Medical inflation has reached 10%.

45 baht per bottle of saline, and when you enter the hospital bill, it becomes 919 baht.

Over 1,900% more expensive

A small cotton ball at the market price of 10 cents per bill is 7 baht per bill, with a difference of 6,900%.

This number, not me, comes from a bill that consumers took to complain about the Consumer Organization Council and put it in the 2025 Thai Social Affairs Report.

At first sight, everyone thought the same. That's so cruel.

But I want to go a little deeper, because this bottle of saline tells the whole system.

1) Why is this price?

The Ministry of Health controls drug prices only for public hospitals through the medium price in the National Drug Account.

The private hospital segment is not subject to the same mechanism; the prices of medicines and medical supplies depend on the cost structure and discretion of the executive.

There is a law to report prices, but the council report itself indicates that enforcement is not concrete. The penalties do not actually serve as a deterrent.

2) But saline is not the main culprit.

This is important if you really look at the bill structure.

Medical fees and professional services fees, representing 45% of total expenditure in 2025.

Drugs and supplies are about 35%.

Almost half the bill is a person's value, not a person's value.

And the cost of people goes up because of a shortage of personnel, hospitals scramble, and it becomes a constant cost that can't be pressed down.

3) Purchased tools must be used worthwhile.

74% of global insurers say modern medical technology is the number one cost pusher.

On the Thai side, a private hospital survey found that 92% used modern equipment and technology, 78.5% had CT Scan and 33.5% had MRI.

When investing heavily, the pay system is pay-by-item, the more you can do.

The Council noted that some cases may lead to more than necessary examinations or treatments.

4) The other side is the queue of the state hospital.

Fiscal year 2025, the bed occupancy rate of hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health averages the whole country at 86%. Some provinces exceed 100% is that there are more patients sleeping than the number of beds actually available.

And 46.2% of Thais spend about 5-8 hours at public hospitals.

People who have the strength to pay flow to the private. Demand on the private side is tighter. Prices have no reason to go down.

5) Destination comes to an end at us

When everything is combined, Thailand's 2025 medical inflation is 10.8%.

Same-year general inflation 0.7%

15 times different.

The insurance side is in full swing. The claim rate is 66.7% in 2023, and it is forecast to move up to 90% in 2026.

As a result, the conditions change, the allowances move, and the conditions begin to be shared in the new policy.

The Security Council also found that in 2024, improper exercise accounted for 28% of all claims, including only 5% of the policies insured.

It means a few more people use it, but the average cost comes to everyone.

Summary of what I think after reading the report

Saline 919 baht is not a matter for any hospital.

It is a symptom of a system in which the price has no ceiling, the patient has no comparable information, and all parties are motivated to run the cost up rather than run down.

What we can do now is not a lot, but it is not zero.

Ask the doctor how necessary this examination is. Is there any other choice?

Let's see the bill before paying. Found an item that doesn't understand, can ask.

And if there's already insurance, finish reading the policy terms, especially the renewal terms.

Who has opened the hospital bill and found a list that needs to be read twice, tell me. 👀

# Medical expenses # Inflation # Health insurance # Do insurance together