Thank you to everyone who posted helpful posts on this subject - almost all were extremely useful and good starting points for further research. We are now in Australia visiting MIL and putting the proposal of her coming to live with us. Unfortunately she has declined on the basis of Thailand in her view being a warzone (all the pictures on TV from the recent activities in Bangkok). such a shame that is the impression that she has of the country, but won't shift from it despite how far we are etc from all of that.

anyway thanks everyone for your help - most appreciated and most helpful (and I've learned a lot during the process)

You know, Caroline, your MIL has a point, especially if the plan was to use Bumrungrad for medical care. It was impossible to get there during the floods and one of the protest sites was located close to the hospital, as well. The political situation in the country is unsettled and none of us can predict what the next few years will bring.

Those of us who are mobile and able to hop on a plane at a moment's notice probably discount the likelihood of problems, but for someone who has never been here and has to rely on assistance for every part of her life, the concern is understandable.