Sheryl

Sorry I forgot to confirm you are male, not female. Assuming you are, skip to next paragraph. But if by chance you are female, have you had a recent mammogram? "sebaceous glands under the armpit. Inflammation possibly coming from an infected hair follicule in the armpit." is exactly what I was thinking of when I suggested hot compresses and gentle squeezing. I have had this a couple of times over the years , it is very common and one can usually squeeze out the sebum/oil etc which clears the matter and is all a doctor would be likely to do. I suggest you try this. Fugicort and other topical antibiotic creams are not likely to do a thing. If this is what it is, the pore is blocked and needs to be unblocked. If a few days of hot compresses and squeezing does nothing, then I suggest you see this doctor, an American GP licensed in Thailand. He will refer you on if he thinks it needs specialist care. But -- assuming you are male -- my bet is one a blocked sebaceous gland and frankly it is waste of time to see a doctor for that. https://mission-hospital.org/en/our-doctors/40-clinics-centers/internal-medicine-clinic/959-dr-nick-walters.html

Update which may be useful to others insured with April International: My next premium has now been posted. There is indeed a change in coverage zone from 3 to 2 (due to reclassification of Thailand). My premium increase is 37%, from $4,073 to $5,582 . Age 71, Essential Plan, $500 deductible. Broker (AOC) states this is due to zone reclassification. I have an inquiry in to the broker to find out what premium savings would be if I either (1) switched to Basic plan or (2 increased my deductible or (3) both. Whether I do either one, will depend on what the numbers show. I also have requested further broker clarification on use of hospitals in the "April International Health Network" which the General Conditions again reference, now referring to the "Easy Claim" Mobile App to find out which hospitals are in that. I downloaded that. Typing in just the location of Bangkok yielded a ridiculously small list, but typing in specific hospitals found that many hospitals not shown on the initial search of just "Bangkok" do come up as "recommended by April": including BNH Hospital, Samitivej (all branches) , Saint Louis, Camellian, King Chulalongkorn, Vejthani etc. Notably absent are Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital (Bangkok branch -- some of the provincial branches do show). According to the General Conditions 2024, if using a hospital not in the "network", " you will be subject to a 20% penalty applicable to the amount of your Claim if the cost of your treatment exceeds local standards”. I had previously discussed this matter with the broker who assurred me that if April gives pre-approval (required anyhow for any hospitalization costing in excess of US $2,000) and issues a Guarantee of Payment (GOP), that means they have agreed the charges are reasonable and there cannot be a penalty later imposed. However I have asked for re-confirmation of this point and also whether, in their experience, I would be likely to have trouble getting pre-approval for hospitalization at either of those 2 hospitals. I think but am not sure, that this network penalty business mainly pertains to reimbursment of claims not requiring pre-approval i.e. outpatient care (for those who have that optional cover, I do not) and day surgeries costing less than $2,000. I will post what I learn when broker replies.

Was this then shipped to you in Thailand? (Technically illegal). By what means?

Before seeing doctor I suggest you try a hot compress followed by gentle squeezing as it might just be a clogged sweat gland. If this works then no need to do more. If this does not work then likely differential is between a cyst/lipoma and enlarged lymph node. These need different types of doctors. Please advise: 1. Do you have any fever? 2. Do you have any sores or cuts etc on your chest, arm or hand? 3. Is there any palpable bump under other arm, in your groin (either side) or anywhere on your neck? 4. Is the bump soft or hard? Us it painful when you palpate it? Is it freely movable?

Again, needs proper diagnosis. Some of the replies here may be from people with entirely different problem. Depending on the cause, some of the recommended measures might actually make you worse. See ortho. Once you have a certain diagnosis easier to advise.

@retarius I'm home now and checked the earlier receipt. 710 baht for biopsy including path report. I had 2 additionsl biopsies yesterday, each cost under 1000 though slight difference between them based on size of the lesion. in addition I had an excision at the site of prior positive biopsy --- after review of the path report it was determined a single wider excision would suffice and no need for Mohs. This also cost under 1000. Government hospitals always cost less than private but usually by a factor of 2-4 fold. For some reason it is more than 10 fold difference for biopsies/excisions of skin cancers, at least if the Institute of Dermatology is used. Add to that, IOD is easier/less time consuming to use than the much more crowded and chaotic public general hospitals.

And having gotten a non-O vulua in UK will avoid that problem. As well as making opening bank account easier. And simplfying the extension process by eliminating a step..and reducing the time pressure to arrange the extension as you'll be stamped in for 90 days.

Or autocorrect! From what you say of your situation I would definitely get HA injection.

HA injections will help if the problem is due to osteoarthritis and if it is not too badly advanced. Worth taking an ortho's opinion on that, as the injections are not cheap. They are temporary (but may last 6 montghs, sometimes longer) and do not cure the underlying problem so many people end up eventually needed a knee replacement but the injections can sometimes delay that need by years. Best results will be when combined with appropriate physical therapy and (where applicable) weight loss.

Good coverage here

Some reports I have seen say that it was so sudden the cabin crew were not able to sit first. And every one quoted stressed how very sudden and without warning this event was. There was even someone in the lavatory as well as people enroute to it. The suddenness and lack of prior warning (and hence, people in the lavatories, people in the aisles, people not seat-belted in) would explain the large number of injuries and their seriousness (6 of the hospitalized are listed as critical last I heard). Apparently there are rare types of turbulence that would not show in advance on the plane's weather screen?? Anyway will take time to find out the details of what caused this and why not forseen in time to make a seat belt announcement etc. The incident does certainly well illustrate why seat belt / remain setaed notifications should be taken seriously.

Cardiac arrest simply means the heart suddenly stops beating. Occurs in all sudden deaths. Not a cause of death as such.

Suggest you start by seeing the ortho recommended by dddave above.

Gabapentin and similar drugs are serious medications and long term use carries significant risks. For people needing th3m to control seizures or intractable nerve pain the benefits may outweigh the risks but these drugs should not be used just to get to sleep.

There is no single "knee surgery" but rather a number of different procedures depending on the specific problem. Nothing you have said suggests a current need for any of them. There are also a number of non-surgical treatments again depending on the exact problem. Ant-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, HA injections, PRP, physical therapy etc. You need to see a good ortho and get the knee examined and possibly Xrayed (not always necessary). You will then have an actual diagnosis and recommendations for management specific to it. Careful with the experiences of others whose problems may have been entirely different. And careful with exercises until you have a diagnosis. You could do yourself some harm. Where in Thailand are you located?

You cannot buy these over the counter. Have to get from a hospital or clinic. The best option would be the Thsi Red Cross Anonymous Clinic in Bangkok... see pinned HIV thread. You'll need to show a prior prescription or doctor note. In Patraya Pulse Clinic is an option but will cost more than the Red Cross. https://www.pulse-clinic.com/pulse-clinic-arv-hiv-medication-price-list-2022 They will not have Efavirenz since it is rarely used these days. But they can advise on alternatives.

Exactly. Thank you. And the woman in question is not Thai or resident in Thailand. Nor is her daughter. So nursing homes in Thailnd not relevant.

Doctors at government hospitals are NOT limited in prescribing drugs not paid for by the Public Health System. They can, and often do, prescribe drugs not covered by the system. But in that case, the patient must pay out of pocket for that specific item. I believe Vachira is one of the government hospitals which practices multi tiered pricing, charging foreigners more. And it is possible that resident expats are in a different tier than tourists and that a pink card (or at least tabian ban, but if you can get the one, you can automatically get the other) is required to prove this.

GFM is not a "begging bowl". It is an online platform that simplifies making contributions for those who wish to do so. Most contributors for something like this will be friends and family. Much, much easier than for each person to try to work out where and how to send money.

Or may simply want a hassle-free way to donate. I would add that, not only does it take considerable time to access a deceased person's assets, but in the case of repatriating a body, time is of the essence. Especially if it is desired to have an autopsy done in the home country, as is often the reason fir such repatriation.

You cannot legally u=import any pharmaceutical by mail without an FDA permit. Additionally, insulin needs to be refrigerated in transit. And no, probably not cheaper unless tyou are after a patented name brand prefilled syringe.

There are parts of the UK where housing is cheaper than that. The problem with country to country comparisons is that there is always a vast variation within countries depending on location. There are certainly places in the US where one could live cheaper than certain places in Thailand. And vice versa.

Has anyone had experience getting one of these? It needs to be attempted in my family in the coming years, to bring elderly mother over. I have read the UK website list of eligibility factors but am totally unclear as to how one is expected to prove that: you need long-term care to do everyday personal and household tasks because of illness, disability or your age the care you need is not available or affordable in the country you live in Would appreciate hearing of any experiences

Correct. And what would be considered adequate will depend on length of stay, stated purpose of visit, stated itinerary and planned activities etc etc. A month or two visit to see family, staying the whole time in the family home, obviously needs much less in way of funds than a 6 month visit for tourism with stays in hotels etc.

Reverting to a statement in the OP: It is not the case that "the DTA between Thailand and the UK (I'm UK citizen) will only be applied to pension income arising from Police, Military and Civil Service pensions. " This and all other DTAs will be fully honoured. What is thew case, is that under the UK-Thai DTA. only government pensions (police, military, civil service) are exempt from Thai taxation and state pensions (inc. the old age pension) are not so exempt. So in treating state pensions as assessable income the Thai tax authority would actually be applying the terms of the DTA.