Help me out. I went to Nakornping Hospital Sunday in CM for scheduled prostate and kidney surgeries after hobbling about with a catheter for over two months and battling a severe UTI curable only after seven days IV antibiotic. While sitting on the bed waiting the surgery was suddenly canceled when they found out I have A neg blood. They couldn’t tell me when or if I might be rescheduled so I’m stuck with this catheter. Worse yet I had a nasty stand off with the cardiologists who insist I should not have stopped the Jardiance they believe is likely to end it all from heart and kidney failure. They don’t share my concern that the infection coupled with a drop in blood pressure could mean death from sepsis or worse, and I don’t have time ask for permission. The only reason my blood pressure came back was the IV antibiotics and stopping Jardiance. So, then I had to tell them that no, I won’t take Jardiance until the catheter and operation are done.

Let me EMPHASIZE that I donated my A- blood many times, maybe about ten, before Suandok refused me due to age. This started when a member of my church was facing imminent death had he not gotten emergency A- blood. There are a few of you farangs out there still walking about because of my blood. Of course, I did this in part because I was thinking about how badly I would feel if it were eventually me needing blood, and had I not stepped up to the plate. Karma can be a bitch. So, now, not knowing if Nakornping will find me any blood, if some of you out there might do as I did and see if you can donate some of your precious blood to be sent to Nakornping to save my obsolete ass. I mean, if you can do me such a favor let me know who and where you are, and I’ll go back to the hospital and let them know if they haven’t found any yet. I wish they could have told me how long it might take, if ever.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

Edited July 13Jul 13 by cusanus
corrected phrase

Sorry, I have the most common blood type.

You should have known your blood type was rare and banked blood while you are healthy.

But this is the last topic I will read before my morning vape hit and fasted walk. You made my day. 👍

6 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Sorry, I have the most common blood type. You should have known your blood type was rare and banked blood while you are healthy. But this is the last topic I will read before my morning vape hit and fasted walk. You made my day. 👍

Read more carefully. They won't take my blood anymore because of age, but my Karma is good even if my organs aren't so much anymore.

On 7/14/2026 at 5:26 AM, cusanus said:

donate some of your precious blood

O negative can be used but probably just as rare as A negative.

Hoprefully Sheryl will cme pn with her sage advice but unfortunatley at my age all I can do is wich you well and hoe for a full recovery

On 7/14/2026 at 5:38 AM, cusanus said:

On 7/14/2026 at 5:30 AM, SiSePuede419 said:

Sorry, I have the most common blood type. You should have known your blood type was rare and banked blood while you are healthy. But this is the last topic I will read before my morning vape hit and fasted walk. You made my day. 👍

Read more carefully. They won't take my blood anymore because of age, but my Karma is good even if my organs aren't so much anymore.

Maybe you should leave TH, and go to where they can actually help you. That home couuntry with the universal healthcare everyone raves about.

Flights leave everyday. TH is not the place to live with certain health issues. Don't wait for them to kill, take control of you life and seek medical treatment elsewhere.

I hear India has good medical tourism, if retruning to home country is a waste of time. You have choices, simply exercise them.

GOOD LUCK

I am A neg and would love to help you out but, like you they won’t take my blood due to age.

I thought I heard there is a Facebook group centered around blood donations for rare blood groups. Perhaps search that out. (Sorry, I’m not on Facebook.)

No idea what my blood group is but what are the common blood groups in Thailand, for future reference?

I have O- blood and high hematocrit so I am thinking about donating blood the next time I am in Thailand. My biggest concern is the competence of the phlebotomists, the ones with the Red Cross here in Austin have done poorly my last two donations. I expect to be in Thailand starting in mid-August.

OP, assuming you are not anemic, you could donate your own blood in advance and have them bank it for you.

In terms of people donating, please provide clear info on where people should donate. Usually this would be the Red Cross rather than the hodpital but please ascertain and post.

8 hours ago, Geoff914 said:

No idea what my blood group is but what are the common blood groups in Thailand, for future reference?

O, A, B and AB in descending order.

But almost always RH positive. RH negarive blood is very rare here.

On 7/17/2026 at 6:15 AM, Sheryl said:

OP, assuming you are not anemic, you could donate your own blood in advance and have them bank it for you. In terms of people donating, please provide clear info on where people should donate. Usually this would be the Red Cross rather than the hodpital but please ascertain and post.

Thanks all, but they won't take your blood after a certain age; but I did many times when I could even a few years after the cutoff because they know someone out there you don't know will otherwise die. Now battling heart and kidney failure of course they won't take it even for myself. As for going to another country, I'd have better luck trying another hospital if I'm still hobbling around with this catheter after another month. Maybe even try Bangkok. I just hit the CM Ultimate Frisbee up, a large group since the five of us started up in 2005. Meanwhile I started Jardiance again lest I hear the cardiologists singing I told you so on my deathbed.

3 hours ago, cusanus said:

Thanks all, but they won't take your blood after a certain age;

Apparently in the UK "New donors are generally required to be fit and healthy, weigh between 50 kg (110 lb; 7 st 12 lb) and 160 kg (353 lb; 25 st 3 lb) and be aged between 17 and 66. However, regular donors are permitted to donate past the age of seventy as long as they remain healthy."

On 7/20/2026 at 7:06 AM, Geoff914 said:

Apparently in the UK "New donors are generally required to be fit and healthy, weigh between 50 kg (110 lb; 7 st 12 lb) and 160 kg (353 lb; 25 st 3 lb) and be aged between 17 and 66. However, regular donors are permitted to donate past the age of seventy as long as they remain healthy."

Health

Returning donors are accepted up to age 72. After that, you must donate at least once every two years in order to continue.

On 7/16/2026 at 10:30 PM, technoronin said:

I have O- blood and high hematocrit so I am thinking about donating blood the next time I am in Thailand. My biggest concern is the competence of the phlebotomists, the ones with the Red Cross here in Austin have done poorly my last two donations. I expect to be in Thailand starting in mid-August.

Does that work for A-? I might still be waiting with this awful catheter, so I would very much appreciate it if someone could designate three bags for Alan at Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai. As I said, my karma is very good, donated many times at Suandok. I'm on Facebook under facebook.com/XXXX (PM for Facebook name) where you can PM me. Also, you can call me direct from the states using XXX (please PM him for the number) to my cordless landline. I've had serious trouble with the catheter and infections, so I can't exercise as usual. Doubt they'll use it, it's just reserve in case the surgery goes awry.
THANKS in advance, Al Foos

Edited July 21Jul 21 by Sheryl
last name, phone number and Facebook ID removed by Moderator for privacy and security. Please PM him for this.

Chiang Mai Red Cross Blood Bank: Located near the Old City / Nong Pa Khrang, Chiang Mai. Call 053-418-389 to donate emergency A- for Alan (XXX PM for full name)Or go directly to Nakornping hospital, use my name, Alan XXX, HN# XXX (PM him for the number). I guess they need 4 units, only for reserve in case the operation goes wonky. They probably won't need it. BUT know that someone you don't know will live because of your donation. White boys die all the time in Thailand for want of A- blood. O- works, too. Don't worry, it will save a life or two. God will repay. In the US, you can call me at XXX (PM him for the number) or facebook.com/XXX THANKS!

Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM; Saturday and Sunday 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Edited July 21Jul 21 by Sheryl
last name, phone number and Facebook ID removed by Moderator for privacy and security. Please PM him for this.

Per forum rules, for security and privacy reasons identifying information such as full name, phone number, Facebook ID and Hospital number had to be removed. Please send a PM to @cusanus for these details.

4 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Per forum rules, for security and privacy reasons identifying information such as full name, phone number, Facebook ID and Hospital number had to be removed. Please send a PM to @cusanus for these details.

Thanks. Facebook or name is safe, though, and the phone is a US number. Sorry, in my haste to get results I hadn't thought of the rules. Anyway, you can donate to Nakornping Hospital or Red Cross Chiang Mai tel 053 418 389 either A- or O- and they'll know who it's for. As I said before, I donated many times to Suandok and there are a few farangs still wandering around because of that and I'm sure happy I don't have to feel guilty now. Thanks to all.

@cusanus Banking your own blood in advance of surgery would not normally come under the udual rules for blood donation. So if you haven't already, ask about this. It has to be done weeks before the surgery and they would only be able to tske probably 1 unit st a time so not ideal but may be bettrr than nothing. Do you know the minimum number of units they require on hand?

Also ask them if they'd accept O negative blood.

8 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

@cusanus Banking your own blood in advance of surgery would not normally come under the udual rules for blood donation. So if you haven't already, ask about this. It has to be done weeks before the surgery and they would only be able to tske probably 1 unit st a time so not ideal but may be bettrr than nothing. Do you know the minimum number of units they require on hand?

Also ask them if they'd accept O negative blood.

They would never let me do that because of my age or I'd not be asking for help. I donated many times to Suandok a few years even beyond the age limit. I would just say that if they didn't take it, someone would die, like the person from church I first helped out. I doubt that's dramatic because a friend with A- died a few years ago and I couldn't help him. He probably wouldn't have lasted long with Crohn's disease anyway. On a different note, I used to get email notifications for posts I was active in, but now I get none. Is there a reason? Thanks.

Edited July 21Jul 21 by cusanus

Oops, forgot to mention, not 3, but 4 units is what they're asking now.

12 hours ago, cusanus said:

Does that work for A-? I might still be waiting with this awful catheter, so I would very much appreciate it if someone could designate three bags for Alan at Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai. As I said, my karma is very good, donated many times at Suandok. I'm on Facebook under facebook.com/XXXX (PM for Facebook name) where you can PM me. Also, you can call me direct from the states using XXX (please PM him for the number) to my cordless landline. I've had serious trouble with the catheter and infections, so I can't exercise as usual. Doubt they'll use it, it's just reserve in case the surgery goes awry.
THANKS in advance, Al Foos

O- is considered to be the universal donor. As far as recipient, I can only receive O-.

7 hours ago, technoronin said:

O- is considered to be the universal donor. As far as recipient, I can only receive O-.

Thanks so much. I'd forgotten about that. I donated many times at Suandok because it became clear to me that whenever I didn't some white boy somewhere I didn't know in Thailand would die. ☹️

GREAT NEWS! I was getting profoundly depressed, then today five people showed up at Nakornping to donate. Three were turned down, the other two weren't allowed to give two units, but we got one from each. Need two more. Two more people are going to the hospital tomorrow to try and donate, so we may be over the top. SHAZAM: Over 104,000 people have viewed this photo on Meaw's FB page:

Edited July 24Jul 24 by cusanus

STILL NEEDING TWO MORE PINTS OF A- or O-
So far three have been turned down but we got two yesterday at Nakornping, Chiang Mai. One turned down again today. Still need two more pints. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Read message from Ms. Preeda Katniss Daiyu below:

Hi Alan,
You may also request that people donate at the Chiang Mai Red Cross in Old Town. Or even at a Red Cross in Bangkok. The Thai Red Cross provides the preponderance of blood in Thailand, local hospital blood banks augment. Very few hospitals have their own blood bank. Nakornping is one of the few. There was an O Negative donor who tried yesterday, but his blood pressure too high. He will try again today. Please post on Chiang Mai Expat Groups and inform them that they may donate at Chiang Mai Red Cross as well.

Edited July 25Jul 25 by cusanus

On 7/25/2026 at 2:10 AM, cusanus said:

STILL NEEDING TWO MORE PINTS OF A- or O-
So far three have been turned down but we got two yesterday at Nakornping, Chiang Mai. One turned down again today. Still need two more pints. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Read message from Ms. Preeda Katniss Daiyu below:

Hi Alan,
You may also request that people donate at the Chiang Mai Red Cross in Old Town. Or even at a Red Cross in Bangkok. The Thai Red Cross provides the preponderance of blood in Thailand, local hospital blood banks augment. Very few hospitals have their own blood bank. Nakornping is one of the few. There was an O Negative donor who tried yesterday, but his blood pressure too high. He will try again today. Please post on Chiang Mai Expat Groups and inform them that they may donate at Chiang Mai Red Cross as well.

I sent an email to the Chonburi Red Cross and they never responded. It looks like that as a tourist I am not allowed to donate blood. Since I am no longer willing to donate blood at home do to incompetent phlebotomists, I don't know where I am going to donate going forward.

2 hours ago, technoronin said:

I sent an email to the Chonburi Red Cross and they never responded. It looks like that as a tourist I am not allowed to donate blood. Since I am no longer willing to donate blood at home do to incompetent phlebotomists, I don't know where I am going to donate going forward.

Tourists can donate blood in Thailand.

Note though that you need to be under 60 years of age if you have nto previously been a donor in Thailand.

Suggest you go in person or have a Thai speaker call them.

On 7/22/2026 at 1:05 AM, cusanus said:

Thanks so much. I'd forgotten about that. I donated many times at Suandok because it became clear to me that whenever I didn't some white boy somewhere I didn't know in Thailand would die. ☹️

Better check what my blood group is. I have no idea what it is.

8 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Tourists can donate blood in Thailand. Note though that you need to be under 60 years of age if you have nto previously been a donor in Thailand. Suggest you go in person or have a Thai speaker call them.

You're right, but as I understand a friend, he wasn't allowed to donate at RC in Chiang Mai with a 90 day visa. We have 3 of 4 now, actually I think it's four but the blood bank at the hospital isn't very clear. Anyway, expecting one more soon and possibly the surgeon will let us by with three. More is always helpful to somebody.

Edited July 28Jul 28 by cusanus

Did I not let it be known, we got six units, operation completed two weeks ago. Thanks all.