Phuket - maybe im too cold-hearted!!

marc26 · #1 13-05-2006, 00:22

i was just reading the asia bugle and there was a story about the manager of pink flamingo being in the hospital and needign money for his hospital bill
again, maybe im cold-hearted but i just cant understand for the life of me why someone would go live in another country without the sufficient money to live
and when i mean live, i mean be able to pay a hospital bill if the need arises
i understand all about living-for-the-moment, but, in my opinion, if you cant take care of yourself you should be home working. thats just me

georgelondon · #2 13-05-2006, 00:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc26

i was just reading the asia bugle and there was a story about the manager of pink flamingo being in the hospital and needign money for his hospital bill
again, maybe im cold-hearted but i just cant understand for the life of me why someone would go live in another country without the sufficient money to live
and when i mean live, i mean be able to pay a hospital bill if the need arises
i understand all about living-for-the-moment, but, in my opinion, if you cant take care of yourself you should be home working. thats just me

you not being cold hearted..you think it would make sense to have yourself covered if you living away from home.

marc26 · #3 13-05-2006, 00:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgelondon

you not being cold hearted..you think it would make sense to have yourself covered if you living away from home.

well maybe im being cold hearted because there was also info on donating money to help his bill and all i could think was there would be no way id give that guy money while im home working and hes in cambodia doing nothing. thats why i thought i was too cold hearted

Wolf · #4 13-05-2006, 01:41

You're certainly not cold hearted!
That is money paid for learning from mistakes I say.
Next time he should cover this if he ever learns!

Wolf

fun2have · #5 13-05-2006, 04:28

an expat living and working in los, not even taking care to have insurance.
ok i understand that sometimes insurance may not cover all the bills.

if my gf who earns at work a 1/10 of a basic english teachers monthly salary can afford to pay insurance every month, pay her motorcycle and uni fees, what excuse can he have.

sympathy because he is sick, but none because wont even fork out a few thousand baht a month medical insurance.

LivinLOS · #6 13-05-2006, 09:23

No your not cold hearted (unless I am in the club too) as I thought exactly the same.. I can think of lots more deserving causes than an expat living in Cambo with his own business that didnt take care of himself and wants to get western or near western hospital care..

I will even say one stronger.. As some may remember a mate of mine got badly injured recently and hes still recovering.. He was in ICU and his bills must have run very high and he had no insurance, a local millionaire stepped forward to help him but there were also a couple of things done to raise money for his bills and spread the load..

Well when the tin was out I put in a healthy contrib but I remember thinking that its pretty selfish even to work like this.. So its OK to make the savings every month in not taking insurance but when the dice come up snake eyes everyone else, who is taking care of thier own bills, should then pay a part of the costs of thier savings.. Basically this aint no socialist country and you need to take care of you and yours, if you dont bad things happen.

If me or mine are injured or require medical treatement I expect no assitance from anyone (Doctors and paid people of course).. You have to be self sufficient..

My buddy is recovering now and I saw him recently.. Was great to see him up and around and I dont want that to sound like I have any ill will to him, but I do think that its your own responsibility to support yourself.

Mav · #7 13-05-2006, 09:32

Insurance is the first thing people don't take up or let lapse if they are penny pinching.

Whether that be home, contents, car or health.

Crustasian · #8 13-05-2006, 17:11

I read the same article and was surprised that a guy with his time in country had not got cover.The article says he is the ex manager of the Flamingo and is the writer of the Bamboozler column.

I wish him a speedy recovery as I enjoy his coverage of Cambodia.

Denver · #9 13-05-2006, 20:10

You are just cold-hearted Paul!

marc26 · #10 14-05-2006, 01:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denver

You are just cold-hearted Paul!

but i have insurance.
so if god forbid something happens denver, while you and i are in LOS
just bring me to the nearest hospital, reach in my back pocket(i know you'll be tempted to take a little grab, feel free!!) and get my insurance card!!

ElectrO · #11 14-05-2006, 01:40

If he had a job that made him a Manager - and I assume he is quite old. He should have sufficient savings.

But like most people, (me included) you spend money on crap.

E

marc26 · #12 14-05-2006, 01:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElectrO

If he had a job that made him a Manager - and I assume he is quite old. He should have sufficient savings.

But like most people, (me included) you spend money on crap.

E

believe me, im right up there with one of the all-time spenders of crap, but i know my priorities also!

JayBee · #13 14-05-2006, 03:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElectrO

If he had a job that made him a Manager - and I assume he is quite old.

Not necessarily so. At the hotels I stayed at in Phnom Penh and Siem Riep and others I visited at, the management was all very young, no one older than about 25 yrs. I guess so many of the older people got killed off by the Khmer Rouge. If you had an edcuation or were a businessman, they killed you!

Denver · #14 14-05-2006, 22:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc26

but i have insurance.
so if god forbid something happens denver, while you and i are in LOS
just bring me to the nearest hospital, reach in my back pocket(i know you'll be tempted to take a little grab, feel free!!) and get my insurance card!!

Nope! Just the credit card thanks Paul! That'll do nicely.................Priceless!

Stay safe mate

D

Mustang · #15 15-05-2006, 20:18

Frank helped put Flamingos on the map and then was fired,so he did in a sense have the rug pulled out from under him.I really don't expect people to feel compassion for a total stranger,but Frank is my friend,and a fellow Canadian so obviously I'm very concerned about him right now.

His poor judgement in not maintaining the proper insurance may cost him his life,and should serve as a lesson to others,but the people who actually know Frank,know what a great guy he is.He has a lot of friends ready to help him through this(including at least one on this board)

and I hope things work out for him.

I hope you pull through Laohuli (Frank)

marc26 · #16 15-05-2006, 21:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustang

Frank helped put Flamingos on the map and then was fired,so he did in a sense have the rug pulled out from under him.I really don't expect people to feel compassion for a total stranger,but Frank is my friend,and a fellow Canadian so obviously I'm very concerned about him right now.

His poor judgement in not maintaining the proper insurance may cost him his life,and should serve as a lesson to others,but the people who actually know Frank,know what a great guy he is.He has a lot of friends ready to help him through this(including at least one on this board)

and I hope things work out for him.

I hope you pull through Laohuli (Frank)

mustang,
you know that we are not bad guys on this forum, basically just using frank as an example in what you should and shouldnt do. and i am sure id help out my friend also, but i will tell you, once he recovered id give him an earful for being such a mutt!! but i sincerely hope that frank gets well, especially since i live in his homeland now!!

Mustang · #17 16-05-2006, 01:12

I understand that you were using him as a good example of a bad example Paul

and I aggree 100%,SEA not a place to be without coverage(any place for that matter)I'm just helping put a face on the story.

They did mention in the thread over on NP that Frank has an enlarged heart(I just knew he had a big heart) and kidney trouble so maybe high risk insurance was priced beyond mere mortals.Just guessing.

All I know for sure is he told me in a conversation that he wanted to live out the rest of his days in SEA so maybe better to live your dream with risk than not at all.
I think this would be a little different if he was asking for help,but he's been unconcious up till a few days ago.(a little hard to solicit)This has been the reaction of some of his friends to his situation,and burden/responsibility aside I think it's inspiring to see it unfold.

NP

Crustasian · #18 24-05-2006, 19:44

I have just read Asia Bugle and it has been announced that he has passed away.

The article does summarize most of the comments in this thread about medical cover etc.

Rest in peace Bamboozler.

LivinLOS · #19 24-05-2006, 22:01

Damn.. Dont I feel like a ****..

RIP

Sirgezza · #20 24-05-2006, 23:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crustasian

I have just read Asia Bugle and it has been announced that he has passed away.

The article does summarize most of the comments in this thread about medical cover etc.

Rest in peace Bamboozler.

If he couldn't afford the hospital bill, who will pay for the funeral or for shipping the body back to his homeland? Another collection or a paupers grave in LOS?

Mustang · #21 25-05-2006, 08:21

Theres a thread on NP about "Frank's final voyage" Apparently he is to be cremated in Cambodia and his ashes sprinkled in the Mekong River to "flow through the land he loved so well"Classy ending to what is likely a very interesting life story.
I wish I'd known him better,but feel lucky now to have spent a few days hanging out at Flamingos with him.He really was a wealth of information and a funny guy.Even played matchmaker at times for me and a Cambodian "good girl" that worked at the hotel.

So long Frank.I hope you got what you wanted out of life.