Is there a real doctor in the house?

UDON THANI: Laborers Samrit Rattanawong, 38, and Prayad Ubolkrut, 29, knew that doctors’ bills could be expensive, but they didn’t realize that a routine check-up would end up costing them 60,000 baht each. The two went to Panyavej Hospital for a medical certificate they needed to apply for work in Singapore. A doctor, who introduced himself as Dr Charnwit Sattayaprasert, examined the pair and declared them both unfit for work. After Prayad and Samrit failed a second examination, the doctor offered to find work in Malaysia for them if they each paid him 25,000 baht on October 8. On October 7, however, the doctor called Prayad and explained that the jobs in Malaysia were unavailable. He then offered to find the men work in Singapore, this time for 60,000 baht each. Prayad and Samrit agreed and paid the doctor, who told them to be ready to travel on November 4. As the day neared the men tried to contact the doctor, but without success. It has since been established that the “doctor” was a charlatan. Lt Col Somdej Chanthornrat, deputy chief of Muang District Police Station, said that the imposter, who has yet to be identified, assumed the identity of the real doctor Charnwit so the hospital would hire him. During his brief stint at the hospital, the man had also convinced a bonafide doctor to loan him 30,000 baht. A similar incident was exposed at a clinic in Ratchaburi last week, although police have yet to determine whether the cases are linked. The man involved in the Panyavej Hospital scam is still at large and believed to be in Isarn.