Family Rush to Rescue British Man With Mystery Illness in Thailand

[NorthernRyland]

Does ASEANNOW get kick backs for posting these GoFundMe stories? I don't understand they get published here.

 

This man had a Thailand related YouTube channel he was running before he got brain cancer and will die soon. Many people struggling in need of extra money so what is different about this guy?

 

 

[bkk6060]

I feel bad for Wally and his family.

[Frankie baby]

Thailand's gone from one of the cheapest medical places to one of the most expensive in the world in a very short time. This as got to reflect on holiday preferences sooner or later. Just when will the insurance companies start to charge more when traveling to Thai destinations. How many expats & retirees will choose to stay if the insurance companies knock Thailand on the head. 

TV travel programs should give this a mention instead of showing the usual day trips & cultural crap etc.

[richard_smith237]

46 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I absolutely agree.

The family should ask for a bank loan or borrow somewhere but not bothering other people with the stupidity of this guy.

 

IF people want to contribute - its purely up to them, there is no obligation. Its the same as paying for Charities etc... its a personal choice.

 

1 hour ago, proton said:

Christ, three thousand pounds a day for a bed in a hospital where they don't know what your illness is seems a bit steep.

I feel for the guy, but also question the costs....  where did you get £3000 per day (130,000 baht per day) from ?? - that seems outrageously excessive - even for ICU ventilator etc.

 

 

 

 

[PomPolo]

Gofundme should set up a sideline business of travel insurance and then would be able to pre-empt the:

"Go to Thailand don't worry you don't need travel insurance everyone else will pay for you should you fall ill or misadventure"

I have explicitly told my family if I am ever unable to get hold of my money because I am incapacitated I do not want a gofundme set up for me, if I die I want cremated in my favourite park in Thailand, I am reasonably confident I can self-insure myself (touch wood) without having to get the rest of the world to donate otherwise I would not be in this country.

[Upnotover]

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I feel for the guy, but also question the costs....  where did you get £3000 per day (130,000 baht per day) from ?? - that seems outrageously excessive - even for ICU ventilator etc.

from the OP.....

 

"the family now faces escalating hospital costs of around £3,000 (approximately 127,500 THB) per day"

[MrPhysio]

35 minutes ago, Jack Hammer said:

The majority of insurance companies will not insure you for travel insurance once you exceeded the age of 69

The few companies that will ensure you the premiums are exorbitant and a lot of strings attached.  Also, they will not cover you for pre-existing illnesses.

I know this from firsthand experience in trying to get travel insurance, I just have to risk it with no insurance

Took a bit of scrolling before the above answer showed up.

Insurance companies find every possible exit route possible if a claim is made, including pre-existing conditions.

And as above - age above 70 years adds a nightmare.

As a health professional I kept up all the health checks and monitoring - asking questions of medico’s as preventative maintenance.

Doing so creates a medical history that is searchable by insurers who are able to wriggle out of paying even by a simple mention. Plus- they ‘value add’ conditions and although one condition may be covered they deny stating that having that condition means you are prone other conditions by extension and they deny coverage.

Posters do not know if this gentleman knew ahead of time that he could be caught out - there are obviously elements we do not know about.

 

But if on ventilation, there is a risk of multi- system failures, especially if high pressure ventilation is used. Kidney failure is one such example.

Then, transporting someone to the UK because hugely expensive if he cannot be unplugged from the machinery.

[Andycoops]

With his travel insurance having lapsed before his hospitalisation,

 

A sad tale indeed, I wish them all the best.

[NorthernRyland]

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

IF people want to contribute - its purely up to them, there is no obligation. Its the same as paying for Charities etc... its a personal choice.

 

Someone in his family should sell their car or something before it's an international charity case. Just because we're expats in Thailand why should this affect us more than charity of people back home or our own family? Not to mention charity for millions of Thais in need in the country we're living. It doesn't sit right with me either.

[Snackbar]

Weed

[norfolkandchance]

Another paid holiday for family and friends paid for by Gofundme.

[Ohyesuare]

2 hours ago, Scottie12 said:

His own fault for trying to to scrimp on his insurance policy,I would not contribute a penny to any GoFundMe appeal when it's the persons own fault.

 

I agree but doubtful any would accept him or actually pay out at his age and with what they'll say is a pre-existing condition anyway.  

[PomPolo]

8 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

 

I agree but doubtful any would accept him or actually pay out at his age and with what they'll say is a pre-existing condition anyway.  

If you read his gofundme it says along with the wrong city he fell ill in that he is "Normally fit and healthy with no pre-existing conditions", story is full of holes.

So getting travel insurance cheaply from his bank covering his entire trip whatever country he went to should not have been a problem might have been a little more expensive for his age but probably money well spent given the current circumstances.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda up to the family to pick up the pieces now, not a very intelligent traveler to put the burden on them.

[geisha]

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

I absolutely agree.

The family should ask for a bank loan or borrow somewhere but not bothering other people with the stupidity of this guy.

I absolutely think it’s none of your business ! You don’t like, scroll on .

[PomPolo]

Can anyone else not see the flaws in this gofundme?

The photo of him and his daughter/wife/fundraiser is either in India or Thailand, meaning the person that has set up the begging account was either on holiday with him, visiting him as he lives here or also lives in Asia and has tried her luck at a gofundme.

The begging page says he fell ill in Bangkok but other available information seems to say he checked himself into a hospital in Hua Hin, there is a lot more to this story than the gofundme or this article suggests.

The amount of money they are trying to raise is crazy also 45 thousand pounds.

I think there may be an element of truth that he has fallen ill in Thailand but I suspect he was living here.

There is no mention of his name either on the begging site.

And the only information about his misadventure is reported by AN.

[geisha]

I don’t think “ enigmatic”  spoken by a hospital is very enlightening! Phneumonia and severe flu is quite rampant in Thailand at the moment, has been making headlines. Add to that high pollution and yes, they have that in Hua Hin too. Definitely needs a more competent Docteur to have a look. I wonder if the hospital gave a correct diagnosis to the Embassy, otherwise, how did they come up with  kidney problems ?  Any spare Drs running round Hua Hin ???

[Baba Naba]

2 hours ago, proton said:

Christ, three thousand pounds a day for a bed in a hospital where they don't know what your illness is seems a bit steep.

That's CHEAP at Bumrundgrad! 

[geisha]

1 minute ago, PomPolo said:

Can anyone else not see the flaws in this gofundme?

The photo of him and his daughter/wife/fundraiser is either in India or Thailand, meaning the person that has set up the begging account was either on holiday with him, visiting him as he lives here or also lives in Asia and has tried her luck at a gofundme.

The begging page says he fell ill in Bangkok but other available information seems to say he checked himself into a hospital in Hua Hin, there is a lot more to this story than the gofundme or this article suggests.

The amount of money they are trying to raise is crazy also 45 thousand pounds.

I think there may be an element of truth that he has fallen ill in Thailand but I suspect he was living here.

There is no mention of his name either on the begging site.

And the only information about his misadventure is reported by AN.

That’s an old photo from a previous holiday with his deceased wife.

[PomPolo]

3 minutes ago, geisha said:

That’s an old photo from a previous holiday with his deceased wife.

Alright I get that also and thought about that, so as a retired lorry driver seems to manage these in my experience relatively expensive holiday destinations but can't afford his hospital bills?

[newbee2022]

14 minutes ago, geisha said:

I absolutely think it’s none of your business ! You don’t like, scroll on .

What is my business I decide by myself. And I don't need your rudeness 😕

[PomPolo]

3 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

What is my business I decide by myself. And I don't need your rudeness 😕

Yeah spot on with your response to this @newbee2022 this is a freedom of speech website, Labour and Angela Rayner haven't got their hands on it yet, as long as nobody breaks the rules @geisha so you have no right to be rude with anyone unless you are part of the gofundme and we are not aware?

[oustaristocrats]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy: Daily Mail UK

 

In a race against time, the family of British man Raymond Wallace is working tirelessly to bring him back from Thailand, where he has been hospitalised with an enigmatic illness. The situation began with a surprising early-morning call from a Thai hospital, leaving his family alarmed and fearing they had been duped by scammers until the harrowing reality sank in.

 

Wallace, a 72-year-old retired lorry driver from Sidmouth, Devon, embarked on a brief journey to Thailand. The visit took a drastic turn on Valentine’s Day when he experienced severe breathing difficulties and checked himself into a hospital in Hua Hin. His condition rapidly deteriorated, resulting in sedation and a ventilator, as doctors urgently sought to identify his ailment.

 

Initially diagnosed with pneumonia, his condition was later revised to acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, conflicting information from the British Embassy suggested potential kidney issues, leaving the family struggling for clarity on Wallace’s true condition.

 

With his travel insurance having lapsed before his hospitalisation, the family now faces escalating hospital costs of around £3,000 (approximately 127,500 THB) per day. This financial burden prompted them to launch a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to offset the mounting expenses.

 

Doctors have warned the family that if Wallace's condition doesn't improve soon, he might need to be transferred to a more specialised hospital in Bangkok.

 

Picture of Bangkok Hua Hin hospital courtesy: Daily Mail UK

His daughter Karrie, along with her brother, are now preparing to fly out to Thailand, eager to understand his situation more fully. Karrie's background in healthcare has only added to her anxiety, as she handles the frustration of not having clearer answers about her father's health.

 

Wallace's journey, originally meant to be a period of reflection and healing after losing his partner Jane to a brain tumour, commenced in Goa—a place of fond memories for him and Jane. However, an unexpected opportunity led him to Thailand, a change unbeknownst to his family until he casually mentioned it in a message.

 

Now, as Wallace remains in critical but stable condition, his family's relentless efforts reflect their dedication and love as they navigate this challenging chapter. They've been working together remotely, communicating constantly via WhatsApp to coordinate their efforts.

 

“We're trying everything we can,” Karrie shared, highlighting the family's proactive approach in coordinating resources and tackling challenges head-on.

 

Although initially hesitant, the family decided to make their plea public with the GoFundMe campaign due to the escalating costs. At this juncture, the journey to bring Wallace back remains uncertain, yet their resolve remains undeterred. Driven by familial bonds and a fervent hope for Wallace's recovery, they continue to explore every avenue to return him safely to England, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-02-19

 

 

 

"around £3,000 (approximately 127,500 THB) per day" 

 

£3,000 per day, for something like pneumonia or similar, in Thailand !  Can somebody explain me ?

This sounds like a hospital for celebrities, world leaders. I knew that Bangrumrad in BKK s a famous international hospital with helicopter emergency services, maybe they come at these rates, but just an ordinary hospital in Hua-Hin ?

 

[sabai-dee-man]

Yeah... you lost me at "no insurance/go fund me". No need to read any further.

[PomPolo]

Some of my previous posts might sound uncaring, but I have donated to friends medical care before but not through a website like gofundme that take a reasonable chunk of commission from every donation made, it is not a caring website it is designed to make money, I have given money directly to the family of someone I care about that ensures they get 100% of the money I choose to donate to help.

Also I don't want to break the AN rules but I don't think direct gofundme links should be posted in stories, even though there is no specific referrer HTTP parameter that is of benefit to AN, the way websites work is they can always tell where a link coming to their site was referred from.

If you had have googled his name you would not have found the gofundme page as they forgot to put the loving fathers name on there (oversight or legal protection on behalf of the beggar?)

AN could refer to the final part of the slug link and anyone wanting to donate could do so with a simple google search.

May get this post removed but it is legally and technically correct.

[chuang]

3 hours ago, pomchop said:

I knew it would be yet another go fund me as soon as i saw the headline.

Why not go fund me in his country...

[digger70]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

With his travel insurance having lapsed before his hospitalisation, the family now faces escalating hospital costs of around £3,000 (approximately 127,500 THB) per day.

Should've Known When it  Was going to be Expired and Renewed Before then.

[ukrules]

3 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Should've Known When it  Was going to be Expired and Renewed Before then.

The problem with yearly insurance is they often limit the length of a trip to some duration.

 

That might be as low as 60 days per trip, or even less depending on the policy.

If he extended his trip it would be easy to break that limit and not realise it unless he read the policy - most people don't appear to read the policy at all.

They just read '1 year insurance' and off they go....

[digger70]

2 minutes ago, ukrules said:

The problem with yearly insurance is they often limit the length of a trip to some duration.

 

That might be as low as 60 days per trip, or even less depending on the policy.

If he extended his trip it would be easy to break that limit and not realise it unless he read the policy - most people don't appear to read the policy at all.

They just read '1 year insurance' and off they go....

That ain't gonna do it  Must Read THE LOT Before going on Holiday ,,,, Just in case.

[steven100]

Man sick in Thai hospital.

Doctors in Thailand are guessing  what's wrong with him. 

Room cost escalates to a whopping 3,000 pounds per day.   ( pad the bill )  

 

answer =   Go fund Me   

[steven100]

52 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

What is my business I decide by myself. And I don't need your rudeness 😕

 

I love it when you guys fight ....   it lifts the topic up another notch.