Diabetic Going To Thailand

[luzzie]

My husband and I are moving to Koh Phangan in December, for good. He ist an insulin dependant diabetic and we want to know, how he can get prescriptions for his insulin, since he has no healthinsurance.

And does anyone know, how much that will cost?

I'd appreciate your help. Thanks

[Garret]

Why would you even contemplate a move there if you have not yet figured this out?......It never ceases to amaze me how so many people 'Move' here without dotting all the i's and crossing the t's...........You should not have to even ask this. Let me guess you came here for a holiday and now you just have to live here. Have you figured out the visa's yet....or are you just going to wing that one to? Sorry I'm a Physician and I spent almost 20 years here........you may want to make a checklist or have one of you parents help you with one.

If by some weird chance you are coming here to work in a hotel or somthing than......Don't worry he can get what he needs even without a script.

[skipvice]

Why would you even contemplate a move there if you have not yet figured this out?......It never ceases to amaze me how so many people 'Move' here without dotting all the i's and crossing the t's...........You should not have to even ask this. Let me guess you came here for a holiday and now you just have to live here. Have you figured out the visa's yet....or are you just going to wing that one to? Sorry I'm a Physician and I spent almost 20 years here........you may want to make a checklist or have one of you parents help you with one.

If by some weird chance you are coming here to work in a hotel or somthing than......Don't worry he can get what he needs even without a script.

And what a nice Dr. you are

Don't worry luzzie my wife is also a diabetic. you might what to have someone in your home country set up to mail you testing strips or you will have to buy a meter here, the test strips are more expensive here than they are in my home country. My wife takes metformin for her blood sugar control. Its available over the conter at most durg stores. My wife also has a friend mail sugar sub like splenda, they have equal at some stores like Big C.

You have to be carful eating out, a lot of the thai food contains sugar. Even after telling them not to put sugar in her food they still do it, we just send it back to the cook untill they get it right.

he is on insulin it may be a little more difficult for him.

[phetaroi]

Why would you even contemplate a move there if you have not yet figured this out?......It never ceases to amaze me how so many people 'Move' here without dotting all the i's and crossing the t's...........You should not have to even ask this. Let me guess you came here for a holiday and now you just have to live here. Have you figured out the visa's yet....or are you just going to wing that one to? Sorry I'm a Physician and I spent almost 20 years here........you may want to make a checklist or have one of you parents help you with one.

If by some weird chance you are coming here to work in a hotel or somthing than......Don't worry he can get what he needs even without a script.

And what a nice Dr. you are

I tend to agree with the doc on this one. They are moving to Koh Lanta. Bumrungrad isn't just around the corner, and I agree too that far too many don't research health issues (along with other issues) before coming here.

Not long ago someone asked about peanuts due to a deadly peanut allergy. "Do the Thais ever cook with peanuts? My son has a deadly allergy to peanuts." After getting many negative replies she said, "Well, I think we'll be okay. We'll just tell the waiter to leave out peanuts." (Paraphrased conversation). I do hope the son reached nirvanna before their trip.

[Sheryl]

He can obtain insulin and testing kits with no problem. but it is true that there is an element of risk in being an insulin dependent diabetic in such a remote location.

A great deal depends on how well controlled his diabete4s is and how knowledgable and comfortable you (his wife) are at spotting and managing hypoglycemic reactions.

if it is at all possible I would recommend a different location i.e. one where you can if necessary summon an ambulance and have him in a hospital emergency room in little time. Samui, Phuket, Krabi would fit that bill but not Koh Lanta.

[Garret]

For what it is worth......Maybe I did respond a bit hard on the OP ...... Here I sit close to Hua Hin in the midst of my own personel medical crisis involving my own Mother with me as a physician....and being delt a blow that should not to have happen....The blow was that this entire area is NOT set up to handle any serious emergencey......So if you are coming here with the weight of a potential seroius emergecey in your front pocket.....then maybe you need a slap in your face...at the end of the day why would I even way in if I did not think that attention needed to be called to the OP's question.

Really think about coming here if you might have a medical problem.......

There are so many unknowns when it comes to a daibetic...for instance....What's there history? Do they drink? lot's of them do..What are there dietary habits? ...what sort of condition are they in now.....

I am an othopod....and I really prefer to just make smart ass comments to various posts and be done with it...but at times certain things will get to me...I also pm a lot of people.....Really I have the majority of most people at heart.

You can find a pharmiscist and ordr uour insulin and he will keep it stocked...yet if you have a fridge ypu an as well

[luzzie]

Why would you even contemplate a move there if you have not yet figured this out?......It never ceases to amaze me how so many people 'Move' here without dotting all the i's and crossing the t's...........You should not have to even ask this. Let me guess you came here for a holiday and now you just have to live here. Have you figured out the visa's yet....or are you just going to wing that one to? Sorry I'm a Physician and I spent almost 20 years here........you may want to make a checklist or have one of you parents help you with one.

If by some weird chance you are coming here to work in a hotel or somthing than......Don't worry he can get what he needs even without a script.

Thank you doctor. Well your own crisis is not on us to blame. I am a certified Nurse with special studies in trauma, burns, diabetology, intensiv care (leading a big hospital in Dubai as DON)and I do know best, how to control my husbands diabetes. And before I met him I lived already for years in Dubai, Dhahrah and in the remotest aerea in Afghanisthan. So thailand has been a long thought of choice. And we have been in Koh Phangan, talked to docors, pharmacists and lokal diabetics. We are not as unprepared, as it may seem, but we wanted to know, if anyone has other experiances.

But thanks to all others for your concern.

[boricua]

Hi! I'm new here. My wife is from Thailand, and we have just started toying with the idea of relocating to Thailand. I have my social security and have applied for disability. My concern centers around my being able to continue drawing disability should I decide to move. I am a insulin dependent diabetic. As a veteran, my medical needs are provided to me via the VA Hospital. I know that Manila has a VA facility, however I'm not sure how I would be able to address that issue should I decide to move to Thailand. Again, I am just now starting to collect information so any help I can get will be welcome.

[Sheryl]

I know people can draw (retirement) social security living in Thailand, whether this holds true for disability I don't know, best to ask the Soc Sec Admin (I'm assuming you are from US).

You will have to pay yourself for medical care in Thailand which is something to factor in to your plans as there is no VA facility here.

You may have difficulty getting local health insurance due to your diabetes; at the least it would be a pre-existing condition and given its linkage to many other problems, what you would be covered for would be limited.

[boricua]

I know people can draw (retirement) social security living in Thailand, whether this holds true for disability I don't know, best to ask the Soc Sec Admin (I'm assuming you are from US).

You will have to pay yourself for medical care in Thailand which is something to factor in to your plans as there is no VA facility here.

You may have difficulty getting local health insurance due to your diabetes; at the least it would be a pre-existing condition and given its linkage to many other problems, what you would be covered for would be limited.

Thank you so much for quick response. I was sure I would be able to draw my social security. Dsisability payments is an open question, and I will have to do some checking. I suppose that in a pinch, I could fly to the VA Hospital in Manila. I am still trying to check on what medical expenses the VA will cover should I decide on relocating to Thailand.