Medical bills spiral for burn victims in Phi Phi tour boat fireball

[rooster59]

Medical bills spiral for burn victims in Phi Phi tour boat fireball 

The Phuket News

 

Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong talks with staff during his visit to Bangkok Hospital Phuket on Thursday (Jan 25).

 

PHUKET: The tour company that provided the tour for the Chinese tourists who remain injured from severe burns in the Phi Phi tour boat fireball earlier this month has vowed to step in with more funds from insurance coverage to pay for rising medical costs, which have now breached B1 million.

 

A representative from Apple Tour Co Ltd, which provided the tour the group were travelling on, broke the news to Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong on Thursday (Jan 25), during his follow-up visit to Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket Town, where the injured tourists are still receiving treatment for extensive burns to their faces, arms, legs and bodies.

 

Joining the Governor on the visit were Phuket Vice Governor Prakob Wongmaneerung and Director of the Phuket Provincial Office of Tourism and Sports, Sirawee Waloh,

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/medical-bills-spiral-for-burn-victims-in-phi-phi-tour-boat-fireball-65752.php#kuZRePOPstIAt52p.99

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

No mention in the full article attached that this same boat or at least the same boat operator may have been involved in a prior serious mishap almost two years ago. Just as there wasn't in the original reporting on this mishap, until one alert TV member posted a link to the prior news report on the prior incident involving a boat of the same name.

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/930398-chinese-tourist-faces-amputation-after-getting-mangled-in-speedboat-propeller-near-koh-phi-phi/

 

 

Quote

 

KRABI: -- A teenage Chinese tourist faces a possible double leg amputation after getting caught in the propeller of a speedboat on Phi Phi Island Thursday.

Initial evidence suggests that after the man entered the water to go swimming he got stuck under the outboard in heavy waves. The boat's crew revved the engine on reverse and he got caught in the blades, reported Daily News.

Lee Yuheng, 18, was given emergency surgery at Krabi hospital after being transferred from PP Hospital. He had severe wounds to both legs and his right arm and surgeons were unsure if they could save his legs. He had lost a lot of blood.

Tour guide Ying Chiang, 31, said that his group comprising 34 Chinese tourists had left Phuket earlier and arrived at PP around 11 am. As the tourists were entering the water for a swim one shouted that he had got stuck under the engine.

According to the guide the crew revved the engine and tried to reverse and the victim got caught in the propeller.

Police are to interview two staff on the King Poseidon boat. They are Natthawut Chaiket, 24, and Reudol Thongdee.

This was the fourth speedboat accident in the area since the start of the year that has left 1 dead and ten injured.

Source: Daily News

-- 2016-07-08

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[KIWIBATCH]

...and the Thai authorities let these same "cowboys" continue transporting tourists...!!!!

These accidents with "tourist" boats seem to be far to common.....perhaps they are trying to head off the van drivers and get to number 1 spot.....

 

I hope the Chinese people make a full recovery.....I am doubtful as to whether the "Apple Tour Company" will front up with the additional monies to cover the patients medical costs...They possibly only made the statement when they realised the "hierachy" of Phuket were on the case

 

It is becoming/has become so damn hard to believe anything spoken by a Thai company....and for that matter those chaps running the country.

[NamKangMan]

 

"The tour company that provided the tour for the Chinese tourists who remain injured from severe burns in the Phi Phi tour boat fireball earlier this month has vowed to step in with more funds from insurance coverage to pay for rising medical costs" - how can the tour company speak on behalf of the insurance company????

 

And, where are the baskets of fruit in this photo op?   

[Thian]

They already have issues by paying only 1 million baht for the victims medical bills???

 

How do they dare to ask for quality tourists from Europe? if that boat had been full of Europeans the costs would have 10-foulded already and most would have flown home already to get the best treatment overthere.

 

What a complete (bad) joke it is...why the government doesn't jump in and say that ALL medical bills will be paid by them and ALL can get the best treatment available? Plus a refund of their WHOLE holiday to Thailand which is totally ruined by this dumb accident.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just curious, do the local hospitals there mentioned where the injured are being treated have specialized burn wards with burn specialist doctors??? I'm guessing not.

 

Are the injured getting the best possible treatment for their burns in those local hospitals???

 

Considering the high number of people being hospitalized there for burns from the mishap, I'd think 1 million baht isn't going to go very far.

 

Meanwhile, FWIW, I did a Google search for the ThaiVisa site and the term "burn ward" and "burn center" and came up with nothing pointing to any Thailand-based facility.

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Darcula]

TAT's medical tourism initiative is a great success, then.

[Oziex1]

Haven't heard old mate, tourist minister make any further statements on tourist safety then?

 

No? Just the usual waffle on the entire population of planet Earth will visit Thailand this year.

[stevenl]

9 hours ago, KIWIBATCH said:

...and the Thai authorities let these same "cowboys" continue transporting tourists...!!!!

These accidents with "tourist" boats seem to be far to common.....perhaps they are trying to head off the van drivers and get to number 1 spot.....

 

I hope the Chinese people make a full recovery.....I am doubtful as to whether the "Apple Tour Company" will front up with the additional monies to cover the patients medical costs...They possibly only made the statement when they realised the "hierachy" of Phuket were on the case

 

It is becoming/has become so damn hard to believe anything spoken by a Thai company....and for that matter those chaps running the country.

The boat is by law required to have insurance, as is apple tour company.

[farcanell]

It doesn’t take long to reach 1 million.... my auto insurance is way higher than that, so getting more money shouldn’t be an issue.

 

Shouldn’t..... 

[RichardColeman]

15 hours ago, rooster59 said:

has vowed to step in with more funds from insurance coverage to pay for rising medical costs,

I can see an insurance company going into temporary liquidation or not paying as they were on an unisured boat or something

[Alanmel]

2 hours ago, farcanell said:

It doesn’t take long to reach 1 million.... my auto insurance is way higher than that, so getting more money shouldn’t be an issue.

 

Shouldn’t..... 

The normal insurance  medical  coverage for tour companies is 1.5 mil baht per person and 3 mil for death. So as above it  "shouldn't "be an issue and as also stated it's up to insurance company now, not Tour Operator. 

[stevenl]

20 minutes ago, Alanmel said:

The normal insurance  medical  coverage for tour companies is 1.5 mil baht per person and 3 mil for death. So as above it  "shouldn't "be an issue and as also stated it's up to insurance company now, not Tour Operator. 

There are 2 insurances here, one for the boat operator, one for the tour company.

 

However it is tours, not diving, so the coverage will be quite limited. For diving loss of life is 1 mio, medical 500k pp. That is the compulsory insurance, for tour companies this insurance has more limited cover amounts.

 

And no, it is not up to the insurance company, it is and remain boat operator and tour company who are responsible and liable. Insurance may cover the damages, partially or in full, but for remainder (if any) or if no coverage due to uncovered event or violation of policy conditions it reverts back to the tour company and boat operator.

[sebastion]

I have a problem with the title.
Medical bills "spiral" gives me the impression they are falling.
Should be medical bill "soaring"

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[Just Weird]

18 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

No mention in the full article attached that this same boat or at least the same boat operator may have been involved in a prior serious mishap almost two years ago. Just as there wasn't in the original reporting on this mishap, until one alert TV member posted a link to the prior news report on the prior incident involving a boat of the same name.

"No mention in the full article attached that this same boat or at least the same boat operator may have been involved in a prior serious mishap ..."

Why should there be, it would have no bearing on the tourists' medical expenses being covered, would it?
 

[Just Weird]

18 hours ago, Thian said:

What a complete (bad) joke it is...why the government doesn't jump in and say that ALL medical bills will be paid by them and ALL can get the best treatment available? Plus a refund of their WHOLE holiday to Thailand which is totally ruined by this dumb accident.

Why?  Because that would be neither viable nor sensible unless it was going to indemnify the medical bills of every tourist from then on.

[Just Weird]

18 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Just curious, do the local hospitals there mentioned where the injured are being treated have specialized burn wards with burn specialist doctors??? I'm guessing not.

Why would you rationally guess that?  

[madmitch]

2 hours ago, Alanmel said:

The normal insurance  medical  coverage for tour companies is 1.5 mil baht per person and 3 mil for death. So as above it  "shouldn't "be an issue and as also stated it's up to insurance company now, not Tour Operator. 

The minimum insurance cover required seems to be a mere 100,000 baht per person in order to obtain a TAT licence.

 

Insurance Requirement

The TBGR regulations require a Tourism Business to hold ‘Tourist & Guide’ insurance. The insurance company will need to know approximately how many clients will use the business services per day. The Insurance cover will then be based on that number of persons. For example, if you think you will have 500 clients a day, your policy will cover a maximum of 500 clients.

The annual insurance premium is approximately 15 Baht per person. Therefore, if your policy insures 500 people, your premium will be 7,500 Thai baht per annum.
Further, the insurance only covers each client for periods of 15 days or less.

In the event of injury an insured tourist will receive 100,000 Baht for medical bills and in the event of death, the estate of the deceased will receive 200,000 Baht. 
 

 

I'm also unsure as to the liability of the tour company in this case. The boat operator seems clearly liable. However without access to the terms and conditions of the contracts with both the boat operator and the insurance company I won't speculate further but, needless to say, insurance companies don't give away money when they don't need to!

 

If the insurance limits are breached then any further compensation is the responsibility of the liable party, in this case the boat operator.

[farcanell]

3 hours ago, stevenl said:

There are 2 insurances here, one for the boat operator, one for the tour company.

 

However it is tours, not diving, so the coverage will be quite limited. For diving loss of life is 1 mio, medical 500k pp. That is the compulsory insurance, for tour companies this insurance has more limited cover amounts.

 

And no, it is not up to the insurance company, it is and remain boat operator and tour company who are responsible and liable. Insurance may cover the damages, partially or in full, but for remainder (if any) or if no coverage due to uncovered event or violation of policy conditions it reverts back to the tour company and boat operator.

Oh dear.... like negligence on behalf of the guy supposedly working on the motor, making the insurance void?

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, farcanell said:

Oh dear.... like negligence on behalf of the guy supposedly working on the motor, making the insurance void?

No, not something like that. Main reason for non-payment would be non-payment of the insurance premium (or better, having paid the premium as a requirement for license renewal, but after renewal cancelling the insurance and getting an insurance refund.

 

Seems to be not the case here though.

[cookieqw]

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"No mention in the full article attached that this same boat or at least the same boat operator may have been involved in a prior serious mishap ..."

Why should there be, it would have no bearing on the tourists' medical expenses being covered, would it?
 

Might have a bearing on safety and training that government put in place after another previous boat mishap in Pattaya, ie did it get acted upon - or.   Was it all spiel

[Thian]

3 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Why?  Because that would be neither viable nor sensible unless it was going to indemnify the medical bills of every tourist from then on.

Of course not, in this case the fault is by the boatowner who didn't hire qualified technicians to repair the touristboat...if his insurance can't cover the 1 million baht hospitalbills the government has to help or thai tourism will get a very bad name worldwide. Then western countries will charge their travellers a surcharge if they go to thailand and want to be insured for healthcare.

 

This was not an accident where a tourist hires a boat and crashes it onto a pier, it was an official tourist passenger boat of Phuket Thailand with a certified captain and a tourism-safe boat, checked by the government.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Why would you rationally guess that?  

 

Because they're in  small town hospitals in an out of the way place in a 3rd world country. And at least some of them, according to the news reports, are in local government hospitals, which are even more cash strapped, making it even more unlikely they have any special kind of ward to treat a type of injury that probably is not very common there.  I could go on with more reasons, but that's probably a good start.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

This was not an accident where a tourist hires a boat and crashes it onto a pier,

That part certainly is true.

 

But as for the rest...

 

Quote

it was an official tourist passenger boat of Phuket Thailand with a certified captain and a tourism-safe boat, checked by the government.

 

AFAIK, it was a privately operated boat that was hired by a private tour company. I'm not sure I'd call that "official."

 

I've read nothing about the certifications of the so-called captain. And from what I've read, the local authorities only started checking these boats operating from a private pier AFTER the explosion, not before it.

 

As for the notion of "a tourism-safe boat," I don't think any such thing exists anywhere in Thailand.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, cookieqw said:

Might have a bearing on safety and training that government put in place after another previous boat mishap in Pattaya, ie did it get acted upon - or.   Was it all spiel

 

Not to mention, providing some indication of the caliber of people running the Poseidon boats there.

 

Assuming it was the same boat or boat company, it goes toward showing a pattern of negligence, carelessness, ineptness, pick your other descriptor.

 

Assuming it was the same boat or same boat company, with the prior mishap only about two years ago, it would suggest the boat operators were more than just unfortunately unlucky.

Edited January 28, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, cookieqw said:

Might have a bearing on safety and training that government put in place after another previous boat mishap in Pattaya, ie did it get acted upon - or.   Was it all spiel

Exactly, irrelevant to this OP.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"No mention in the full article attached that this same boat or at least the same boat operator may have been involved in a prior serious mishap ..."

Why should there be, it would have no bearing on the tourists' medical expenses being covered, would it?

 

If I were a police officer investigating a potential criminal case against the boat operators in this case -- an investigation that is ongoing, according to the news reports -- two of the first things I would do are:

 

1. Check the operating license and insurance status of the boat operating company and staff, and

 

2. Check the history of the boat and the boat company for past criminal cases, violations, serious mishaps.

 

The first is a matter of complying with legal requirements or facing penalties for failing to comply.

 

The second goes to the overall culpability evaluation process to help assess the operator's safety record.

 

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Of course not, in this case the fault is by the boatowner who didn't hire qualified technicians to repair the touristboat...if his insurance can't cover the 1 million baht hospitalbills the government has to help or thai tourism will get a very bad name worldwide. 

You're ignoring the fact that there is insurance in place and no suggestion that it is insufficient to cover the hospital bills.

[Thian]

Actually i'm surprised that the total medical bill so far is only 1 million baht....

 

image: https://www.thephuketnews.com/images/blank.gif Phuket News image: https://www.thephuketnews.com/images/blank.gif Phuket | Thailand | World | Business | Q&A | Weird World image: https://www.thephuketnews.com/images/blank.gif image: https://www.thephuketnews.com/images/blank.gif image: https://www.thephuketnews.com/images/blank.gif   image: https://www.thephuketnews.com/images/blank.gif Phi Phi tour boat fireball: Phuket doctors play down facial surgery fears for burn victim PHUKET: Doctors have played down fears that 26-year-old Chinese tourist Kwang Pei Hong, who remains in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Vachira Phuket Hospital, will need to undergo facial cosmetic surgery for burns sustained in the tour boat fireball off Phi Phi Island on Sunday (Jan 14). tourism, marine, transport, accidents, Chinese,   The Phuket News   Tuesday 16 January 2018, 01:42PM image: https://www.thephuketnews.com/photo/listing/2018/1516084929_1-org.jpg       Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong (centre) visits 26-year-old Chinese tourist and Phi Phi Island tour boat fireball burn victim Kwang Pei Hong at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town on Sunday (Jan 14). Photo: PR Dept The news comes via a Ministry of Tourism & Sports (MoTS) Phuket office update revealed to The Phuket News today (Jan 16) following the tour speedboat King Poseidon 959 erupting into flames from a suspected leaky fuel line while hovering offshore from Viking Cave just after 11am on Sunday, injuring dozens of the 31 people on board. (See story here.) Ms Kwang suffered extensive burns to her face, arms and both legs – with burns to more than 30% of her body – in the fire. However, she is conscious and can speak, but still in pain, said the MoTS report. “She keeps urging doctors to help ease the pain, and has asked doctors will her face be the same,” the report added. However, the report noted that doctors responded that “her face remains the same” – but were not yet ready to clearly rule out the future need for facial surgery for the 26-year-old. Regardless, Ms Kwang remains in good spirits and thanked everyone for their visits and best wishes, the report noted. Of the eight tourists are still recovering at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, 63-year-old Mei Hua Li and Gan Li Xia, 26, remain in the ICU. Ms Mei , 63, who also suffered burns to both her legs and arms as well as her face, is conscious but still on assisted breathing after her lungs suffered damage from smoke inhalation. “She is feeling better and doctors clean her wounds in the operation room to prevent infection,” the MoTS report noted. Ms Gan, who suffered burns to more than 30% of her body, is also still on assisted breathing. “She is conscious and has a high temperature, but her heart is rate normal and doctors are providing constant attention to her wounds to prevent infection,” the report added,   image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Of the remaining six patients, Di Di Yin, 23, was discharged from hospital care this morning. As of yesterday Ms Di continued to experience rapid breathing and was unable to move her hand due to a strain injury. She also remained numb on her wounds to her feet, but “doctors say she feeling better and her wounds are starting to look better”, said the MoTS. Wen Qing Wei, 27, with second-degree burns on both feet and ankles, is also improving. Her chest pains have subsided and a chest X-ray showed no complications, said the report. Tingting Sun, 36 (named by Phuket Tourist Police as Sun Tingting, 37), who suffered wounds to her right leg, hip and experienced leg pain, is recovering and examinations have determined no spinal damage. Her treatment is now under advisement by a specialist, noted the MoTS in its report. Wu Yan, 36, with back pain and wounds to the front of her legs sustained is no longer in pain and can walk, while Taiwei Wang, 28, who suffered first-degree burns to his arms and legs, is also recovering well, reported the Phuket Tourist Police. Similarly, Xin Zhang 28, who suffered minor burns to her right ankle is no longer in pain and can walk, the Phuket Tourist Police noted. Meanwhile, across town at the Phuket Provincial Hospital in Rassada, speedboat crewman Prawat Sengviman, 45, who suffered burns to his face and both arms, is also recovering. “He is conscious and can sit up and talk,” reported the Phuket Tourist Police

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/phi-phi-tour-boat-fireball-phuket-doctors-play-down-facial-surgery-fears-for-burn-victim-65573.php#zXJbGVljlJukxZwU.99

[Just Weird]

29 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Because they're in  small town hospitals in an out of the way place in a 3rd world country. And at least some of them, according to the news reports, are in local government hospitals, which are even more cash strapped, making it even more unlikely they have any special kind of ward to treat a type of injury that probably is not very common there.  I could go on with more reasons, but that's probably a good start.

 

No, that's a particularly bad start. 

 

They're all in the Bangkok Hospital Phuket which is not a "small town hospital" by any stretch of the imagination, neither is it in an "out of the way place", neither is it in a 3rd world country but even if your last two assertions were correct, it wouldn't matter because of the international quality of treatment that they will be getting at an internationally recognized hospital.

 

Why would it have been reported that some are in local government hospitals when they are all in the same place as the article you're commenting on confirms?

 

Let's hear the other "reasons" that you could go on about, then.