Mum’s plea after ‘big-hearted’ son, 29, who rescues Thai dogs, struck with brain tumour and needs £15,000 to fly home

[Andrew65]

1 hour ago, hobobo said:

He should have taken out insurance 4 years ago before coming to Thailand. He had cancer treatment 2 years ago, and provided he stayed with the same insurer, his subsequent premiums wouldn't have been affected.

I lived for nearly 20 years (nothing pre-existing) in Thailand with no medical insurance, by chance, I never got into this kind of situation. I would've have been about the same age as this guy at the start, it's a gamble.

 

Then again, most of the farang I've known in Thailand never had a problem either.

 

Hope this works out ok for him.

[Baerboxer]

6 hours ago, car720 said:

someone please enlighten me as to what insurance everyone is talking about?  Not Travel Insurance, that's for sure.  Does anyone seriously believe that a Thai insurance company would pay up?

 

Yes. Thai Life certainly would and have done, IME.

[Baerboxer]

21 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

He got a NHS insurance. So it's just the ticket to fly home. 

Why the heck his mum is begging for money?? 

 

 

He's been here since 2014. Not entitled to free treatment under NHS.

[sawadee1947]

10 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

He's been here since 2014. Not entitled to free treatment under NHS.

Bad Luck. Now he has to suffer. His mom can go for a loan but not begging and bothering people to pay for stupidity. 

[Baerboxer]

Just now, sawadee1947 said:

Bad Luck. Now he has to suffer. His mom can go for a loan but not begging and bothering people to pay for stupidity. 

 

Yep. Begging and bothering in cases like this is another phenomenon of social media we can do without. Sorry for his predicament but he should have taken out insurance 4 years ago.

[ronaldo0]

43 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

He got a NHS insurance. So it's just the ticket to fly home. 

Why the heck his mum is begging for money?? 

 

I think they are looking for donations to pay the costs he has racked up in hospital here rather than the flight home. Although I would think the UK will possibly bill him if he goes there for treatment.

[kannot]

1 hour ago, Tony125 said:

Starting on pages 2-3 of this post you will see a number of persons who said they went home every 6--12 months to take out a new travel insurance policy that covered from anywhere from 6 ----12 months outside the country.  Even having  a Gold or Platinum MC gives you 3-(Gold)  6 --( Platinum)  months of free travel coverage. Cheap standard EU travel insurance only covers short term but you can buy longer term policy. Same as health insurance , my policy (USA) covers me wherever I travel or live in the world. 

and if  u  look  closer i said it states in all i have read for the UK that u must have been resident for 6  months in your home country and  still be a uk resident even mention having a UK address, you can get 12-24  months  cover if u can follow those rules also that your ticket out of that country must start and end in that country.

[kannot]

33 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

He's been here since 2014. Not entitled to free treatment under NHS.

he is if he goes back and shows he plans to stay back in the UK, he can get it

[hobobo]

50 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

I lived for nearly 20 years (nothing pre-existing) in Thailand with no medical insurance, by chance, I never got into this kind of situation. I would've have been about the same age as this guy at the start, it's a gamble.

 

Then again, most of the farang I've known in Thailand never had a problem either.

 

Hope this works out ok for him.

I've not been here as long as you have, but one of the first things I did when I retired here about 12 years ago was to get adequate medical cover, the best I could afford (my employer paid medical insurance when I was working). I agree that most people never get into this kind of situation; I've even heard expats saying that health insurance is "money down the drain", but for me it bought me a peace of mind and knowledge that I'll never have to pray that someone would start begging process back home.

 

I hope that the guy fully recovers and gets medical insurance if he wants to stay in Thailand - though this will now be limited in aspects covered.

[Arkady]

The GBP100k costs refer to the cost of being medevaced back to the UK but he has unpaid hospital bills apart from that and has been recommended to have an operation that would cost GBP3,500. It seems like the crowd funding could pay his outstanding bills. Maybe his condition could stabilize enough to return on a normal flight. I hope so. Otherwise his best chance might be to transfer to a government hospital and try to raise enough for the medevac flight home. Back in the UK he could also face a bill, if the NHS is aware he has been residing overseas for 4 years and has not re-established 6 months residence.

 

Obviously he could not have bought continuous travel insurance that would provided emergency medevac for 4 years. Medical insurance bought in Thailand or in the UK would not have covered an existing condition, cancer, assuming he could have found any company that would cover him.

[Odysseus123]

47 minutes ago, hobobo said:

I've not been here as long as you have, but one of the first things I did when I retired here about 12 years ago was to get adequate medical cover, the best I could afford (my employer paid medical insurance when I was working). I agree that most people never get into this kind of situation; I've even heard expats saying that health insurance is "money down the drain", but for me it bought me a peace of mind and knowledge that I'll never have to pray that someone would start begging process back home.

 

I hope that the guy fully recovers and gets medical insurance if he wants to stay in Thailand - though this will now be limited in aspects covered.

The  intention appears to be to get him home.

[car720]

6 hours ago, graeme64 said:

what a stupid comment - should we pay for food??? more important than healthcare. what about shelter - why we paying for that?? cant not get to work with out transport why am i paying for that? healthcover is CHEAP and afordable - this coverage would be FREE in the UK - he CHOSE to move to Thailand - if he could not afford health cover - he could NOT afford to live here. Simple.  

Not quite true unfortunately.  It goes to show just how different folks are.  The reason why I made the post in the first place is because I have lived in South East Asia and China for about 40 years, indicating that I can afford to live here, but I have never been able to afford insurance and to be quite frank I had never even heard of any of the many companies that I am being told about now.  While there are SOME expats who come down here on a job with their company and receive salaries. there are by far many more who come here for adventure and a different lifestyle.  Many of these don't make much more money than the Thais but still they soldier on.  No wussies in that lot.

[car720]

5 hours ago, moe666 said:

Most of the insurance companies that provide health insurance to farangs are european with offices here in Thailand or like AIA an American insurance.

I stand corrected.

[car720]

5 hours ago, hobobo said:

If he took out insurance with an international company such as Bupa (now Aetna) when he first arrived in Thailand, his premiums aged 25 would be laughably small. And for your second point, a friend of mine was recently admitted to the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital and his Thai insurance company paid 85 percent of his total bill.

perhaps this insurance taking thing is an American thing.  As a previous poster points out, if he was in England he would be automatically covered, the same in Australia and I believe New Zealand.  I have never in my life taken insurance and I am too old to care now.  I am not in a hurry to die but I will be glad when I am dead. 

[sambum]

10 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

Once you've already had cancer once your chances of getting any kind of cheap insurance are pretty low.

 

And even if you're relatively healthy - you try to get a "relatively cheap insurance" once you pass 70 - or even 60!

[bkk6060]

I have a good Bupa plan.

Most of the people I know have nothing.

I think it is very irresponsible, cheap and lack of respect for oneself not to get it.

I tell them when they get in a crash on their motorbike don't come crying to me with some Go Fund Me BS.  I will give 1 b...

 

[bkk6060]

8 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

And even if you're relatively healthy - you try to get a "relatively cheap insurance" once you pass 70 - or even 60!

Then it is a look in the mirror choice.

Either go back home or stay here and risk going broke.

I do not blame this place for not wanting to insure a bunch of people who generally do not take care of themselves and are a liability to the system.

[car720]

3 hours ago, PEE TEE said:

I have Thai health insurance . been here for over 10 years . 5 years ago had accident 494.000 thb that payed with no problems . last week i just came out of hospital with a stomach infection stayed in hospital for 5 nights  total cost 66.000 that pays up with no problem. even sent me a text to say get well soon . so hope this helps . bearing in mind i am 70 and is renewable for life.  at a cost. next premium will be around 130.000 b for the year in my mind is well worth it.   

This is where I get bamboozled.  I also have had stomach infections several times in Thailand but have never had to stay in hospital.  I went to the hospital and paid some very small amount, less than 100 baht plus the cost of antibiotics at a pharmacy and that was it but many others here have commented about the millions they have paid.  I just don't see how.  Sorry.

[bkk6060]

2 minutes ago, car720 said:

This is where I get bamboozled.  I also have had stomach infections several times in Thailand but have never had to stay in hospital.  I went to the hospital and paid some very small amount, less than 100 baht plus the cost of antibiotics at a pharmacy and that was it but many others here have commented about the millions they have paid.  I just don't see how.  Sorry.

5 nights in the hospital he probably needed IV antibiotics.

That being said, Thais are the biggest abusers of the hospital/emergency I have ever seen in my life.  A cold or runny nose they go to the hospital. Why? I will never get it...

[car720]

1 minute ago, bkk6060 said:

5 nights in the hospital he probably needed IV antibiotics.

That being said, Thais are the biggest abusers of the hospital/emergency I have ever seen in my life.  A cold or runny nose they go to the hospital. Why? I will never get it...

You should visit the hospital in China some time.  They are the biggest pussies in the world.  

[wotsdermatter]

On 9/28/2018 at 6:30 PM, smedly said:

so he needs a wheelchair, are people in wheelchairs barred from flights - I don't think so, what is stopping his mother or someone else making the trip and escorting him on the flight home normal fares all round, there are many disabled people fly on planes. Unless he needs assisted breathing or some other medical attention. 

Yes ok so he is ill - but is he really so ill he can't be assisted on and off a plane

 

You are correct,  When I travel by plane, which is often, I always book wheelchair assistance as I experience difficulty with walking, especially the distances that are often encountered at airports.  It actually works in my favour because I usually circumvent the long lines at Immigration.

 

'nuf sed

[cat handler]

9 hours ago, car720 said:

someone please enlighten me as to what insurance everyone is talking about?  Not Travel Insurance, that's for sure.  Does anyone seriously believe that a Thai insurance company would pay up?

 

Try using Google, it’s called Ex-pat Insurance. 

[cat handler]

52 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

And even if you're relatively healthy - you try to get a "relatively cheap insurance" once you pass 70 - or even 60!

 

Thats fair enough, you really don’t need insurance once your past 70 because if you get sick you will most probably die anyway.

[faraday]

2 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

Thats fair enough, you really don’t need insurance once your past 70 because if you get sick you will most probably die anyway.

 

What a load of complete rubbish.

[hobobo]

42 minutes ago, car720 said:

perhaps this insurance taking thing is an American thing.  As a previous poster points out, if he was in England he would be automatically covered, the same in Australia and I believe New Zealand.  I have never in my life taken insurance and I am too old to care now.  I am not in a hurry to die but I will be glad when I am dead. 

Insurance is not an "American thing", but you are right that if a UK national gets sick in the UK he is automatically covered by the NHS. Same I believe for Australians in Australia, Germans in Germany etc. But an Englishman is not treated for free anywhere in the world unless he has travel insurance (for tourists) or health insurance (for expats) for the country where he/she resides. The exception is the EU where all countries have bilateral cover. After Brexit the English would also have to pay within EU unless they take out insurance. My Aetna (former Bupa in Thailand) insurance covers me for all countries except the US. It is not really cheap, but for the equivalent of just over 3 beers a day I have full cover worldwide - when I present it like this people usually agree that it's worth it for the peace of mind alone! 

 

I'm glad that you've had good innings so far, and I hope you live to a venerable old age!

[cat handler]

Who cares, he took the risk, took a gamble and lost. Now it’s up to him and his family to pay the ferrie man, not a single Baht from me because I prefer to save it and use it to pay for Health Insurance. 

[hottrader77]

On 9/29/2018 at 11:27 AM, BestB said:

 

Define living, if you return home and take out s new policy every 6 or 12 months, each new policy is valid as you travelling.

 And I used mine for major shoulder surgery, all covered.

 

now I could not use it as I Am no longer a resident of my home country, been away for too long, but first about 5 years was ok as I was often traveling back home

living in another country does not involve returning every 6 to 12 months thats it defined !!  british insurance will not cover you if you live overseas for longer than 6 months fact , you have to keep coming back to renew it , thats what he should have done or a better solution is get insured over in thailand any case insurers are known for not paying out if your stuck over there , should always keep 50,000 pounds in the bank in case you need it 

[ttrd]

9 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

That's what Bangkok hospital on koh samui charges, transfer him to government hospital in Nathon and cut the cost to a fraction. 

 

....and face accommodation similar to 1 star hostel including tempered tap water and a cup of rice twice a day - yes its cheaper in every sense including the quality of the healthcare personnel.....

[BestB]

35 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

living in another country does not involve returning every 6 to 12 months thats it defined !!  british insurance will not cover you if you live overseas for longer than 6 months fact , you have to keep coming back to renew it , thats what he should have done or a better solution is get insured over in thailand any case insurers are known for not paying out if your stuck over there , should always keep 50,000 pounds in the bank in case you need it 

Fact there is no such a thing as British insurance . There is travel insurance and health insurance . Insurance can be provided by any company , entire world does not revolve around Britain

[PEE TEE]

1 hour ago, car720 said:

This is where I get bamboozled.  I also have had stomach infections several times in Thailand but have never had to stay in hospital.  I went to the hospital and paid some very small amount, less than 100 baht plus the cost of antibiotics at a pharmacy and that was it but many others here have commented about the millions they have paid.  I just don't see how.  Sorry.

i understand what your saying i do my best to stay away from hospitals . i went over 2 weeks trying to get better and all failed i was worried about dehydration .as i was going about 15 times a day and had not eaten for 5 days as it came back up . on those basis i admitted myself . normally i would go clinic or pharmacy i did both but it was a nasty one .hope that helps