English woman, 68, fights for life in Phuket hospital after car accident kills son, husband

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English woman, 68, fights for life in Phuket hospital after car accident kills son, husband

The Phuket News

 

The casket of Rose’s husband, Arthur Weatherill, at the his funeral. To the right is a photo of her son David, also killed in the accident. Photo: Gary Libby / Weboon

 

PHUKET: -- An appeal to Thailand’s expat community has been launched to raise donations for 68-year-old Rose Weatherill, from England, who is fighting for her life at a hospital in Phuket from injuries sustained in an accident that killed her son and husband.

 

Gary Libby, a close friend of the family for years, has set up the fundraiser on the Thai crowdfunding platform Weeboon.com.

 

The appeal is to raise funds to help Rose Weatherill back to full health after the tragic accident.

 

“Rose is really fighting for her life in Thailand and we need to give her as much support as we can,” said Mr Libby.

 

“Her son David married his beautiful wife back in 2006 and raised her two children as his own. David’s elderly mother and father came out to Thailand to spend some time with David, his wife and children.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/english-woman-68-fights-for-life-in-phuket-hospital-after-car-accident-kills-son-husband-62420.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-06-02

[chuang]

Why isn't the British embassy helping.. 

[Maejo Man]

2 minutes ago, chuang said:

Why isn't the British embassy helping.. 

The British embassy outsourced everything including sympathy!!

[wirat69]

10 minutes ago, chuang said:

Why isn't the British embassy helping.. 

hahahahahahahahahaha 

[Techno Viking]

So no insurance ?

[Lone Ranger]

49 minutes ago, chuang said:

Why isn't the British embassy helping.. 

British Embassy are not interested.

 

Friend of mine had a severe heart attack last year  & was bed ridden & desperate to be flown back to go back to UK to see his family before dying.

 

Embassy said so sorry not our concern -they are useless sadly.

[BangkokNicky]

1 hour ago, Maejo Man said:

The British embassy outsourced everything including sympathy!!

The FCO promotes the United Kingdom's interests overseas, supporting our citizens and businesses around the globe.

 

[colinneil]

1 hour ago, chuang said:

Why isn't the British embassy helping.. 

Why isnt the British embassy helping, easy answer they cannot make money out of it.

 

After my accident my wife contacted the British embassy for help, they told her to fix the problem yourself, you married him your problem not ours.

[Techno Viking]

1 hour ago, chuang said:

Why isn't the British embassy helping.. 

Why should they help someone that did not have insurance ?

[sgracer]

1 hour ago, Lone Ranger said:

British Embassy are not interested.

 

Friend of mine had a severe heart attack last year  & was bed ridden & desperate to be flown back to go back to UK to see his family before dying.

 

Embassy said so sorry not our concern -they are useless sadly.

 

what are they supposed to do hire a private medevac jet for him?.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Godang]

1 hour ago, Techno Viking said:

So no insurance ?

You get to a certain age and they will not insure you. Those who will charge exorbitant rates.

[Goldieinkathu]

"We would not only be helping Rose but also a Thai family who, through no fault of their own, are now facing the prospect of huge medical bills to cover the cost of this ladys treatment."

 

Is it possible for the team at The Phuket News to clarify this and just give a few more details .

As usual there are no details about who was insured, who wasn't , who's fault it was etc etc.

Not that any of it changes this ladies situation and I will be donating BUT I would at least like to know the whole story . 

I wish Mrs Weatherill a full recovery although I can imagine she must at times wish she'd not survived.

It was heartbreaking to see her picture.

 

 

 

 

[Goldieinkathu]

7 minutes ago, Godang said:

You get to a certain age and they will not insure you. Those who will charge exorbitant rates.

This is simply not true, she is only 68. My mother always gets travel insurance when she comes to Thailand and she's in her 70's.

[BangkokNicky]

Wow 14,200 THB / 1,000,000 THB All this best .. 

[GuiseppeD]

17 minutes ago, Godang said:

You get to a certain age and they will not insure you. Those who will charge exorbitant rates.

Maybe exorbitant but beats having to go cap in hand to the general public.  Notwithstanding, if you can't pay then your level of treatment will be at its most basic.

[cms22]

I have a friend (former colleague) who works at the embassy. She says it's down to the bare bones there. Barely enough staff to cover the basic diplomatic and business areas that are its priority. Help for expats (whatever their predicament) is very much a secondary priority, I'm afraid. Wasn't always thus but the U.K. is no longer in the Premier League of Nations. Sad indeed.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[GuiseppeD]

1 hour ago, Goldieinkathu said:

Is it possible for the team at The Phuket News to clarify this and just give a few more details .

The British press aren't elaborating either, so I suspect that the family haven't clarified whether insurance is in place or not.  I suspect not, hence their reticence.

 

As I've stated already I've previously donated to victims seriously injured in LOS who haven't had insurance coverage, but I have to draw a line otherwise I'd have no money left.  It's just getting ridiculous the amount of people that go abroad without the most basic of health / travel insurance coverage.

 

The British government [i.e. taxpayer] would be bankrupt if we had to settle every medical bill for people that chose to save a few quid on their health / travel insurance.  That's why such insurance companies exist.

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by GuiseppeD

[MarleyMarl]

2 hours ago, Techno Viking said:

Why should they help someone that did not have insurance ?

So pay tax your whole life, husband, son, yourself and your own country can't help you out?

[LivinginKata]

14 minutes ago, MarleyMarl said:

So pay tax your whole life, husband, son, yourself and your own country can't help you out?

 

The UK is broke. Forget any help from the British Embassy anywhere.

[GuiseppeD]

31 minutes ago, MarleyMarl said:

So pay tax your whole life, husband, son, yourself and your own country can't help you out?

Tourists only need to pay the small cost of a single trip travel insurance policy to avoid the disaster that Rose Weatherill is facing.  She has my utmost sympathy, by the way.

 

When compared to the price of flights and spending money outlay then it really is a drop in the ocean.

 

I don't want to be fighting for my life and worrying about the medical bills and repatriation costs, that's if I'm lucky enough to survive.

 

If this post prompts just one person to take out a travel insurance policy for their holiday then it was worth it.

 

The below pictured policy will be renewed in early October to cover my wife and I for another year.  Much cheaper and easier that way.

Edited June 2, 2017 by GuiseppeD

[Jeremy50]

2 hours ago, sgracer said:

 

what are they supposed to do hire a private medevac jet for him?.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, they are not. But they could dispatch someone to help oil the wheels on the road to recovery for those still alive after this tragedy. It would be a gesture of support, and well within their means. However, who would be surprised at their apathy and indifference? I've not heard a good word said about the place for years. They sold the lovely embassy gardens which was a source of pride to any Brit walking past the place 15 years ago, if you want to visit, you have to fight your way past a bunch of hard faced Gurkhars to get inside, only to be met by a posse of Thai staff who hide behind bullet proof glass, and speaker phones. By that time I am usually so dispirited, that I just want to go home, empty handed or not.  Granted, Britain is only tiny compared to what it was 150 years ago, and the near suicidal BREXIT fiasco will only insure that the UK's significance will dwindle to nothing in the coming 10 years. After that we will be on a par with those countries that have no embassy at all in Bangkok.

[GuiseppeD]

12 minutes ago, Jeremy50 said:

But they could dispatch someone to help oil the wheels on the road to recovery for those still alive after this tragedy.

To what extent?  Please elaborate.

 

The onus is on the tourist to read the government's website and understand what they do and what they don't do for citizens travelling abroad.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/health

 

"If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 1669 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment."

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by GuiseppeD

[samsensam]

5 hours ago, chuang said:

Why isn't the British embassy helping.. 

 

do you mean financially? so british tax payers have to pick up the bill for people who dont buy travel  insurance and have an accident? do you mean only the thai embassy should do this or every embassy around the world? if that was the case why would anyone bother buying travel insurance?

 

i'm sure consular support would be made available to communicate with friends and family back home and possibly help with translation. what else should the embassy be doing?

[swanny321]

5 hours ago, Maejo Man said:

The British embassy outsourced everything including sympathy!!

 

    I think they buried sympathy many years ago; alongside the body of Alan Turing.

[Psimbo]

Crowfunding- what about INSURANCE The rest of us seem capable of obtaining it.

[NamKangMan]

2 hours ago, Psimbo said:

Crowfunding- what about INSURANCE The rest of us seem capable of obtaining it.

 

I agree.

 

Whilst the lady has my sympathies, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to come to Thailand.

 

[Ulic]

As it was the fault of the other driver why is their insurance not covering it.

[Techno Viking]

7 hours ago, MarleyMarl said:

So pay tax your whole life, husband, son, yourself and your own country can't help you out?

The home country cannot bail out every pleb that chooses not to ensure they are covered for accidents.

 

 

 

 

[Aussieroaming]

Unfortunate circumstance, best of luck to her

[Ramen087]

@ Giuseppe D --> the bupa insurance you have covers you and your wife when you are traveling outside of thailand, correct??