British expat Darren Cummins, 34, is facing GBP22,000 in hospital bills after a motorbike crash in Thailand left him with severe leg injuries, including the loss of five inches of tibia bone.
Cummins, originally from Falkirk, Scotland, moved to Thailand in 2015 after first visiting on holiday. The business development consultant said the crash on 13 June has turned his and his girlfriend's lives "upside down", with three operations still needed before rehabilitation.
Collision on a triple carriageway
Cummins said he was travelling at 100kph when a car allegedly made a U-turn across oncoming traffic on a triple carriageway.
"The driver was travelling in the opposite direction to me so he was on the other side of the triple carriageway and he wanted to do a U-turn," he said.
He said the driver crossed all three lanes and may have believed he could clear two vehicles ahead of Cummins. However, Cummins said he did not see the car until it had passed the second vehicle in the middle lane and was about a metre in front of him.
He said it was impossible to avoid the impact. "My leg took the brunt of the impact but had that been any other part of my body, whether it was my chest or my head, then I wouldn't be here right now."
Cummins said he was thrown about 30 yards from his motorbike, was in and out of consciousness and went into shock. He recalled seeing his "leg just dangling off" and screaming uncontrollably before waking in hospital with an oxygen mask on.
Long recovery and mounting costs
The crash caused a compound fracture at the top of his tibia, with five inches of bone lost. He also suffered comminuted fractures to his ankle and shin and lost the use of his Achilles tendon.
"I lost five inches of tibia, smashed out of my knee, [it] scattered across the road," he said. "I'm lucky to be here."
Cummins, who describes himself as a "motorbike guy" and regularly rode to see Thailand's "beauty", said it is less than likely he will ever walk properly again, though there remains a small chance. He said he has cried himself to sleep over the prospect and doubts he will be able to ride again.
For foreign residents and visitors, his account underlines the potentially substantial upfront costs of serious treatment after a road crash. Cummins said the hospital that accepted his case had already exceeded its initial estimate of about GBP15,000.
"Every single procedure now we get hounded for money before they work on me - even if it's an emergency you have to have the money," he said.
After exhausting his savings, Cummins set up a GoFundMe fundraiser, saying he had never wanted to become "that foreigner in Thailand" asking for help but had swallowed his pride.
Pictures courtesy of Daily Mail
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17 July 2026
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