Death of a Foreigner in Thailand question

[MJCM]

A friend of ours (Foreigner) died recently in Pattaya in a local Hospital. After  his death we helped his girlfriend with the paperwork for example with the Embassy etc etc. 

 

Now I have learned a couple of things in this past week but I was surprised to hear that even after a Foreigner had died in a Hospital of natural causes he still gets send to the Police Hospital in BKK which added a lot of traveling (and thus costs) for his already upset gf.

 

My question, Is there a way to prevent having your body send to Police Hospital like for example putting something in a will or is that mandatory?

Edited March 28, 2023 by MJCM

[Sheryl]

Putting in will won't make any difference.

 

I do not think it is true that a person who died in a hospital of causes that a doctor  at that hospital can identify, has to be sent to the Police Hospital for autopsy. Are you sure that the hospital where he died knew the cause of death?

 

I have heard of efforts being made by police to insist on unnecessary autopsy as money is made off it. These can be successfully resisted in there is a doctor able to certify cause of death and  -- important -- next of kin agrees. A girlfriend would nto be considered next of kin.

[tgw]

what is surprising for me is that the cost of autopsy has to be paid by the patient/family ?

is that usually what happens in other countries too ?

I would have expected that the party ordering the autopsy also pays for the cost.

[MJCM]

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

Putting in will won't make any difference.

Thx for that.
 

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

do not think it is true that a person who died in a hospital of causes that a doctor  at that hospital can identify, has to be sent to the Police Hospital for autopsy. Are you sure that the hospital where he died knew the cause of death?

 

they put in a two causes what I have seen, respiratory failure (he couldn’t breathe on his own any more and lung cancer

 

 

1 minute ago, Sheryl said:

I have heard of efforts being made by police to insist on unnecessary autopsy as money is made off it. These can be successfully resisted in there is a doctor able to certify cause of death and  -- important -- next of kin agrees. A girlfriend would nto be considered next of kin.

That it was only (his) gf that came painfully clear when she had to contact family of him abroad to have them sign a document on what to do in case his situation got worse. He died before any document was received btw.

 

The reason why I asked this, was just that I want to prevent that my wife must do the running around that his gf had to do, we are based in the NE and going back and forth to BKK for this will be …… 

 

I am goinG, after I get home, make some changes to my will and for example to the way I keep money for my retirement extension (not in a fixed deposit account anymore). 
 

It was a pain to see his gf struggling ???? and we tried to help her as much as we could 

[MJCM]

6 minutes ago, tgw said:

what is surprising for me is that the cost of autopsy has to be paid by the patient/family ?

is that usually what happens in other countries too ?

I would have expected that the party ordering the autopsy also pays for the cost.

TiT is all I can say to that.

 

I personally thought that an autopsy was only done if you (foreigner) died at home and not if you died in a Hospital..

[poppysdad]

My British wife died here in hospital nearly 5 years ago. I am not aware of any police autopsy being done at all, but it could have happened without my knowledge. 

[MJCM]

27 minutes ago, poppysdad said:

My British wife died here in hospital nearly 5 years ago. I am not aware of any police autopsy being done at all, but it could have happened without my knowledge. 

Sorry to hear about your loss. 
 

He was send from the Hospital (Pattaya City Hospital) where he died to the Local Government Hospital (Banglamung) and from there onwards to the Police Hospital in BKK. 

[NE1]

My friend died at home up in Ubon , he died on the Thursday night at home and was cremated at the temple on the Monday.

[MJCM]

14 minutes ago, NE1 said:

My friend died at home up in Ubon , he died on the Thursday night at home and was cremated at the temple on the Monday.

TiT at its best again same like different IO procedures. 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by MJCM

[Adumbration]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Putting in will won't make any difference.

 

I do not think it is true that a person who died in a hospital of causes that a doctor  at that hospital can identify, has to be sent to the Police Hospital for autopsy. Are you sure that the hospital where he died knew the cause of death?

 

I have heard of efforts being made by police to insist on unnecessary autopsy as money is made off it. These can be successfully resisted in there is a doctor able to certify cause of death and  -- important -- next of kin agrees. A girlfriend would nto be considered next of kin.

Amazing Thailand.  Unnecessary autopsy are insisted on if there is money to be made...but never if the cause of death might be malfeasance on the part of a Thai.

[Adumbration]

1 hour ago, poppysdad said:

My British wife died here in hospital nearly 5 years ago. I am not aware of any police autopsy being done at all, but it could have happened without my knowledge. 

Sorry for your loss.

[sammieuk1]

Any final farang rinsing of your corpse is unsurprising its their last chance  is my guess ????

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

Sorry to hear about your loss. 
 

He was send from the Hospital (Pattaya City Hospital) where he died to the Local Government Hospital (Banglamung) and from there onwards to the Police Hospital in BKK. 

Might have gone differently had there been next of kin on hand to insist otherwise.

 

I personally know a case of a farang who died at home (long standing cancer) in Bangkok a year ago. Poluce wanted to take him for autopsy but wife (also farsng) successfully held her ground ..not least by firmly saying she would not pay for it.

 

 

[scubascuba3]

Looks like the latest last ditch scam