fantasea

Sunset Khao Yai National Park

Taken by me with Canon SX700

Thanks Sheryl, Yes we are aware she won't go suddenly, as soon as she starts going yellow ( it's breast cancer gone to the liver) we will know to get her to hospital (most preferably at home in Aus.) I have to say here though that I have the utmost respect for the doctors and specialists at Bkk-Phuket Hospital, yes you will pay if you need to go there if you don't have travel insurance but the service and care we have received there is second to none. And I can say this having gone there every second day for 2 weeks for a frozen shoulder treatment which Perth doctors couldn't help me with and I would have had to wait 6 weeks for an MRI.

I was in excrutiating pain and couldn't lift my arm, sleep on it, or even walk properly. I was crawling on the floor in pain before I went to hospital to see a doctor, they sent me straight to a neurologist.

In half a day I had had an MRI, ultrasound, treatment, blood tests and they even threw in a mammogram ( at my request). I paid under $1000 AU but I would have waited months for all that back home! That included the 12 treatments I received at physio as well and all follow up visits. I can even email the specialist direct if I need to and continue my treatment if needed.

Mums experience with her 2 day stay was the best care she has ever received she said. The best was when she went for her colonoscopy, the nurse said 'doctor is at lunch, we will go get him for you now'. That would be unheard of back home, they would make you wait and wait.

The pain treatment mum got for her back was cutting edge, so much so that her doctor back home couldn't beleive she had it. It has now since become available in Australia. I hear lots of bad stuff about Thailand and when you live here you get to see the 'other side' and some of it is not so good after all but at the end of the day it's a place we call our second home ( 2 months Phuket and 2 months back home atm) and it is and always will be special to us and obviously to mum too, thats why she wants to spend her last holiday there. S

Thankyou, yes we hope she makes it home on her own legs too. She has been to Phuket many times and has even spent time at Bkk-Phuket hospital for gastro and has been treated by a specialist there previously for back pain,

so we know the procedure and she only claimed the gastro bill on travel insurance where she spent 2 days in hospital,

the other one was off her own back and she paid by credit card, she is not a freeloader and is very proud.

We have shortened her trip to 10 days now, just in case it's too much for her. We are in our villa for 2 months but at least we can fly home if she takes a turn for the worse, just got to keep fingers crossed. Shes a tough old girl 75 and won't go out without a fight lol, She still has 2-3 margheritas a day to put her to sleep!

Just sad not knowing...she was only given one month 12 months ago but the chemo really took it's toll on her so she had to stop. Thanks for all you replies and sorry for my rant...but feeling a little more at ease now. Just want her to have her last holiday with good memories and without any unforseen nightmares. You only get one mum. S

This is the reply I got from Australian Embassy in BKK, not as thorough an answer as I was expecting, but as she can't get travel insurance for any treatment she may require as it is a pre existing illness (and doesn't expect to either), I think I will call Immigration tomorrow, I really need to be aware of the legal side of things, it sounds too easy.......

Thanks for your email and I do share your thoughts in hoping your Mum is fit to travel and if so, enjoys her holiday. If your Mum does decide to travel, she should take out travel insurance as this would also cover her for injury, or hospitalisation and flight rescheduling.

If someone however dies overseas, then family appoint a local funeral agent who make the necessary arrangements. These arrangements might include, as you say, having a local cremation service and then the family can take ashes back to Australia. The Embassy and insurance companies can advise of local funeral service providers, should it be required.

Best regards

Thanks so much for the quick replies:

I was originally more worried about the thai end, getting the cremation done and the ashes home, but will probably cop more grief from the aussie end.

She has a will but in Australia so not sure if her funeral arrangements will apply in Thailand??

The doctor told her she can do whatever she wants, guess he is just thinking she should make the most of what time she has left but I will get a letter.

Can anyone recommend a company or are they readily found online?

I have a thai lawyer as I own property in Phuket but want to do some homework before I bother him.

Thanks again, S

Hi all, Not a nice subject but need information for my elderly mother who is terminally ill and wants to make a last trip to Phuket.

If she passes, can she be cremated and ashes returned to Australia, she doesn't want the hassle of us having to bring her body back home.

This is theoretical as we hope it doesn't happen but have to be prepared, would appreciate any links or contacts for advise, have spoken to Thai embassy in Perth but they are not too helpful. Thanks, S