Uninsured British man on way to extend his visa loses leg after horrific motorbike accident

[thailand49]

7 minutes ago, davethailand said:

OK i've been back in the UK but my Bupa Platimum 2014 renewal quote was 44000bht for 2 million limit per claim. 

Sorry, in this particular accident depending on hospital it would barely cover this accident especially the rehab?  1 or 1.5 million policy?

[cornishcarlos]

8 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

I hung up my skid-lid and switched to public transport and now a car. That's why I'm still alive. It's just not worth it. I realise it might be one of the only forms of affordable transport, but there are cheap cars available. 

 

Bike, car, pick-up, mini van, VIP bus !!! It doesn't matter, they will find a way to kill you.... 

[steve187]

12 hours ago, JOC said:

Please please make it compulsory for anyone entering Thailand to have a travel/medical insurance.

We will still have the terrible accidents, but at least the victims and their families will not have to worry about the bill...

just how would that be enforced, how good would the insurance be if it could be checked in a few seconds by an immigration officer.

[captspectre]

the driver of the truck has said he was NOT AT FAULT? what the hell is the police for? every dumb ass who has an accident in thailand says he was not at fault but it is up to the police if they do their job right to determine who is at fault, at least that is the way it is done in civilized countries!

 

[davethailand]

5 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

Sorry, in this particular accident depending on hospital it would barely cover this accident especially the rehab?  1 or 1.5 million policy?

That was all I needed whilst there. I haven't the docs anymore but I know it was 2 million hospital expenses, 10000bht a day room etc, one million evacuation and repatriation.

Used it a couple of times, it covered me as a passenger whilst pissed so that was a result.

[Sealbash]

Do you drive around without keeping an eye on what's behind you? If so, you're the one who needs most of the good luck. I don't stay in the path of big trucks whether their brakes have failed or they are working fine as I keep a close watch on what's behind me. I move over for trucks or anything else that's in a hurry.
 
I don't think the guy in this accident was wiped out by a truck from behind. He went under one, indicating he collided with it.

According to other threads, if the motorbike hit the truck from behind, it is the motorbike’s fault


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[Sadanava]

12 hours ago, Thian said:

no the international driverslicense is valid for 90 days, you have to do a borderrun and it's valid again for 90 days...isn't it?

 

That's whay they told me...well actually (in holland) they told me it's valid for a whole year, when i asked about that 90 day rule they couldn't answer me and had never heard of that strange rule.

 

Where can we read those rules on a official page?

Actually for people with a tourist visa or other permit to stay for 1 year, the regular validity in Thailand is 90 days, each time, that's correct, however your Dutch International Driver's license can be changed into a temporary drivers license at the Thai local transport office, you do have to sit and watch a video, to a color test and break test, but that's it. 

[Peterw42]

6 minutes ago, captspectre said:

the driver of the truck has said he was NOT AT FAULT? what the hell is the police for? every dumb ass who has an accident in thailand says he was not at fault but it is up to the police if they do their job right to determine who is at fault, at least that is the way it is done in civilized countries!

 

Police charge people in other countries but thats where it ends, They dont say who is liable or damages etc, any liability or damages is an insurance or civil matter. The truck driver may well have been charged, unless the victim has an insurance company to go into bat for him, or makes a claim against the truck driver thats it. Police dont decide liability or award damages, even in the west.

Its standard practice ,even in the west to denie liability/fault, your insure company will even tell you that in the "what to do after an accident" literature.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Peterw42

[EVENKEEL]

1 minute ago, Sealbash said:

According to other threads, if the motorbike hit the truck from behind, it is the motorbike’s fault


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Picture shows bike under front left tires of truck. Would lead me to believe bike was just to close to truck and truck didn't see the bike.

[Wiggy]

33 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Bike, car, pick-up, mini van, VIP bus !!! It doesn't matter, they will find a way to kill you.... 

True, and a fair point, but statistically the odds are much better. Otherwise we'd never leave the house.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Wiggy

[Eagle60]

Poor guy. Wish him the best of recovery.

Edited March 22, 2018 by davidcc

[madmitch]

12 hours ago, Thian said:

Those insurancecompanies are also a bunch of cheaters...i just found out that the one i had for 12 years was double the price of another one which even offered more.

Also they make it a secret how long you're insured, for some you have to come back after 6 months or you're uninsured...after coming back you can leave again the next day for 6 months.

 

It's time the UK stops those dirty and stupid practises..just announce which one is the best and cheapest for a whole year nonstop travelling so it's easy for the kids to choose it.

 

For under 100 euro a year you can be insured nonstop..if you want extra's it costs more.

100 euro is a fragment of his total budget i guess, so it's really dumb to not take it.

 

But also the sugarcanetrucks that i've seen at work in thailand are complete idiots...they don't give a duck about anybody else on the roads...they let anybody drive those things (young kids as well), overload them, loose load all the time, don't follow any rules...very selfish people they are..

 

I hope the boy recovers fast, what a tragedy.

I'd say that makes most industries "a bunch of cheaters". What's the difference between paying more for one insurance product over another and buying a product in Villa Market only to find it cheaper in Big C?

 

There are dozens of insurance comparison sites on the internet: it's not difficult to compare coverage and premium. It's only laziness and naivety that makes people stick with the same insurer for years without bothering to check out other providers.

 

As for the secret as to how long you're insured: it's no secret. It'll be there in the terms and conditions. You might have to do a bit of reading to find it, though I have always found with travel insurance that the maximum number of days per trip is very clear. If you are actually living away from your place of birth then travel insurance is not the product you need to cover you in your country of residence; travel insurance is for travel outside of your country of residence, whether that be Thailand or the UK in your instance.

 

As for long term travel insurance for those on a long trip: it is expensive as the probability of having a claim increases the longer you travel. And that's probably off-putting for many younger travellers but it really should be in their budget. There are too many of these incidents in the press and no doubt many more that don't make the news. 

 

 

 

 

 

[ratcatcher]

11 hours ago, Thian said:

If they spoke english i would get a thai driverslicense tomorrow..

If that excuse was used by every expat, there would hardly be any of us with Thai driving licenses. If you have a current drivers license from your home country, getting a Thai license is easy and even easier if you have a Thai wife/friend to accompany you. If, however, you prefer to buy annual IDPs, then fair enough, but if you spend the majority of your time in this country, than get a Thai DL.

[Easy Come Easy Go]

'de-gloved'

Now that is brutal. Get well soon mate, and hope your recovery is a speedy one  
 

[Suradit69]

12 hours ago, saakura said:

Just what attracts them to Thailand like flies to shit?

"Them" being people who can't be bothered paying for insurance and who expect the world to sort out the messes in which they find themselves for free??

 

Apparently they are attracted to the piles of excrement in greener pastures in preference to the same old shit at home.

 

 

[franckfranck]

2 hours ago, JAG said:

Mind you the truck driver may genuinely not have seen the motorcycle - what with the curtain strung across the bottom half of the windscreen, the sidecurtains, the Michelin Men strapped to the wing mirrors and the window tinting so dark that they have to cut holes the size of a CD in it to see the wing mirrors. The row of cartoon stickers across the top of the windscreen possibly might not have helped...

Could someone pls help me understand why many trucks do that? Do they seriously think 'decor' is more imp than safety? Esp the tinting of the windows at the bottom.

[swoods58]

I see, well in that case i will claim all the damage from the ANWB which is the agency that sold me that international driverslicense (only them are allowed to sell them officialy). They said it's valid for one year in row...(i buy one every year).
 
I'll call them again when i'm back and tell them about this, they didn't inform me properly which by law is their job. And for worldtravelers this is crucial information.
 
But i also have a very good travelinsurance which covers motocy driving...also they didn't tell me about it.
 
If they spoke english i would get a thai driverslicense tomorrow...i live close to a thai drivingscool with their own circuit. But even my wife doesn't know if i can just go there and do whatever is needed to get thai dl.

If you have a IDP and a home licence both endorsed for motorcycles it's easy to get a Thai DL. Google it. No driving or questions required. Just a few basic physical tests.

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[wvavin]

Nobody & nothing can change the situation in this country!

[geriatrickid]

13 hours ago, saakura said:

Oh my God. What a terrible tragedy, just 29 years old with his whole life completely ruined. Just what attracts them to Thailand like flies to shit?

 

Seriously, Are you a graduate of the Miss Pattapai's Academy of Ladyboy Drama. Here's an idea: Wait 5 minutes before posting.

His whole life is not completely ruined. People have and do recover from such a traumatic injury. They post on this forum.  Do you think the people who have lost a limb due to war, or injury, just give up and toss the towel in?

Yes, it is a tragedy and unfair, but this doesn't mean his life is ruined.  I expect that someone like him with a love of life and adventure will recover on the basis of his emotional strength. Do not  assume everyone has the same emotional composition as you.

One must never, ever give up hope. Where there is life, there is hope. Anything can happen, including a reclaiming of his life by him.

Edited March 22, 2018 by geriatrickid

[ndlo006]

If you don’t have a motorcycle license from Thailand or home country. Will the insurance company cover an accident like this?

[AboutThaim]

1 hour ago, LazySlipper said:

 

Then you can be sure anyone over 65 will not be coming here. 

Don't know about that.  My third trip here since Sept 2015, 6 months, 8 months and currently on a 10 month stay.  I'm now 72 and obtained what I believe was good travel insurance  for less than 1000 dollars AUD each time.  I do some research and if it's cheap insurance go to the reviews.  If the company seems like a scammer I don't buy. A few reputable companies will still insure travellers up to old age, even 100 years.

Edited March 22, 2018 by AboutThaim
Spelling correction

[Oliver946]

13 hours ago, Pattaya28 said:

No insurance.

Asking for trouble.

Too many travel without insurance.

Crowd-funding is not the solution.

Stop with this blame of insurance. I had a Thai travel insurance and still till today they didn't pay one single BHT. I just hope for this man, that at least his embassy helps him, not like my Swiss embassy in the certain country when I needed them. 

[Yann55]

8 hours ago, jimmybkk said:

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Furthermore, the driver of the truck has told police that he was not at fault so the case is set to go to Thai court, which could take months or even years before an outcome is determined.

Sounds a bit weird. Isn't it up to the police to decide who was at fault?

 

The police are Thai, the sugar cane truck driver is Thai : case already decided.

 

 

[davethailand]

2 minutes ago, ndlo006 said:

If you don’t have a motorcycle license from Thailand or home country. Will the insurance company cover an accident like this?

Highly doubt it.

 

[ratcatcher]

2 hours ago, JAG said:

Mind you the truck driver may genuinely not have seen the motorcycle - what with the curtain strung across the bottom half of the windscreen, the sidecurtains, the Michelin Men strapped to the wing mirrors and the window tinting so dark that they have to cut holes the size of a CD in it to see the wing mirrors. The row of cartoon stickers across the top of the windscreen possibly might not have helped...

You exaggerate sir!

 

[PEE TEE]

The truck is not at fault ?????? never the less he must have full insurance as they ALL do. The british man stupid no insurance , another help me pay fund set up . all this will not  make him any better his life has changed now, Its left to others to help him . I would expect many more of these on TV. mabey another accident report tomorrow .... never ending . 

P.S i would think at that age. with a bike like that he was not hanging about 

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, Cadbury said:

There is a solution. Do not ride a motorbike in Thailand. Thailand has the highest death rate in the WORLD for motorcycle deaths.

No matter how long you have been here , no matter how how much insurance you have, or as good a driver as you might be the stupid driver is very close by and he/she couldn't care less about you. He/she will get you in the end. Just a matter of time. 

It may help if you have a quality selection of amulets hanging around you neck.

Disagree 1 million %.

I rode a m'bike for years in LOS and would still do so if I had one, despite having been in an accident already.

The world is a dangerous place and death can happen to any of us for any reason at any time. Do we just hide in bed all day?

M'bikes are a great way to get around in a country with too many cars for the road space, but one has to drive cautiously, and be aware of the dangers.

[kiwikeith]

13 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

The accident investigation should reveal who was at fault, if anyone. I doubt it would take an expert very long to determine if anyone is at blame here.

 

They can argue about liability in the courts later.

 

The driver was obviously taught at the red bull driving academy, dragging the guy down the road  = he was not aware he even hit the bike, was he breathalysed or blood tested, where's the log books the great one promised  about 6 months or more ago to stop these maniacs driving on speed and red bull.

The poor guy was lucky to survive, insurance or not he is another victim of Thai mad driver.

[PEE TEE]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Disagree 1 million %.

I rode a m'bike for years in LOS and would still do so if I had one, despite having been in an accident already.

The world is a dangerous place and death can happen to any of us for any reason at any time. Do we just hide in bed all day?

M'bikes are a great way to get around in a country with too many cars for the road space, but one has to drive cautiously, and be aware of the dangers.

after many years driving .you build a sense of reading what others are going to do in a lot of cases . Its the total unexpected that gets you . never had accident with another bike . but big dog run into the front wheel i was doing about 35 to 40 . and spent 10 days in hospital . yes i have full insurance and was treated like a king 

 

[JAG]

7 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

You exaggerate sir!

 

You know, I've often wondered why they have those heavy rubber splash guards in front of the front wheels - it's not as if they reverse at 50 kph down muddy tracks - actually on second thoughts...

 

You see I worry about things like that; back in the UK I was always bothered as to how the chap who drives the snowplough got to work when it snowed...