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So your plan is retire and live in Thailand.


Lanzalad

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So your plan is not to have sickness/accident insurance and move to Thailand and live a normal life until you die in your sleep and then get cremated.

Well we moved back to the UK and i fell sick in the UK and i would hate to think i'd or others have paid for me to get right again.

We have all seen what's happening to Kev in Thailand and other's...!

Here's one, a neighbour of mine while i lived on the dark side, we would often chat cross the road early evening over a few beers...

You see Derek and Gal was living in the UK and both wanted to move back to Thailand where he can live out his life and die in his sleep but in the real world this doesn't happen often.... 

Father, 80, stuck in Thai hospital faces £50,000 bill to get home to the UK

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Derek McGarvie suffered a massive pulmonary embolism and his son says he was shocked his father was left alone on a trolley

In brief

Derek was in a private hospital but bills there eat into his savings

Moved to government hospital but family shocked by conditions

Now back at private hopsital – which will be costly as he was uninsured

The family of an 80-year-old man who fell critically ill while on holiday in Thailand say they need to raise up to £50,000 to bring him back to the UK.

Derek McGarvie suffered a massive pulmonary embolism (PE) almost a month ago and was rushed by ambulance to a private hospital in Pattaya, a resort on the east coast.

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As the pensioner fought for his life on a ventilator, within a week his savings were almost eaten up by the medical bills, and his son Simon decided to transfer him to a cheaper government hospital.

But he claims the facility, 50km in Chon Buri, was ‘not fit to treat animals’ and within 24 hours he moved Derek back to the private hospital – where the bills are mounting up.

Simon, from Milton Keynes, told i: “At the government hospital, he was placed on a trolley, similar to what you’d get in A&E as a temporary measure in the UK, in a room of 50 other very sick people.

“There was cockroaches crawling everywhere and he had no proper bed, no pillow and no sheet to cover his modesty.

“He was left alone without any attention in critical condition – he wasn’t put on a heart monitor and my sister was there all day and a nurse checked on him just once. He is a patient that has just come from intensive care.

“A urine bag was spilt right beside his bed and was just left. It was scary to see.

“I’m sure the staff were doing their best with limited resources but it’s a shock when you’re used to Western treatment.”

Hospital demands £12,000 up front

Derek, a former bookmaker, is married to a Thai woman called Gel and splits his time between Milton Keyes and Thailand.

When the father-of-two took ill on April 16 with PE – a life-threatening blocked blood vessel in his lungs – he pulled through the immediate threat after he was given CPR and put on a life-support machine.

Simon and his sister Claire Sanchez flew out to be by his side but were shocked to discover their dad had no travel insurance.

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“We felt we had no choice but to move him out of the private hospital,” said Simon. “We were shown images of the government hospital but it looked very different in reality.

“It was the biggest mistake. We very quickly realised that instead of saving my dad this could be a death sentence for him. The hospital was not fit to treat animals.”

When the family transferred Derek back to Pattaya, the hospital demanded £12,000 up front before they would re-admit him.

“We managed to find the money from the last of his savings and family and friends but this is fast ruining out,” said Simon, 41, who works in purchasing.

“Dad is scared and worried he’s not going to make it back to the UK.”

‘Long road to recovery’

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Medics say Derek may be in hospital for months, according to Simon. As a result the family estimate they will need up to £50,000 to fund his care there, and to bring him home on a flight.

“My sister and I have had to come home. Dad has Gel with him and her two daughters.

“He’s doing a lot better, he just came off his ventilator a week ago and is breathing for himself. He’s having physiotherapy now. The plan is to get him strong enough to sit up, then he could fly back to the UK on a commercial flight with medical assistance.

“We’ve looked into an air ambulance and been quoted in the region of £40,000, which would be on top of his hospital bills, we just can’t afford.

“I told him you just focus on getting better and I’ll worry about getting the money together. He faces a long road to recovery but he has the best chances in the private hospital.”

To donate to the appeal, visit here.

- - -

The new rule on insurance could be a god send....!

 

 

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14 minutes ago, biggles said:

Unless he had enrolled before he was around 65 he would not find a company who would take him on at 80? 

Remember he is on a holiday trip, not living permanently there.

So he could probably have found a.travel insurance.

 

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5 minutes ago, Lanzalad said:

He is living on the dark side of Pattaya.

Sorry, this phrase made me thinking he lived there part time only :

an 80-year-old man who fell critically ill while on holiday in Thailand say they need to raise up to £50,000 to bring him back to the UK.

 

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2 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

Sorry, this phrase made me thinking he lived there part time only :

an 80-year-old man who fell critically ill while on holiday in Thailand say they need to raise up to £50,000 to bring him back to the UK.

 

Lol.... I did read that bit and smiled at what was wrote.

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I feel for him, as illness can hit any of us- as the last line in the OP's post says, perhaps compulsory insurance is the way forward.

However a former bookie, no excuse for his stupidity. He'll have had a lifetime of experience of punters making daft decisions and losing cash to him that they could ill afford to.

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10 hours ago, Lemondropkid said:

I feel for him, as illness can hit any of us- as the last line in the OP's post says, perhaps compulsory insurance is the way forward.

However a former bookie, no excuse for his stupidity. He'll have had a lifetime of experience of punters making daft decisions and losing cash to him that they could ill afford to.

Great post and so apposite to this issue !!!! :default_drinks:

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9 hours ago, misteregg said:

Everyone thinks it will never happen to them.

Yep.

It really comes down to asset protection. If you have little in property and investments than a lot of insurance is less necessary.

But..... one would still like to have a reasonable level of care regardless. So, if not holding insurance have some cash set aside that can supplement any periods in a hospital, and some money for decent after care. In Thailand this is much more doable, but you still have to plan for it.

Guys who don't do this get what they pay for.

 

Now.… someone who falls on hard times and suddenly has the rug pulled out from under them, I may have some sympathy for. I have seen this happen, most of them had the sense to pull themselves together and start building a new nest egg. For those who just f**k it off, well.... that's their choice.

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2 hours ago, Thai Spice said:

Difficult choice for some old pensioners.

Spend the money on outrageous barfines or on an outrageously expensive health insurance......?

Not an easy live !

 

My takeaway from the above and say, Kev in Thailand's experience is maintain my approach. ie continue to have my home in Australia and do say 3 trips a year to Thailand with adequate travel health insurance - I get it 'free' with my credit card anyway for non existing medical conditions and I'm in pretty good health currently.

Australian universal free Medicare cover is enough for me here in Australia. Its not perfect (what is?) but if you get serious ill - you will be looked after here.

The other problem which seems looming with my frequent trips to LOS seems immigration's harder approach to so called "too many passport stamps" and at some stage I may need to get a visa even for my normal 3 weeks visits if they keep the current approach up.

Probably many other people in the same boat ?

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13 hours ago, misteregg said:

Everyone thinks it will never happen to them.

ask Kev-in-Thailand.he thought he would wait till he hit 60 to get insurance,59+ and he goes down with cancer.

one of the main reasons I did not move to Thailand was the cost of the meds, I take each day just so I can walk un-aided to the the bog.

I will buy a powerball ticket soon :default_good:

regards

grayray

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15 hours ago, misteregg said:

Everyone thinks it will never happen to them.

 

Nope!

I was always comfortable in the knowledge that I could access the dosh necessary for a medical evacuation should it be required without having to argue the toss with an insurance company.

Same funds would probably cover some time in a Thai hospital.

 

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When I go too LOS I know I don’t have health insurance but I can afford to pay and that’s the difference. 

Why did this guy feel the need to go back to Thailand and risk his health and his savings, (which didn’t seem to amount to much) when he could have just gone for a month a year, or have I miss read the post. 

£50k, I think he’s getting off cheap, when you see some hospitals asking for £100K+ and looking at that Gofundme page, he’s must be wracking up medical bills faster than donations are coming in.

If he has property in Thailand, sell it and get back to Milton Keynes.

People never learn  ☹️

 

 

Edited by KhunDon
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