"National Health Security Office" Plans to suspend services at three Hathairat network clinics after discovering improper billing and substandard services
On 3 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Thanasak Thambanthu, Director of the National Health Security Office (NHSO) in Bangkok, stated that the NHSO has audited and monitored operations of three primary care units in the Hathairat network: Hathairat Klong Sam Wa Clinic, Minburi Plus Medical Clinic, and Hathairat Medical Clinic Nong Chok branch. This follows findings of improper charge collections and service issues that may impact the public.
The audit of health promotion and disease prevention service charges revealed irregularities in billing and noncompliance with service standards. Issues included use of nurse names not actually working there, absence of documents supporting billed services, providing services outside authorized areas, and discrepancies between HIV self-test kit claims and actual purchase quantities.
Additionally, field visits on 15 Jul and 21 Aug 2026 GMT+7, and complaints via the NHSO hotline 1330, uncovered service problems such as dispensing chronic disease medications for only 3–7 days, forcing patients to return frequently, extra charges to entitled patients, unclear staff information and work schedules, improper storage of some medicines and vaccines, and complaints about staff conduct.
Although the NHSO held briefings, issued warning letters, and followed up on improvements, some issues remain unresolved, particularly regarding medication dispensing for chronic patients. Allowing these problems to persist could negatively affect patients under these service units' care.
This action aims primarily to prevent public harm from service management problems. The NHSO is preparing to suspend services at all three clinics and redirect patients to nearby primary care units to ensure continuous care.
For the allocation of Gold Card beneficiaries, the NHSO has arranged nearby primary care units to accommodate affected patients. The referral system remains connected with hospitals in each patient's network.
The service suspension is a temporary measure while fact-finding, relevant committee reviews, and legal processes are ongoing. The NHSO maintains the service units' contract status to facilitate investigation and legal actions as needed.