A fundraiser, in aid of Richard Valentine, as he battles his way through hospitals bills and bad luck, is being held on May 27. Details below. Richard’s story, by his own admission, is a cautionary tale about being adequately insured whilst living in Thailand.

 

EARLIER STORY

 

Local expat Richard Valentine was in a traffic incident on his motorbike recently and is currently getting treatment in a Phuket government hospital. The bills are mounting up.

 

“Help needed.

 

As many of you know I was the victim of a hit and run accident on 31st March which left me with a leg broken in 4 places with no-one, that was responsible, to get their to insurance pay. I am still confined to a bed in a Thai Government Hospital who offer a great service but are not free like the case in my home country of UK.

 

Full Story: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/phuket-news/fundraiser-planned-for-richard-valentine/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-05-03

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

Beggar moving online..........

The word is out in Thailand, government hospital or not you will be double , triple, quadruple charged if a farang.  The days of Thailand being a retirement destination and good value for money are over IMHO.  

The pic of him smoking a big cigar and a glass of Vino , and now broke? That pic alone would make me not give a penny. 

If not insured when traveling you need a minimum of about 100K of funds readily available.  Also IMO you need a place in your home country to retreat to when things go wrong. 

Personally I have no patience for folks that do not plan for retirement and live like there is no tomorrow.

Is that the businessman working in Phuket without insurance? I thought a working permit requires an insurance????.

 

Anyway, good luck.

1 hour ago, garyk said:

The pic of him smoking a big cigar and a glass of Vino

1 hour ago, garyk said:

and live like there is no tomorrow

Your definition of living like there is no tomorrow is rather different from mine.

1 hour ago, garyk said:

you will be double , triple, quadruple charged if a farang.

not just farang, other non-Thais are subject to tiered pricing at certain hospitals.

I feel for him but don't know him. Why doesnt his family help him? 

Why doesnt he fly to UK then? 

57 minutes ago, Tom H said:

Is that the businessman working in Phuket without insurance? I thought a working permit requires an insurance????.

 

Anyway, good luck.

Having a work permit is not related to having insurance.

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Why doesnt he fly to UK then? 

he can't walk because his leg is all broken and he needs more operation and the bills are piling up and the hospital will be watching him like a hawk because he has to pay his bill but he can't walk to the airport     anyway. 

6 minutes ago, steven100 said:

he can't walk because his leg is all broken and he needs more operation and the bills are piling up and the hospital will be watching him like a hawk because he has to pay his bill but he can't walk to the airport     anyway. 

Phone a relative.

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

he can't walk because his leg is all broken and he needs more operation and the bills are piling up and the hospital will be watching him like a hawk because he has to pay his bill but he can't walk to the airport     anyway. 

The ability to walk is a requirement by the airlines ?

16 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

The ability to walk is a requirement by the airlines ?

I dunno if they'd let him on the plane without a medical team and that costs a few bob more than old mate seems to have.

3 hours ago, Tom H said:

Is that the businessman working in Phuket without insurance? I thought a working permit requires an insurance????.

 

Anyway, good luck.

If I remember correctly, owners/directors of companies are not eligible to participate in the otherwise mandatory government social security scheme that would provide medical insurance coverage to employees. Thai labor regulations do not require that work permit holders have private medical insurance. At least that's how it was some years ago.

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

Having a work permit is not related to having insurance.

 

common sense is related to having adequate insurance, especially medical insurance. he chose to self insure, a risky strategy in thailand, he lost, why should other people bail him out? where are his family? where are his friends? does he have assets; car, home, he should sell them.

Where’s his 800 k retirement requirement?

2 hours ago, it is what it is said:

 

common sense is related to having adequate insurance, especially medical insurance. he chose to self insure, a risky strategy in thailand, he lost, why should other people bail him out? where are his family? where are his friends? does he have assets; car, home, he should sell them.

If he was self insuring why did insurance cover the 4 operation to date and now is raising fund for the next one's ?

 

5 hours ago, it is what it is said:

 

common sense is related to having adequate insurance, especially medical insurance. he chose to self insure, a risky strategy in thailand, he lost, why should other people bail him out? where are his family? where are his friends? does he have assets; car, home, he should sell them.

Why quote me, your answer is not related to my comment.

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

If he was self insuring why did insurance cover the 4 operation to date and now is raising fund for the next one's ?

 

Maybe capped at 50k us or 100k or so.

1 minute ago, bignok said:

Maybe capped at 50k us or 100k or so.

Capped or not... the poster I quoted was dribbling about self insure when clearly he was not.

11 hours ago, garyk said:

The word is out in Thailand, government hospital or not you will be double , triple, quadruple charged if a farang.  The days of Thailand being a retirement destination and good value for money are over IMHO.  

The pic of him smoking a big cigar and a glass of Vino , and now broke? That pic alone would make me not give a penny. 

If not insured when traveling you need a minimum of about 100K of funds readily available.  Also IMO you need a place in your home country to retreat to when things go wrong. 

Personally I have no patience for folks that do not plan for retirement and live like there is no tomorrow.

Thailand is cheap compared to the west and will continue to be for many years IMHO .

I agree with the comment on the photo . Bad choice .

Need 100 k of what ? If you mean US dollars very few foreigners living in Thailand would have that much money available . A place to retreat  would be ideal ,but i do not believe there would be many that have that luxury .

I am not sure of the percentage of foreigners with health insurance . I would say about the same number of foreigners living in Thailand with 100 k in the bank and a place to retreat .

I have patience for all people that do not interfere with my life . If a person chooses to live here with no insurance , no money in the bank , no escape plan then that is up to them 

35 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Capped or not... the poster I quoted was dribbling about self insure when clearly he was not.

Clearly he was self insuring for any amount over the limits of his insurance coverage... you think that having inadequate coverage is an excuse that warrants begging for money to cover required medical procedures???

10 hours ago, stevenl said:

Having a work permit is not related to having insurance.

Mandatory state insurance?

7 hours ago, Northstar1 said:

Where’s his 800 k retirement requirement?

Him not retired, him working ????

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Maybe capped at 50k us or 100k or so.

Seems unlikely, more like the porobor ran out.

14 minutes ago, Tom H said:

Mandatory state insurance?

Is that a suggestion?

Look all this BS about having or not having insurance is irrelevant. He is in the situation that he is in, which ain't good. This is a request for help by a fundraiser and donations. Give or don't give, but it's nonsense to sit here and bash the poor guy. Wow... real classy.

If he has any land, property or other assets, he can give me a call
have cash ready, always looking for a bargain.

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

Seems unlikely, more like the porobor ran out.

PorRorBor covers up to like Bt.80,000.

 

Those 4 operations already covered must have been dirt cheap !!