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

[davemos]

I regularly take motorcycle taxis I'm 72 can't get insurance in Thailand.

[Borzandy]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the truck has told police that he was not at fault

It's clearly a farang fault, as usually.

[frank83628]

13 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...

most insurance will not cover motorcycles anyway, and that is what the majority of accidents are due to.

[Hooliganzone]

13 hours ago, Pattaya28 said:

No insurance.

Asking for trouble.

Too many travel without insurance.

Crowd-funding is not the solution.

Travel Insurance would not have covered him for a motorbike accident as most insurance companies class this as dangerous sports, but that does not mean that traveling abroad without travel insurance is acceptable it is totally irresponsible.

Do not rent motorbikes here you are only asking for trouble in the most dangerous place in the world to drive.

 

[frank83628]

6 minutes ago, Hooliganzone said:

Travel Insurance would not have covered him for a motorbike accident as most insurance companies class this as dangerous sports, but that does not mean that traveling abroad without travel insurance is acceptable it is totally irresponsible.

Do not rent motorbikes here you are only asking for trouble in the most dangerous place in the world to drive.

 

i see so many that cannot even drive still rent them and crash. 

 

Who is to blame ?

 

Thais for renting the bikes, or the tourist that cannot ride a bike and possible doesn't even have a licence trying too rent in the 1st place??

 

i'm sure in their home country they wouldn't try to, it seems when people come to Thailand they leave their brains behind, then some pass the blame when things go wrong!

 

 

[Knee Jerk Reaction]

Anyone wondering what was meant by degloved. I looked it up. ‘A degloving injury is a type of avulsion in which an extensive section of skin is completely torn off the underlying tissue, severing its blood supply. It is named by analogy to the process of removing a glove’. 

[lvr181]

14 hours ago, Pattaya28 said:

Crowd-funding is not the solution

Sadly it is for him, not withstanding what you have already said.

 

I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he gets the treatment that he desperately needs.

 

 

[Time Traveller]

13 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...

Please make it compulsory to censure stupid posts like JOC's. 

 

Insurance exists for one reason: So Insurance companies can make Profits. 

They don't insure people out of the goodness of their heart, or to help society. The insurers exist only because they payout less for claims than they receive from insurance premiums.

Furthermore, when anything becomes "compulsory" you interfer with the market mechanism, so guess what? Providers can charge whatever they want, because they know you must buy it. The result will be everyone being forced to pay a lot more for both insurance and medical treatment.

 

Finally, to put JOC through the hypocrit test, let me ask how long you've been a cheer squad for the Insurance industry in your own country? I bet you're from a country that enjoys Socialized medicine? Because if you'd ever lived in a country with compulsory health insurance (think USA), then you'll know what a complete disaster that is for affordable (I don't mean Free) healthcare.

 

And if you want to continue this ridiculous idea, let me just add that Thailand already requires ALL foreign visa holders to prove they have sufficient funds before entering or being given visas. Why is it when some sad accident like this happens, the High moralists, jump up and down about compulsory insurance? Ever stopped to question if he had money to pay for accidents like this? Ever stopped to question if the insurance company would have even covered the claim? Yes, they do reject claims too .

 

[davethailand]

3 minutes ago, Knee Jerk Reaction said:

Anyone wondering what was meant by degloved. I looked it up. ‘A degloving injury is a type of avulsion in which an extensive section of skin is completely torn off the underlying tissue, severing its blood supply. It is named by analogy to the process of removing a glove’. 

I was sent a video (for some reason) of a Guy in a bike crash (not this one) I think in the Philippines or Thailand and he's "de-gloved" his leg but conscious, I've seen some nasty pics and vids but this one is horrible.

 

[shackleton]

Here we go again same old Subject 

Having no travel/ medical insurance in Thailand

how many times has this subject been discussed on this Forum

No doubt will be discussing again  

some people never learn to their cost 

wish the guy a speedy recovery 

[kcpattaya]

Such a shame, another life ruined; still so young.
Wonder what the outcome will be "Who was wrong"?
In Thai routine it is probably going to be HARRY.

[holy cow cm]

Not a snail 100cc bike. 150cc? Too bad for him and the leg. Could happen to anyone of us or our loved ones. 

[Voodoochile]

14 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?

Thai poo nanny.

 

 

what else?

[Tchooptip]

I cannot say how many bikes I have had in my whole life, but here in Samui I drive most of the time at 45/50 kph, never ever did I drive so slowly in my country, never.

Sometimes if I go to Nathon, in a straight line a few seconds at 100kph, that's all

Samui is not a big place, so from Lamai to BohPut, for instance, it would be difficult to earn more than a few minutes should I drive faster...

Almost no Westerners or expats drive that way, I mean here in Samui, every day I see tourist young and older driving on the medium lines waiting constantly to overtake.

Many without a helmet of course. When it is not two or three of them obviously racing between them.

I also see regularly a few are expats, because I saw them the whole year, who have a  300cc or bigger scooter and drove like a macho who bought the road for himself, not very clever on Samui roads!

Personally, I am not afraid I will have an accident on Thai roads, unless very bad luck always possible of course, 

But for all those I just mentioned much less sure.

it looks like a rant but it is not, being for the freedom they are free of their choices ... and me of mine!

[meechai]

2 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

 never ever did I drive so slowly in my country, never.

 

Almost no Westerners or expats drive that way, I mean here in Samui, every day I see tourist young and older driving on the medium lines waiting constantly to overtake.

Personally, I am not afraid I will have an accident on Thai roads, unless very bad luck always possible of course, 

But for all those I just mentioned much less sure.

 

I don't disagree that being cautious helps but,

After living many years in Thailand & watching the carnage I have no illusions that any

amount of caution can stop stupid from thrashing you from behind, the side etc etc

 

Thailand #1 most deadly roads in the WORLD period

 

Ever see a truck clean thru 20+ bikes waiting at a stop light?

They were not going fast they were stopped

 

Good Luck but in Thailand that is all it is. No amount of skill or caution

can save you. Of course it helps but it is not a shield

 

[flyingdoc]

Insurance really is vital when travelling abroad, but is best taken out in one's home country.  It is even possible to get cover coupled with one's bank account, which is worthwhile considering.

[lvr181]

14 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...

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

 

A good idea in theory, but there will be elderly tourists and others (because of medical conditions - some of which may be controlled through the use of prescription drugs) that would be unable to purchase insurance. Thus 'compulsory' insurance is not the panacea you may imagine.

[denby45]

14 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.

I am 100% in agreement, driving a motorcycle here is a liability. When I first arrived on retirement I thought a motorbike was the obvious answer. Get get in and out of traffic no problem. However my conception soon changed tack after several near misses due to idiotic Thai drivers both motorbikes and cars. The final straw came when I was one day riding along third road (Pattaya) slowly, anticipating my turn at Cherries restaurant. Obviously I was riding far to slow for the bus who was driving 5 inches from my back wheel and flashing his lights like crazy. As we traveled along there were no more parked cars on the inside so he could overtake me there. As he passed he deliberately swerved the bus so to side swipe the bike. I went right across the other side of the road trying to keep the bike upright. It was more difficult because I had the wife on the back. Luckily there were no cars or bikes coming the other way or we would have been either severely injured or dead. This is the mentality of Thai drivers. The result was I put the bike in the parking and two days later bought a car. I was lucky in the fact that I had the money to buy and I know many others do not and don't have that as an option. I also know that driving a car is no guarantee we won't be injured. However although I don't know the actual statistics I fully believe that driving the car is much safer than a bike. That is good enough for me. 

 

Den  

[Pib]

The "after the accident/disease" medical insurance policy of choice used by many now days....a Go Fund Me page.

 

[geriatrickid]

56 minutes ago, davemos said:

I regularly take motorcycle taxis I'm 72 can't get insurance in Thailand.

You choose to take the  motorcycle taxi. You accept the risk and must therefore assume the consequences.

 

You CAN get insurance at age 72. You have chosen not to  place the insurance. Just say that.

 

Either you have not made the effort or are unable to  manage the  cost, but do not say you are unable to make an arrangement because elderly people who  have underlying medical conditions can and do obtain risk transfer financial products.  The coverage can be set up as a retention plan, or as a self financing fronting arrangement with catastrophic coverage. There will be a cost, but it is available. It's just a question of going direct to the health insurer and saying I need the coverage, but I do understand that there is a cost and will pay that cost. What we have here are   people who believe that the insurer and its policy holders should subsidize their cost of coverage.   

The managed health insurance plan is no different than the companies who self insure. The benefit is that the insurer can impose the lower  fees and set procedure payments on the health providers that an individual cannot. The insurer acts as the  auditor of the  expenses submitted by the hospital. In plain language John Q. Public will most likely pay more for a procedure than the insurance company.

[meechai]

8 minutes ago, Pib said:

The "after the accident/disease" medical insurance policy of choice used by many now days....a Go Fund Me page.

 

 

Also good for when you find counterfeit US Dollars & try to cash them in 

[jacko45k]

It is awfully sad that this has happened to a young guy.

But the old story of a tourist without insurance, having a motorcycle accident and needing a go fund me page will invoke many unsympathetic comments.

 

I have seen plenty of these types of trucks in the countryside, they are indeed a hazard on the roads, but usually because they are slow and ponderous. Not much can be said..

[franckfranck]

1 hour ago, wvavin said:

Nobody & nothing can change the situation in this country!

Nothing. Not EVEN amulets

[Kerryd]

Apparently most people here just - don't - get - it.

 

MOST "travel insurance" policies that "tourists" could/would buy, specifically exclude motorcycle accidents. The insurance companies aren't stupid. They know the risks and they know that people will lie about their intentions. This comes up with almost every accident involving tourists and motorcycles.
Also, even if you have a policy that covers motorcycle accidents, it would be invalid if it turned out you weren't licensed to operate them or were using a type you weren't qualified for. For example, you may have an IDP that says you can drive scooters up to 125cc. If you have an accident while driving a CBR-400, your insurance would likely be invalidated.

Also, if you were drunk/stoned at the time of the accident your insurance would probably be voided
.
Also, read the fine print on your medical coverage, especially if it's a policy from "back home". For example, many Canadians simply assume that because they have Healthcare coverage back in Canada, they are covered no matter where they go. The truth is, even if you simply travel to another province you may not be covered, let alone if you travel to another country.

In fact, you are supposed to notify them if you are travelling outside of the province and they will (most likely) tell you to buy additional coverage as you won't be covered.

(Note: When I left the military to take a job in Afghanistan, I had to register with my provincial healthcare agency. They told me that my coverage would be something like $512 per year. I told them that I was going to Afghanistan for at least a year. They told me I wouldn't be covered the minute I left the province. I said, if you aren't going to cover me why would I bother paying the premiums ? No answer. I didn't pay but a couple months later they sent me a bill for the full sum, with late payment interest added on. I ignored it and sure enough, a couple months later they sent another bill with even more "late payment" interest, for coverage they had already told me I wouldn't be eligible for ! I finally sent them a cheque along with a nasty note and never heard from them again.)
 

I used to get by using an IDP as I was in/out of the country every couple of months anyways (and it was needed for work any ways). I did get my Thai DL awhile ago though and it has made life a little easier. 

I also have "Class A" (third party) motorcycle insurance, as well as a health insurance package from the bank, as well as a motorcycle-specific medical package the bank offers as well and of course the mandatory gov't insurance.

I also used to be a driver instructor and a Defensive Driving instructor and am always looking out for potential hazards while riding but momma-mia, this is Thailand and even the hazards have hazards ! I was going to try using my GoPro to make videos when I'm riding so I can point out all the "near misses" I've encountered while riding but most of the video is just boring, uneventful riding and I can't be bothered trying to edit the few seconds of "oh s***" that happens every now and then. 

 

Most of the near misses come from other drivers simply not looking when they turn onto a street or make a u-turn or change lanes. Couple months ago I was riding in Buriram and was going through a "T-Intersection". There were a couple vehicles at the intersection, waiting to make a right turn. The first vehicle saw me coming and was waiting for me to go through as I had the "right-of-way". No problem.

Except that the idiot behind him decided to pull out into the oncoming lane so he could cut around the guy in front of him ! Right in front of me ! Luckily I had slowed a bit as I approached the intersection as I half expecting the first vehicle to try and turn before I got there. Had my hands/feet ready but as I got close it seemed obvious that the lead vehicle was (properly) waiting for me to go through first so I started to relax a bit. I don't think I even had time to say "oh s*** !" when the 2nd vehicle suddenly started turning into my lane. Hit the clutch and the brakes and was able to veer to the far left side of the lane enough to miss the front of his vehicle and then I just carried on (while cursing his entire family line dating back to the dawn of mankind). 

(My Chinese knock-off "GoPro" battery had died long before that. Apparently a "4 hour battery life" = 80(ish) minutes of actual recording.)

 

I've had a lot of "close calls" with big trucks on the roads as well as they often like to change lanes without looking (or signalling). Another major problem is people turning onto a road without even the slightest glance to the right to see if someone is coming. I mean sheesh, we are taught to look (both ways) as kids before trying to cross a road. By the time you are riding on public roads on a scooter it should be automatic to look to the right before turning (left) onto a road.

However, there are more than a few foreigners that think they are "the boss" when it comes to riding motorcycles here as well, regardless of whether or not they've ever ridden them back home. When I was posted to Germany back in the 80s we had to take a week long motorcycle safety course and pass a test before we could get a license. However, the course and the test were done on 125cc size bikes and never went faster than 30km/hr.

But as soon as you were "qualified" and had your license, there was nothing stopping you from buying the biggest, baddest crotch rocket on the market and taking it to the autobahn the next day. We lost a couple guys and ended up with a few more badly injured as they simply could not handle that big of bike at those speeds. 

 

 

[Essaybloke]

14 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?

I agree with you for the most part, but I don't think that last question was necessary. We all know Thailand's roads can be extremely dangerous but to write off an entire country and its good people with that contemptuous language.... no, you're out of order!  

[farq]

14 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?

The period of validity depends on which country you plan on driving in! It is up to YOU to ascertain what the rules are before leaving your home country. As for travelling without sufficient, effective insurance, that is absolute insanity! Why should strangers be expected to fund your stupidity and negligence with these ridiculous "GofundMe" begging pages?! Even if you have travel insurance, most policies will not cover any injury sustained from being on a motorcycle, as a rider or a passenger! People should also read their policy before paying to ensure that you are covered for what you want to do!

[hottrader77]

14 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?

yes and to top it , having to extend his visa just so the hierachy in thailand can make a few bob more , we should get longer visas as it used to be , every year i used to get a multi entry o non immigrant 1 year tourist visa but not now the greedy immigration officials want their cut , lets return the land of smile once again and get rid of these army buffalo greedy thinkers 

[ScotBkk]

15 hours ago, Pattaya28 said:

No insurance.

Asking for trouble.

Too many travel without insurance.

Crowd-funding is not the solution.

Lets get real. TV is not REAL Life. We as a social Media don't give a Toss what people on here say or think. We as a caring society care for our fellow citizens unlike these Thai apologists expats who actually think they're Thai !!!!

Edited March 22, 2018 by ScotBkk

[free123]

15 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Although I have sympathy for somebody in such a condition, after the tragic accident, to organise such a lengthy trip, involving numerous countries, with no travel OR medical insurance, is irresponsible, and quite frankly, ludicrous. 

well i traveled half the world for years alltogether with no insurance at all... till today....been lucky so far.... but its understandable affordable insurance that covers everything everywhere hard to find even impossible... since in thailand i inquired deep into this sibject without sucess... affordable... non burocratic... no have

[Thian]

12 hours ago, jvs said:

Well Thian i think you see this wrong.Your international DP you get from the ANWB is valid for a year,you could drive 3 months in Thailand,3 months in Africa and 2x3 months somewhere else.

The ANWB does not control the laws of the individual countries where you drive.I believe Holland has kind of the same law,after you spend 3 months there you are considered a resident and need to have a Dutch dl.A lot of people think the way you do and you would probably not have a problem when you get stopped but it will be a different story if you are involved in a collision of some sort.

It is not very difficult to get a Thai DL.AS long as you have a Dutch license that allows you to ride motorbikes.You will most likely do not have to do any tests,just need to present the needed paperwork.It would be easy for your Thai?wife to find out.

Cheers mate, i'll send your reply to the ANWB and wait for their reply.

 

If you're right that means i'm driving motocy/car without a dl so uninsured which is VERY dangerous..i sure don't want that and also Holland sure doesn't want that.  We are a very developed country but are always open for improvements (like this).

 

My wife has a very busy job and not many holidays so it's a waste to go with me and hold my hand while doing the dl-exams..yes i have motocy and car dl from Holland for many decades and never had accidents.

 

But because the ANWB advises people with the wrong info they will be responsible for all the damage done if their advice is wrong (which i think is the case here). 

 

Other worldtravelers should be warned by their homecountries and get the right information. 

 

I'll email them right now and see what they say.