"Please help me get my brother home": A family's desperate plea after 44-year-old dies suddenly days after arriving in Thailand for winter holiday

[khunPer]

To put it very short - even that it sounds harsh, and might be unpopular by some - if you can't afford a travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.

 

If someone dies without insurance, get the body cremated if you cannot pay yourself to bring it home - ash is affordable to bring back - instead of opening yet another go-fund-me or like kind of contribution page; keep that option for cases where help is really needed.

[Raymonddiaz]

So many negative comments. Donate if you want. Don’t want to donate… it’s ok just go and read another thing. Where is our humanity ??? 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Temporary loan perhaps. But then again that might be to simple.

It can take years to settle some estates. Also most 44 year olds have not yet made such arrangements.

[poohy]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

44 and doesn't have £5k in assets? However can afford trip to Thailand. How do these stories even become news worthy. 

Next.

He could have BUT

Hes dead very unlikely family can can access his bank funds (UK bank, Credit cards, Thai Accounts if he has any) so they can't get money from him

Cant comment if insurance  has paid for medical cost i assume that's so but not all if any cover repatriation for a dead body) which 5000 is a inexpensive cheap cost (yes i have sent dead bodies abroad from here )

 

I am sure if my family like many is asset rich cash poor  wanted me back (they dont) they could not easily  afford to pay

[Lemonltr]

11 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I'm talking about his holiday money!!!!! That which he apparently didn't bring with him! I was responding to a post about how much money he brought with him.

Read what you said again please. Man is dead. Bank account frozen. You said that bill could be covered by a few ATM withdrawals. 

[Jingthing]

Nobody is forcing anyone to donate to this. But jumping to conclusions that the family is scamming or not deserving of help is pretty darn sheity.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Lemonltr said:

Read what you said again please. Man is dead. Bank account frozen. You said that bill could be covered by a few ATM withdrawals. 

Those would be illegal transactions if even the pin was known.

Death can be very inconvenient.

[Eff1n2ret]

25 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

 

If I should die, think only this of me:

"If I should die, think only Go Fund Me..."

[poohy]

19 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Travel insurance usually covers repatriation

Maybe not if you are dead

i can certainly see an insurance company trying to dance around this!

[richard_smith237]

Just now, Raymonddiaz said:

So many negative comments. Donate if you want. Don’t want to donate… it’s ok just go and read another thing. Where is our humanity ??? 

I get your point... But you may have missed the fact that this is a forum specifically designed for discussion.

 

It is a sad state of affairs that there are so many publicised situations whereby people find themselves in need of financial support because they missed out on ensuring they were insured. 

 

 

In this situation there are many suggestions for the deceased to be cremated in Thailand and his ashes be repatriated to his family.

 

As heartbreaking and as tough as this situation is, cremation is a very valid solution to an otherwise potentially expensive solution of repatriating a body. 

 

 

And for those considering travelling - get insurance, it's quite simple. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

also why do so many people skip on insurance and then go begging to the public.

Free spirited... says it all.

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

From the OP

 

Katie received a call from Daniel on Sunday to say he'd suffered a heart attack and was in hospital. Hours later, the police arrived to tell her he'd passed away.

Thanks @sandyf I definitely missed that when I read the OP and the link.

[The Hammer2021]

11 minutes ago, Lemonltr said:

Read what you said again please. Man is dead. Bank account frozen. You said that bill could be covered by a few ATM withdrawals. 

No. I never mentioned a bill. Read it again. And read it properly!

[Chris.B]

When the time comes to depart this life, how many expats want either A) Their bodies flown to their home country. B) Their body cremated down the local Wat?

 

 

[Scouse123]

Free spirited?

 

Is that a euphemism for feckless and irresponsible?

 

Anybody travelling should have full health and travel insurance, it is NOT expensive.

[poohy]

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

In this situation there are many suggestions for the deceased to be cremated in Thailand and his ashes be repatriated to his family.

 

As heartbreaking and as tough as this situation is, cremation is a very valid solution to an otherwise potentially expensive solution of repatriating a body. 

 

 

And for those considering travelling - get insurance, it's quite simple. 

The guys dead R.I.P

i dont think you deserve all this arguing

IMHO

I would be surprised if the insurance he has (he must have had it) wants to pay for repatriation of a dead body

The family cannot get at his cash obviously he dead banks dont like this

Hence the family options are very limited 

 

[scubascuba3]

7 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Free spirited?

 

Is that a euphemism for feckless and irresponsible?

 

Anybody travelling should have full health and travel insurance, it is NOT expensive.

travel insurance isn't expensive, good health insurance can be depending on age

[Scouse123]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

travel insurance isn't expensive, good health insurance can be depending on age

Yeah, I certainly get your point but in the UK at least there are companies that specialize in health insurance for older people and those with pre existing conditions. I have a lady friend who managed to get health insurance for travelling on a cruise liner a couple of years ago and she had a brain tumor, which she informed them about.

 

Also, in this case the guy we are talking about was 44 so not really an excuse in his case at least.

 

Without being heartless, there are too many with a ' devil may care attitude ' towards insurance and ' it won't happen to me ' until it does whilst the rest of us run around and cut our spending habits to ensure we are adequately insured and not placing a burden on others.

 

I was brought up that this type of thing such as ' Gofundme' and others was BEGGING. We didn't do it in my family along with ' If you can't buy something cash, then you can't afford it '

 

OK, Times have changed with things like house mortgages and car payments but there are far too many out there that think living on credit and the never, never is acceptable.

[Mickmouse1]

I am sure he has enough money for his Winter holiday in Thailand. Where is his dosh?

I thought every visitor ( to LOS) must have health insurance ????

[Chris.B]

43 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

travel insurance isn't expensive, good health insurance can be depending on age

Disagree, travel insurance can be expensive and also can be inaccessible due to age or medical history.

 

[The Fugitive]

57 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

When the time comes to depart this life, how many expats want either A) Their bodies flown to their home country. B) Their body cremated down the local Wat?

 

 

Definitely B for me. However, I understand that the best use for a human corpse is to manufacture fertilizer pellets. Could easily be done as it is with animals. Unfortunately, there are ethical reasons (at least there were in the UK) against. That would be my preferred method of disposal.  

[Ralf001]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

 

 

also why do so many people skip on insurance and then go begging to the public.

Reading between the lines here but I don't reckon the deceased in the one begging for money.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Travel insurance is cheap, a mere fraction of a percent of the overall cost of travel. Do your family a favour and buy it before boarding.

 

His family will almost certainly read this. Sorry for your loss, 44 is no age to die. . . Send him up the chimney in Thailand. He'll be home for Christmas.

[Chelseafan]

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Tragic.

 

My take on this is that governments should stop pussy footing around and make it mandatory for those travelling to their countries to have some kind of travel insurance.

 

There is nothing negative about it and it lessons the burden on their families and others financially when things go terribly wrong.

 

Besides, it's cheap and I have to say that I am seriously sick to the core of hearing people getting injured and or unfortunately dying without some kind of travel insurance cover at the least.

 

They make people get PCR tests + + + for Covid which adds up excluding hotel stays, why not travel insurance with repatriation included as part of the policy, simple really if you ask me.

 

RIP, taken too early, but goes to show, we never know when our numbers are up and we all should cover ourselves so that our loved ones don't have to suffer financially.

 

I might sound harsh for a Sunday morning, but it is what it is and now his family can't even afford to pay his bills and get him home without others contributing, that said if he had travel insurance for a little amount of money, financial burden sorted.

 

 

Here here. I've been banging on about this, it should be compulsory and part of your airline ticket cost.

 

[bert bloggs]

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

Could have been preexisting condition that make insurance not paying up! ?

Many years ago before living here when i came on holiday ,i had a pre existing condition but i always got insurance even though it was 160 pounds for 3 weeks 20 yrs ago. It covered my pre existing condition, otherwise it would have been really quite cheap.

[pokerface1]

3 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

How do I donate?

To be serious now  If he paid for his airfares by credit card he might have been covered for insurance  automatically through his bank.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

There is no mention of insurance in the above linked article. I've been trying to think of reasons the insurance wouldn't payout. Using a motorcycle for example, which are often on the list of specifically excluded activities. As that's clearly not the case here, 'free spirited' personality, 'life and soul of the party' suggests that perhaps the insurance company (assuming he had insurance) got hold of the toxicology report from the hospital.

 

Don't get me wrong, I had my wild days, and I came to Thailand while still young enough to enjoy that, I know what they involve. At 44 though, you're pushing your luck.

 

 

 

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

Many years ago before living here when i came on holiday ,i had a pre existing condition but i always got insurance even though it was 160 pounds for 3 weeks 20 yrs ago. It covered my pre existing condition, otherwise it would have been really quite cheap.

I'm totally for full insurance and in my opinion everyone should have! 

 

To little information in the article  to discuss what really happened. But I read someone was in trouble with one of the approved required Thai insurance company that covered Covid and sold as a travel insurance. Can't find the source now.

[Scott Tracy]

I thought this was the reason for the $50,000 insurance...?

[Scott Tracy]

1 hour ago, Raymonddiaz said:

So many negative comments. Donate if you want. Don’t want to donate… it’s ok just go and read another thing. Where is our humanity ??? 

Humanity goes so far. Stupidity goes the rest of the way. Why should anyone else pay for someone else's? So many sob stories when the world has people worse off than this guy. I agree, no travel insurance, no travel.