What a tonsillitis taught me about health insurance and eSIMs
The last few days were quieter than planned. I came down with tonsillitis and a fever, and on top of that had barely usable internet for days. Together, both reminded me how important two fairly unglamorous things are in everyday life abroad.
The tonsillitis
It was the middle of the night, just after 5 am, when I felt really bad, fever, sore throat, no energy at all. My girlfriend got up right away and drove me to the hospital, even though she herself had to be at work by 8. Afterward she even wanted to take a full day off, just to check on me.
That's exactly what I love about the culture here. People really take the time for you, actually try to understand you, and want the best for you, often with a smile along the way. That was one of the moments where this really hit home.
Why good health insurance matters
I already learned how much a solid international health insurance is worth back when I hurt my knee. This time something else became clear to me, how simple the whole system actually is once you set it up right.
I paid the hospital bill directly with my Advanzia card, sent the documents to Genki, and three days later the money was already back in my account. The practical part: since Advanzia only bills at the end of the month, I never really had to worry, the money was back long before any payment was even due. That's how I handle it in general now, front larger expenses like health insurance costs on the card first, knowing it balances out by the end of the month anyway.
The eSIM odyssey
At the same time, my internet had been crawling for days. Several eSIM providers I had used before throttled the connection after 5 GB, and so badly that working became impossible. It was only through my girlfriend that I found trueH, a local provider, far cheaper than the international eSIM apps. I now pay 30 € a month instead of 50 €, have unlimited data, my own Thai phone number, and can even send texts. No more watching how much data is left.
What else the days showed me
In between, once I felt a bit better, the cost of living here really struck me again. A buffet for 99 baht, dinner for 80 baht, roughly 2 to 2.50 € per person. Simply not comparable to Germany.
What I take away from this
These days slowed me down, but maybe brought exactly the rest I needed anyway. I'm grateful for everything I get to learn here, a lot of it through my girlfriend, who keeps helping me find my way around Koh Samui, from the hospital ride to the right eSIM.