Living In Thailand

[strawberry]

I'm not looking for medical advice, but would welcome some if anyone has anything constuctive to say. My reason for posting on this page is I think it will cover a larger audience.

couple of weeks back I had my 6 monthly check up with my doc and he thinks I may be in the early stages of alzheimers.

Over the past year I have forgotten to send in my application for the 90 day rego. 3 times and on the previous 5 years never missed a trick. If or when this thing gets worse how do I stand with the immigration dept. My wife is a peasant girl who didn't go to school and can't read or write.

I talked it over with her offerring, that when or if I get worse I'll go back to Australia to be looked after but she insists that thats her job and I'should stay. As she says here the family takes responsibility.

Regards Joe

[thebear]

I talked it over with her offerring, that when or if I get worse I'll go back to Australia to be looked after but she insists that thats her job and I'should stay. As she says here the family takes responsibility.

Regards Joe

Good for her, no doubt you would be better cared for here.

Thai people get Altzheimers as well, and how you stand with regards your residential status depends on your present visa.

Best take her with you to an English speaking Dr who can explain the ins and outs Altzheimers, and armed with that knowledge then to a lawyer who can avise her on what she needs to do to keep you here within the law.

Good luck

Edited April 11, 2006 by thebear

[h90]

I'm not looking for medical advice, but would welcome some if anyone has anything constuctive to say. My reason for posting on this page is I think it will cover a larger audience.

couple of weeks back I had my 6 monthly check up with my doc and he thinks I may be in the early stages of alzheimers.

Over the past year I have forgotten to send in my application for the 90 day rego. 3 times and on the previous 5 years never missed a trick. If or when this thing gets worse how do I stand with the immigration dept. My wife is a peasant girl who didn't go to school and can't read or write.

I talked it over with her offerring, that when or if I get worse I'll go back to Australia to be looked after but she insists that thats her job and I'should stay. As she says here the family takes responsibility.

Regards Joe

just 1-2 days ago there was a report in TV about new amazing medication coming, I did not listen carefully, as I wasn´t very interested. What I still got is that it can remove these "protein" pieces in the brain, but only tested on rats till now.

That was Australian thing

+I read about a test (something different or not???) on humans with 11 dead.

Maybe you can find something.

Do anything to slow it down (there are things) and maybe you can wait for a cure!

Good luck

h90

(had two grandparents with Alzheimer, so it is maybe also waiting for me)

[Tywais]

If you can afford it, eligible for it and interested in doing it maybe try to get PR (permanent residency) status based on marriage. It will eliminate a lot of the concerns you may have regarding immigration.

[jdinasia]

My butt would be back to "Home" immediately for a full Neuro check-up ... then work from there

[OldAsiaHand]

I talked it over with her offerring, that when or if I get worse I'll go back to Australia to be looked after but she insists that thats her job and I'should stay. As she says here the family takes responsibility.

Regards Joe

Good for her, no doubt you would be better cared for here.....

Yes, I think that's right. We have two family members married to foreigners with Alzheimers. Both of them brought their husbands back to Thailand because rendering substantial care to a family member is, on the whole, easier here than in the west. Assistance, when needed, is both more available and more affordable, and the overall sense of on-going family responsibility is far stronger. Perhaps it's not for me to make such an observation, but I would say you are unquestionably better off in this society under the conditions you describe.

[phibunmike]

I'm not looking for medical advice, but would welcome some if anyone has anything constuctive to say. My reason for posting on this page is I think it will cover a larger audience.

couple of weeks back I had my 6 monthly check up with my doc and he thinks I may be in the early stages of alzheimers.

Over the past year I have forgotten to send in my application for the 90 day rego. 3 times and on the previous 5 years never missed a trick. If or when this thing gets worse how do I stand with the immigration dept. My wife is a peasant girl who didn't go to school and can't read or write.

I talked it over with her offerring, that when or if I get worse I'll go back to Australia to be looked after but she insists that thats her job and I'should stay. As she says here the family takes responsibility.

Regards Joe

Perhaps you can find a way to work around some of the problems - for example, put a notice board in the kitchen to remind you to renew on a certain date. Or, if you use a computer at home every day, use a scheduler to warn you when the due date is approaching. Or use a PDA with a diary and "appointments" feature. Set this up now so that you find out what strategy works best for you, and before the problem becomes more severe (it indeed it does get worse, it might not :-) )

[lamphun]

My reason for posting on this page is I think it will cover a larger audience.

couple of weeks back I had my 6 monthly check up with my doc and he thinks I may be in the early stages of alzheimers.

Just curious, how do you test for this ?

As for being forgetful, it may be that you're present lifestyle doesn't include enough mental stimulation. I'm not a big fan of the medical system in this country where diagnosis and treatment depends on getting lucky and finding a good doctor.

[strawberry]

Hi All,

Many thanks for the feed back.

My doctor is a Scottish guy that works at the Manorom Christian Hospital. Over the past few years we have become friends although I'm not particularly a Christian in fact I'm pretty friendly with most of the staff. It might not be alzheimers, he says, it could be a brain tumour. My wife understands Alzheimers as she has had it in the family.

I spent 36 years of my life abusing alcohol and drugs and my doctor says you can't expect to walk away from that so whatever I don't have anyone to blame but myself. hel_l I thought I was having a good time.

My doctor is going to arrange a brain scan for me in Nakhon Sawan, and should do that in the next couple of weeks.

Aboutmental stimulation, so i'm living here in a small village and its truethere is not much in the way of stimulation but I do enjoy video games although its hard to find games other than copies and I'm usless at loading them on to my PC. Tried to contact a company to see if they would COD me games but didn't get an answer. If anyone knows how I can get games sent here I'd appreciate tha info.

Many thanks again for the feedback

Regards Joe

[GuestHouse]

I make the following comments on the back of my own experience of getting help with a long term medical condition, firstly in Thailand, then back home followed by traveling globally with health problems.

I think there are a number of issues that need to be addressed as early as possible.

The first is getting an assessment of your current health and a medical opinion on how that is likely to progress in the medium to long term. Doing so will at least give you and fuller understanding of what lies ahead.

Where to go for such an assessment is a personal choice, my choice would be to go back home. I say this because I have had need to use the Thai medical system for a serious illness that needed a spell in an ICU followed by long term care. My experience was that while Thai doctors are extremely good at diagnosis and physical treatment; they are extremely poor at dealing with the emotional and psychological side of serious illness. There are also cultural issues relating to how we all deal with illness, the way illness is explained to us and the way medical staff respond to the concerns of the people they are treating.

Where ever you go for your assessment, get a full write up that will follow you, especially if you are traveling back to Thailand. (Make sure that is discussed and recorded in you notes, I have had difficulty getting medical records released to Thailand from the UK – Don’t take it for granted).

If, and I presume you are, planning to continue to live in Thailand then the next thing I would do is start the search for a doctor with whom you can relate and in whom you feel you have trust. I believe that a key to getting good long term treatment for any chronic illness is to have trust and good communication with the doctor who is treating you. When the doctor I found who met my needs of trust and communication moved hospitals to another town 20Kms away, I moved all my records to his hospital and traveled to his new hospital for all my check-ups and treatment. When I visit Thailand, twice a year, I make a point of visiting him for a full check-up and assessment. Trust, communication and a valued opinion – A critical issue.

Join the Alzheimer society http://www.alzheimers.org.uk, you’ll find all manner of help, discussion and support available from people who absolutely understand what you are facing.

Next, deal with the legal and financial side of your illness.

I know I go on about this, but I would start with making a living will that gives directions for your financial and legal care should you become unable to care for yourself.

You will need to give some thought as to where you shall domicile any wealth you have. This is going to have to be given a lot of thought. I would not be happy placing my livelihood under Thai law, especially if, as you say, you wife is from a poor farming background. She, and you could become prey to fraud and theft of the money and wealth you both need. Perhaps a slim chance, but it exists as do a host of problems your wife may have with challenging authority.

On the other side of that coin, leaving money and wealth back home under more secure legal control, needs to be planned carefully to ensure that if/when trustees of your affairs need to act, they have the information and clear guidance of your wishes. Ensuring that your wife is not prejudiced, while not exposed to risk of being bled dry by others is a difficult line. I really think a lawyer back home would be the best choice.

NEVER EVER, NOT IN A MILLION YEARS GIVE POWER OF ATTORNEY TO A THAI LAWYER.

If your financial position allows, perhaps you should provide your wife with immediate security of a home, and provide you both with a steady income coming in from overseas. The income from overseas needs to be addressed early if you are taking the advice of leaving your wealth back home. Addressing this early ensures your wife doesn’t have to deal with it at a later date – she may have difficulty doing so, or those helping her may take advantage of her lack of knowledge on how these things work.

Finally Pensions, Insurances, Carer’s Allowances.

Take some time to review all your pension and insurance schemes (if any), including state pensions. Have you contacted them with your “Statement of Wishes”? These are the instructions on what to be done with your pensions and payouts on your death. Do this in a statement of wishes, not a will. Give a copy of your pension details to your Lawyer (Back home!!) and discuss how he can help ensuring your wife continues to get the money that is her right under your pensions – Do Not Forget your State Pension.

If you are British Contact the Citizens Advice Bureau and ask about Carer Allowances your wife may be entitled to. – Some of these are payable overseas.

And one more thing (after the Finally).

Talk to the Alzheimer Society and see if they have any information and help that may be useful for your wife and her family. She too needs to understand what she is facing, what is going to be expected of her and what provisions you have put in place for her and her family. I am quite certain they will have some advice and help available.

You may also find some Thai language books on the subject that your wife could read up on.

I hope this helps, I wish you and your family the best of luck and an observation if I may.

Nothing in life, no matter how bitter, comes alone.

[a2396]

If you can afford it, eligible for it and interested in doing it maybe try to get PR (permanent residency) status based on marriage. It will eliminate a lot of the concerns you may have regarding immigration.

How does one apply for permanent residency status based on marriage?? I read that permanent residency is restricted to 100 per year per country. Great if you are from Tonga, if from USA or UK forget it. Anyone know the "rules" on this one? The other key question is what status does a foreigner have if he is not able to file the necessary visa papers himself due to incapacity?

[OldAsiaHand]

Guesthouse,

A sensitive, intelligent, and extraordinarily useful response. Solid advice, too. We could use a heck of a lot more writing like yours on this board.

[Tywais]

How does one apply for permanent residency status based on marriage?? I read that permanent residency is restricted to 100 per year per country. Great if you are from Tonga, if from USA or UK forget it. Anyone know the "rules" on this one? The other key question is what status does a foreigner have if he is not able to file the necessary visa papers himself due to incapacity?

Not sure which question you are asking but I'll post these:

PR Requirements

And I would say that a quota limit of 100 is not an issue for US or UK. The following is from the immigration site for accepted PR in 2004.

"The list of 169 applicants who applied residential permit in year 2004 (quota) and the list of the 11 applicants of residential permit (non-quota) passed the preliminary consideration of the Immigration Commission and also approval of The Minister of Interior in March,3 2006"

I converted the Word document to an html page that you can see here: Granted PR 2004