Ex-British Airways worker in Thailand balcony plunge returns home

[webfact]

Ian Mitchell-Barnes

 

The family of Ian Mitchell-Barnes launched a £10k appeal to bring him home after he was critically injured when he fell from a sixth floor balcony in Thailand

 

By Jane Tyler

 

A Solihull man who was stranded in hospital in Thailand after falling from a sixth-floor balcony is now back home after a successful fund-raising appeal.

 

Ex- British Airways worker Ian Mitchell-Barnes, aged 56, broke his pelvis, both arms and both legs in the fall, and has already had one foot amputated. He faces losing the other as well.

 

His family and friends launched an appeal to raise £10,000 towards his medical repatriation - and now thanks to people's generosity he is back home.

 

The horror accident happened last October and saw Ian, who is also known as Barney, plunge six floors from a balcony in Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/solihull-ex-british-airways-worker-20564523

 

-- © Copyright Birmingham Live 2021-05-11

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[starky]

Sad story but again another one "stranded" in Thailand, begging to get home. No medical insurance? Or not covered? Doesn't really say. Seems a lot of people who live overseas particularly in SEA have no real interest in their well being.

 I can understand older people who just can't get insured which is rubbish  and short term stayers who veer clear of travel insurance as there is so many things it doesn't cover but to live overseas and not have the best private health cover you can afford is insane. I don't know if that's the case here neither article provides much info about the accident or his hospital stay. Thankfully he is now with family and friends.

[canopus1969]

In 2000 he married a Thai woman and they lived in Smethwick for four years before getting divorced.

He has a 27-year-old son in London from a relationship he had when younger, and a daughter, aged 12, in the Philippines, with a woman in that country.

 

Spread it around a bit !

[Excel]

2 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

In 2000 he married a Thai woman and they lived in Smethwick for four years before getting divorced.

He has a 27-year-old son in London from a relationship he had when younger, and a daughter, aged 12, in the Philippines, with a woman in that country.

 

Spread it around a bit !

Seems a good guy - why make only one women happy when you can make many happy ?  Better to be happy for short times often then  happy for a short time once and miserable for the rest of your life

[Patong2021]

4 minutes ago, Excel said:

Seems a good guy - why make only one women happy when you can make many happy ?  Better to be happy for short times often then  happy for a short time once and miserable for the rest of your life

 

Sure. Doesn't look like any satisfied, happy people from the relationships showed up to help him does it? Anyway, I am not going to pick on the guy, he has enough problems to keep the NHS busy and the UK taxpayers paying for many years to come.

[robblok]

39 minutes ago, starky said:

Sad story but again another one "stranded" in Thailand, begging to get home. No medical insurance? Or not covered? Doesn't really say. Seems a lot of people who live overseas particularly in SEA have no real interest in their well being.

 I can understand older people who just can't get insured which is rubbish  and short term stayers who veer clear of travel insurance as there is so many things it doesn't cover but to live overseas and not have the best private health cover you can afford is insane. I don't know if that's the case here neither article provides much info about the accident or his hospital stay. Thankfully he is now with family and friends.

Why can you understand it for older people. They are in fact more at risk then younger to get into a hospital and end up in trouble.

 

I got crusified when i said one should have a health insurance in this country (or be insured under the Thai system through a job or family). Health insurance is important if you can't afford it should you really be here. Either you bankrupt yourself or expect the underfunded Thai healthcare to pay for it.

 

Pre covid many seemed to be of the mindset if something happens i fly home. Now that is a lot harder.

[Shuya]

Insurance or money in the bank does not seem like a concept many British seem to grasp. If you spend your money on booze and birds and not on insurance, sorry buddy. 

[Chelseafan]

48 minutes ago, starky said:

Sad story but again another one "stranded" in Thailand, begging to get home. No medical insurance? Or not covered? Doesn't really say. Seems a lot of people who live overseas particularly in SEA have no real interest in their well being.

 I can understand older people who just can't get insured which is rubbish  and short term stayers who veer clear of travel insurance as there is so many things it doesn't cover but to live overseas and not have the best private health cover you can afford is insane. I don't know if that's the case here neither article provides much info about the accident or his hospital stay. Thankfully he is now with family and friends.

 

The problem with insurance policies is that they have so many non payout clauses that they are almost worthless.

For example, I checked the small-print on my last policy and it states that it may not pay out if I have been drinking. It doesn't state how much, having said that I always insure myself on the off-chance that if I do require medical intervention my alochol level  is within "limits" ????

 

[Bluespunk]

43 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

In 2000 he married a Thai woman and they lived in Smethwick for four years before getting divorced.

He has a 27-year-old son in London from a relationship he had when younger, and a daughter, aged 12, in the Philippines, with a woman in that country.

 

Spread it around a bit !

Two children is hardly excessive. 

[richard_smith237]

What happens when a fully insured person has an accident, i.e. falls off a 4th story balcony when drunk?

 

Does the insurance argue that as the accident happened while under the influence that cover is void?

[starky]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

What happens when a fully insured person has an accident, i.e. falls off a 4th story balcony when drunk?

 

Does the insurance argue that as the accident happened while under the influence that cover is void?

If they can prove you were under the influence your policy will be voided is my understanding. Which in most cases is understandable why would insurance cover you being drunk and having an accident lol

Edited May 11, 2021 by starky

[baansgr]

18 minutes ago, Shuya said:

Insurance or money in the bank does not seem like a concept many British seem to grasp. If you spend your money on booze and birds and not on insurance, sorry buddy. 

It's because we have the best health system in the world and although not indirectly free, care is always available...it's a new concept to have to pay...unlike poorer backward thinking countries that make their citizens have insurance, it's 2nd nature to them to have it

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, baansgr said:

It's because we have the best health system in the world and although not indirectly free, care is always available...it's a new concept to have to pay...unlike poorer backward thinking countries that make their citizens have insurance, it's 2nd nature to them to have it

I think its then pretty stupid of Brits that when they go to an other country they don't think about it. My own country has free healthcare to. But because we pay for an insurance and part from our salary we know healthcare is not free.

 

But its just a big oversight moving to an other country and not thinking of healthcare. 

Edited May 11, 2021 by robblok

[tgw]

other media say this fall was a failed suicide attempt - why is presented as an accident ?

[Ventenio]

This dude should get the same treatment as peter, paul or harry.....oh i don't know there names.   was it harry that went to America??  

 

who paid for that trip and his million dollar house?

 

taxpayers.

 

harry has or had like 10 bodyguads at millions per year.......taxpayers

 

and everyone one else.....you think they eat McD's all day????

 

cavier for the dogs, probably.   taxpayers.

 

so give this guy a break....no pun.  

[Chivas]

22 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Two children is hardly excessive. 

 

I was going to say my 5 children from 4 mothers was a tad out of order lol  ????

[robblok]

22 minutes ago, Chivas said:

 

I was going to say my 5 children from 4 mothers was a tad out of order lol  ????

Not if you take care of all of them. Personally 0 kids never plan on having them either.

[scammed]

1 hour ago, starky said:

Sad story but again another one "stranded" in Thailand, begging to get home. No medical insurance? Or not covered? Doesn't really say. Seems a lot of people who live overseas particularly in SEA have no real interest in their well being.

 I can understand older people who just can't get insured which is rubbish  and short term stayers who veer clear of travel insurance as there is so many things it doesn't cover but to live overseas and not have the best private health cover you can afford is insane. I don't know if that's the case here neither article provides much info about the accident or his hospital stay. Thankfully he is now with family and friends.

i have old injuries, any insurance i take wont be covering those that already happened, why on earth would i take an insurance

[starky]

3 minutes ago, scammed said:

i have old injuries, any insurance i take wont be covering those that already happened, why on earth would i take an insurance

Well yes entirely your prerogative. Perhaps you would want to take some sort of insurance for all the multitude of things that may happen that don't include your pre existing injuries? Not sure everyone is different. Maybe everyone who has a reason not to be insured could message me individually as well and explain their particular predicament. 

[starky]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Why can you understand it for older people. They are in fact more at risk then younger to get into a hospital and end up in trouble.

 

I got crusified when i said one should have a health insurance in this country (or be insured under the Thai system through a job or family). Health insurance is important if you can't afford it should you really be here. Either you bankrupt yourself or expect the underfunded Thai healthcare to pay for it.

 

Pre covid many seemed to be of the mindset if something happens i fly home. Now that is a lot harder.

Read the whole sentence mate. I said I think it's rubbish that older people find it hard to get insured.  ???? 

[robblok]

1 minute ago, starky said:

Read the whole sentence mate. I said I think it's rubbish that older people find it hard to get insured.  ???? 

Thanks i misread, my mistake. Seems im not as good at reading as i thought. I usually get it right. Thanks I concur with your opinion. Its not hard but it is expensive when older.

[Sheryl]

23 minutes ago, scammed said:

i have old injuries, any insurance i take wont be covering those that already happened, why on earth would i take an insurance

Because of all the things that have not already happened. Since some of them likely will in future.

 

 

[orchis]

More to the point: 
"A 56 year old Briton is appealing to be repatriated after surviving an attempted suicide, falling from a 6-storey balcony here in Thailand. The family of the man is trying to raise £10,000 to fly him home, after he has been stuck in a Thai hospital recovering from his injuries. He has no insurance, and before the accident, he has suffered from chronic diabetes."

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

I got crusified when i said one should have a health insurance in this country (or be insured under the Thai system through a job or family). Health insurance is important if you can't afford it should you really be here. Either you bankrupt yourself or expect the underfunded Thai healthcare to pay for it.

You forgot ......... or you die.

Old people die every day in every country in the world, insured or not.

Death is part of life, as an old person I expect to die quite soon, I don't need insurance or doctors to drag my ending out.

 

Diabetes is one of the nastier progressive diseases, poor chap.

It's just my opinion, but maybe it would have been better to have just ..........

 

I have no interest in health insurance, but a large dose of morphine to help me on my way would seem like a more reasonable investment, to remove any lingering pain at the end.

But no, I can't buy my $50 morphine, instead I need to spend $$$$$$s on insurance I don't want, or risk a balcony jump.

Edited May 11, 2021 by BritManToo

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You forgot ......... or you die.

Old people die every day in every country in the world, insured or not.

Death is part of life, as an old person I expect to die quite soon, I don't need insurance or doctors to drag my ending out.

 

Diabetes is one of the nastier progressive diseases, poor chap.

It's just my opinion, but maybe it would have been better to have just ..........

Sure but most people are not like you they don't give up that easy they cling to life. I am thinking more in line with you though dying because of diabetes is a bit too much you can manage it quite well. I would prefer to die too with certain diseases instead of going to a hospital. Researched my way out already. But for stuff you can recover from relatively ok an insurance is a good thing.

[thasoss]

2 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Spread it around a bit !

well he did work for british airways.

[thasoss]

40 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Because of all the things that have not already happened. Since some of them likely will in future.

yes good point.

[RichardColeman]

Simple say 1000 baht fee on entry for health care for all tourist whilst in Thailand would end these issues.

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

In 2000 he married a Thai woman and they lived in Smethwick for four years before getting divorced.

He has a 27-year-old son in London from a relationship he had when younger, and a daughter, aged 12, in the Philippines, with a woman in that country.

 

Spread it around a bit !

One wife and 2 girlfriends is hardly spreading it around.

[phantom51red]

2 hours ago, tgw said:

other media say this fall was a failed suicide attempt - why is presented as an accident ?

That is correct ive read elsewhere.