Sheryl

Suan Dok is just the informal term for the general area of the city which includes both Sripat and Maharaj Nakorn, the government hospital. Actually Sripath is a sort of private wing of Maharaj. Surgery at Maharaj Nakhorn itself would be less expensive but there might be a long wait and you would probably not be able to choose your doctor..and the actual surgery might be done by a resident in training.

It is a Thai comoany and definitely insures Thais, they alll do...you should go through a broker in any case.

Allianz Ayudhya is also a Thai company.

The unrealistic part is right in the thread title -- "sugar friendship". Sugar Daddy/sugar baby relationships are not friendships. They are financial transactions.

I assume you know that your Thao wife already has free health care through the government universal system? Which is why so few Thais get private health insurance...and why private health insurance here is comparatively expensive (snall pool of insured persons). If nonetheless you still want to get private jnsurance for her and her alone (as opposed to a family plan including both of you) contact AA brokers. AETNA Thailand definitely does enroll Thais.

AETNA Thailand is a separate Thai company nit the same as AETNA overses That ssid it is one of the least worst local companies. However unless required for incountry extension based on O-A visa, I much advoise against getting a Thai issued polucy. Ger an internatiobally issued expat policy. Much better regulated and more reliable.

It is off market in Thailand. And with your complex, serious multiple diagnoses you should not self prescribe anything. Very dangerous. Yout potassium is only slightly elevated (5.1 vs upper limit 5.0) and that reading came after unusually large ingestion of high potasium foods. Worth rechecking after a few weeks of a more prudent diet but otherwise no reason for alarm. Do not take any medications, even supplements, without first checkimg with your doctor.

I just bought some on Shoppee. Gummies though. And you can always get wide range of it through iHerb.

Not for a DO graduate since this profession is not recognized in Thailand and such a program woukd mot be recognized by the Thai Medical Council. For a graduate of a conventional medical school, possible if completely fluent in Thai. The (timed) written qualifying exam is in Thai.

Comparing an open repair at an upcountry government hospital with laporascopic repair at a Bangkok private hospital is apples and oranges to say the least Usual cost for this at a for profit private hospital is around 250k or so not counting pre op tests. Could reach 300 if at the most expensive hospitals and/or more costly room selected. Which still of course leaves the OP blatantly overcharged.

Yes. You can register as "housemaster". Though might have to have a yellow tabian baan, I'm not sure (I had one when i registered). Thread moved to visa forum for better responses.

Your wife should file one. Can be done either in person or online but to do online she has to register first, upload tabian ban etc. Might not be worth the bother just to file for one person once. She will need to have her Thai ID and tabian ban (originals plus photocopy) and fill out a simple form at immigration, That's it.

No, there is no such law AFAIK, but it is customary. Also customary, if the patient is self-pay, is to get payment, or at least a large deposit, up front in advance. 600k baht is an outrageous charge and far more than the norm for any private hospitals. You are correct that, depending on length of stay and type of room, should be around half that. I suggest you also contact the Ministry of Commerce which has the responsibility for issues of private hospital overcharging. See here https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30372994 Serious overcharging happens to Thais as well, by the way.

Hardly 85% or anything of near that high a percentage. But yes, in most courses there are people who can't handle it and ask to leave, and in some there are people who become so anxious/disruptive that they are asked to leave for the sake of the other students. People with serious psychiatric problems should certainly not take a Vipassana course unless they have been stable for a long time and their psychiatrist concurs - and the course managers will insist on a letter from their doctor to that effect and perhaps a pre-interview. Generally, it is not a wise idea. Lots of people with "garden variety" neurosis (depression and/or anxiety) do OK in retreats but it does depend on the severity, especially in the case of anxiety, and also how motivated they are. I have no way of gauging the severity of OP's anxiety which is why I did not mention meditation as an option.

More likley either drugs or psychosis. Much more severe than anxiety.

Most vegetables are fine. In terms of fruits, berries of all types, cherries and apples are relatively low in potassium. Bananas as you know are quite high. So are oranges, papaya and mangoes -- as your doctor told you, the yellow and orange items. Even these you can probably get away with in small quantity and on occasional basis. But never again 3 bananas in a day! Maybe 1//2 a banana once or twice a week max. (Be guided by your blood test results of course).

Office of the Insurance Commission

Yes. And OIC allows individually based increases based on claim history by as much as 25% a year ?(on top of age related jncreases).

All locally issued policies state within the policy documents that rates can be raised based on claims, even though a few companies to date don't do that - they can at any time decide to. Other issue is lack of recourse to the sort of arbitration/ombudsman arrangements possible in the West. And lastly to be very frank, Thai insurers have a less than sterling reputation for paying out on claims and a tendency to decide something is a pre-existing condition after (i,.e,. having issuing the policy despite full and accurate disclosures on intake form). Some of the conclusions about pre-existing conditions and their relationship to a new disease are far fetched to say the least and show lack of medical knowledge - some clerk is just reading off charts. Some companies are worse in this respect than others.

If you felt well after recovering from COVID a year ago and just now feel unwell, this is not long COVID. Long COVID is defined as “the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation." https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/post-covid-19-condition

I mean a expatriate insurance policies which will cover you in Thailand, issued by non-Thai companies, specifically, by companies based in UK, EU, US or Australia. The April policy offered by AA is April Thailand. Separate company from April France and the actual iinsurer (underwriter) is LMG Thailand. LMG Thailand is completely separate from LMG USA. The terms of policies issued by April Thailand and LMG Thailand et al differ significantly from those of their namesakes abroad. This in turn reflects the very different regulatory climate for health insurance in Thailand. AA never sold policies issued from other than Thailand (not allowed to by OIC regulations) but used to work around that for clients who desired an internationally issued policy by having the client purchase direct from the insurer. They no longer do this.

You should have led with that (that you have kidney failure). Puts an entirely different spin on things. Of the meds you are on, only the Azilsartan is apt to increase the potassium and, with an aortic aneurysm and hypertension, you should not tamper with your BP meds unless advised to do so by your nephrologist. Please ignore what people said about sodium (salt), with your specific multiple conditions sodium needs to be restricted not increased. In someone with normal kidney function eating 3 bananas in a day would not much matter but definitely not a good idea for someone with kidney failure. Follow your doctor's advice, assuming he is nephrologist. If he is not then consult your nephrologist. And repeat the potassium level in a month.

In addition to dehumififying be sure to clean the rooms thotouhhly with a bleach solution to kill any mold

Food intake will not be the culprit. What medications are you on? What was your creatnine and BUN?

With a degree from a DO program I do not think one can take the Thai medical exam.