"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

[The Fugitive]

15 minutes ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

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.

 

 

 

Good thinking thanks. We need more information. If he was appropriately insured and the company have 'done the dirty' then the details may help fight his (relatives) case and ultimately assist others in the future? 

[Scott Tracy]

40 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

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

As much as an air fare, hotel bill, spending money? No insurance, no travel. 

[fulhamster]

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

Very sad and i don't want to sound harsh but if he was here for a winter holiday didn't he have 5k with him?

Not after he was found,,,,,, report probably says his wallet was empty

[richard_smith237]

8 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

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

The US$50,000 insurance requirement is a ‘Health insurance’ and is an requirement for the purposes of covering hospital treatment (for accidents and illnesses including Covid-19). 

 

Unless and add on is purchased and / or the policy specifically states such, medical evacuation and repatriation of mortal remains is not usually covered.

 

It is travel insurance which would ‘usually' cover repatriation of mortal remains and medial illness.

 

 

 

 

[John Drake]

4 hours ago, Hummin said:

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

Then what is the point of mandating insurance?

[4MyEgo]

38 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

 

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

 

Perhaps the airlines and travel insurers can put something together ?

[John Drake]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

What about the $50K insurance he had to buy in order to enter Thailand?

This shows you that it's a scam.

[robblok]

44 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

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

True, but its the same isnt it.. besides im sure there will be assets later on once the process is settled. They could pay the cost from that (if there are no assets then i understand)

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

17 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

If he was appropriately insured and the company have 'done the dirty'

I wouldn't say the insurers 'did the dirty' in the hypothetical scenario I describe. If a traveller gets insurance and then the insured goes juggling loaded and cocked revolvers, I see it as entirely reasonable the insurer considers their shareholders instead.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Led Lolly Yellow Lolly

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, John Drake said:

This shows you that it's a scam.

The 50k health insurance, does it cover repatriation ?

[chuang]

It's sad to say the least that family and friends could not even collect £5000 and have to resort to public donations..

[Ralf001]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

True, but its the same isnt it.. besides im sure there will be assets later on once the process is settled. They could pay the cost from that (if there are no assets then i understand)

Can the family legally take ownership and liquidate assets immediately after death ?

 

am sure there is a mountain of paperwork to sort before that can happen.

[4MyEgo]

6 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Then what is the point of mandating insurance?

Travel and health insurances do cover pre-existing conditions, although this does vary from company to company, that said, most will cover your pre-existing conditions if there has been no reoccurrence in the past years, just a matter of shopping around.

[garyk]

I like travel also, but if I die when traveling, just burn me and toss the ashes anywhere you want. 

Most of these countries will burn you pretty cheap. 

[Pattaya Spotter]

So "free spirited" he didn't think to buy travel insurance (which includes repatriation of mortal remains).

Edited December 12, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

his heartbroken family.................................. fly his body home

With respect, I have been reading several posts on AN about cremating his body in Thailand to save money and create less hassle by sending ashes back home.

Please remember, the family's religious beliefs may not allow cremation, just burial, Islam being one of several examples.

 

Just prior to my departing Thailand to live in Cambodia, a good UK ex-pat friend (RC) of mine developed cancer and life sadly began to drain from him. Having completed all the paperwork to ensure continued support for his Thai wife and child, he flew back to the UK to die so that he could be buried back in his home town.  Because of his religious belief, his fear was being cremated in Thailand and he did not want this. We often discussed this over a cup of tea. Personally, I have no objection of being cremated where ever I might be living.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Burma Bill
additional information

[phutoie2]

I hope the family can get it sorted quickly. The British Embassy can assist in these situations. The daily morgue fee and cost of post mortem, any Medical staff/ambulance costs will all have to be paid. 

I have experience of this from over a decade ago now, still rankles....... 

 

 

 

 

[Chris.B]

25 minutes ago, chuang said:

It's sad to say the least that family and friends could not even collect £5000 and have to resort to public donations..

'Could not' or 'would not'?

 

The OP says he came with friends? Presumably they have all chipped in themselves.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

31 minutes ago, chuang said:

It's sad to say the least that family and friends could not even collect £5000 and have to resort to public donations..

Why pay for it yourself when you can get a bunch of suckers on the internet to indemnify you.

[Chris.B]

51 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

As much as an air fare, hotel bill, spending money? No insurance, no travel. 

You may be unable to manage your financial affairs without government intervention but some of us grown-up adults are fully capable of managing our own finances. ????

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Chris.B

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

If he was free spirited why does his corpse have to be sent anywhere. Cremate him here and send his ashes home by DHL? he won't mind.

Absolutely (and utterly) brilliant remark!

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Donated.

So?  Why are you broadcasting that?

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

What did he die from is a bigger question. 

An even bigger question is "why didn't you read the link"?

[sandyf]

49 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The US$50,000 insurance requirement is a ‘Health insurance’ and is an requirement for the purposes of covering hospital treatment (for accidents and illnesses including Covid-19). 

Garbage, you can use a travel insurance policy, I did.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

What about the $50K insurance he had to buy in order to enter Thailand?

Only for medical care, which he now does not qualify for 

Is hospital treatment for a heart attack not medical care?

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Hummin said:

The family of him can be poor, and Im all up for people to ask for money, and those who have, those whant, can give if they want. Simple as that 

From the link it's evident that the family are not poor.  Simple as that.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

Sudden heart attack?

 

People who are aware know exactly why this happened.

How about you making us aware of what you know about this man?

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

If he died 2 days into his holiday he must have had a bunch of unspent holiday money...surely enough to cover local cremation,

3rd parties cannot plunder a dead person's assets for anything...at least not legally.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 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.

 

Agree. Don't buy insurance, take the consequences.

 

Been too many threads like this with people wanting other people to pay for what they/ he/ she should have paid for before leaving home.

 

He's dead. I see zero need to transport his body home. For less than what they want some of the family could travel to Thailand for a funeral in LOS.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

You may be unable to manage your financial affairs without government intervention but some of us grown-up adults are fully capable of managing our own finances. ????

 

and obviously some are not.