Why take the risk?

[Happy Grumpy]

A big bag of opiates, leave the money saved to the grandkid's education fund.

Why be so greedy? If you haven't lived your life by 70 yrs old, you've done something wrong.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Happy Grumpy

[giddyup]

bangkokjulia:

"I too agree that anyone over 70 finds it difficult to purchase affordable travel insurance. What I object to is to tourists who head over to Thailand for their cheap two week holiday, and brag about the fact that they don't have travel insurance. Then the sh1t hits the fan, and they find themselves laid up in a Thai hospital. Inevitably, their relatives back home have to bail them out. It's a joke. If people can't afford travel insurance, they should be precluded from travelling."

1BADDAT:

"You have heard people brag about not having travel insurance? This doesn't seem like anything to brag about."

Of course it's not anything to brag about-but brag they have. Oxygen thieves breathe-doesn't mean they should.

I can understand someone bragging about a cheap airfare or the package deal on a hotel room, but what is there to brag about not having travel insurance? Makes no sense.

[kayo]

Injured and in shock, he rode the scooter back to the hotel where he was staying and got help from the hotel staff. After five days in his hotel room he emerged patched up and still in considerable pain, not unsurprisingly. Anyway, he was lucky; he was able to go back to his own country at the end of his holiday without too much difficulty; many uninsured can't.

Why did he not go straight to an ER when reaching the first town or city on his route? Surely, this would have been one of the first actions of someone who had accident / health insurance?

Cuts and bruises don't need the attention of a hospital ER, unless they need stitching.

Not that such care is expensive, my last fall needing 8 stitches was less than 300bht in a government hospital.

And that included pain meds and antibiotics, as the grazes from the road were too hard to clean entirely.

What a bunch of big cry babies some western men are becoming.

You do know Moxillin 500 is around 50bht from the pharmacy, stops any infections after some road rash.

I can't afford, literally do not have the money, Insurance. Even in the UK where I was eligible for National Health cover, it was quicker to take care of sh1t myself.

In central america and south east asia, I've had cuts, bruises, infections, broken bones (usually drunk-falling-over- related). I do as the locals do. Take the local meds,(not chinese shit but traditional), pull broken bones back into place (with the odd yell or scream).

Tequila or similar high-alcohol disinfects, salt helps bind cuts, keep 'em clean, superglue deeper gashes... and so on and so forth.

Obviously I'd be anally penetrated if I had a major accident. But then again, that's no different to most of the locals I live with. But, as with most of the locals I live with, I'd hope the community would rally together and help. God knows I have been one to help others plenty, morally, helpfully, and when I can, financially.

[giddyup]

Injured and in shock, he rode the scooter back to the hotel where he was staying and got help from the hotel staff. After five days in his hotel room he emerged patched up and still in considerable pain, not unsurprisingly. Anyway, he was lucky; he was able to go back to his own country at the end of his holiday without too much difficulty; many uninsured can't.

Why did he not go straight to an ER when reaching the first town or city on his route? Surely, this would have been one of the first actions of someone who had accident / health insurance?

Cuts and bruises don't need the attention of a hospital ER, unless they need stitching.

Not that such care is expensive, my last fall needing 8 stitches was less than 300bht in a government hospital.

And that included pain meds and antibiotics, as the grazes from the road were too hard to clean entirely.

What a bunch of big cry babies some western men are becoming.

You do know Moxillin 500 is around 50bht from the pharmacy, stops any infections after some road rash.

I can't afford, literally do not have the money, Insurance. Even in the UK where I was eligible for National Health cover, it was quicker to take care of sh1t myself.

In central america and south east asia, I've had cuts, bruises, infections, broken bones (usually drunk-falling-over- related). I do as the locals do. Take the local meds,(not chinese shit but traditional), pull broken bones back into place (with the odd yell or scream).

Tequila or similar high-alcohol disinfects, salt helps bind cuts, keep 'em clean, superglue deeper gashes... and so on and so forth.

Obviously I'd be anally penetrated if I had a major accident. But then again, that's no different to most of the locals I live with. But, as with most of the locals I live with, I'd hope the community would rally together and help. God knows I have been one to help others plenty, morally, helpfully, and when I can, financially.

You must be like Stallone in Rambo, just get a big bag needle and some twine and stitch up your own cuts. How straight are your limbs after setting broken bones yourself? You could probably perform a heart bypass on yourself if needed.

[Rob8891]

I hear a lot of folk say they don't have the money for insurance. One guy in particular spends upwards of 1000baht a day on alcohol, but has no money for insurance. I guess it's all about priorities. His differ from mine: no skin off my nose.

[neverdie]

I hear a lot of folk say they don't have the money for insurance. One guy in particular spends upwards of 1000baht a day on alcohol, but has no money for insurance. I guess it's all about priorities. His differ from mine: no skin off my nose.

It's probably the same guy that's spends tens of thousands of baht investing in 'Sloppy Soms Soapatorium" and thinks he's onto something good right up until the moment he knocks on the door one morning, only to realise that sloppy som has done a runner with all of his 'investment'.

RAOFLAO

[dick dasterdly]

I hear a lot of folk say they don't have the money for insurance. One guy in particular spends upwards of 1000baht a day on alcohol, but has no money for insurance. I guess it's all about priorities. His differ from mine: no skin off my nose.

And yet health insurance has always been a major priority for me, which is why I took out Bupa when I was 20 odd - even though the NHS would take care of any emergencies excellently.

But having suffered financial problems for a while and then, when trying to resume coverage after a 3 month break - the previously trusted private insurer (Bupa) increased my monthy premium from 125 sterling to 200 sterling p.m - and all my pre-existing health issues were excluded - even though they all happened during the previous 30 odd years of coverage....

And suprisingly enough , any new health insurer will also exclude anything that happens that could remotely be put down to pre-existing conditions. On top of that, my ex hubby got v sick and the new insurer stopped payments blaming it on his mother's medical health issue that apparently he hadn't mentioned - really??!!. Nothing more to say about this other than it transpired that it had nothing to do with his mother's problem and he died, after being forced to go back to the UK for NHS treatment.

The increase in premium more than annoyed me, but excluding all pre-existing conditions was a step too far...

If Thailand is worried about foreigners receiving medical treatment and not paying, they need to come up with a health insurance plan for ex-pats.

[SantiSuk]

Don't assume that everyone who fails to buy insurance is a fool or gambler. No point in buying any insurance if you can afford to pay for a claim event without an insurance company's contribution. You are paying for the insurance company's profit and all the bogus claims of others.

That said I could afford very substantial repatriation costs or medium term in-country care costs if the worst came to the worst.

I just wish I could buy super-cheap insurance that covered the tranche of cost over say 250k dollars. There would not be the petty claim rip-offs priced into that as every claim would merit increased checks by the insurer.

[BuaBS]

I hate insurance , private or governmental . I'm not paying for your illnesses , nor should you pay for mine.

[Doc46]

People have no insurance,,,,, they are to old ,,say 70,,,Getting ripped off by the insurance companies,,,I don't know Why ,, Insurance here in Thailand should be a fraction of the cost as in the West so to speak,,Why? Because everything here cost a lot less,,,so Why does it cost more Here to Insure then back home,,,,,Just a big ripoff by the Insurance companies,,,

[how241]

Could you please give some recommendations for both health insurance and accident insurance. I am 62, no health problems and drive a motorbike daily. I have no insurance of any kind now. Without spending a fortune, could you recommend some middle priced options. Thanks

[neverdie]

Could you please give some recommendations for both health insurance and accident insurance. I am 62, no health problems and drive a motorbike daily. I have no insurance of any kind now. Without spending a fortune, could you recommend some middle priced options. Thanks

Contact an insurance broker and get professional advice

[chrissables]

It's not essential, it's a luxury item.

Most of the people in the world get on perfectly well with no medical insurance or cover of any kind.

Specially in a country like Thailand where you can buy your own drugs straight from the pharmacist.

Accident insurance is a totally different item to health care insurance.

You don't seem to know which you are talking about.

I agree.

Also as an example if a years premium was 100,000 baht, (a total guess) you would need to be quiet ill or injured badly for it to be cost effective.

Insurance companies make money, that is their business. They understand the odds and sell more policies than are required, thus making a profit.

The major downside is the costs charged from some hospitals, which are outrageous at times. If charges were more based on the service given, it would be worth taking the gamble to not have insurance.

[bazza40]

When you are over 70, it's a value judgment everyone has to make.

My medical insurance in Australia ( top level private cover ) costs me 54,000 baht a year.

Here, the cheapest medical insurance I can find for over 70 is 250,000 baht a year. A plane ticket to Australia ( business class ) is less than 25,000 baht.

So I have a bank account here specifically for medical emergencies of 500,000 baht. It may be dead money, but at least it's my dead money, and not the insurance companies'.

Having recently had experience with two Thai hospitals in Chiang Mai, my overriding impulse would be to get on a plane anyway. Lousy diagnosticians, took them two weeks to identify cellulitis. 2600 baht for one dose of an intravenous antibiotic? Presenting with a fever and I have to ask them to record my temperature? Unprofessional and disorganised, except when it comes to collecting money.

[kayo]

Injured and in shock, he rode the scooter back to the hotel where he was staying and got help from the hotel staff. After five days in his hotel room he emerged patched up and still in considerable pain, not unsurprisingly. Anyway, he was lucky; he was able to go back to his own country at the end of his holiday without too much difficulty; many uninsured can't.

Why did he not go straight to an ER when reaching the first town or city on his route? Surely, this would have been one of the first actions of someone who had accident / health insurance?

Cuts and bruises don't need the attention of a hospital ER, unless they need stitching.

Not that such care is expensive, my last fall needing 8 stitches was less than 300bht in a government hospital.

And that included pain meds and antibiotics, as the grazes from the road were too hard to clean entirely.

What a bunch of big cry babies some western men are becoming.

You do know Moxillin 500 is around 50bht from the pharmacy, stops any infections after some road rash.

I can't afford, literally do not have the money, Insurance. Even in the UK where I was eligible for National Health cover, it was quicker to take care of sh1t myself.

In central america and south east asia, I've had cuts, bruises, infections, broken bones (usually drunk-falling-over- related). I do as the locals do. Take the local meds,(not chinese shit but traditional), pull broken bones back into place (with the odd yell or scream).

Tequila or similar high-alcohol disinfects, salt helps bind cuts, keep 'em clean, superglue deeper gashes... and so on and so forth.

Obviously I'd be anally penetrated if I had a major accident. But then again, that's no different to most of the locals I live with. But, as with most of the locals I live with, I'd hope the community would rally together and help. God knows I have been one to help others plenty, morally, helpfully, and when I can, financially.

You must be like Stallone in Rambo, just get a big bag needle and some twine and stitch up your own cuts. How straight are your limbs after setting broken bones yourself? You could probably perform a heart bypass on yourself if needed.

Ha. Yeah. No. I grew up watching Stallone in Rambo. Probably a good thing. Taught me not to waste my time worrying about a cut, but deal with it.

I don't stitch if I can avoid it. There are plenty of alternatives with less scarring. All my limbs are straight. That's one broken arm, four broken toes, two broken fingers, and once a broken femur.

Heart bypasses are less likely to be dealt with by these fair hands. As I said in my post, I'd be screwed if I had a major problem/ Thoug I'm pretty sure the community I live in would do what they could to help, as I do/have done/will continue to do myself.

Oh wait, I'm repeating pretty much exactly what I already said.

<deleted> must be talking to a noob.

[Rob8891]

It's not essential, it's a luxury item.

Most of the people in the world get on perfectly well with no medical insurance or cover of any kind.

Specially in a country like Thailand where you can buy your own drugs straight from the pharmacist.

Accident insurance is a totally different item to health care insurance.

You don't seem to know which you are talking about.

I agree.

Also as an example if a years premium was 100,000 baht, (a total guess) you would need to be quiet ill or injured badly for it to be cost effective.

Insurance companies make money, that is their business. They understand the odds and sell more policies than are required, thus making a profit.

The major downside is the costs charged from some hospitals, which are outrageous at times. If charges were more based on the service given, it would be worth taking the gamble to not have insurance.

As mentioned earlier, I know one guy who faced bills of 3-4 million baht (I don't know the final figure) and another who needed hip replacements - complications arose and the bill ended up well over 1 million baht. In neither of these cases could the guy travel to his home country. Based on your estimate of 100,000,the premium doesn't seem so bad, does it? I don't fancy that sort of bill, so I'll stick to my health insurance until the premium becomes really horrendous.

I wouldn't want to comment on individual hospitals, but I'd agree that the charges are astronomical in some cases.

[Rob8891]

I can't afford, literally do not have the money, Insurance. Even in the UK where I was eligible for National Health cover, it was quicker to take care of sh1t myself.

In central america and south east asia, I've had cuts, bruises, infections, broken bones (usually drunk-falling-over- related). I do as the locals do. Take the local meds,(not chinese shit but traditional), pull broken bones back into place (with the odd yell or scream).

Tequila or similar high-alcohol disinfects, salt helps bind cuts, keep 'em clean, superglue deeper gashes... and so on and so forth.

Obviously I'd be anally penetrated if I had a major accident. But then again, that's no different to most of the locals I live with. But, as with most of the locals I live with, I'd hope the community would rally together and help. God knows I have been one to help others plenty, morally, helpfully, and when I can, financially.

You must be like Stallone in Rambo, just get a big bag needle and some twine and stitch up your own cuts. How straight are your limbs after setting broken bones yourself? You could probably perform a heart bypass on yourself if needed.

Ha. Yeah. No. I grew up watching Stallone in Rambo. Probably a good thing. Taught me not to waste my time worrying about a cut, but deal with it.

I don't stitch if I can avoid it. There are plenty of alternatives with less scarring. All my limbs are straight. That's one broken arm, four broken toes, two broken fingers, and once a broken femur.

Heart bypasses are less likely to be dealt with by these fair hands. As I said in my post, I'd be screwed if I had a major problem/ Thoug I'm pretty sure the community I live in would do what they could to help, as I do/have done/will continue to do myself.

Oh wait, I'm repeating pretty much exactly what I already said.

<deleted> must be talking to a noob.

It's those major problems where the insurance pays dividends. Speaking purely for myself, I'd hate to have to rely on others' generosity to get me out of a major scrape - a stroke, serious RTA, major op or whatever. A friend was in that position, and folk rallied round to help, but that didn't meet the eventual bill - nowhere near, in fact. Rather than relying on the possibility of help from outside, I prefer to stake steps to make provision for myself for as long as I possibly can: that approach won't suit everyone, but it suits me.

[1FinickyOne]

I think this question raises two important issues - -

1. Trust of insurance companies - I have seen exposes of how some companies reject all claims and make you fight for your benefits [when you are most vulnerable and least able or looking to fight] and w/all the fine print and not being sure if and what you might be insured for...

2. What does happen to the expats here who cannot afford health care? If they were to be in an emergency situation and do not have any money, would they just be left in the street, so to speak? I know sometimes hte ocmmunity rallies behind such people, but I suspect from reading TV that there are more and more retirees here with very little savings...

[chrissables]

It's not essential, it's a luxury item.

Most of the people in the world get on perfectly well with no medical insurance or cover of any kind.

Specially in a country like Thailand where you can buy your own drugs straight from the pharmacist.

Accident insurance is a totally different item to health care insurance.

You don't seem to know which you are talking about.

I agree.

Also as an example if a years premium was 100,000 baht, (a total guess) you would need to be quiet ill or injured badly for it to be cost effective.

Insurance companies make money, that is their business. They understand the odds and sell more policies than are required, thus making a profit.

The major downside is the costs charged from some hospitals, which are outrageous at times. If charges were more based on the service given, it would be worth taking the gamble to not have insurance.

As mentioned earlier, I know one guy who faced bills of 3-4 million baht (I don't know the final figure) and another who needed hip replacements - complications arose and the bill ended up well over 1 million baht. In neither of these cases could the guy travel to his home country. Based on your estimate of 100,000,the premium doesn't seem so bad, does it? I don't fancy that sort of bill, so I'll stick to my health insurance until the premium becomes really horrendous.

I wouldn't want to comment on individual hospitals, but I'd agree that the charges are astronomical in some cases.

As i said it was a guess.

IF the hospital were operated to Western standards regarding liability etc, i would agree to think about it. But having been on the expensive and f$#k you end of of "international" hospitals here i would prefer to take my chances. By that i mean, suck up emergency costs, and then fly to India (for example) and get treated better and more fairly.

[BritManToo]

Having recently had experience with two Thai hospitals in Chiang Mai, my overriding impulse would be to get on a plane anyway. Lousy diagnosticians, took them two weeks to identify cellulitis. 2600 baht for one dose of an intravenous antibiotic? Presenting with a fever and I have to ask them to record my temperature? Unprofessional and disorganised, except when it comes to collecting money.

Off topic, funny you should mention this, it's the strep season in CM.

The last two weeks infections breaking out all over the town.

Can't believe any competent doctor can't spot it right off.

Fie Lam Tung they call it (burn appear anywhere).

Moxcillin 500, 50bht from most pharmacy, 2 a day for 5 days, if really bad double dosage.

Plus any antibacterial cream on the infected areas, 2 or 3x a day.

Spotted two cases among pals in the last two weeks, and cured them.

Very easy and cheap to cure if you catch it early.

Never seen it anywhere else in the world, see it here every Songkran when temp and humidity is right.

[Melodies]

A point - if your married to a Thai and you can't pay your medical bill at the hospital the Hospital will come after your family assets and that induces your wife's house if you were lucky enough to marry a girl with one - personally I just couldn't bankrupt my wife because of my health costs - we now live in Cyprus using reciprocal health cover with the UK - best of luck.

[leosurin]

I suppose I am one of those brainless idiots but I have no plans to change. No doubt the insurance companies would have appreciated receiving money from me over the last 40 years or so but I wouldnt have gotten anything out of the bargain. I am in my 60s now and the only insurance I have ever had was for driving but there again I have made no claims.

For some life is a dangerous and unhealthy proposition, only compounded by living in Thailand. I probably spend more time worrying about quality of life and living too long. I personally have no desire to spend time in hospitals or undergo major surgeries. When my time comes, I know I have made the most of the time I have had, and there will be no regrets. I think people should be allowed to make their own decisions, and yes, even their own mistakes.

[Konini]

I don't usually dip my toes into this forum, but was directed by something related.

We are in a bit of a different position from most. We live in Australia. That's what the tax man says. We retired early and travel most of the year. We go to England once it gets warm enough to see family and friends and divert off to Europe or Northern Africa, usually a couple of months in total. We spend a month or two catching our breath back in Australia and spend the rest of the year blobbing around Asia. Most of it in Thailand (retirement based visa so we don't have problems), most of that in Chiang Mai but we burn through passports at a crazy rate and we have dual nationality - flights to Malaysia and Vietnam and Cambodia and Indonesia are less than the price of a good night out and we get bored, so why not. Hence, we live in Australia. We don't spend enough time in any one country to establish residence, and by law we have to be resident of somewhere, so the tax man says we are Australian residents. That means we can get an international, very comprehensive travel insurance worldwide excluding USA (which we have never felt the urge to to to), and I only paid it last week, AU$1,400 which is peanuts in any other currency at the moment due to the Aussie dollar turning back into the South Pacific Peso (AGAIN) for both of us including flight delays and lost luggage that I can't see us ever using, and Air Evac back to Aus where the medical facilities are world class. Back to back policies haven't been a problem for the last 9 years - if they were queried I'd send scans of our UK and Aus passports, both of which never last more than 3 years, and the blurb from the Australian Taxation Office. As even if they did do the dirty on us, Bazza mentioned how cheap a business class flight back to Australia would be where we are resident. The taxman says we are and he is the most power bloke in the country.

We have had lots of little accidents over the last 9 years, several doctor and hospital visits, I had a funny turn a few years ago and spent a night in ICU in a mid range private hospital in Chiang Mai. A couple of CT scans, an MRI and on your way. By the time I'd taken out the $500 excess (could be lower but the policy would cost more) it really wasn't worth the hassle and messing about to claim. Husband had a nasty incident in with a gang of very hard drunk young blokes 6 years ago in Malaysia who though it would be fun to run behind a complete stranger and whack him around the head with a beer bottle a couple of times. 28 stitches (on the second whack the bottle was broken so a lot more on that side), ambulance, heart stopped a couple of times and paddle pops used. A night in a rather crowded but very clean clean public hospital and a fistfull of antibiotics cost less than $200. Again not worth claiming. He was on his motorbike here in Chiang Mai a couple of years ago and hit from behind by a truck - broken collarbone and 4 broken ribs. Again, mid-range private hospital, all xrays straps and slings and follow-up visits and xrays less than $200. My broken wrist cost less than $100 at the same hospital. Minor infected cuts or cuts needing stitches, mere pennies. But the one time we did claim - he slipped getting out of a bath in Turkey, paid for at least 5 years of the premium. Another 29 stitches on his head - seriously, it's like a patchwork quilt and as he's been going bald since his early twenties, it's been shaved every day since then. Emergency doctor, ambulance, brand new private hospital, neurological surgeon called out just in case - lost so much blood they asked if he were taking warfrin (I made sure he knew not to tell them he'd been in a very hot bath for a couple of hours) and several different kinds of xrays. Business class plane flat bed type seat/bed for me with fluffy pillows and top quality sheets, semi gourmet meals for both of us and truly the best medical care I've ever seen anywhere. All of this, and all the insurance company - and they were fantastic on the phone, following up with me on the phone to make sure I was OK because I'd sound a bit stressed when I first phoned them - was a fax with the doctor's preliminary assessment report before they would send confirmation that they were good for the costs. Of course, assessment is code for have you done a blood test and is there any drugs or alcohol in his system - there wasn't, we'd just arrived late the night before on a 28 night stay. He used to moan a bit about insurance being a waste of money, we could always just hop on a plane and get back home, but he's never mentioned it being a waste of money since then. If you return to base every 3 months, the annual policy (all countries are the same) is heaps cheaper, but they only cover you for a maximum trip of 90 days, so if you go back home 4 times a year it wold be worth it. Not worth as much a 4 return airfares of course.

Insurance is a gamble. You're gambling with the insurance company that you're going to need to make a claim. They're gambling on you not having to make one. It's the only form of gambling I approve of. We don't have local health insurance because it's on the US-based age system. We have travel insurance and can get back home if necessary. I say US-based, because I think as has been earlier said that the health insurance thing is mainly a US thing. In Europe I don't think anyone has to have it - you CAN have it if you choose to and more and more people are now getting it in England; when we left there in 1987 it was unheard of apart from the very rich and BUPA was the only name I'd ever heard of. But they all seem to be following this US age thing.

In Australia there are 2 prices for health insurance. Single or Family. Of course there are lots of variations and addition depending how many bells you want and how loud you want your whistle to sound, and for reasons I don't quite understand there are minor differences depending on which state you live in, but essentially at each level of benefits there are 2 prices. One for single people and one for couples. Many, I think most, insurance companies are actually, or were, friendly societys, or not for profit. You have to put your date of birth on the application form but that's pretty standard for identifying purposes. Your date of birth makes absolutely no difference to the price you pay. I think this regulation is one of the best thought out policies ever put in place. The only variation to this is travel insurance, if you're over 70 you may have to pay a little extra and fill in an extra form detailing conditions and over 75 the price starts to go up at a very rapid rate. But for ordinary run of the mill health insurance - and in Australia you don't have to have health insurance, the system has looked after millions of people pretty well over the years - whether you have the most basic or the most fancy expensive policy which includes cosmetic surgery and aromatherapy (I'm not kidding), you will pay the same price until the day you die at 107.

In other countries I can see why people would not want to have health insurance, and I really do feel for those who are over 70 and literally can't afford it, but I also feel that those people may be better served by going back home if they are struck with a serious condition or have a stroke or something. Even US has Obamacare now, which I don't pretend to fully understand, but know it will help the less well off and ensure that they get the care they need. Having a debilitating illness in a developing country with poor hospital quality is not only doing you no favours, it's putting a burden on the people of that country where in most cases you have never paid income tax to contribute to the system.

Maybe a harsh view, maybe 'easy for you to say'. To me it's just common sense.

And if you think this was long and rambling, don't get me started on tourists who leave the comfort of their homes without having health insurance that covers medical and Air Evac. It costs about the same as a good night out. These are very, very selfish people in my opinion. I'd say let them rot for months in a horrible, unairconditioned bush government hospital, but then the taxpayer of that country will be footing the bill and that wouldn't be fair. Perhaps a system of their own government paying the bill (only at unairconditioined government hospitals) and then taking the money from them when they get back home. On the dole? You can pay it off $50 a week - if that doesn't leave you enough money for your beer or ciggies, though sh!t! Shoulda thought about it sooner.

[Rob8891]

She doesn't often post here, but when she does, just make sure you get comfy before starting to read!!

Thanks, Konini. Long time no see, since the residence near CM Gate. Hope you're both OK. There is one company in the UK (may be more, but I never found them if so) that does annual travel insurance policies, so if you're heading back that way, Google will be your friend.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Rob8891

[dick dasterdly]

OP, a weeeee story about Trans...

When my world collapsed in the UK I just wanted someone to put me in a box and bury me.......

Then I thought...Feeeeeeeerk it, to old to worry about a perfect life, yes l could have stayed in the UK locked up in a room looking out the window till l popped off...........Nooooo, not me.........

Got on a plane with a few quid l had and TRIED stuff, didn't give a shit.......

Now ten years on I still have a smile, the worms ain't got me yet, my wife's offspring, with my help, have a secure future and will probably take care of me if a big problem...BUT, if they don't l don't give a shit...No, l have through my own gamble been OK....Lucky, perhaps, but Trans is not a couch potato, l still lift weights to exercise my old ticker and drink a beer......BUT, I don't drive a bike, one risk gone, try not to get into fights, risk gone..

The only risk I take is singing songs to the locals.......... ...............

Same here (about the emboldened part), but it happened to me shortly after moving to Thailand.

Driving a scooter here used to be one of my 'loves' of living here, but I agree that nowadays there are too many loonies about.

Being tone deaf, I only once got drunk enough to sing to others - and thankfully for everyone here, that happened in the Philippines .

Getting back on topic - thanks to the OP for the thread, I'm sure its given all of us a good laugh!

[neverdie]

I too agree that anyone over 70 finds it difficult to purchase affordable travel insurance. What I object to is to tourists who head over to Thailand for their cheap two week holiday, and brag about the fact that they don't have travel insurance. Then the sh1t hits the fan, and they find themselves laid up in a Thai hospital. Inevitably, their relatives back home have to bail them out. It's a joke. If people can't afford travel insurance, they should be precluded from travelling.

These dipsh1ts should have the sense to see they should not travel anywhere without insurance. What is even more worrying is when a habitual tourist who is a very knowledgeable Thailand expert (allegedly). He fell off his hired scooter and acquired some impressive scrapes on a highway some distance from where he was staying. Some of the cuts and gouges to his lower limbs and feet were quite deep (the fool only wore flipflops when riding the scooter).

Did he get taken off in an ambulance? No, he did not.

Did he go to a hospital ER? No, he did not.

Injured and in shock, he rode the scooter back to the hotel where he was staying and got help from the hotel staff. After five days in his hotel room he emerged patched up and still in considerable pain, not unsurprisingly. Anyway, he was lucky; he was able to go back to his own country at the end of his holiday without too much difficulty; many uninsured can't.

Why did he not go straight to an ER when reaching the first town or city on his route? Surely, this would have been one of the first actions of someone who had accident / health insurance?

What would have happened if he had been left incapacitated at the roadside, or if hed contracted a serious infection from his intimate contact with the road?

Surely a 'worldly-wise' Thailand 'expert' wouldnt travel without adequate medical cover, would he? Oh c'mon, he wouldn't, would he??

I know of this exact story, I spoke to one of the guys that saw the accident happen. Apparently when he fell from the bike he looked like a beach ball bouncing down the roadway.

What a fool but a funny story never the less.

That guys mum has the wonga........

She certainly produces low quality offspring, that's a certain,

I guess these people are produced to buy junk food and make average people look genius like.

Imagine her say, "So proud of my son, the cheap rug salesman"

Poor woman.

[Konini]

Oh yeah, me likes a ramble. I don't claim to be a meandering member just because my husband tells people that I don't walk, I meander; my mind meanders a lot more than my feet. I have some serious back problems and occasionally have to take some very serious pain medication. At such times, my username should be changed to something I remember my dad singing to me so many times when I was little as it was one of his favourite songs; Rambling Rose. That thought, or the words that inspired that thought has brought back a lovely memory for me and has moved my already very chilled moved up several notches. Thank you. And yes, long time no see.

The problem with travel insurance companies from UK is that they would evacuate us back to UK not Australia where we have much better facilities. Not a boast, just a simple fact - we lived in England for 20-odd years and Australia for almost 20-odd years and we still, officially, live there now. So sayeth the taxman and he's the big boss - and in case anyone who doesn't know me, most of our investments are in Australia we still pay our taxes in Australia, so we're not trying to cheat the system or get something we're not entitled to, and I'm really not too fussed about the fact that we pay tax. We earn money, we pay tax. That's the way the world goes round. Of course, I'll pay as little as I need to, but if I've earned money I have to pay it - that's how societies work. In return I expect my government to look after my interests by not letting banking and investing regulations get out of hand, provide a military to protect the country if need be and provide fair and equitable law and order. I don't object to paying tax. If nobody paid tax where would we be? Not saying I smile a happy smile when I get a tax bill, but that's just the way it goes. Has to be paid. Far too many people living overseas are under the radar and not paying taxes on the income they make to live on. None of my business, do whatever you want to do. I like to think of myself as a moral and honest person (I'm not a Christian or a believer in any religion). I do believe in karma though, and every night when my head hits the pillow I fall asleep straight away, knowing that I haven't knowingly hurt anyone and been a good member of the kind of society I would like to belong to.

Anyway, I meandered a bit there of track there, but we've been through the health care systems of both countries for various ailments and know from experience that the Medicare system in Australia is much better than the NHS, but the private health insurance sector in Australia is a million times better in terms of hospitals being more like 5 star hotels than hospitals and they all have the latest and the best equipment. We both know that if either of us develops a serious illness that wouldn't be covered by travel insurance, we fly straight back to Aus not UK.

Another thing that not a lot of people know is the motorbike clause. In all of the Australian travel insurance policies you are fully covered providing you are in compliance with local laws. That means helmet on if that's what the local law says, zero alcohol if that's what the local law says, and one that gets a lot of people is the licence. Here in Thailand you need and International Permit as well as your home licence, fair enough, but where most people fall down is that you have to have passed your motorbike test in your home country and your International Permit says that you have passed your motorbike test. But as long as you're in compliance with laws, you're covered. I haven't seen a single policy in UK that covers motorbikes. I've even read the small print (I used to be paid to write small print to catch people out, but it was from a non profit making organisation so my karma came out even) on some policies and you weren't covered if you were a passenger on a motorbike. Even if the rider was a local and qualified one at that doing everything in a totally legal manner, the tourist, as a passenger wouldn't be insured. When we went to Turkey we asked about hiring a bike and the Brit Expat who owed the business mumbled something about insurance and I said no worries, we're covered and he said no you're not and we got into this real argument - I tried to walk away a few times. I told him we lived in Aus and Aus policies are different and we are covered as long as we don't do anything illegal. No, you might think you are but you're not. Because of the difference in conditions between Aus and UK I sent a very legalese worded email, asking the sender to quote my message in full in the reply so that there could be no misunderstandings which asked for confirmation that we were covered for any accidents or liability related to motorbikes, and it took a couple of goes to get the droid on the other end to understand that I wanted my message quoted in full when he confirmed that we were indeed covered apart from road or track racing, which is legal in some cases (Isle of Man, some race tracks) but would never be covered, but I got it. Just to be sure, to satisfy myself that I was on top of things. He got really nasty, just wouldn't let me (a woman - he was that type) prove him wrong. I seriously was trying to walk away from him, I was on holiday, I didn't care. Meh.

Time for another painkiller.

[Konini]

OP, a weeeee story about Trans...

When my world collapsed in the UK I just wanted someone to put me in a box and bury me.......

Then I thought...Feeeeeeeerk it, to old to worry about a perfect life, yes l could have stayed in the UK locked up in a room looking out the window till l popped off...........Nooooo, not me.........

Got on a plane with a few quid l had and TRIED stuff, didn't give a shit.......

Now ten years on I still have a smile, the worms ain't got me yet, my wife's offspring, with my help, have a secure future and will probably take care of me if a big problem...BUT, if they don't l don't give a shit...No, l have through my own gamble been OK....Lucky, perhaps, but Trans is not a couch potato, l still lift weights to exercise my old ticker and drink a beer......BUT, I don't drive a bike, one risk gone, try not to get into fights, risk gone..

The only risk I take is singing songs to the locals.......... ...............

Good on you. Seriously, good on you. Different people have different versions of world collapse, for some financial, for others bereavement, for others a health crisis, but it whatever the collapse - and I'm not trying to be nosey or wanting you to tell me anything - it would have been easy to just lock yourself away and wait to die. But you didn't.

And look at you you now! Your post is the kind that can make a huge difference to someone feeling suicidal, maybe someone horribly unhappy after their particular world collapse will read this and be inspired to get of their backside. I like to think at least one person will.

Good on you

(And think yourself lucky you're not in the Philippines where people are regularly shot at karaoke bars for singing badly. In one province, My Way has been banned because there were 7 My Way related deaths in a short time period. True story.)

[BritManToo]

OP, a weeeee story about Trans...

When my world collapsed in the UK I just wanted someone to put me in a box and bury me.......

Then I thought...Feeeeeeeerk it, to old to worry about a perfect life, yes l could have stayed in the UK locked up in a room looking out the window till l popped off...........Nooooo, not me.........

Got on a plane with a few quid l had and TRIED stuff, didn't give a shit.......

Good on you. Seriously, good on you. Different people have different versions of world collapse, for some financial, for others bereavement, for others a health crisis, but it whatever the collapse - and I'm not trying to be nosey or wanting you to tell me anything - it would have been easy to just lock yourself away and wait to die. But you didn't.

My world collapse was my former wife (of 20 years) reporting me to the police for some imagined crime nearly every day.

Woman attacked, she would be down the station to say it was me. Peeping tom, must have been me.

Or I was stalking her, or I was stalking my children, or threatening her, an endless series of accusations.

Police would pick me up each time, question me, release me.

Now if I had locked myself in a room, I wouldn't have any alibi, so I had to be with someone 24/7.

In the end it was easier to move abroad. Harder for them to pick me up and question me.

Harder for them to claim it might have been me when I had a witness to say I was on the other side of the world.

Still didn't stop her reporting my 80+ year old parents for planning to kill her, police tried to search their house a couple of times. Police got tired of the game in the end, but did pay me an out of court amount for harassment.

[dick dasterdly]

OP, a weeeee story about Trans...

When my world collapsed in the UK I just wanted someone to put me in a box and bury me.......

Then I thought...Feeeeeeeerk it, to old to worry about a perfect life, yes l could have stayed in the UK locked up in a room looking out the window till l popped off...........Nooooo, not me.........

Got on a plane with a few quid l had and TRIED stuff, didn't give a shit.......

Now ten years on I still have a smile, the worms ain't got me yet, my wife's offspring, with my help, have a secure future and will probably take care of me if a big problem...BUT, if they don't l don't give a shit...No, l have through my own gamble been OK....Lucky, perhaps, but Trans is not a couch potato, l still lift weights to exercise my old ticker and drink a beer......BUT, I don't drive a bike, one risk gone, try not to get into fights, risk gone..

The only risk I take is singing songs to the locals.......... ...............

Good on you. Seriously, good on you. Different people have different versions of world collapse, for some financial, for others bereavement, for others a health crisis, but it whatever the collapse - and I'm not trying to be nosey or wanting you to tell me anything - it would have been easy to just lock yourself away and wait to die. But you didn't.

And look at you you now! Your post is the kind that can make a huge difference to someone feeling suicidal, maybe someone horribly unhappy after their particular world collapse will read this and be inspired to get of their backside. I like to think at least one person will.

Good on you

(And think yourself lucky you're not in the Philippines where people are regularly shot at karaoke bars for singing badly. In one province, My Way has been banned because there were 7 My Way related deaths in a short time period. True story.)

I never mentioned that I was dealing with an incurable disease too....Mega drugs to contain it... LOS climate sort of fixed it....No drugs....My gamble paid off big time....

Happy bunny that has not forgot trauma, that is in my head every day, do not forget..

Oh, I sang My Way on Wednesday.....I can do it with no fear of an ambulance...

The only person who could sing My Way properly (apart from Sinatra obviously), was my dad !