Sheryl

Not all doctors "shy away" from surgery (if otherwise indicated) on a 72 year old unless you have other conditions that make you a poor surgical risk (e.g. heart kidney, lung, or liver problem). Especially now that there is more available in minimally invasive surgical approaches. In addition there are often non surgical interventions like epidural injections, nerve blocks etc. that can greatly help. However, Thai doctors lacking specialized expertise in spinal disorders (a select few and even excluding most orthopedists) will certainly shy away ftom any of these things. And Thai doctors have a marked tendency to never tell a patient that they need to see a more specialized doctor elsewhere. You should see a good spinal specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment plan if this pain has been going on for say 6 weeks or more. That will probably mean travelling to Bangkok. If the pain is newer than that, and not radiating down your leg or causing leg weakness then conservative measures like anti-inflammatory meds (if no contraindications), heating pads, and stretches/exercises can be tried. You will find plenty of suggested exercises and stretches on You Tube if you search under "low back pain". Important: stop any stretch or exercise that worsens the pain at once and don't repeat it. Continue to walk up to your tolerance, don't stop altogether. Several short walks a day may be better than one longer walk.

Yes the insurer can always decline an upgrade of cover. Same idea as deductible: you can alwsys increase it but not necessarily decrease it. How old are you? As your premium is obviously much less than mine. But you also said your premium is for Zone 3. Possibly it was issued before the change to Zone 2 went into effect. If so, the next 2 years may see a substantial increase in your premium. I will probably stay with Essential and 500 deductible but still waiting on numbers from the broker. My premium isn't due until August.

Personally I find Doxylaime better but people do vary. Yes probably less groggy with it than with hydralyzine. Neither is recommended for regular long term use.

This is not approved for use in Thsiland. Antihistamines available here that can be used for sleep/sedation include: 1. Hydroxyzine 2. Doxylamine (Sominar)

As above. @bhatmasterson a Thai prescription hss no validity in the US. You will need to get a prescription from a doctor licensed in the US. One of the telemedecine services is probably the most economicsl spproache (I've used Amwell in the past). Before you call, have the pharmacy name, address and phone number handy to give the doctor so they can call the prescription in. And of course the name, strength and dose of the medication. Ask them to prescribe a generic, drug prices in US are sky high.

Not quite. They can continue to sell things approved as "non dangerous drugs" (paracetemol etc). And of course in practice this rule is often ignored. Indeed many small pharmacies upcountry have no pharmacist on staff. White coats are not a reliable indication. Wherever you live it is worthwhile locating a reasonably large, air- conditioned pharmacy with a "real" pharmacist. Small towns may not have one but provincial capitals will have at least one. In Pattaya Fascino is good choice.

The Producer. In charge of the entire operation. Why not wait for the trial to see what the evidence is and what the prosecution's grounds for believing the producer liable are?

Nobody questions that. And she has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin has not yet come to trial so we don't know yet what the basis for accusing him is. It might pertain to his role as producer rather than as actor. The "safety lady" in effect worjed for him and as producer he would have been involved in all sorts of decisions and policies, some if which may be relevant. Presumably this will all be laid out in the trial.

Almost everyone has thoughts while meditating. Moments of pure observation without thought, while what one attempts to do, is achieved only for brief momrnts in most cases. And when one has such moments, they are times of intense awareness. Hardly analgous to lack of mental stimulation; the mind is very stimulated and aware.

For what reaso would live rounds ever be used while making a film?

A sufficiently high fiber diet will go a long way towards preventing hemorrhoids.

Numerous off-topic and/or trolling podts have been rrmoved. This is the health forum, not the place to make jokes about a valid (and painful) medical condition.

Has anyone explained how and why live bullets even got on the set let alone in the gun?

The brand of this (Sirolimus) available in Thailand is Rapamune. Immunosuppressants are controlled in Thailand and have to be gotten fro ma hospital or clinic. You can try a doctor of the relevant specialty (e.g. oncology or neurology as the case may be) in Pattaya but I won't be surprised if none of the hospitals in Pattaya have it. Might need to come to Bangkok.

First of all, asking a nurse or anyone other than the appropriate doctor is a waste of time, as cost will very much depend upon the technique to be used and that can only be decided on after examination by the doctor. (n other words, you may have been quoted a price for a procedure other than what you would actually need. That said, upcountry private hospitals (not including Chiang Mai) are best avoided and not infrequently come up with costs way in excess of top tier Bangkok hospitals. Where in Thailand are you located?

"Go to hospital" is typical response from (untrained) people behind a pharmacy counter when confronted with anything unfamiliar. What you pictured is simply hydrocortisone cream 1%. You were likely not dealing with an actual pharmacist. That, or they thought you wanted specifically this foreign brand. The specific brand you have is not available here, but there are several brands of hydrocortisone cream that are: Hytisone H-Cort HC 1% Efficort Suggest you write down on a piece of papaer "Hydrocortisone cream" and then these brand names beneath it Where in Thailand are you?

I very much doubt it requires a referral. Doesn't in any government hospital that I know of, the whole point of these "Special Clinics" is to let those who willing and able to do so, to see a more senior doctor, of their choosing, outside normal government working hours. Also serves to provide additional financial incentive/income for the doctors. Not to be confused with seeing a specialist doctor within the public channel, which may indeed require a referral .

Stem cell treatment for arthritis is still in experimental stages. Any clinic offering it, is doing so contrary to Thai Medical Council guidelines. There have been some very bad consequences (e.g. tumor growth) from unregulated stem cell treatments in Thailand. PRP is also still considered investigational but is less risky IMO (other than possible loss of money if it doesn't work). @rumak I would suggest getting HA injection. If no improvement thenmight later consider PRP. Leave stem cells aside until there has been more research. It is not just a matter of determining if it works, but also how best to do it.

Neither did I. As I said before, I think due to the COVID experience. Which was unusually (and unnecessarily) expensive for April due to a misguided government policy. I may eventually get some benefit from the Zone bump as I now visit UK annually. But for most, it is going to just be a higher cost with no plus side.

I would advise against a Thai insurer. The best of the bunch would be Aetna and AXA. I am not sure these will newly enroll people over 65 though. Aetna Thailand's predecessor guaranteed lifetime renewal only for those who enrolled before age 60. Be careful. Also, at older ages premiums of Thai insurers are no less than -- and often more than - those of international insurers. Suggest you work with an jntetnational broker.

I haven't decided for myself yet re deductible. But if a doubling of deductible from 500 to 1000 saves only $250 then you'd have to average one claim every two years to break even and 1 in 3 to come out ahead. Personally given my age and recent claims history not such a good bet. Keep in mind that while you can always opt to increase a deductible, insurer is not obligated to let you decrease it, so should take a long view, considering health and finances not just now but further down the road. Regarding this network business, broker replied that April does not really have networks the way some insurers do and that this "is just communication". By which I think he meant miscommunication. He also said that if the insurer were to reject a charge on ground of being too high by local standards, they must supply legal proof and "offer policyholders an alternative". I can't see how alternatives would apply in case of services already rendered i.e. outpatient visit or a day surgery not needing pre-approval. But clearly for inpatient hospulitalization it gets thrashed out in the pre-authorization process. I am still awaiting quote for a switch to Basic and clarification of what happens in terms of room rate if the hospital has no twin rooms. Interestingly broker mentioned that April will have to increase premiums by 50% within 2 years to cover the change to Zone 2. In which case I would expect another 13% rise (not counting any infationary effect) next year.

Thailand does not really have a prescription system as such. Except for narcotics and some psychtropics, almost all medications can be bought over the vounter. Controlled drugs have to be gotten at a hospital or clinic and one would usually have to see a doctor each time to get more.

I recommend you go to Rutnin Eye Hospital

Are your transfers by any chance from US Social Security? Because if so, SS will now do direct deposit to Thai bank. I get mine the 1st or 2nd of each month into my Kasikorn account without fail, and an added advantage is that one can get a "credit advice" for each transfer that clearly shows it is SS, in case of ever being questioned by Revenue Dept. (With Kasikorn can set it up to receive the Credit Advice by email automatically, I don't know re other banks). Otherwise - For extension based on marriage, AFAIK there is no restriction on spending the money/keeping it in the bank (unlike extension for retirement, where there is.) @DrJack54 Could he could transfer the funds to a joint account after each extension then transfer back to the "visa" account 2 months before next extension?still some risk during those 2 months and the "under consideration" period but odds in favor of them being in the joint account when he dies. ?

As above. It may have been sent to the hospital but not to the right section/office. Who at the hospital did you ask about this? Should be the 3rd party payment office. Not the cashier window. Cashiers are somettmes lazy about chasing these things down.