"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

[thaibeachlovers]

38 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

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.

 

 

The saying "beggars can't be choosers" comes to mind.

[Liverpool Lou]

I would sympathise with this family's begging if he was seriously ill and needed to be repatriated for treatment but, without wishing to seem harsh, he's died, and the begging now is for nothing more than to make his sister's and the rest of his family's life easier financially.  No contributions will be of any benefit whatsoever to Mr Skipper.   

 

If people are going to contribute that is great and that is their prerogative but why just limit the contribution to the unknown family of this unknown single man?   Why not contribute to every stranger's funeral arrangement that they can find (and the internet makes that easy)?

 

Fire away!

 

 

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, pokerface1 said:

How do I donate?

Reading the article would be somewhere to start.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

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.

Presumably he hasn't been dead before, and so it can't be considered a preexisting condition.

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

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

He would be very clever if he was!

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

I doubt that he would bring 5k over in cash. He would probably rely on an ATM. You are not going to get that out of his bank without all the necessary paperwork

And after his death, no unauthorised person is going to get the cash out of his wallet without stealing it, regardless of what it's to be used for.

[EricTh]

6 hours ago, bdenner said:

Where is his compulsory insurance to cover at least the hospital bills?

 

Now I understand why the Thai government insist on tourists getting health insurance before approving the Thailand Pass.

 

Shouldn't his relatives be able to claim from the health insurance company? 

 

How does the Thai government verify whether a health insurance cert is genuine or fake in the first place?

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by EricTh

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, AgentSmith said:

There we go again. Yet another tourist who thought proper insurance was too expensive and now burdens others with the consequences of his mistake.

Or, a family who see a great opportunity to get the funeral paid for by others.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

4 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

I doubt that he would bring 5k over in cash. He would probably rely on an ATM. You are not going to get that out of his bank without all the necessary paperwork

No paperwork required. Most could be covered by a few ATM withdrawals

That'd be illegal.

[gearbox]

That family should fly to Thailand to get a few lessons in dignity, responsibility and family values. When a Thai person dies, in many cases the family borrows a lot of money for the funeral, which they pay back for a long period of time.

Haven't heard of an article here of type "help us to bury our brother, we have a few clunkers here which are too dear to us and we don't want to sell them"

Edited December 12, 2021 by gearbox

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Panadadad said:

My compulsory (as was required to gain entry into Thailand )insurance covers repatriation of remains as well as 3.5 million in hospitals bills 

It's unusual for travel insurance not to include repatriation unless there are pre-existing conditions relating to the death or excluded activities had taken place.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, chilly07 said:

Travel insurance covers pre-existing conditions and repatriation which is why it is infinitely better than health insurance 

Travel insurance usually specifically excludes pre-existing conditions.

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

Then what is the point of mandating insurance?

You asking the wrong guy, but I do check my policy careful, asking way to many questions, and make sure Im covered for every situation I could end up in. 

 

Hearth attack before 50 is very rare, and I will do not speculate about the case, since the article do not give enough information to make any statement at all. 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, poohy said:

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

Repatriation is usually included in all travel insurance policies.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, poohy said:

3 hours 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!

In insurance, "repatriation" refers also to the repatriation of a body.

[gearbox]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Repatriation is usually included in all travel insurance policies.

True, it is included in most medical insurances as it doesn't cost that much. If a person is dead,  he or she is a cargo in terms of transportation, if alive and need medical evacuation the cost would be many times higher.

 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, poohy said:

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

"Repatriation" covers the insured, or their body, regardless of how surprised you may be.

Edited December 12, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

His family will almost certainly read this.

What makes you think that they'll be following Asean Now?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, Led Lolly Yellow Lolly said:

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

"Sorry for your loss, 44 is no age to die. . . Send him up the chimney in Thailand".

How nice of you with those bizarrely contradictory sentiments.

Edited December 12, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

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.

travel insurance includes medical cover often up to £millions, it's not health insurance. He clearly should have bought that. The person you mentioned probably had that condition excluded

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, Chris.B said:

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

 

if you have pre-existing conditions yes the cost goes up if included but they can be excluded. If inaccessible what's your solution to this death and repatriation issue?

[Will B Good]

I will never understand this obsession of 'getting the body back'......weird.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

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

Then what is the point of mandating insurance?

To cover medical costs, obviously.  Not everyone has pre-existing conditions neither are those with pre-existing conditions always treated solely for those conditions.   Conditions unrelated to pre-existing conditions are covered.

Edited December 12, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

6 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.

How exactly?   Are you saying that the cover has to be with specific insurance company or is cover with the insurer of choice acceptable?  

[Orinoco]

53 minutes ago, gearbox said:

That family should fly to Thailand to get a few lessons in dignity, responsibility and family values. When a Thai person dies, in many cases the family borrows a lot of money for the funeral, which they pay back for a long period of time.

Haven't heard of an article here of type "help us to bury our brother, we have a few clunkers here which are too dear to us and we don't want to sell them"

All true,

But some have a very small insurance policy for elders paid for by the kids. for when they die, paying about 30-50K, also, at the wake , there is a small ledger that logs the donations form friends and family at the wake.

The less money people have the quicker the funeral.

Just got back from temple 30 minutes ago, old lady died of cancer on Friday afternoon.

but sure it is a financial hardship for some.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by Orinoco

[John Drake]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How exactly?   Are you saying that the cover has to be with specific insurance company or is cover with the insurer of choice acceptable?  

How is it a scam? Because the insurance required by Thailand Pass to deal with exactly this situation has apparently not paid off. Somebody is still left holding the bag.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

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

Did you see the link?  What do you think the chances are of his being Muslim?!

[GinBoy2]

I've never quite got the desire to repatriate bodies, which btw isn't just related to overseas.

 

I work for Delta Airlines, and at the end of the local Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, we 'repatriate' on average about 5 bodies, or as we call them over the radio 'Special Guests'. 

 

It's simply insane. Cremate and ship an urn via UPS if you must.

 

On the issue of the gofundme stuff.

This really irritates Why folks should think others should pay for 'their' desire to return a body. boggles my mind

 

There are things called credit cards and bank loans if it means that much to you.

Edited December 12, 2021 by GinBoy2

[gearbox]

18 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

if you have pre-existing conditions yes the cost goes up if included but they can be excluded. If inaccessible what's your solution to this death and repatriation issue?

Repatriation of diseased is not a  big cost...I would be much more worried if I'm alive but need repatriation, this could be hundreds of thousands.

Most insurers won't make much of an issue with the repatriation of the diseased, the amount sought after is only 5k,  any major accident requiring medicals would cost heaps more. Again once the person is dead he or she becomes cargo, no need of private jets and accompanying doctors.

[Liverpool Lou]

8 minutes ago, John Drake said:

13 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How exactly?   Are you saying that the cover has to be with specific insurance company or is cover with the insurer of choice acceptable?  

How is it a scam? Because the insurance required by Thailand Pass to deal with exactly this situation has apparently not paid off. Somebody is still left holding the bag.

If it's a scam there must be someone who is benefitting by misleading policy holders. 

 

The only entity demanding insurance is the Thai government who are not providing the insurance cover nor taking the insurance premiums, so who is benefitting from "the scam"?  

Edited December 12, 2021 by Liverpool Lou