kwaiYai

I’m from the UK but lived in Thailand most of the time from 2004 - 2016. That is until my existing health conditions required regularly hospital visits. So now my Thai wife and I live in the UK and just return to Thailand for December, January and February each year, if we can afford it. I’m 73 years old now and the travel insurance premium went up after my 70 th birthday. For our current stay (which ends tomorrow 🥹) our 3 months travel insurance cost nearly £2,000. That is for both of us, but I think about 80% at least was to cover me. I am not a wealthy man, but we want to come here, and insurance for me is a necessity. In all the years (1997 to today) my pre-existing medical conditions have never been a problem! However, in January 2018 I got an infected insect bite on my toe, which very quickly became serious. It was a flesh eating infection and the back of my lower right leg continued to be eaten away for the first week in hospital. My infection level was super high, the doctor was afraid of sepsis. I could have died or at least lost my leg. 2 weeks in Bangkok hospital, no ICU, or operation, just bed and antibiotics cost my insurance company over 700,000 Baht. There’s no way I could afford that! You have to declare ALL pre-existing conditions to the insurance company because if you don’t and there’s a big payout, they will want to see your medical records. If you get hit by a truck but do didn’t declare you had high blood pressure, they will use that as a get out. For the insurance policy you have to sign to agree with this. I wish this lady well, very much hope she recovers quickly and is able to get home ASAP, but I advise everyone to get insurance.

I find Pattaya now to be one enormous trip hazard. Lots of changes of levels, some quite high steps up to shops, pipes across the walkway, unexpected holes, and redundant iron work, as in the article photo. It wasn’t so bad when I first came here 33 years ago, but now I’m a doddery old git of 73, I have to be extremely careful when walking around town. Although, so much of Pattaya stinks so much I don’t venture out as often as I used to.

Pattaya is one big trip hazard! So many changes of levels on the streets. Some of the steps up to the shops are quite high. Cables and pipes across the walk, and remains of old fittings left to trip over.

I was told they have several price lists for insured/ not insured, Thai / Foreigner, Tourist / Resident Foreigners. Maybe more options! And apparently all negotiable. My friend was asked for a 60,000 Baht deposit. He said he didn’t have that much. They said how much do you have ? He said 40,000. They said OK!

Many years back, my Thai girlfriend washed my shorts without removing my passport from the pocket😨. The passport was a real mess, ink running from visa stamps etc. When I went to immigration to extend my visa the officer wasn’t happy about it at all, and seemed ready to decline it. Fortunately my GF was with me and explained. I gather the immigration officer realised she wasn’t too sharp and gave me a look (🙄) which made me think he allowed my visa extension out of sympathy! The damage was considerably worse than just a torn page.

My wife and I came here for the first time since the pandemic. Staying 3 months, Dec-March. Airfare was about £850 each, used to be £500. But my cousin back in the UK has a Smart meter which tells him he’s used £400 on gas in the last 2 weeks! He’s only heating his house to 20c for 14 hours a day. I’m sure we did the right thing!