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

[hottrader77]

7 minutes ago, ScotBkk said:

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 !!!!

sorry you lost me for a second , how do we know it was not his own fault ? maybe he was riding reckless on the motorbike , others on here are just pointing out going on a long journey travelling in alot of countries it would be sensible insured

[DipStick]

14 hours ago, survivalblue said:

I think it's time to require Travel Medical insurance for boarding any international flight.  These people should not be allowed to travel and they should not be trying to get sympathetic donations when they get injured on crowdfunding websites.  

It's not that expensive to just insure yourself.  And foolish not to insure yourself.

If your not insured, you shouldn't be allowed to travel.

Not just tourists, insurance should be held by ALL foreigners in Thailand, presenting an insurance policy should required when extending visas, no matter which visa.

[jvs]

1 minute ago, Thian said:

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.

Like i tried to explain to you before,do not expect the Dutch to be able to do anything about this.Go get your Thai DL asap.!!!

You can find info on Thai Visa what you need to do,it is very easy.Even if you do not say a word the Thai DMV will know what you want.Where are you located?Also lots of agencies who can help you ,for a fee of course.Please do not think you will be able to get any help or refund from the ANWB,it is not their problem.Please let me know what their response is?

[saminoz]

15 hours ago, JOC said:

Second one in 3 days....(Hua Hin 3 days ago).

Both British

Both Uninsured

Both expecting someone else to pick up the bill

 

 

It's shocking that this is so common.

In other news, an uninsured leg had to have it's thigh and body removed as it couldn't afford to have the medically disposed of too.

Edited March 22, 2018 by saminoz

[Thian]

16 minutes ago, DipStick said:

Not just tourists, insurance should be held by ALL foreigners in Thailand, presenting an insurance policy should required when extending visas, no matter which visa.

Most tourists come on a visa-exempt....so they would have to show their insurance at the customs on arrival.

[ScammedInThailand]

15 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?

Why is his 'life completely in ruins'? If you had taken the time to R-E-A-D [and comprehend] the story, you would know that the victim IS aware of his injuries and has come to terms with them. With such a positive outlook, there is no reason why he cannot still lead a rich and fulfilling life. He has age on side [in terms of recovery and adapting to his 'new' life] as well as the undoubted notoriety his story will bring him.

 

In respect of your second observation - you have fully answered the question yourself. Thailand is a s**thole - so where else would these people go!

[Jingjock]

As its been said many times, your insurance will not cover dangerous sports or pastimes IE boating, jet ski, motorbikes etc. I drive a motorbike and a car, both with 1st class insurance. Govt. here should make all tourists to have the required before renting bikes cars etc.

[Stoker58]

Terribly sad. I just would not ride a motorbike in this country. 

[ScotBkk]

27 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

sorry you lost me for a second , how do we know it was not his own fault ? maybe he was riding reckless on the motorbike , others on here are just pointing out going on a long journey travelling in alot of countries it would be sensible insured

Sensible people like you are very rare indeed. We need people like you to make the world a better place so we can life a better comfortable life. You need commended, your awe inspiring words would bring tears to a glass eye. You as a pillar of society shouldn't stand in the dark - You need exposure my friend. Please attack me as you see fit - its your destiny !!! We TV members await your enthralling messages knowing your so wise my friend ...Love You xxxx

Edited March 22, 2018 by ScotBkk

[Shackleton123]

Lorry pulled out in front of him, but the lorry driver says he as not at fault. I ride a Triumph Bonneville here, and drivers are always pulling out in front of me. Buses too - in fact anything bigger than a motorcycle has right of way in their otherwise empty heads. Anyone on a schedule - Lorries, Buses, is particularly dangerous, They are on a schedule to make more money, which almost certainly means they are on dope and red bull into the bargain. They are lethal killing machines and the only way to survive is to always be ready to brake, and always be travelling at a speed where you can brake suddenly and stay on the bike. What's going on in this country is mass manslaughter, unregulated daily mass manslaughter. Nothing less. It's killing fields on the roads. Anyone thinks I'm exaggerating - look at the stats.

 

[chilli42]

15 hours ago, survivalblue said:

I think it's time to require Travel Medical insurance for boarding any international flight.  These people should not be allowed to travel and they should not be trying to get sympathetic donations when they get injured on crowdfunding websites.  

It's not that expensive to just insure yourself.  And foolish not to insure yourself.

If your not insured, you shouldn't be allowed to travel.

I understand your point and “get” your frustration but do we really need more government/airline intervention in our lives .... having to prove I have not just insurance coverage but the “right” kind of coverage every time I travel.  No thanks.  The uninsured can live with the consequences of their short sighted actions and the Go Gund Me requests are easily ignored if you are so inclined.  I admit, I hate the nanny state more than the though of a Thai hospital being out of pocket.

[doctormann]

31 minutes ago, DipStick said:

Not just tourists, insurance should be held by ALL foreigners in Thailand, presenting an insurance policy should required when extending visas, no matter which visa.

 

The problem there is that once past a certain age, or with pre-existing conditions, insurance cover becomes unaffordable, if you can get it at all.  The only real option is to self-insure - either that or return to your home country, abandoning the wife and kids!

 

I would agree though that it is not right to expect others to pick up the tab for medical expenses, whether through crowd funding or otherwise.

 

[The Theory]

15 hours ago, JOC said:

Second one in 3 days....(Hua Hin 3 days ago).

Both British

Both Uninsured

Both expecting someone else to pick up the bill

 

 

Don’t you worry no one will ask you for help ??

[geriatrickid]

59 minutes ago, hottrader77 said:

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 

 

LOL @ linking a tragedy to your personal grievance on  visas.

Good show.

[Tchooptip]

52 minutes ago, meechai said:

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

 

2

Most accidents we have seen with motorbikes are due to over speed by the driver, then lost of control, I would hate to criticize this poor  young man in the hospital right now, but I will allow myself to think was he driving like I said at 45kph there would probably have been no accident and in any case not the same level of gravity.

"Ever see a truck clean thru 20+ bikes waiting at a stop light? They were not going fast they were stopped"  

The chance to be implicated in such an accident is one million less because it happened yeees,  but in a country of 65 000 000 inhabitants and 500 000 square km 

one has to be really unlucky not comparable with all those drivers putting themselves in danger by their speed and their imprudence.

And in conclusion, driving like I drive for 6 years in Thailand never ever did I find my self in danger. OK it could happen tomorrow but il always thought I was a lucky man with a good star and a good guardian angel.  

I have a car too, last month we drove from Samui to Bueng Khan and back all in all 5000 km,  never did we found ourselves in danger, and believe me or not we did not even see an accident on that 5000 km drive. 

 

[PAIBKK]

14 hours ago, Thian said:

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 your valid driver's license and a valid international driver's license you need to get the following:
- Statement of residency what you can get at the immigration office for free.

- Medical statement what you can get at any local doctor or medical service around the corner. They just take your blood pressure, not more than this and you have to fill out a form.

- And don't forget your passport as the passport number will be copied to the driver's license.

You go to your nearest Department of Transportation where you can get your Thai driver's license valid for one year. After that year you can get one valid for 5 years. The only tests you have to do at the DoT are: reaction speed, if you are blind or colour blind. But most Thai that are blind are getting through the test. Then it's time to pay 200 THB for your motorcycle driver's license and 200 THB for your car driver's license. They will have your picture taken and you can go with 2 credit card size driver's licenses.

[Thian]

27 minutes ago, Jingjock said:

As its been said many times, your insurance will not cover dangerous sports or pastimes IE boating, jet ski, motorbikes etc. I drive a motorbike and a car, both with 1st class insurance. Govt. here should make all tourists to have the required before renting bikes cars etc.

That's bs mate....first mistake you made is generalizing all nationalities...there are different rules for each foreign country...i read here that France's driverlicense are accepted in thailand. Other european driverslicenses not.

 

Same goes for travelinsurances...i specifically asked mine about driving motocy in Thailand and they said it was no problem.

 

For the rest it's all specific for the travelinsurance...they are NOT all the same.

 

 

[Mattd]

17 minutes ago, Jingjock said:

As its been said many times, your insurance will not cover dangerous sports or pastimes IE boating, jet ski, motorbikes etc. I drive a motorbike and a car, both with 1st class insurance. Govt. here should make all tourists to have the required before renting bikes cars etc.

This is exactly right, most posters, including the news article have concentrated on the lack of travel insurance, the stark reality is that very few travel insurance policies will cover this type of accident.

It is totally mad IMO to go on a holiday to any foreign country and not have some form of travel insurance in place, but that will likely only cover you in the event of sickness and the like.

If you decide to rent a vehicle of any type whilst on that holiday, then you must make sure that it is properly insured, not only for 3rd parties and the vehicle, but for you as the rider / driver.

For those that live here and have health insurance, then I'd suggest that you double check that the policy will cover you in an event like this, a lot do not and specifically state as such. 

 

Oh and for those discussing the IDP, as far as I am aware this is valid for a maximum of 90 days in Thailand in one given year, that year starts on the day you arrive in to Thailand, so going out for a day and coming back doesn't reset this. It is also only valid so long as you are also in possession of the valid driving license from your country.

 

As for insurance companies being rip off merchants, not so sure that is the case, some are more expensive than others, as in all commodities, but they base the premium purely on risk, nothing else. It is probably the one thing that we buy and hope that we never have to use!

[natway09]

Compulsory travel insurance to be allowed to enter & DO NOT ride bloody motorbikes.

Obviously some people are prepared to gamble or do not read.

As one poster said,,,, Thailand has the worst record in the world for serious bike accidents

Wake up

[geriatrickid]

11 minutes ago, doctormann said:

 

The problem there is that once past a certain age, or with pre-existing conditions, insurance cover becomes unaffordable, if you can get it at all.  The only real option is to self-insure - either that or return to your home country, abandoning the wife and kids!

 

I would agree though that it is not right to expect others to pick up the tab for medical expenses, whether through crowd funding or otherwise.

 

It is not  unaffordable if you look at the numbers. The data shows that the age group will have a frequency and severity of claims. These people will have to pay for it one way or the other if they stay here. They can place a catastrophic policy, or a self funded financial instrument to cover these expenses. It just requires financial planning and the means to do so. If they cannot afford the insurance, then they should take it as a message that they should not be in Thailand.  There are too many financially impaired people who refuse to take responsibility for themselves. They should go away. And to be blunt, if they were impoverished they should not have been having kids. That just highlights the selfishness of these elderly foreigners who impregnate  women at their stage in life. They won't be around to take responsibility for their offspring will they? They leave a legacy that reflects their lives as they lived it: Selfish and shortsighted.

[Sealbash]

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

Anyone who thinks all non-Thais are courteous law abiding drivers has spent no time on Thai roads


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[sawadee1947]

I pity this young man....however to drive a motor bike in Thailand is always a risk no matter how you drive yourself. Also to travel without an insurance is insane (compare the costs of insurance with those of your whole trip). And if an accidents has happened to cry for financial help is a no go. Again, I pity him but won't donate any cent.

[EVENKEEL]

2 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

It is not  unaffordable if you look at the numbers. The data shows that the age group will have a frequency and severity of claims. These people will have to pay for it one way or the other if they stay here. They can place a catastrophic policy, or a self funded financial instrument to cover these expenses. It just requires financial planning and the means to do so. If they cannot afford the insurance, then they should take it as a message that they should not be in Thailand.  There are too many financially impaired people who refuse to take responsibility for themselves. They should go away. And to be blunt, if they were impoverished they should not have been having kids. That just highlights the selfishness of these elderly foreigners who impregnate  women at their stage in life. They won't be around to take responsibility for their offspring will they? They leave a legacy that reflects their lives as they lived it: Selfish and shortsighted.

Sooo, what do you consider the max age a responsible man should have kids?

[Acemaker]

16 hours ago, JOC said:

Second one in 3 days....(Hua Hin 3 days ago).

Both British

Both Uninsured

Both expecting someone else to pick up the bill

 

 

Thanks for that amazing contribution, Mother Teresa.

[moe666]

If you ar on a bike in this country you all ways asume someone will pull out in front of you. I just drove from Kanchanaburi to Chiang Mai and the sugar cane trucks are every where. You have to be very defensive about driving any vehicle here. 

 

Bad luck to the Brit hope he has a full recovery

[Tchooptip]

30 minutes ago, ScammedInThailand said:

Why is his 'life completely in ruins'? If you had taken the time to R-E-A-D [and comprehend] the story, you would know that the victim IS aware of his injuries and has come to terms with them. With such a positive outlook, there is no reason why he cannot still lead a rich and fulfilling life. He has age on side [in terms of recovery and adapting to his 'new' life] as well as the undoubted notoriety his story will bring him.

 

In respect of your second observation - you have fully answered the question yourself. Thailand is a s**thole - so where else would these people go!

1

Thailand is a s**thole - so where else would these people go!

What are you doing on TV with a username like "ScammedinThailand" are you a Masochist?

Plus in the name of every happy expat, I thank you for your telling we all live in a s**thole, 

 

PS: And thank you mods to take notice I stayed polite... a real effort on my behalf by the way

 

 

[kokopelli]

16 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?

He is attracted to Thailand for the same reasons all of us are attracted to Thailand.

[moe666]

2 hours ago, Borzandy said:

It's clearly a farang fault, as usually.

Hate to tell you but you are wrong about that. Someone I know killed a guy on bicycle the police came back and said not car drivers fault. I understand the need to generalize and make assumptions about Thais but thats all they are is assumptions and your own lack of information

[Peterw42]

18 minutes ago, Thian said:

That's bs mate....first mistake you made is generalizing all nationalities...there are different rules for each foreign country...i read here that France's driverlicense are accepted in thailand. Other european driverslicenses not.

Thailand is signatory to all the international driving conventions and treaties , and accepts licenses from all other signatory countries (most countries in the world). All European licenses, Australia, US, UK , Canada etc, are valid in Thailand. (IDP may be required, up to 90 days etc.)

Edited March 22, 2018 by Peterw42

[meechai]

25 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

 

 

 

And in conclusion, driving like I drive for 6 years in Thailand never ever did I find my self in danger. OK it could happen tomorrow but il always thought I was a lucky man with a good star and a good guardian angel.  

I have a car too, last month we drove from Samui to Bueng Khan and back all in all 5000 km,  never did we found ourselves in danger, and believe me or not we did not even see an accident on that 5000 km drive. 

 

Yes & may your luck continue

I also never had a accident in Thailand but, Thailand earns its Most Deadly Roads in The World title

with stats like 60 dead each & every day. This does not include those who die later at hospitals from accident

 

In a game of odds the odds are not greatly in your favor in Thailand period.

But good luck to you & I wish you a safe journey

 

Edited March 22, 2018 by meechai