Dad stranded in Thai hospital after surviving fall from sixth floor balcony

[Jimbo53]

1 minute ago, Jimbo53 said:

He will also receive unemployment benefits/Disability Allowance.

After a 6 week qualifying period.

[RJRS1301]

5 hours ago, ronaldo0 said:

Doesn’t sound like an accident from the details unfortunately.

I was wondering if the fall was less than accidental. I hoe he gets psychological support 

[Ron jeremy]

49 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

I was wondering if the fall was less than accidental. I hoe he gets psychological support 

A failed suicide attempt no doubt?

or another accidental balcony fall that only seems to happen in Thailand?

[Tony125]

12 hours ago, brianthainess said:

So if he has been retired here for 5 yrs what happened to his 800,000 baht?

oh let me guess he used an agent.

Could have been using the 65,000 baht per month income rules.

[Winniej]

It’s a bad situation for this guy . So everyone had to put their hands in their pockets because someone is too tight <deleted> to pay for insurance . There no excuse even if he was there long term . When I’m travelling or overseas I get yearly insurance. 
it’s a good lesson for anyone get insurance . 

[Techno Viking]

8 hours ago, teacherclaire said:

 

 

          Your post made me very sad. 

 

Perhaps there'll be the time when you start begging for help. Do you know what an accident means?

 

And believe me, the majority of expats living here for many years do not have an insurance that would cover such injuries. 

 

Do you know what kind of surprises life will have for you in the future? A hit and run, and you could be in an even worse situation.

Why is there so much hate between foreigners who're trying to live here? 

 

     

 

Its being reported as a suicide attempt, that aint no accident and insurance would not cover it.

[agudbuk]

22 hours ago, sanuk711 said:

 

Why not he is a Brit isn't he......?

 If you are a returning expat then you need to be in UK for 6 months to restore your NHS rights. (Sometimes waived by some drs) 

If you are on a state pension  that is unfrozen and restored to the full pension during your stay in the UK but reverts to the old level if you leave again. 

 

 

[IamNoone88]

15 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

Tick the box next to where it says "I am a diabetic" and see what happens to the premium?!

As our American friends will confirm, anything "pre-existing".

I am type II diabetic but I still buy the health and travel cover ....

[IamNoone88]

18 hours ago, maxcorrigan said:

You'd be even more amazed if you could get insurance at +80 yr old with a bit of medical history then reading the small print would knock your socks off when you find you have hardly any cover at all, as always words are cheap, especially when you don't know what you are talking about!

he wasnt 80 years old. There is point of infliction where the premium is more than the risk of self insuring and that simply means planning for it. My father is 88 and he has still maintains private health insurance in the UK at a reasonable cost because he has had it for years and years.

[John Drake]

The railing on my second story veranda is 80 cm high, which seems to be standard around here. That is not quite mid-thigh for me. I think it's a miracle more taller Westerners don't pitch over the side of their hotel balconies. You don't need to be drunk, deranged, or a lunatic. You just need to slip or have a slight dizzy spell.

[Jimbo53]

29 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

he wasnt 80 years old. There is point of infliction where the premium is more than the risk of self insuring and that simply means planning for it. My father is 88 and he has still maintains private health insurance in the UK at a reasonable cost because he has had it for years and years.

Can u PM me the name of the company for myself please.

[maxcorrigan]

54 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

he wasnt 80 years old. There is point of infliction where the premium is more than the risk of self insuring and that simply means planning for it. My father is 88 and he has still maintains private health insurance in the UK at a reasonable cost because he has had it for years and years.

I had insurance in the UK with BUPA for many years the cost increased monthly till it got to something like £83 a month i had never made a claim, i then stopped monthly payments they never got back to me even after more than 18 years with them, so much for loyalty!

I know he was not eighty yrs old and never said he was, i was refering to your and others glib statements saying everybody should have insurance, any fool knows that, just try getting it in Thailand from 70 yr old and onwards and check at the cost if you can get it!

Can you let me know the name of the insurer your father has got, i have a much younger brother in the UK who is looking for a long term insurance scheme at reasonable cost, who would be very interested in you fathers scheme, Thank you!

[brianthainess]

57 minutes ago, John Drake said:

The railing on my second story veranda is 80 cm high, which seems to be standard around here. That is not quite mid-thigh for me. I think it's a miracle more taller Westerners don't pitch over the side of their hotel balconies. You don't need to be drunk, deranged, or a lunatic. You just need to slip or have a slight dizzy spell.

I almost brought a condo, and the very first thing i would have done, was to have increased the balcony rail height.

[IamNoone88]

21 minutes ago, maxcorrigan said:

I had insurance in the UK with BUPA for many years the cost increased monthly till it got to something like £83 a month i had never made a claim, i then stopped monthly payments they never got back to me even after more than 18 years with them, so much for loyalty!

I know he was not eighty yrs old and never said he was, i was refering to your and others glib statements saying everybody should have insurance, any fool knows that, just try getting it in Thailand from 70 yr old and onwards and check at the cost if you can get it!

Can you let me know the name of the insurer your father has got, i have a much younger brother in the UK who is looking for a long term insurance scheme at reasonable cost, who would be very interested in you fathers scheme, Thank you!

I had Bupa for many years as well but I switched to AETNA (your brother should check them out) because I also let BUPA lapse for 18 months by mistake. AETNA is reasonable at about $5.8k per year for $2 mill of cover at 58 years old including any Covid related incidents to $ 2mill. There was a two year moratorium when I took it out but they are excellent. Let me try and find out what my father has - but I think it may be BUPA UK though!! For travel I buy online in Thailand - AIG Travel Guard - THB 8,776.00 for a year. That covers THB 5 mill personal accident plus THB 5 mill overseas medical expenses plus a bunch of other things including loss of baggage and stolen items etc. I have never made a claim but this covers accident while traveling and AETNA the healthcare. Hope this helps.

[maxcorrigan]

1 minute ago, IamNoone88 said:

I had Bupa for many years as well but I switched to AETNA (your brother should check them out) because I also let BUPA lapse for 18 months by mistake. AETNA is reasonable at about $5.8k per year for $2 mill of cover at 58 years old including any Covid related incidents to $ 2mill. There was a two year moratorium when I took it out but they are excellent. Let me try and find out what my father has - but I think it may be BUPA UK though!! For travel I buy online in Thailand - AIG Travel Guard - THB 8,776.00 for a year. That covers THB 5 mill personal accident plus THB 5 mill overseas medical expenses plus a bunch of other things including loss of baggage and stolen items etc. I have never made a claim but this covers accident while traveling and AETNA the healthcare. Hope this helps.

Thanks for that i will pass it on, i think the BUPA cut off date was something like 70 yrs old might even be younger the price i was quoting i think i was somthing like 50yr old it was just getting ridiculous increasing every month, but the post i was referring to said his father still had insurance cover at 88 yrs old at a reasonable cost, of course the obvious question would be, what do you call a reasonable cost even if you still have cover after many years with that company! 

[Stoker58]

14 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

when it comes to optional insurance there are two types of people; risk takers and risk avoiders, the latter take out insurance the former don't. we are adults and having made the decision not to take out insurance a person should have a contingency plan should the worst happen; i.e. access to funds, and not simply assume/rely on strangers helping them out.

 This guy was the third type, the type who is never planning to need insurance again - ever.

[phetpeter]

Why is he not in a government hospital, the cost would be much less, why is it foreigners believe that government hospitals are no good, the bigger hospitals have all the equipment and love to have foreigners visit as it expands their knowledge of 'bodies' I had my heart attack and they have given me first class treatment always. In fact I don't have to pay because being an expat, I pay into the social security scheme which gives me free service. The local pay hospital has the same medical staff doctors, dentists etc., who normally work at the government hospital and work part time there. They don't have CAT or MIR, so place their parents into their ambulance and drive them to the government hospital for them and major surgery and add it onto the bill. One night there for 'observation' cost me 10,000 baht. One night in the government hospital for 'observation' in VIP room 350baht!

[Andrew65]

3 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

I am type II diabetic but I still buy the health and travel cover ....

....and it costs exactly the same as if you weren't diabetic?

[Sheryl]

18 hours ago, Myran said:

If the family is so anxious to get him home, why aren't they paying for the bills? It couldn't be that hard to scrape together a few thousand pounds among a few family members. But they aren't, because their funding campaign isn't about getting money for hospital bills, but about getting money so they won't have to touch their bank accounts or, heaven forbid, sell possessions in order to help out their own family member.

 

They should rename the campaign: "Help us avoid having to sell our iPhones, TV's and cars".

People often set up these funding acocunts precisely as a mechanism for extended family and friends to donate.

[Sheryl]

7 hours ago, Techno Viking said:

 

Its being reported as a suicide attempt, that aint no accident and insurance would not cover it.

Indeed.

 

the official funding site put up by the family states he jumped. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/barneymb

 

While it was indeed foolish for him to be here uninsured and unable to finance medical care, insurance would not have paid in this instance anyway.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, phetpeter said:

Why is he not in a government hospital, the cost would be much less, why is it foreigners believe that government hospitals are no good..

 There is no indication he is not in a government hospital.

 

From the nature of his injuries, length of time he has been in hospital and stated bill I suspect he is.

[Andy from Kent]

16 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

No, its not a crime .

 

You surely live in a different universe than I do.   In my universe, fraud is commonly a serious crime.

 

a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities.

[jomtienisgood]

On 11/8/2020 at 12:56 PM, vinny41 said:

The article states he is retired from British airways so flight are either free or heavly discounted depends on how many years service and staff grade

Even more reason to get insurance, if the fare is low you can afford insurance......

[jomtienisgood]

19 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Indeed.

 

the official funding site put up by the family states he jumped. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/barneymb

 

While it was indeed foolish for him to be here uninsured and unable to finance medical care, insurance would not have paid in this instance anyway.

Even if a sad situation, why would anyone ask money from anyone else to pay the bills for someone who didn't want to live anyway.. 

[Sheryl]

3 minutes ago, jomtienisgood said:

Even if a sad situation, why would anyone ask money from anyone else to pay the bills for someone who didn't want to live anyway.. 

 

Quite likely they do not consider an act taken while of unsound mind (or, at minimum, severely depressed -- but it appears he may have had actual delusions)  to be indicative of his true, well-considered  wishes.

[CorpusChristie]

26 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

You surely live in a different universe than I do.   In my universe, fraud is commonly a serious crime.

 

a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities.

 

  Its not a crime to keep a UK address and keep registered with a UK GP and stay in Thailand on a long holiday 

[Myran]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

People often set up these funding acocunts precisely as a mechanism for extended family and friends to donate.

They already did a funding drive on Facebook where friends and family could donate before this second campaign. Pair that with the fact that they went to the newspapers about something that should've strictly been a family matter, and it's quite obvious that they were hoping for the kindness of strangers in order to not touch their own assets.

[IamNoone88]

5 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

....and it costs exactly the same as if you weren't diabetic?

I wasn't when I first started the policy and I had a two year moratorium. The only increase was age related. 

[Irishrogue]

On 11/8/2020 at 9:49 AM, sanuk711 said:

 

Why not he is a Brit isn't he......?

As an immigrant you can immediately get benefits but as a British expat you have to wait 6 months to qualify.

[NRGF]

On 11/8/2020 at 3:49 AM, sanuk711 said:

 

Why not he is a Brit isn't he......?

Every one in Britain gets free health care even if they're just visiting and some visit just for that.