living with his Thai wife in Hua Hin. We became good friends.

Thailand is very quiet at this time and so is Hua Hin due to the protests by the red shirts in Bangkok earlier this year. In Hua Hin everything has been peaceful all the time. This is Thai King territory. No riots, no protesters, no red shirts. Not then and not now.

So it is sad to see the disabled tourists are not coming back. Thai local people are losing their jobs and if they are lucky they have a small social security income for a limited period of time. Soon they will be out of money and cannot take care of their family. Then the real problems start.

To support the Thai people and business we offer our wheelchair accessible villa Coconut Grove with a discount of 20% till november 3, 2010 on a first come first serve basis. The only thing you have to do is to send an email to info@gehandicapten.com, refer this Blog message and make reservation for at least 10 days. For more information about the villa take a look at our website.