TIHN is 100% right and i know out first han(s)d!
Excuse my English as i'm from Holland and my writing is not 100%;
TIHN story he wrote is 100% true! i heared all this many times out of Hans mouth, it was said that she took advantes while Hans was that ill that time!
Hans Hermans died by lackness of his driver to bring him to the hospital in the afternoon! somebody else had to call in to convince the situation was getting out of Han(s)d! The architect how created Hans beatifull home where i was a quest for over 3 weeks, anyway the Architect called directly the docter to come over who called directly the ambulance! as his home was in the middle of nowhere the ride to the hospital took over an hour, unfortunatly to long for Hans kitneys to keep working, as they started to fade away Hans felt in a coma, the rest is history.
The fact is that the relation; driver and Hans a saw myself many times also in Bang Kok was many times a chaotical situation, many times he showed up to late in everything, he took Hans many times for grantage, fact to the matter is that we can't bring Hans back now but I just wanted to let Hans Orchid friends no the truth! Hans played many times with the dead and had worst health issue's in the past that he survived, too many to mention, but this makes his death now even more said!
I'm know Hans for more then 31 years, i meet Hans in a Disco in Holland in 1980 where i was the d.j., as his music interest was enormusly we became friends(for life) and went to a trilogy of great adventures! uncreadable!
I learned everyday from him and was looking forward to learn more from him in the future as i had planned another trip in March or April this year.
He was an uncredible intelligent creature, by size and mind, he knew about 10 languages and most accents too!
I enjoyed to be many times with Hans on Orchidshows in The Netherlands, Germany, Switserland, France, USA(Fl+Ca)+ in past he won many first prices(troffees)with his plants, later he became also involved in the music industry where he had some succes but as this industry became victim of the download piratcy worldwide Hans puts his mastermind straight back in the Orchid Industry, basicly by leaving the four seasons cold Holland for Thailand where he lived about 9 years in Bang Kok with great medical care, he had 2/3 nussers in his house after he became very seak when a lung collaped, Hans was for months in the Hospital but suvived this event, way worse then what happend now!also the high tech hospital in BKK was arround the corner!
Hans was very happy in Phrao in North Thailand, he was mostly every day in his nice salty pool and lost lots of weight, his arms and legs where like most aldult man, he looked so good with an heavy suntan in his face, the vieuw from the pool was uncreadable, we looked many times how the sun went down in his little paradise where Hans lived his last year at his best, so this came so unexpected for everybody now that it's still a dream for me to miss Hans so much, he called me sometimes 5 times a day and came allways up with great idea's or links on the web, much to learn from him but those times are over for me and others and i wish his mother (and step father) who's pretty ill now also for a while, all the best and with their current health problems.
This is a never ending story even now Hans died i have so much good memmories from Hans that i had to let all interested Orchid freaks know a bit about my toughts about this matter, i really hope somebody stands up and give an beatifull new orchid Hans name as he must be remembered forever!
Hans deserves that, may he rest in piece, his best friend Erik.
Brett,
Hans died in the hospital of natural causes, no investigations or whatsoever in progress.
It is not the place to speak about that, so later I will open another thread myself. If overseas there has been issues with him possibly, in Thailand, I would say that the things are way different except for two people, who happen to be my friends and got issues. So I am not 'blind' or partial, but one must be fair.
I will just say that in Thailand, Hans did a lot of good things for the people, and the orchid people.
He did have issues with some Thai growers, that's correct, but minor ones compared to what he did for the physical people in Thailand.
I have seen myself disgusting stories of people that he helped and they afterwards spitted on him, like this woman from the Jatujak who complained about Hans, he ordered plants from her a month before, and did not pick up those, it was big problem for her, Hans was soooo baaaad...
This very same woman had her own mother who had a cancer. She told Hans a year before, and he paid all the expenses in Burumgrad, so she has been saved. He never asked any money or plants in return. I reminded her, she said 'it's different things'. When she had to pay the fine to the police as they caught her countless times selling wild orchids in Jatujak, she would call Hans and get the money for the fine instant. All of that was nothing to her.
The Pandora box will be opened on some stories soon, like his former caretaker who got a house built and paid by him.
He went to the hospital a couple of years ago, and she stole everything during his first long stay in intense care. Millions of plants, I will post the pictures. That woman was nothing before he hired her.
He paid a complete house on the nursery land - that he was renting from her relatives - for them and their parents. She was entitled to steal everything for two reasons. First he did not pay her two months of salary - he was under intensive care. Second Hans girlfriend would steal everything, so it was better she took control of everything before, and 'give it back to Hans later'. Bullshit, just thieves. Amongst the stolen plants, a large Australian shipment.
Brett, maybe you are quite new or not educated yet for Thailand, but there, for many people, everything you have done good in the past is 'normal' to them, and no need to talk about. They are not grateful. But if you make a single mistake with those very same people you helped, you are immediately very bad.
Ask Joe, the famous leucochilum breeder in Chiang Mai. He can tell you the truth, both sides, about many thai stories.
I will add a couple of things here:
- In the nursery stolen by Katai and P'Neung was the largest orchid species collection in the world. None could come close to it. There was an exhaustive collection of Madagascar orchids amongst many other plants, that would make Marcel Lecoufle hobby collection look bleak. They came from many sources, including Olaf Pronk. Everything was there, including the rarest species and forms. I still have the pictures. They were under way of propagation at that time. Amazing place, believe me.
- When Hans Hermans was in the hospital at that time, they sold many plants to many thai growers. I have seen it myself with my eyes. Very rare things, impossible for Thai growers to obtain. They moved out to another nursery a lot of plant to hide them and sell them after. Everyone knows this in Thailand and many people have a good laugh about. Yet, they are respected, trusted, and still in the business as of today.
As a friend only, without any business involved, Hans was oddly amazing, generous and excessive.
