NancyL

The current Lanna Care Net Advance Directive is in both English and the Thai language. Has been for at least 4 or 5 years. We've also added a section on how you want to handle your funeral arrangements, so that your Thai family doesn't feel the pressure to have an elaborate (i.e. expensive) funeral for you or your overseas family doesn't feel compelled to bring your body "home" rather than having it cremated here and the remains repatriated.

I know a western woman in her late sixties who ended up in the ICU on a ventilator because of a massage gone wrong. Apparently during the massaging of her legs, a blood clot was released and traveled to her lung, causing a pulmonary embolism. Fortunately, the massage people called an ambulance that got her to a good hospital right away and the blood clot was absorbed after a few days on the ventilator. The blood clot could have just as easily gone to brain and caused a stroke or to her heart and caused a heart attack. Older people shouldn't have vigorous Thai massages.

I see that Sheryl responded while I was typing my input. She and I agree, fortunately.

It's best to wait for Sheryl to weigh in, but I'd suggest "watchful waiting" based on my experience. Fibroids are quite common and many women don't even know they have them. But, once they hear the words "fibroid tumor", they and/or their loved ones freak out and think they have cancer or something quite serious. Not true. If your wife isn't planning on having any more children and the fibroids aren't causing any symptoms like heavy period bleeding she can't handle or cramps, then there really isn't a reason to remove them. I had several and continued to monitor them during annual check-ups. Fortunately, in Thailand, it's cheap to have ultrasounds and eventually, about 10 years after menopause the doctor declared that my uterus had shrunk to the size of a post-menopausal uterus with no sign of the fibroids. Apparently, they did hang around for a while, but didn't cause any problems and eventually disappeared.

It's my understanding that in Thailand your children, including overseas children, inherit at the same level as a spouse, even if you no longer live together. Thus, if your only survivors are your wife and child, they would split your estate without a Will.

McKean Rehabilitation Center just south of Chiang Mai would meet the OP's description the closest, but sadly there isn't a pool. However, the grounds are very park-like with much opportunity for walking or riding a bicycle in very pleasant surroundings. You could stay at Dok Kaew Assisted Living, on the grounds, where you'd have a modern, studio-type apartment and be transported over to the hospital for PT, about 300 meters away, if you aren't up to walking there. There are more English-speaking people at Dok Kaew, some activities and western food, either in the community center or in your room. While many of the residents of Dok Kaew are long-term with memory issues, I've had friends go there post-discharge after back surgery, hip replacement, etc to take advantage of the PT at McKean and to have assistance with bathing, dressing, and not have to hassle with laundry and food prep for a few weeks while they recover.

Is the old online TM reporting system no longer working? I tried to use it yesterday and got the dreaded message about how I need to visit my local immigration office. So I tried the new system, received confirmation of entering my report at 4:01 pm and approval of my 90 day report with the PDF of the slip to put in my passport at 5:33 pm. Good service! Last month when I used the new system to do Hubby's 90 day report it stayed in "Pending" status for days until finally being approved on the due date, causing him to plan a trip to Promenada for in-person reporting.

Ask for wheelchair service from the airline when you make your reservation and confirm it. Be clear that you can do "transfers" yourself and walk around on the aircraft, but you simply have difficulty with long walks in the airports. I do this and get priority treatment at the check-in gates, immigration, etc when traveling. Besure to give the wheelchair attendants tips if that's acceptable in their country. (I did some research and learned it was a real no-no in Japan, for example.) Some airports have special lounges for people in need of "special services", like wheelchair service.

The OP might invest in the net pants promoted on the same website page as the pads he currently uses. A snug pair of undies could help to hold in place some of the alternatives available in Thailand. Or simply a pair of snug "whitie-tighties" with an incontinence pad held in place with one safety pin could work. There is a difference in absorbency between pads intended for menstrual flow and those designed for incontinence. He should try ones intended for incontinence first. The ones meant to be used as inserts in adult diapers would good candidates. Pull-up diapers are available, although they don't fit tight. However, they could be a candidate with an insert.

The OP needs to get rid of the wife and dog and get a couple of replacement cats. They truly appreciate someone with a Lazada and Shopee addiction because it brings so many boxes into the home and we all know about cats and their love of boxes, don't we? Just be prepared for the need for additional cleaning if one of the cats is a "shredder", meaning it loves to tear up the boxes to create little cardboard bits to chase around the house. You can fill endless hours shopping for cat toys, cat beds, cat scratching boards, etc. Perhaps you can develop a new hobby and take videos of your cats playing with all their new stuff. Discover the amazing world of cat Facebook groups to post your videos. Wow, talk about time-wasting. At least it won't be as expensive as scrolling through Lazada, although some of the discussion will lead you to new stuff to buy for your cats -- automatic cat litter box, perhaps, only 9,590 baht and it's from LazMall, so you know it's genuine: https://www.lazada.co.th/products/new-pando-x-petree-automatic-cat-litter-box-pro-wifi-version-i2630396190-s9476502679.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.2.249515aaWzpGGq&search=1&fastshipping=0&sale=&price=9590.00&review=2&ratingscore=3.5&location=Samut+Prakan&stock=1&lang=en

A simple Google fact-check busts this myth https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-covid-lfd-idUSL1N2OS2CH

I know several foreigners in Chiang Mai who tested positive at private hospitals in the past few days with mild symptoms. They were not "hunted down like dogs", but rather were sent home with medications for their symptoms and told to self-isolate for 10 days and if they had been symptom-free for at least 5 days to take an at-home ATK test and if it was negative they were "good to go". Within 24 hours they were contacted by phone from someone from the Health Dept to interview them about their movements, contacts, etc and they were encouraged to make contact with people they'd socialized with themselves. It all seems very reasonable.

I know several foreigners in Chiang Mai who tested positive at private hospitals within the past few days and have mild symptoms. They all were told to go home and self-isolate for 10 days and take another ATK test. At home testing is OK. No interest from the hospitals in admitting them, so it's false that hospitals want to make money from this current surge. They want to save their capacity for those who are truly sick.

Boosted with Moderna this morning at CM Ram. Hubby went there Monday morning to book appointment for me today since it's our 45th wedding anniversary. Great gift!

Yes, finally received approval day before due date.

I, too, miss the CM buses. They were becoming popular with Thai people, esp it seemed, working women who didn't want to bother with a motorscooter in traffic as a way to get to work. Much more convenient to sit in aircon comfort and safely play on your phone. The routes to/from the McCormick Hospital area from the Kad Suan Kaew side of town always seemed to be full during shift change time with working women and school kids. Hubby loved them as a way to see the city, sometimes getting off at a random stop to explore a new (to him) neighborhood. It would be nice if they returned. We, too, still have money on our Rabbit cards.

Yes, they're difficult to put on, but amazingly once you have them on, your legs feel great. Try to put them on first thing in the morning before any ankle swelling or if that's not possible, sit with your legs elevated for an hour before putting them on. I find I'm in a much better mood after a long car, train or airplane trip or even a visit to a gov't hospital where I have to sit around for hours when I wear these "beauties". Plus, people often treat me better because I really did get the kind that make me look like your grandmother 5555.

Peera Pharmacy, inside Thapae Gate sells them. The owner will measure your calf and tell you what size you need. They really do make a different for long flights/car trips. And yes, the symptoms of DVT often are not apparent until well after a flight/long car trip. I've know expats to end up in local ICUs because of DVT.

I've been late with my 90 day report, for no good reason aside from Hubby and I being on different schedules and I simply forgot to do mine . CM Immigration didn't care and just acted annoyed that it involved writing a receipt for the 2000 baht fine. No red mark in the passport that I recall. Not a good idea just to stop doing them until you go in for another visa extension. The max fine is 5000 baht and they might just decide to ask for that.

Did you actually receive an approval for your 90 day report or just an approval for your use of the new 90 day reporting system? I received approval to use the new system lightening fast on 8 December, but my application for a 90 day report has been shown as "pending" since then.

Recently I was in an English language community theater production where there were about 15 male cast members in their 60s and 70s who had to wear military officer uniforms and play guys in their 30s and 40s. In the chatter in the "green room" it came out that a surprising number of them were wearing "man-girdles", not just to hide their beer-bellies, but also to improve their posture. They admitted they're a little hot for everyday wear in Thailand, but one, somewhat vain guy says he does wear it out-and-about fairly often. I felt a little underdressed since I left all my "all-in-one" figure-shaping garments back in the U.S. when we retired to Thailand. The guys were right, one would have improved my posture made me look a little better under the dress I had to wear in the play.

Le Meridien and Le Crystal both have very upscale set menu Christmas eve and Christmas Day meals. The Duke's on the Ping River is having an extensive buffet on Christmas Day, with many excellent offerings.

That doesn't seem to matter for the hospitals. They don't stop life-prolonging treatment, once undertaken, simply because the costs aren't being covered.

It seems that she's received the answer she needed. Good to learn they will work with her on payment in installments. Many hospitals and care facilities here will. I hope she is able to fulfill that payment obligation and learn from this experience. The time to purchase health insurance is while you are young and healthy. When we first arrived, we purchased our international health insurance policies. At that time, when my husband completed the insurance application, he responded to the question about hospitalization history by writing "birth". The insurance agent didn't understand his response. Since receiving the health insurance policy, he's reached the age when many of his peers start to think about buying health insurance. Like then, he now has what would be considered pre-existing conditions and a couple hospital stays. Nothing too expensive, but all covered by that health insurance purchased when we first arrived.

A quick check on Agoda or Booking.com should disclose the hotel's regular rates. And yes, the "Covid rate" will probably be 2x-3x because it includes food, testing, etc. I sure wouldn't want to share a room with another Covid patient although it will reduce the price. If she has health insurance, does it cover Covid? Mine does and I'd check myself into Bangkok Hospital if diagnosed. Might as well have the best. I checked; they can handle mild-to-moderate Covid.