Online appeal launched to fly home elderly British man taken seriously ill in Korat

[webfact]

Gary's daughter Vanessa shared this picture of Gary in his Thailand hospital saying he'd "aged 15 years in a week" 

(Image: JustGiving)

 

The family of a British man seriously ill in hospital in Korat have launched an online appeal to help with his return to the UK.

 

Gary Short, 73, from Gloucester, had been stuck in Thailand due to the pandemic when he suffered a stroke on June 7.

 

Mr Short has been left with paralysis of his right side and cannot speak or swallow. 

 

He initially had travel insurance but that has since expired and was unable to renew it due to his age, Gloucester Live reported.

 

Now Mr Short’s daughters have launched an online appeal to help pay for his treatment and to fly him back to the UK.

 

The family hope to raise £20,000 but have been told by the Foreign Office the cost for Mr Short to return to the UK could be as much as £80,000.

 

Speaking to Gloucestershire Live, daughter Vanessa said: "Dad did have insurance initially but it lapsed and when he tried to get it re-issued they wouldn’t insure him because of his age and his medical conditions (co-morbidities)”. 

 

“With Covid he didn’t come back and it was safer there than here as their cases were so low, and has a good circle of English friends out there helping us through this. It’s a very complicated situation. Believe me we have tried every which way."

 

Vanessa said her and sister Tracy have been able to see their father via video link and have been given hope by the bit of progress their father seems to be making.

 

Writing on the JustGiving page, Mr Short’s daughters said: “Of course our first thoughts were to go to Thailand, but we have been advised by the Foreign Office not to go. Thailand still have rules in place that any visitor must isolate for 14 days, and we are unable to bring him back ourselves due to his medical condition.

 

“We are desperate to get our father back to the UK so he can receive the medical palliative care he would require for his future recuperation from the stroke. He needs to return to the UK so he can get the care he needs and be reunited with his family and friends. It may seem that the sum we are attempting to raise is insurmountable, and it is a huge sum to reach, but we are trying everything we can to help our dad”.

 

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[smedly]

take him home by boat if they won't let him on a plane

[Denim]

Couldn't have happened at a worse time what with covid still raging and travel so difficult.

 

Good luck to him, he's going to need it.

[Excel]

I hope his daughter can raise the funds to get him back and I hope she does not put to much faith in the BKK British Embassy providing any positive assistance and it is noteworthy that they have been advised by the Foreign Office not to go !!

[canopus1969]

Sorry I do not understand, he can get very good treatment here

[Excel]

3 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

Sorry I do not understand, he can get very good treatment here

But I think perhaps the issue of the cost of his treatment and ongoing treatment means he does not have the funds to remain here, hence the need to get him back to the UK

[KarenBravo]

.......and that's the result of "self-insuring".

[Dave Aarons]

11 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

.......and that's the result of "self-insuring".

Unless I read it wrong, he did have Travel Insurance which lapsed and the company refused to renew it.

[MRToMRT]

7 minutes ago, Dave Aarons said:

Unless I read it wrong, he did have Travel Insurance which lapsed and the company refused to renew it.

I wondered that as well but they don't say when it lapsed though, she says "Dad did have insurance initially". That could have been 3, 5 10, 20 years ago.  I think he is in the position of a "self insurer".

[KarenBravo]

5 minutes ago, Dave Aarons said:

Unless I read it wrong, he did have Travel Insurance which lapsed and the company refused to renew it.

 

Travel insurance is short term and meant for holidays.

Couldn't afford proper insurance and couldn't go home. Obviously, his family couldn't afford it either. Guess he wasn't "self-insuring" after all.

 

Bad time to go cap in hand to the public. People have sympathy fatigue and for most people this Covid crisis has knocked their financial situation for a six.

[clivebaxter]

Could cost 80k quid to get him home, better spend it on treatment here.

[The Fugitive]

Difference between treatment and care. As the gentleman can't swallow he must be being fed through a tube. Communication is another problem. Realistically, is there a chance of improvement if he did receive free therapy in UK? It must be possible to arrange personal care within Thailand that's affordable for the gent?

[Excel]

18 minutes ago, clivebaxter said:

Could cost 80k quid to get him home, better spend it on treatment here.

They don't have that money, the only way for him to get home is by donations if you read the article. The donations will be for just that, not to allow him to stay in Thailand without family support but with what possibly will be a need for permanent care and hospitalisation.

[KarenBravo]

57 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

.......and that's the result of "self-insuring".

 

I see all the self insurers are coming out in force.

[bwpage3]

Tons of posts on keeping insurance current.

 

Good example how self-insuring can bankrupt a person.

 

No idea why people would spend their life working and move to Thailand without even 20K pounds?

 

When you get older, time is not your friend.

 

Sooner or later time catches up with everyone.

 

If you cannot afford knowing that time is coming for each of us, this is exactly what is going to happen.

 

No thanks, sorry to say, I am sure there are many more in the same situation or worse.

[The Fugitive]

Just now, KarenBravo said:

 

I see all the self insurers are coming out in force.

They're in shock! Seriously, a visa agent told me the majority of her customers are British and live from day to day upon their Government pensions. 800,000 baht is beyond their means. What chance any of those guys having health care plans?

[Henryford]

1 hour ago, canopus1969 said:

Sorry I do not understand, he can get very good treatment here

 

Better than the UK, especially for 80,000

[clivebaxter]

15 minutes ago, Excel said:

They don't have that money, the only way for him to get home is by donations if you read the article. The donations will be for just that, not to allow him to stay in Thailand without family support but with what possibly will be a need for permanent care and hospitalisation.

what's wrong with using donations for hospital care here rather than wasting it all on transport home?

[Ron jeremy]

Very sad and I hope for the best, 

again, no place to be at that age with no money.

insurance should be mandatory!

next week there will be another!

[Denim]

2 minutes ago, Henryford said:

 

Better than the UK, especially for 80,000

 

I think the 80,000 baht figure is misleading. This would be for a private jet with nursing staff all the way !!

 

He is shown sitting on a bed.  Could he also sit on a chair or a car seat ?

Could a couple of friends  not take care of the relevant paperwork ( covid check ) then drive him to the airport, get him in a wheelchair and push him to check in on a business class seat ( more room ). Airlines have staff that regularly take non walking passengers to the aircraft and get them seated ( I used to do this when working for BA )

 

I agree the above suggestion is only theoretical but surely the figure ( the very round figure ) represents flying home with the best of everything not just getting the poor man home. As soon as the flight landed in the UK he would be met by airline staff and taken through immigration ( done this hundreds of times for wheelchair bound passengers ) so a cheaper option must surely be possible.

 

When I worked for BA I often had to take such passengers right to the taxi rank and help them into a taxi !!

 

Where there is a will there is a way.

[The Fugitive]

2 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

I think the 80,000 baht figure is misleading. This would be for a private jet with nursing staff all the way !!

 

He is shown sitting on a bed.  Could he also sit on a chair or a car seat ?

Could a couple of friends  not take care of the relevant paperwork ( covid check ) then drive him to the airport, get him in a wheelchair and push him to check in on a business class seat ( more room ). Airlines have staff that regularly take non walking passengers to the aircraft and get them seated ( I used to do this when working for BA )

 

I agree the above suggestion is only theoretical but surely the figure ( the very round figure ) represents flying home with the best of everything not just getting the poor man home. As soon as the flight landed in the UK he would be met by airline staff and taken through immigration ( done this hundreds of times for wheelchair bound passengers ) so a cheaper option must surely be possible.

 

When I worked for BA I often had to take such passengers right to the taxi rank and help them into a taxi !!

 

Where there is a will there is a way.

Most helpful thank you. Alternatively, I understand that it is possible to travel by rail between UK and Singapore (Singapore being the furthest continental land mass with a rail connection). As you say, where there is a will there is a way!

[Saltire]

Depending how long he has been in Thailand there is no guarantee he can use the free NHS. While he would be happier at home, if he has to pay in the UK anyway, he should get treated here as some suggest. Last I read the NHS for this sort of treatment is not only expensive, they add 50% for good measure. Hope he was a real tourist and still qualifies for free treatment in the UK.

 

Good luck to him anyway, hope the family get something sorted.

 

 

[Excel]

38 minutes ago, clivebaxter said:

what's wrong with using donations for hospital care here rather than wasting it all on transport home?

No idea but the appeal was not for that, it was for emergency transportation so I guess as they have appealed for donations to fly him home, then use it for a different purpose perhaps some of the donors will be upset the the money was raised under false pretences. But if you think that is an ok thing to do then why not get in touch with them and suggest it.

[puchooay]

19 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Depending how long he has been in Thailand there is no guarantee he can use the free NHS. While he would be happier at home, if he has to pay in the UK anyway, he should get treated here as some suggest. Last I read the NHS for this sort of treatment is not only expensive, they add 50% for good measure. Hope he was a real tourist and still qualifies for free treatment in the UK.

 

Good luck to him anyway, hope the family get something sorted.

 

 

Incorrect. If he returns to UK and can show he intends to stay in UK, he has full access to NHS treatment.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2021 by puchooay

[tonray]

Best bet is for someone in the family to get to Thailand (yes I know 14 day quarantine and all other COE) and supervise his care. This is an emergency situation. It puzzles me why people always jump to crowd funding first. I'm shocked at how many people seem to be 'destitute' when tragedy strikes....

[Excel]

Just now, tonray said:

Best bet is for someone in the family to get to Thailand (yes I know 14 day quarantine and all other COE) and supervise his care. This is an emergency situation. It puzzles me why people always jump to crowd funding first. I'm shocked at how many people seem to be 'destitute' when tragedy strikes....

The FCO , if you read the article, as advised against them flying to Thailand. That means their own insurance would be null and void should they contract anything whilst here due to the covid situation not being controlled I suspect.

[tonray]

2 minutes ago, Excel said:

The FCO , if you read the article, as advised against them flying to Thailand. That means their own insurance would be null and void should they contract anything whilst here due to the covid situation not being controlled I suspect.

Yeah...I know...but it's your father....not the time to listen to others...just the time to do what's right. At the very least, hire a care manager private nurse to make sure he is getting needed care.

[Excel]

3 minutes ago, tonray said:

Yeah...I know...but it's your father....not the time to listen to others...just the time to do what's right. At the very least, hire a care manager private nurse to make sure he is getting needed care.

But if they have no money for his flight I doubt they would have money for hiring anyone either.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, MRToMRT said:

I wondered that as well but they don't say when it lapsed though, she says "Dad did have insurance initially". That could have been 3, 5 10, 20 years ago.  I think he is in the position of a "self insurer".

It says that he was stuck in Thailand due to the Covid pandemic and that he initially had travel insurance.   On the face of it, that does not suggest that he may have been living here for years and that he's a "self-insurer" but you go ahead and make up your own version of the report.

[puchooay]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It says that he was stuck in Thailand due to the Covid pandemic and that he initially had travel insurance.   On the face of it, that does not suggest that he may have been living here for years and that he's a "self-insurer" but you go ahead and make up your own version of the report.

The full article in the Gloucester News does not say how long he has been in Thailand. It does, however, say that he has been stuck in Thailand for 18 months unable to return. Well, that is rubbish. Many people have returned to UK in the past 18 months.

 

There is also no mention of how long his original travel policy was for. However, which ever way you look at it, as soon as his insurance lapsed and he could not renew he became a self insurer.

 

Curious, he has been here for at least 18 months and yet has no issues with visa status. There must be some money around somewhere.