Pattaya: Swede racks up 100,000 baht in hospital bills after chasing snatch thief who stole 60K necklace

[Kerryd]

8 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

And I wonder what kind of visa allows him to live on B30,000 a month?

The kind where you don't use monthly income as your financial qualification but use "money in bank" instead. Like many of us do. As far as Thailand is concerned, I have zero monthly income, but I also have 800k in a fixed term deposit account.

[Swedenlars]

What kind of  visa does he have with 30 000 Baht income only ? Just wondering.

[toofarnorth]

8 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

And I wonder what kind of visa allows him to live on B30,000 a month?

My marriage visa does but then I do have 400,000B in the bank. See # 46

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, phka said:

Health insurance won't cover accidents need a different policy

On the contrary, every health insurance policy I have ever seen will cover accidents.

 

It is accident policies that are more limited in what they will cover (only accidents). General health insurance covers both accidents and illnesses. Never seen a policy that didn't.

 

I had an accident a year and a half ago (run over by a motorcycle going top speed while crossing the street... in a crosswalk on a road that was clear for 200 meters away when I started out, in broad daylight). My general health insurance paid in full (2 weeks in hospital, 2 surgeries, >USD $20k)

[Swedenlars]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

AS that is even 50% below the marriage visa needs , I would not shout about that too much. 

 

And if anyone says maybe he has savings  - then he can pay his bill !

I just asked the same question. BTW, I'm from Sweden myself.

[Sheryl]

23 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

Why should he sell something that makes him happy if he can live on 30k? Selling that gold would not even get him close to one year's good insurance cover for himself and wife. Don't judge this man that you don't know. 

 

At age 72 you are right, would not pay a full year's premium. But would easily have paid for accident insurance and some accident policies cover up to 200k in medical....

 

Or put in the bank, would have paid 60% of his medical bills to date.

 

[jpduggan]

For a guy in his 70's he looks well. Maybe that thief had a lucky escape

[connda]

8 hours ago, tonray said:

Surprising then owning 60,000 baht necklace...and I guess health insurance is non existent too ?

His health insurance would have cost him 120K THB or more so at this point he's ahead of the game.  Plus, the insurance company probably would not have paid out because he was on a motorcycle and then would probably have cancelled his insurance to boot.  Heck of a racket.
 

[Chris.B]

8 hours ago, tonray said:

Surprising then owning 60,000 baht necklace...and I guess health insurance is non existent too ?

I doubt if health insurance will cover chasing after a thief on a motorbike...

[Walter Travolta]

1 hour ago, Felt 35 said:

What a sad bunch on TV criticizing the victim. Maybe he haven't been here so long that he know the country to well and that robbing is nearly acceptable unless the perpetrator can be seen/ recognized and arrested and by that losing face.

Felt.

I think a 72 year old farang married to Thai living on 30k a month isnt fresh off the boat do you? He should know better than to a) wear expensive items that will be noticed and b) chase down the thief. 

Doubly foolish for someone of such years

[Max69xl]

8 hours ago, tonray said:

Surprising then owning 60,000 baht necklace...and I guess health insurance is non existent too ?

1 baht of gold is about 24,500 baht, so about 49,000 baht in total. If driving around on a bike with a goldchain that can be easily seen and also snatched, then he isn't that smart. 

[Kerryd]

I have a motorcycle accident policy from Bangkok Bank. Not much, gives me an additional 100,000 (per accident) in coverage (over and above my other policies) in the event I'm injured in a motorcycle accident.
Costs me 5,900/year. In addition to the medical expense there's other benefits if you are killed or lose limbs/sight/etc.

And yeah, I don't mind because I ride a lot. On the big bike and the scooter. Haven't had to use the coverage yet (knock on wood) but it's there if I need it. Looking at the Gov't insurance (the one you pay for every year when you do your road tax decal/inspection), it seems that's about 80,000 baht coverage max.

(I also have an additional policy for the big bike and my health insurance policy.)

But for those "older" folks, not so easy. It seems as your income is reduced, your health insurance premiums increase. If you can get coverage at all. Some are lucky and have maintained their policies since they were eligible. Some are under the mistaken impression that their social medical system "back home" covers them while they are over here (and usually find out the hard way that most of them don't).

But living anywhere, especially in a foreign country, you have to be smart. I've known Thais that haven't openly worn gold in over 15 years because they are worried that someone might try to steal it. 
The local media used to have stories all the time of bag and necklace snatchers on Soi Bukhao, or ladyboy thieves on Beach Road.

You really aren't impressing anyone by wearing a 2 baht necklace, but you are making yourself a target. Especially if you look like a geriatric pensioner with the wife on a scooter. 

Chances are, he's never going to see the necklace again, or get any compensation, or even see the thief get caught.  

[alexlm]

When I first came in Thailand I used to always walk with 80k THB in my pockets. 80 bills of 1k.

But I was careful. Even though it was stupid too. But I would not have made a necklace around my neck with 60 x 1k bills on a string like these bar girls do... lol

If he wanted to "show off his fake wealth he could have gotten the same thing in fake gold for 8 bucks on Aliexpress...).

 

About the accident, well, he tried, he failed. He could also have catch the robber(s)... a bit of luck (bad in this case). And when you are in the action on the moment your instincts of survival destroy your intelligence (at least if you have any in the first place). When you get robbed, you react in seconds. And it's common psychology that when you start doing something, you don't stop, because it would contradict your brain. In that case he kept following at any risk.

 

No health insurance? That is his bad decision... even when I was 23 I paid a Thai Health insurance with 5 million bahts benefits and they always covered me fully. I didn't pay a single cent at the expensive Pattaya Bangkok Hospital for a total of 2 gastroscopies with premium service (GA which is not required but the insurance still paid all of it, anesthesist fees included, while it was really a premium service that I asked so that I would not suffer).

Being in Thailand with a good insurance is like being in France without any insurance: you pay nothing to Doctors, Pharmacies, Hospitals... so it's great...

 

Also they could have gone to Banglamung Hospital it's much cheaper...

 

However, poor him. And the robbers are the bad guys right we should not forget that...

 

4+ years in Thailand and I was never scammed of a single baht. Some tried. But I knew better.

So I don't know why many people say that Thailand is, among other things, the Land of Scams...

 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by alexlm

[dallen52]

8 hours ago, Henryford said:

Wearing a 2 baht gold necklace. Might as well wear a sign saying "please rob me".

60,000 baht payday. 

Magic. 

[billd766]

8 hours ago, tonray said:

Surprising then owning 60,000 baht necklace...and I guess health insurance is non existent too ?

 

[RJRS1301]

8 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Quite typical, people on meagre incomes trying to appear to be rich by wearing gold .

Same as poor kids wearing designer clothes to appear to be rich kids

Bike had no plates, this was not random, possibly walking around barechested displaying it for some time. Thief decided, followed , planned and struck Insurance on the goods??

 

 

 

Quote

 

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[Krikkiz]

30k income. 
did he ever work before in Sweden? ????

10k swedish crown ????????????

[TERMINATOR3AB]

Yes  very foolish  flashing gold in Thailand 

I remeber  first time my Thai  wife took me to market  she removed her  gold  chain from her neck  and put it in my pocket 

 

Not  very  expensive  but  to us it  was  ...so if Thai,s know  this happens  why  do poeple  still flash the  gold in Thailand ??

Rotten  dirty  snatch and grab  is all over this lovley " safe" country

However .... 

the post  by  "Nan Laew" was  not  good  uncalled for  in very bad  taste  and I  wonder  why it was not removed  

This  type of post gives no credit  to this forum  sorry 

[P100]

8 hours ago, shackleton said:

Can't recall how many times have we read about people being warned about wearing gold chains driving on motor bikes here on Thai Visa 

Especially over this period with lots of people being destitute and with  nothing to lose by stealing 

They are asking for trouble 

True. Especially now when many lost their incomes because chinese corona.

[spiekerjozef]

Showing of your gold...

[madmen]

Loss of face going to the media. BIB don't like it 

[Kerryd]

10 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

1 baht of gold is about 24,500 baht, so about 49,000 baht in total. If driving around on a bike with a goldchain that can be easily seen and also snatched, then he isn't that smart. 

Um - no.

The last time it was that low was around mid-March. It's currently around 29-30,000/baht.
http://goldpricez.com/th/baht

https://www.nationthailand.com/noname/30393125?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

There've been a few stories recently about Thais rushing to sell their gold at the current high prices.

 

[Mansell]

My first thought would have been “Two on a bike isn’t going to catch one on a bike. Wife, get off now.”

Looking at the injuries he wasn’t wearing anything in the way of protective clothing, maybe a helmet and that was it. Gold hanging round your neck as well. Most of the choices he made didn’t rank on the right side of smart.
I hope he heals with ease and grace.

[KarenBravo]

3 hours ago, phka said:

Health insurance won't cover accidents need a different policy

Of course it does.

[billd766]

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

AS that is even 50% below the marriage visa needs , I would not shout about that too much. 

 

And if anyone says maybe he has savings  - then he can pay his bill !

Actually without 400,000 baht in the bank it doesn't matter but FYI the income required for a marriage is 40,000 baht. I know as I did my marriage extension on income only last week.

 

Minimum 40,000 baht or 400,000 in the bank for a marriage or 65,000 baht or 800,000 for a retirement extension.

[Pottinger]

Boy, the knuckle draggers are all over this one.

[KarenBravo]

2 hours ago, PremiumLane said:

Don't expect any sympathy off the TVF lot. Jesus Christ himself could come down and heal the sick and these lot would find something to moan about it, or put him down for wearing sandals ???? 

 

[holy cow cm]

2 hours ago, AbeNormal said:

12 months in a year

: ) Yup!

[brianp0803]

Assuming he has 30,000 baht per month income with mean he has at least 400,000 baht in the bank and enough money to pay his hospital bills. Although maybe not enough next year to get another marriage visa.

Assuming the necklace really was worth two months of his salary, it’s sad he risk his life and his wife life chasing after it.

I can’t imagine living on that salary, and with a wife, but I’m in Bangkok and other places may be a lot cheaper

[DerekJ]

Go Fund Me for this guy please?????