georgegeorgia

There's a couple of things I want to talk about with this subject but it's hard to express what I mean,don't expect me to start explaining it good as I'm only a hospital orderly not a heart specialist.

Anyway please let me get on with the story I don't need personal messages from people correcting my punctuation "your,'re  your etc like one guy messaging me !

Anyway I want to talk about money especially if your retired living in Asia 

I was in what'sapp last night talking to a ex workmate on the video thing ,he retired last year with a million dollars in superannuation living in Cebu Philippines,he is 68yo single lives in a nice condo rented 

Anyway to cut a long story short he mentioned to me something very strange ,he joined a gym to SAVE money on his water bill !!

Now I was shocked more than anything else ,so I didn't go on with it BUT how mean do you get with your money 

You see there's 2 sides ,there's the farangs who are very frugal almost mean will only pay the baht bus driver 10 b no top and there's those who say give more !

There's a thread going now about a motorbike taxi driver demanding 160b on arrival for a small trip there's those who say just pay it !

Your a farang you can afford it !

Just pay it and then those those who say no way !

On the opposite side of meanness is middle frugal then the farangs who berate others for not spending more !! Foolish with money perhaps ??

2 hours ago, bradiston said:

3 different sources quoted for this piece of non news!

 

Virtue signalling ON

I took a win from Jomtien bus station to Pratamnak Soi 4/5 after a nightmare journey from Manila to BKK. I never asked for the price. Gave him 100 and a "Happy Songkran". He was extremely grateful. What's wrong with people they can't give a bit extra? It's maybe £1. Get real. Wins have to make a living.

Virtue signalling OFF

I guess if he doubled it on arrival you wouldn't be happy 

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

There is no way any hospital in Thailand can rack up 1 million baht in 3 days without considerable padding of the bills.

I only use the Thai medical profession for minor complaints, or for the initial stages of anything more serious. I go back to Australia, where I can get free treatment with top level private health cover.

For example, I have a urologist in Chiang Mai for routine checks. If I needed surgery, my urologist in Australia is far more qualified and experienced.

 

How does that work though?

You have top private health cover in Australia so I guess your paying around $180 aud per month but your living in Thailand?

So you must tell  the insurance you live in Australia?

5 hours ago, Stocky said:

I was diagnosed with hypertension by my GP in the UK, who put me on medication. That was 30 years ago now.

 

.

And your still taking it ???

Yes many medical clinics are abandoning bulk billing ( free under government Medicare) and charging private fees.

I have 2 medical centres in my area ,the bulk billing (free under Medicare) is not good as it's foreign doctors who rush you in & out in minutes.

The paying one ($105) $65 after Medicare rebate actually keep you in for like 10 minutes and I guess pretend to care 

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

I had a PET scan in Australia, cost AUD 1200, state of the art. My private health insurance paid for everything.

I got mine FREE !

When I walked into the reception at the scan clinic on Sydney a few days ago she said $530 please ,then looked at the referral and said 

"Your doctor has put Bulk Billing on it ,are you on a pension or unemployed ?

I said No I'm working!

She said your doctor has wrote Bulk Billing to be charged to the government!

I said thankyou very very much. ..????

..I stopping using bulk billing GP doctors though,they rush you in & out because the pittance the government is paying them under Medicare so they are not as good as "paying " GP doctors .

Anything like a medical certificate I just go to a bulk billing doctor but if it's serious I go to a paying the bill doctor 

But.. I'm glad she wrote " bulk billing " on my scan x-ray referral ,saved $530,though I believe I would of got back around $240 from the government Medicare 

????

Today my BP was 131/95

A few weeks ago was 161 and now I'm on 5mg a day of medicine 

I'm 108kg 

I can stop if I lose another 10kg said the doctor 

2 minutes ago, PPMMUU said:

Spindoloysios may be a typographical error for spondylosis or spondylolysis, which are two distinct conditions.

 

Spondylosis is a degenerative condition of the spine that occurs due to wear and tear over time. It can affect any part of the spine, but it's most common in the cervical (neck) and lumbar (lower back) regions. Spondylosis can cause symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility, although some people may not experience any symptoms at all. You can think of it as basically old people's spine, though it's not exclusive to old people.

 

On the other hand, spondylolysis is a defect in the vertebral arch that can lead to a condition called spondylolisthesis (vertebrae slip.) Spondylolysis is typically caused by repetitive stress or trauma to the spine, and it most commonly affects the lumbar region. Symptoms of spondylolysis may include back pain, muscle spasms, and reduced flexibility. Honestly this is much more serious than spondylosis.

I'm not sure which one I have ,I have no symptoms except looking in the mirror I can see my body looks like it's curving to the left .

The scan report (which I got for my liver disease) apparently on gearing the DR read it out mentioned the word denegerative so maybe old age 

I need treatment urgently,what kind of doctors do I see for this ?

So the Med diet doesn't include potatoes?

I thought they were good for you ?

I love mash with butter 

Just took one of the posters advice & got a PET/CT scan for my liver disease .

This is the type of scan where they slide you through a machine .

Well according to the doctor nothing to report only a fatty liver and not to come back for a few months 

But ....but ..as the doctor was reading me the report of the scan ..she said nothing to find EXCEPT the scan has found Spondoloysios a apparently a lumbar disease and curving of the spine .

She said the report mentioned L2 & L3 deteriorated to age 

She asked no symptoms for that and I don't yet anyway 

Now I was shocked and she didn't mention anymore about it ,

So I come home to look ok in the mirror to see my body is sort of curved to the left ,is this spindoloysios?

I asked a workmate to watch me walk and asked him if he could see if my body is curved to the left he said it was 

It looks as though my spine is curving to the left !

Who has this ? Will it worse ?

What treatment can I get for this ?

I'm really worried about this ,I don't want to be one of these people walking with a crooked body or hunchback ?

1 minute ago, simon43 said:

Happily I am still very fit and run every day ????.  As yet, I have no outward cancer symptoms, but the MRI scan strongly suggests prostate cancer and I'm waiting on the biopsy results. At least prostate cancer is usually slow-growing.

Yes , you probably have 15 years left 

12 minutes ago, jvs said:

Good luck with that,dragging yourself up to the counter at the airport after a stroke or heart attack.

It just does not work that way.

The problem with medical emergency is that you will have no control over what is going on with you any longer.

Better re think your plans.

Airlines do not like to transport very ill people,something to do with liability and such.

Yes good point, especially if you have a heart attack, imagine the cost if you don't have insurance.

Even if U have  insurance it would be expensive with gap fees etc

,I guess something like that definitely back to Australia or the UK for the public free system ( even though in Australia you still have to pay the specialist)

,not sure about America though I don't think they have a free public health system???

I met a old Australian farang in Pattaya years ago who had kept his Australian health insurance,I remember at that time he was paying something like $140 a month for hospital only insurance but obviously he would have to go back to Australia for treatment 

I'm not even sure it's valid actually if he isn't living there but who knows maybe he kept a address over there 

But better he banked his.  ,$140 and went on the public health system .

I'm sure in the UK they have private health insurance too if you don't want to use the public hospitals ,I guess you could do that 

19 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I planned, thousands of USD on expat medical insurance over the years.

 

I got sick (suspected prostate cancer)

 

My medical insurance refused to cover the cost (long story, already covered in other posts)

 

I had to return to the UK for treatment on the NHS

 

The waiting times are not too bad (cancer treatment is prioritised), although I'm grateful that prostate cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer type.

 

So.... you can make as many plans as you like, but  'bad luck' can scupper your well-thought out plans.

 

Another example:

A week before flying back to the UK I was stung by a box jellyfish on Koh Phangan.  Totally unexpected event, most people die of heart failure within 10 minutes of the sting.  I also 100% felt and thought that I was going to die (as I flailed around on the floor of a beach restaurant as locals frantically poured vinegar on me and commented in Thai that I would be dead in a few minutes).

 

Amazingly I recovered.....

 

These 2 recent events have changed my view on planning for the future, 'cos you never know what plans the Grim Reaper has!

I have seen a pic of you a few years ago ,you are very fit ,I believed you also run or did everyday too .

It can happen to anyone 

This is why I like to plan.

Obviously much different if you have a (genuine) partner that lives with you ....but let's look at the say 65yo single male retired to Pattaya living alone in a condo .

Planning for emergency probably doesn't come into most of them , even some don't have a Will made or point of emergency contact .

As I said it's ok not to have any insurance if you have the cash 

..but...fail to plan because it won't happen to me ...is ridiculous 

It's ok to say ..oh I will go back to Australia or UK if I get a illness,but have you planned that?

Where will you stay?

Who will look after you during chemo or whatever?

Plan now !!! 

I'm interested in what a expat should do in regards to getting a major illness whilst living in specifically Thailand,I could add in all of Asia eg Philippines( but I will just leave it as a expat in Thailand example)

I mean I'm not knocking Philippines they probably have better oncology hospitals than Thailand 

So what are the stages of this if God forbid this should happen to you 

So this is the scenario your over 60yo retired in Thailand , and you  HAVE expat  health insurance.

You get a major illness eg cancer 

Do you stay in Thailand ,or go back to your own country?

Now what if you don't have expat health insurance?

Is there a big gap fee for oncology eg radiation 

A well known YouTuber a few years ago developed cancer , unfortunately he had no expat health insurance and was apparently going to take it out at 60 but only reached 59 when he got cancer .

Unfortunately he paid millions for treatment in Thailand before going back to his country where sadly he passed away I believe at age 60

So the thing is , can we rely on the expat health insurance for major illness ?

Can we afford to go without it if there was a major illness?

It's ok saying oh I will go back to UK Australia or wherever if I got a major illness but you will be on a waiting list there to see a specialist if your using the public health system, and then if you get worser you will rely on carers etc ,so maybe better to stay in Thailand and get treatment there 

Have you planned this ?

Have you planned for emergencies,?

10 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

zero zero beer is harmless if  you need the taste  .just half % alchohol

After going thru all this I can assure you I will never drink again 

I was only a social drinker and still got this disease so I really now am interested what the Liver function blood tests eg AST & ALT would be if a heavy drinker ?

Their livers must be slowly going to buggery without them knowing 

Whilst we are talking about Cemeteries I visited one up in The nether regions of isaan a few years ago mostly coloured statutes with cremated boxes 

Unfortunately I was chased out of there by wild dangerous dogs 

Unfortunately I don't like getting old , apart from the decreased life we have ,(many of us will go between 78 & 84) there is the added illness's too 

I'm probably looking at a liver transplant and looks like a kidney transplant down the track .

I will get my heart checked soon too hopefully that will be ok 

1 minute ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

That is appalling  , non orphans should be kicked out of orphanages , who do they think that they are ?

And not only that many of these farang do gooders groups in Cambodia are just money collectors paying themselves fantastic salaries and nice life  on the donations they receive such as World Vision ,etc 

7 minutes ago, Menken said:

To the OP worrying about Christians. I've been here 30 years and other than the anti (child) prostitution spy networks and fake NGOs set up in Cambodia what is your issue with Christians here in East Asia? Thirty years and I have no problem, especially in Thailand.

 

I believe the world is at the peak of excess. We are now peak everything. People are taking stock of themselves and others, the pendulum will swing back

 

People seeking guidance and solace in religion is not new. As long as people are not proselytizing why don't you take you own advice and back off.

 

All religion is weird. It all requires huge acts of faith. You may not have it nor I but I've no problem in not only allowing but encouraging people to practice their faith.

 

Often times I have seen people be repulsed by Christians praying for them or even buddhists. I am very happy to take anyone's prayers. If someone will actually pray for me whether I believe that will do a damn bit of good I think that person is a genuinely decent person. How you might think otherwise is beyond me

Oh don't get me started on those "do gooders " groups who run charities saying they are saving the children from trafficking and orphans etc 

It's been proven in Cambodia many are in fact not orphans