Thread: American trapped in hospital after bike accident

American Trapped at Phuket Hospital as Patong Bank Puzzles Over Missing 640,000 Baht
By Alan Morison and Premkamon Ketsara
Friday, June 28, 2013


American Trapped at Phuket Hospital as Patong Bank Puzzles Over Missing 640,000 Baht - Phuket Wan



PHUKET: Without help from a trustworthy source, it's feared that American George Harris may remain trapped inside a Phuket hospital and never be able to fly home.

Mr Harris, 53, has been at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket City for 10 months after a motorcycle crash. He cannot talk and is not yet capable of fending for himself.



What has alarmed the hospital senior staff is the disappearance of a 640,000 baht disability payment that could have put Mr Harris on a flight home.

The hospital's international matron, Methavee Maneesri, is holding Mr Harris's passport because a second cheque for a 740,000 baht disability payment is now waiting to be claimed at a Phuket bank.

''If George loses this money, he will lose his chance to fly home,'' Khun Methavee said today. ''We are in a difficult situation and unsure about who we can trust.''

Earlier this year, Mr Harris's brother Hal and hospital staff shared hopes for George's transfer back to the US. but Khun Mathavee has opted not to give George's passport to Hal since discovering that George's signature had been forged on a document at a Patong bank.

''George has not been able to leave the hospital for 10 months so it was not George who signed for the money,'' she said.

At the time, Hal Harris had George's passport but returned it to the hospital when it was needed for documentation in preparation for a medivac flight home.

All planning for George's return has now ceased as Vachira Phuket awaits news from the Krungtep Bank about the disappearance of the first large disability payment.

Insurance payouts from the motorcycle crash covered George's brain surgery but he is still unable to talk and not capable of making decisions.

The hospital is prepared to waive the unpaid 400,000 baht in medical costs so far if George can be put safely on a medivac flight home and has someone reliable waiting at the other end in Dallas, Texas.

''We are not holding the passport as blackmail but for George's safety,'' Khun Methavee said today.

The hospital and George's brother Hal joined in a Phuket newspaper campaign to raise money to help fly him home in April.

Only later did the hospital discovered that the large cheque intended for George had disappeared in February, Khun Mathavee said.

''The US Embassy has been unable to provide answers about George's future care,'' Khun Methavee said. ''It's a very upsetting case. George appears to have been a victim twice.

''We aim to make sure that George does not become a victim for a third time.''

According to Khun Mathavee, the embassy suggested that George be reported to the Immigration Department as an overstay and that would start the process leading to his return to the US.

However, Khun Mathavee does not accept that as a solution because, with his brother Hal no longer considered trustworthy, George would still be without anyone to care for him.

''He could be here for years if there is no resolution,'' she said. ''But if that is what it takes, it may be the only way we can protect George.''

Holly shit, what a friggin horror story. Reads like the brother has offed the money in the first case.

Hope poor George is that out of it that he does not know whats going down.

Poor bastard EH.

Lota good that American passport huh

and yes FFS in this case I DO EXPECT the authorities to step in , where the fok is the consul ?

This is bullshit. The bank can track who signed the document via cctv. Sounds like a scam as usual

Why cant the embassy assume power of attorney, recieve the cheque and pay it to the hospital.

the embassy suggested that George be reported to the Immigration Department as an overstay and that would start the process leading to his return to the US.

Imbeciles.

Originally Posted by taxexile

Imbeciles.

Indeed , a sad failing in a situation where you would expect the authorities to shine

I've never put much stock in the American Consul here in Thailand.

Never anything but rude service the few times I've gone to American Services Center at the Embassy in Bangkok.

Originally Posted by chingching

'We are not holding the passport as blackmail

Dirty thai scum.

The hospital is prepared to waive the unpaid 400,000 baht in medical costs so far if George can be put safely on a medivac flight home and has someone reliable waiting at the other end in Dallas, Texas.

A welcome gesture of decency and humanity by the thais.

Originally Posted by taxexile

Why cant the embassy assume power of attorney, recieve the cheque and pay it to the hospital.

the embassy suggested that George be reported to the Immigration Department as an overstay and that would start the process leading to his return to the US.

Imbeciles.

You want the US Government to have the right to assume power of attorney over you?
Yeeesh......


Not really the governments job.
Surprised someone like the Red Cross doesn't help out in these cases.

Originally Posted by taxexile

The hospital is prepared to waive the unpaid 400,000 baht in medical costs so far if George can be put safely on a medivac flight home and has someone reliable waiting at the other end in Dallas, Texas.

A welcome gesture of decency and humanity by the thais.

Mmmmm...., Tax, whenever something sounds too good to be true then......

A Thai hospital waiving a bill of $14,000 as an act of humanitarian kindness??

Snowballs in hell spring to mind.

Maybe, in order to defray some of thecost, they will harvest some of his redundant organs before they send him back

Hospital Care, Brotherly Love and US Wardens Set to Fly George Home from Phuket
By Alan Morison
Saturday, August 3, 2013


Hospital Care, Brotherly Love and US Wardens Set to Fly George Home from Phuket - Phuket Wan


PHUKET: George Harris is set to fly home to the US next week after spending almost 12 months in the island's Vachira Phuket Hospital, recovering from a motorcycle crash.

Hal Harris, who has spent the past year caring for his brother, was looking forward to passing on the good news last night.



''George can't speak, but his eyes tell me everything,'' Hal said as he waited for a Phuket storm to ease before riding his motorcycle from Kamala to Phuket City.

''I am sure George will smile and be delighted to hear the news,'' Hal said. ''I am pleased, too. It has been a hard year.''

Difficulties in caring for 53-year-old George on Phuket grew more complicated when Hal and the hospital staff had a misunderstanding earlier this year that led to a breakdown in trust and communications.

The rift was widening until Phuketwan published an article about the hospital and George Harris. Hal read the article and telephoned the editor.

Phuketwan put Hal in touch with two US embassy wardens on Phuket, Denny Bowman and Ananya ''Rin'' Insumrun. With the help of Tourist Police and bank officials, the US wardens healed the rift and sorted out the misunderstanding.

Their intervention and assistance was the critical factor in achieving the result everyone wanted: to get George on a flight home to the US as soon as possible.

As the expat who has spent the longest period of time in the Phuket City public hospital, there's likely to be broader media attention when George is readied for his long journey home, beginning next Friday.

''I'm so glad it has all worked out,'' Hal said last night. ''It's great news that George is going home.''

Hal has been visiting his brother three times a week, and sometimes even more frequently, providing extra supplies and a vital dialogue.

''If George didn't have anyone to talk to him, I don't know what would have happened,'' Hal said. ''He had a million friends on Phuket when he had money. After his crash, they all disappeared.''

The brothers had been working together on oil rigs for five years until George's crash in August last year. Insurance payouts from the Belgian car driver's policy covered George's surgery.

An insurance policy that only cost 2500 baht will provide the 750,000 baht to cover George's medical evacuation, with a nurse, to Dallas, Texas.

Once on the ground, George's US Social Security will support his care in Dallas's Parkdale Hospital, a short drive from where his mother Anita and sister Meg live.

With everything now turning for the better, Hal has an offer to return to work in Dubai later this month.

At Vachira Phuket, hospital staff are equally pleased that George will be on his way home soon. It was the hospital's international matron, Methavee Maneesri, who initially sought Phuketwan's help.

And so into the gap between Hal and the hospital stepped Denny Bowman and Khun Rin, who sorted out the misunderstandings with some cool-headed negotiating skills.

It's not the first time the pair have come to the aid of Americans in trouble. With confirmation of Khun Rin's appointment when US Ambassador Kristie Kenney recently visited Phuket, the pair are prepared for more voluntary work.

As Hal and George discovered, real friends are hard to find on Phuket and even harder to keep when trouble strikes.

Vachira Phuket Hospital, meanwhile, continues to care for all patients regardless of cost, including tourists, expats, Burmese immigrant workers and even Rohingya boatpeople.

But as noted earlier this week by the hospital's director when two German envoys handed over a 100,000 baht cheque in gratitude, it certainly would help if more expats took out insurance and wore safety helmets.