Friend in need of assistance

[sandyf]

We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't.

A good friend of mine has ended up in intensive care up in P'lok and in need of some help.

He came here came a few years back thinking he could cope with what came up. His wife persuaded him to put quite a bit of money into growing rice and that is just starting to show returns.

Unfortunately he has contracted a blood infection and now in need of open heart surgery. His family has started a go fund me and I just want to put it out there.

I am fully aware of what many will think but nothing ventured nothing gained.

s

As they say, up to you.

https://gofund.me/0b2d27a8

[FritsSikkink]

Sell the land

[MalcolmB]

A friend in need.

 

Is a pest indeed.

[proton]

24 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Sell the land

 

They would rather die than sell land for medical bills. If no insurance for what ever reason you really do need a few million baht put aside for medicals. if you cant afford government hospital prices like his you should not be here. Oh the form on the go save me site says Bangkok Hospital, 1 million seems cheap for heart surgery. Why in one of the top expensive Hospitals if you are potless?

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

A friend in need.

 

Is a pest indeed.

There are always the clever dicks.

I have known the guy over 20 years and salt of the earth, it is the family in the UK that has started the fund, doubt he had anything to do with it. I was asked to help and did what I could.

He met and married his Thai wife in the UK nearly 20 years ago, brought up her children and when they were old enough to leave the nest he decided to retire here. Still in his 50s and unable to get insurance he took what steps he could. There is a difference between assets and liqudity and time can be a handicap to the latter.

People are entitled to their opinions but should refrain from speculative assumptions.

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, proton said:

 

They would rather die than sell land for medical bills. If no insurance for what ever reason you really do need a few million baht put aside for medicals. if you cant afford government hospital prices like his you should not be here. Oh the form on the go save me site says Bangkok Hospital, 1 million seems cheap for heart surgery. Why in one of the top expensive Hospitals if you are potless?

He has now been moved to a government hospital. When he first arrived I warned him against the private hospitals but having a few bob in the bank shrugged it off.

I think there was a mistaken assumption that he could be flown back to the UK, but that is a non starter in the immediate future.

[newbee2022]

On 7/13/2025 at 1:34 AM, sandyf said:

We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't.

A good friend of mine has ended up in intensive care up in P'lok and in need of some help.

He came here came a few years back thinking he could cope with what came up. His wife persuaded him to put quite a bit of money into growing rice and that is just starting to show returns.

Unfortunately he has contracted a blood infection and now in need of open heart surgery. His family has started a go fund me and I just want to put it out there.

I am fully aware of what many will think but nothing ventured nothing gained.

s

As they say, up to you.

https://gofund.me/0b2d27a8

This is quite a good warning for everybody to for a health insurance in time instead begging for money.

[sandyf]

On 7/14/2025 at 11:07 AM, newbee2022 said:

This is quite a good warning for everybody to for a health insurance in time instead begging for money.

That is very easy to say for those that can get it and repeat my very first sentence.

"We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't."

 

Like the guy concerned I wasn't able to get insurance either, and have lived here for 17 years.  Faced with the same situation I would just pull the plug, but I don't have a family that is likely to go in a different direction.

Hopefully when I get back to Thailand next week situation will be a bit clearer.

[Liquorice]

On 7/13/2025 at 1:34 AM, sandyf said:

As they say, up to you.

https://gofund.me/0b2d27a8

That link search finds no results.

[josephbloggs]

2 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

That link search finds no results.

Works for me.

[josephbloggs]

On 7/14/2025 at 11:01 AM, MalcolmB said:

A friend in need.

 

Is a pest indeed.

What a nasty nasty bunch of people we have on here. A person is fighting for his life and a friend is trying to help him. I assume you don't have any friends who would look out for you if you got in trouble.
 

@sandyf Sorry to hear about your friend and I wish you the best of luck.

[Yagoda]

On 7/14/2025 at 12:01 AM, MalcolmB said:

A friend in need.

 

Is a pest indeed.

You dont need to hate, I dont think the dude is Israeli

[newbee2022]

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

That is very easy to say for those that can get it and repeat my very first sentence.

"We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't."

 

Like the guy concerned I wasn't able to get insurance either, and have lived here for 17 years.  Faced with the same situation I would just pull the plug, but I don't have a family that is likely to go in a different direction.

Hopefully when I get back to Thailand next week situation will be a bit clearer.

Why your friend can't get an insurance? Even with preconditions or in old age it's possible.

[gargamon]

On 7/13/2025 at 2:34 AM, sandyf said:

We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't.

A good friend of mine has ended up in intensive care up in P'lok and in need of some help.

He came here came a few years back thinking he could cope with what came up. His wife persuaded him to put quite a bit of money into growing rice and that is just starting to show returns.

Unfortunately he has contracted a blood infection and now in need of open heart surgery. His family has started a go fund me and I just want to put it out there.

I am fully aware of what many will think but nothing ventured nothing gained.

s

As they say, up to you.

https://gofund.me/0b2d27a8

How much have you contributed? 

[FritsSikkink]

On 7/14/2025 at 4:55 PM, sandyf said:

 I was asked to help and did what I could.

 

What did you do besides share a begging link?

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

What did you do besides share a begging link?

What business is it of yours?

Nasty sad people.

[FritsSikkink]

1 minute ago, josephbloggs said:

What business is it of yours?

Nasty sad people.

It became my business the moment he posted this on this forum of which I am a member.

What did you contribute besides snidey remarks?

[VocalNeal]

On 7/14/2025 at 5:03 PM, sandyf said:

He has now been moved to a government hospital.

 

A University hospital would be a better bet for the Op.. If there is one nearby.  A friend of mine had a quadruple bypass a while ago. It didn't break the bank.

[madone]

On 7/14/2025 at 4:55 PM, sandyf said:

it is the family in the UK that has started the fund,

it always is.

[Searat7]

The problem with health insurance is that it gets very expensive for older people if you can get it at all and pre-existing conditions might negate any coverage for future problems. 

[Peterphuket]

On 7/16/2025 at 1:28 AM, josephbloggs said:

Works for me.

Works for me also.

[Blueman1]

On 7/16/2025 at 1:31 AM, josephbloggs said:

What a nasty nasty bunch of people we have on here. A person is fighting for his life and a friend is trying to help him. I assume you don't have any friends who would look out for you if you got in trouble.
 

@sandyf Sorry to hear about your friend and I wish you the best of luck.

What a nasty nasty bunch of people we have on here.........Yes, Don't We ??

[CanadaSam]

4 hours ago, Searat7 said:

The problem with health insurance is that it gets very expensive for older people if you can get it at all

 

I think the problem becomes far bigger when you have an emergency and no funds to cover it.

 

Also, there are many cheaper policies, for example, in the OP's case, 50 years old, a million baht, less than 6k baht a month (approx.) with a bunch of companies available. 

[leonard beaven]

On 7/16/2025 at 5:58 AM, newbee2022 said:

Why your friend can't get an insurance? Even with preconditions or in old age it's possible.

Yes it is possible,but at a price.As usual those with a few bob seem to think others should be in same position.Not always possible.

[newbee2022]

3 minutes ago, leonard beaven said:

Yes it is possible,but at a price.As usual those with a few bob seem to think others should be in same position.Not always possible.

If you can't afford to pay around 300 Euro/USD for your Health every month you're in the wrong country. Better to go home, wherever it is. For Cheap Charlies Thailand is the wrong place in old age.

[sandyf]

On 7/20/2025 at 9:09 AM, newbee2022 said:

If you can't afford to pay around 300 Euro/USD for your Health every month you're in the wrong country. Better to go home, wherever it is. For Cheap Charlies Thailand is the wrong place in old age.

Must be great to have 20/20 vision in hindsight.

So you think that instead of selling up and coming to live with his Thai wife of 20 years he should have divorced and stayed where he was.

You can only play the cards as you see them at the time, and deal with what comes up.

Obviously you don't like how the issue has been dealt with, and could have just ignored it.

The good news is that mass on the heart valve has started to break up so surgery has been delayed for  the tme being.

 

[newbee2022]

13 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Must be great to have 20/20 vision in hindsight.

So you think that instead of selling up and coming to live with his Thai wife of 20 years he should have divorced and stayed where he was.

You can only play the cards as you see them at the time, and deal with what comes up.

Obviously you don't like how the issue has been dealt with, and could have just ignored it.

The good news is that mass on the heart valve has started to break up so surgery has been delayed for  the tme being.

 

I checked my posts, but can't find that I said that. You sent a VERY strange reply.

What I said is.....look always for a health insurance. That it is not for free is common sense. And concerning your "friend": his Thai wife could definitely live with him in UK. Even now, where health care is free. And I presume he has to live on dole he would get accomodation as well.

[newbee2022]

On 7/16/2025 at 9:11 AM, FritsSikkink said:

What did you do besides share a begging link?

Follow his posts.....nothing

[newbee2022]

On 7/14/2025 at 4:55 PM, sandyf said:

50s and unable to get insurance h

BS. He didn't have the money or didn't care. Just another idiot.

[billd766]

On 7/16/2025 at 12:56 AM, sandyf said:

That is very easy to say for those that can get it and repeat my very first sentence.

"We have all taken chances in life, some pay off and some don't."

 

Like the guy concerned I wasn't able to get insurance either, and have lived here for 17 years.  Faced with the same situation I would just pull the plug, but I don't have a family that is likely to go in a different direction.

Hopefully when I get back to Thailand next week situation will be a bit clearer.

I have a DNR (Do not resuscitate) letter in Thai and English. I have told my wife that any money we have is fir her and our 20 year old son's future and that she is NOT to spend it on keeping me alive as a vegetable.

 

At 81 it is virtually impossible to get insurance, no matter what some people claim.