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

[Excel]

Just now, BritManToo said:

My children in the UK hate me, and in return I despise them.

I've created more, and nicer, children in Thailand.

Like many of us have done.

Strange that isn't it.  My UK wife died when I was 50, that 23 years ago now. At that time I was making lots of money so could afford to give my UK house, paid off by insurance,  to our daughter at that time because I knew that is what my wife would have wanted. She then met some guy got married and now usually do not even get a happy birthday email.  Know how you feel 

[robblok]

1 minute ago, scubascuba3 said:

Mandatory insurance where they exclude things you may claim on is useless

Its normal to exclude pre existing things else it was not an insurance. Dam people have no clue what insurance means its for the unforeseen. Pre existing things are not unforeseen. 

[youreavinalaff]

5 minutes ago, Excel said:

You serious expect a man in perhaps his late fifties early sixties

He is now 73. If he has been here since he was in his late fifties or sixties he has been here long enough to understand that life abroad without health insurance or money to pay for emergencies is foolish.

 

As soon as his underlying health issues appeared he should have either taken stock of his situation or returned home to UK  where he would be covered by NHS.

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That's BAHT, not Sterling pounds.

 

The 80,000 figure in the article is actually in £

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

Its normal to exclude pre existing things else it was not an insurance. Dam people have no clue what insurance means its for the unforeseen. Pre existing things are not unforeseen. 

Like i said pointless people having insurance if it excludes things they may claim on, better to use the money on those conditions, comprehend?

[jerrymahoney]

35 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

For me, self insured means you have the funds to pay for any health emergency with your own money,

That's fine but people who have enough money to donate for a new wing to the hospital still buy health insurance.

[youreavinalaff]

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I understand that even if the patient wants to be allowed to go home to die the hospital will not release them, or discontinue life support. Tell me if that is wrong.

In my experience, that is wrong.

[Excel]

Just now, youreavinalaff said:

He is now 73. If he has been here since he was in his late fifties or sixties he has been here long enough to understand that life abroad without health insurance or money to pay for emergencies is foolish.

 

As soon as his underlying health issues appeared he should have either taken stock of his situation or returned home to UK  where he would be covered by NHS.

So lets examine what you just said  should we. He suddenly had a stroke that has left him partially paralysed and requiring feeding. So you think what  as you said "As soon as his underlying health issues appeared" ?  Whilst having this stroke he should have decided to return home or after the stroke unable to communicate he should return home ? Goodness  me what a statement.

[Scouse123]

38 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Have to ask why an old man in the final years of his life would leave his children in the UK

 

Because maybe they have grown up with their own families and he doesn't want to be a burden on them or maybe he just wants to live out his last years in his own way.

[Tahoe]

6 hours ago, Excel said:

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

It is a pity that foreigners cannot get free medical treatment at Gov't hospitals (like the Thais) even if they are here legally. Even places like the U.S., that don't even have a national health care plan, treat everyone if they don't have the money to pay for it.

[Excel]

3 minutes ago, Tahoe said:

It is a pity that foreigners cannot get free medical treatment at Gov't hospitals (like the Thais) even if they are here legally. Even places like the U.S., that don't even have a national health care plan, treat everyone if they don't have the money to pay for it.

Actually you can and at a very cheap price. Not for free sure but a mere fraction of the money grabbing private hospitals here and there are many of us on here who will attest to that.

[thaibeachlovers]

12 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

The 80,000 figure in the article is actually in £

 

I was quoting Denim, who said baht, as in the copy/ paste below. I assume 80,000 quid would be nearer the real price.

 

 

 

Posted 16 minutes ago

5 hours 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 !!

[Scouse123]

This issue that has occurred with this gentleman, who I feel sorry for, brings up again the subject in my view of those paying for agents and people staying here under funded.

 

Let's be honest, many of those paying agents are also the ones without 65K provable or the 400K, 800K methods, so it's not a giant leap of faith to wonder if they are not also here without any form of insurance for sickness or health problems.

 

Somebody mentioned earlier, it is a bit of an oddity for British people who have the NHS to think about insurance. That's not correct in my view, you do your research on the rules and regulations on visas and extensions of stay of the countries you intend to reside in long term.

 

There are too many feckless individuals out there nowadays with a ' Que Sera ' attitude.

 

Moving to a new country is bigger than moving house. You plan, and you budget and if the mathematics doesn't add up, you stay in your own country.

[Lacessit]

15 minutes ago, Excel said:

Strange that isn't it.  My UK wife died when I was 50, that 23 years ago now. At that time I was making lots of money so could afford to give my UK house, paid off by insurance,  to our daughter at that time because I knew that is what my wife would have wanted. She then met some guy got married and now usually do not even get a happy birthday email.  Know how you feel 

I think there's a passage in the Bible somewhere about the ingratitude of a child being sharper than a serpent's tooth. I've been lucky, my son in Australia still helps me with various things. His mother has Ahlzheimer's, and one day of the week is spent commuting to her home in support.

[Old Croc]

16 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

That's fine but people who have enough money to donate for a new wing to the hospital still buy health insurance.

A strange analogy, but that's fine, their decision. 

[Excel]

Just now, Lacessit said:

I think there's a passage in the Bible somewhere about the ingratitude of a child being sharper than a serpent's tooth. I've been lucky, my son in Australia still helps me with various things. His mother has Ahlzheimer's, and one day of the week is spent commuting to her home in support.

Whilst not  a believer in that fictional story it all relies on human nature and love for those close and dear who need your support.

[Funkymover]

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 

 

And this must be a concern fall those retiring out there, and now  have to get health insurance because of the new visa laws..   as they get over 70, how many will not be able to get it because the insurance companies refuse to give it, or it will be so expensive , and will be forced to leave thailand. 

[sandy102uk]

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

So he wasn't self-insuring initially and circumstances beyond his control, apparently, put him in that situation.   That doesn't make him a self-insurer, it makes him someone who's insurer refused to renew his cover.  A self-insurer is someone who deliberately chooses not to take out insurance because he has the funds to pay for any future medical situations.

He had insurance which ran out and he could not reinsure. He decided to remain in Thailand due to worries about covid in UK. Many people managed to return to their own countries during the pandemic. He chose to stay and effectively self insure. Choices have consequences.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 minutes ago, Tahoe said:

It is a pity that foreigners cannot get free medical treatment at Gov't hospitals (like the Thais) even if they are here legally. Even places like the U.S., that don't even have a national health care plan, treat everyone if they don't have the money to pay for it.

I think in the US uninsured people only get life saving treatment for free, not ongoing long term care, as the OP needs. I think that applies anywhere in the ( western ) world.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Funkymover 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 

 

And this must be a concern fall those retiring out there, and now  have to get health insurance because of the new visa laws..   as they get over 70, how many will not be able to get it because the insurance companies refuse to give it, or it will be so expensive , and will be forced to leave thailand. 

That was why I left Thailand. If one chooses to ignore the possibility of requiring expensive hospital treatment one can't afford, one should either leave Thailand or not expect others to pay for them when it all goes wrong.

[perconrad]

1 hour ago, bolt said:

I see your point about annual renewal costs, have you set a limit to your insurance pot, 2-5-10-15 million THB

 

If you started saving since 64, now 74 that’s 120 months, with a pot of 2m that 16k per month, or 200k thb per year,

 

surely annual insurance is cheaper than 200k per year

No I have not set a limit yet it is good to have some spare money.

 

At 64 the premium was THB 150.000 pr year at 70 it would have been 300.000 THB pr year.

 

Perhaps you can have a cheaper insurance than THB 200.000 pr year, but what do it cover and at what age?

[thaibeachlovers]

13 minutes ago, Excel said:

Actually you can and at a very cheap price. Not for free sure but a mere fraction of the money grabbing private hospitals here and there are many of us on here who will attest to that.

If going the government hospital route will need a wife or paid person to help one in hospital as the nurses don't. They only provide medical care. My wife had to sleep under her mother's bed to help her in the night.

 

[iamariva1957]

This situation must is shameful. The UK embassy should be doing far more than they are ( their usual cup of tea with 4 sugars is not enough). The insurance company should be doing more and the rest of us should also be doing more to help.

 

However, there have been other times when fund raisers have been posted on this site and have had to sift through all the negative and unhelpful comments (ie: Why didn't you just leave; You should have had better insurance; Another begging for money post) usually posted by those that either don't care, or are feel that they are somehow superior in some way and have all the answers. So, it is nice to see that those types of comments have been somewhat muted this time. Maybe it is the pandemic that has made us think in a different way and have just that much more humanity circulating through our veins.

 

But will I help? Yes. I have a great deal of sympathy for those of us far from 'home'. Furthermore, I have also contacted people I know at the UK Home Office to get involved. For it is not who you are, but rather who you know. 

 

I wish the 'gent' and his family all the best and strongly suggest that they start yelling at the UK Embassy at the top of their collective voices.... as we all should. Their Ambassador does online pieces from time to time... so make his listen.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

3 minutes ago, perconrad said:

No I have not set a limit yet it is good to have some spare money.

 

At 64 the premium was THB 150.000 pr year at 70 it would have been 300.000 THB pr year.

 

Perhaps you can have a cheaper insurance than THB 200.000 pr year, but what do it cover and at what age?

At 64 my Thai insurance was less than 70,000 baht per annum, and certainly provided me cover when I needed it in a private hospital.

[Excel]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

If going the government hospital route will need a wife or paid person to help one in hospital as the nurses don't. They only provide medical care. My wife had to sleep under her mother's bed to help her in the night.

 

Exactly what is wrong with a wife or relative  staying with you in hospital because as a minimum it provides for emotional support. 

[Pravda]

4 hours ago, Excel said:

You know I believe in Karma ad if you do then your apparent attitude towards this poor guy and his family suggest you should be very careful with your health also

 

I'm sure he will live longer because he's not arrogant and careless like old man in article. 

[simon43]

5 minutes ago, perconrad said:

No I have not set a limit yet it is good to have some spare money.

 

At 64 the premium was THB 150.000 pr year at 70 it would have been 300.000 THB pr year.

 

Perhaps you can have a cheaper insurance than THB 200.000 pr year, but what do it cover and at what age?

 

I pay 78,000 THB per year for $1 million USD cover with an EU company - that's means cover for life, regardless of how many claims I make, but of course with premium increase only when I move up an age-band..  I'm 62 years old ????

[Scouse123]

2 minutes ago, iamariva1957 said:

This situation must is shameful. The UK embassy should be doing far more than they are ( their usual cup of tea with 4 sugars is not enough). The insurance company should be doing more and the rest of us should also be doing more to help.

 

However, there have been other times when fund raisers have been posted on this site and have had to sift through all the negative and unhelpful comments (ie: Why didn't you just leave; You should have had better insurance; Another begging for money post) usually posted by those that either don't care, or are feel that they are somehow superior in some way and have all the answers. So, it is nice to see that those types of comments have been somewhat muted this time. Maybe it is the pandemic that has made us think in a different way and have just that much more humanity circulating through our veins.

 

But will I help? Yes. I have a great deal of sympathy for those of us far from 'home'. Furthermore, I have also contacted people I know at the UK Home Office to get involved. For it is not who you are, but rather who you know. 

 

I wish the 'gent' and his family all the best and strongly suggest that they start yelling at the UK Embassy at the top of their collective voices.... as we all should. Their Ambassador does online pieces from time to time... so make his listen.

 

 

 

 

You a Socialist and a Labour voter by any chance?

 

Because the problem with socialism is you always run out of other peoples money.

 

Embassies are not here for this purpose and nor is the British taxpayer.

 

 

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

You a Socialist and a Labour voter by any chance?

 

Because the problem with socialism is you always run out of other peoples money.

 

Embassies are not here for this purpose and nor is the British taxpayer.

 

 

However the British taxpayer did pay for foreigners working at both the British Council ( a non governmental organisation)  and the Embassy to receive 2 doses of vaccine whereas it was denied to British nationals who have paid taxes most of their lives. How do you equate that to your anti socialist views ?

[perconrad]

2 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

 

Luck of the draw. You could have got sick and needed insurance at 65.

Yeah, but then I would have covered the bill with some other funds I have.