British woman seriously injured in Thailand taxi crash forced to pay £35,000 after wrongly believing she had travel insurance with bank

[Sonhia]

This is Thailand. The land of ....... 

 

I feel for the victim, and not at all surprised.

 

Tourists are safe in Thailand. Are they not?

[Kwarium]

5 hours ago, Bob in Pakchong said:

My daughter of 18 years old was struck by a truck & died instantly last week, the truck driver was uninsured, so far to add insult to us we have been offered 100,000 baht , we are still in mourning & will never ever get over this sad tragedy   

Condolences. Tragic loss I can barely imagine. I hope soon you can relish and enjoy the fond memories she gave you for decades to come! God bless!

[mogandave]

On 5/10/2018 at 4:09 PM, stevenl said:

Legal taxi's are yearly checked for legality of the car and insurance. I think the requirement is 5 mio minimum, not sure if that is per person or per accident.

 

Did she take a legal taxi though?

 

That is a very good question... 

[sambum]

On 5/10/2018 at 3:20 PM, KittenKong said:

You would think that the taxi would have commercial insurance to cover passengers, wouldn't you?

T.I.T.

[Basil B]

On 10/05/2018 at 9:20 AM, KittenKong said:

You would think that the taxi would have commercial insurance to cover passengers, wouldn't you?

I know you were not born yesterday, or only arrived in Thailand a few days ago as you have been posting on TV for many years now, so I assume your comment about a taxi having insurance was rather tong in cheek... 

 

Lucky the Taxi owner is not asking her to pay for the damage to his taxi as if she had not been there the accident would not of happened.

[Basil B]

Did not know the banks were still conning customers with free worthless travel insurance.

 

Quote

A travel agent has been left 'unable to move' after the taxi she and her partner were in was in a head-on smash with a lorry in Thailand.

A travel agent, should have known better.

[Grauwulf]

Another I didn’t check story...I am in s**t creek up to my neck please pay for me visit my go fund me page...sorry for you injuries and sorry but this is Thailand ...insurance...yeh right..but and yes it’s a but why do all these people carry on begging for money to get them out of S**t when they should’ve had themselves covered BEFORE they came. Sorry guys but this gofund me crap gripes me

[Just Weird]

7 hours ago, smileydude said:

 

Thailand does have a serious problem about compulsory vehicle insurance.  The part that is compulsory costs about 200 baht for motorcycles and 670 baht for cars.  It covers an initial 30,000 baht for treatment costs and another 70,000 baht for passengers and those not at fault.  Problem is 30-70,000 baht is hardly enough to cover the hospital bills especially if your involved in a serious accident and are admitted to a private hospital.

 

The voluntary vehicle insurance which usually starts coverage at 300-500K up to millions of baht costs anywhere from a few thousand baht/year for a Toyota to hundreds of thousands of baht for supercars.  Most private owned cars purchase them as it is mandatory for the first year in leased/financed vehicles.  Public transport are usually insured also.The problem is taxi’s and private transport like those minivans.  They usually are willing to take the risks and go only compulsory though I have been involved in an accident with those expensive Prius ALL THAI TAXI’s and they got full coverage.

"...though I have been involved in an accident with those expensive Prius ALL THAI TAXI’s and they got full coverage".

 

Expensive?  You mean those ATT taxis that are metered at exactly the same rate as other Bangkok metered taxis, surely?  Normal Bangkok taxis owned by the various co-operatives also have full coverage.

[mommysboy]

38 minutes ago, Grauwulf said:

Another I didn’t check story...I am in s**t creek up to my neck please pay for me visit my go fund me page...sorry for you injuries and sorry but this is Thailand ...insurance...yeh right..but and yes it’s a but why do all these people carry on begging for money to get them out of S**t when they should’ve had themselves covered BEFORE they came. Sorry guys but this gofund me crap gripes me

Sorry guys but this gofund me crap gripes me.

 

Clearly.  I imagine its far from the only thing- walking on the cracks in the pavement most likely enrages you!

[mommysboy]

58 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Did not know the banks were still conning customers with free worthless travel insurance.

 

A travel agent, should have known better.

Just shows doesn't it.  But the state of her insurance shouldn't really be the issue here, should it?

[BEVUP]

5 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Just shows doesn't it.  But the state of her insurance shouldn't really be the issue here, should it?

No it shouldn't , she should be making a police report due to negligance & taxi driver failing to comply vvith gov regulations that cover public vehicle 

 

If it vvas a legal taxi vvithout the correct Ins. the Government should be picking up the tab

 

It seems to be most of the time - Oh sorry no full ins (vvont cover ) or Have no money

 

It,s a shame their legal system is takes so long on Civil matters 

 

They should be Sued & be held accountable, but TIT & it seems if any one holds 1 st class ins they vvill be paying

[KhaoYai]

On 10/05/2018 at 10:09 AM, stevenl said:

Legal taxi's are yearly checked for legality of the car and insurance. I think the requirement is 5 mio minimum, not sure if that is per person or per accident.

Well, unless the police somehow failed to tell me (which as we know is possible), I don't think that's correct.  I was in an accident caused by a taxi in 2011. I was quite badly banged up, 6 broken ribs, head and leg injuries - nothing too serious but 2 weeks in St Lous and 6 weeks off work.

 

When I got out of hospital the police invited all parties to Lumpini police station and after some discussion pronounced the taxi driver was at fault - too right he was, the idiot pulled straight out of a side road without looking, Buddha would of course take care of him.

 

My total claim against him was 1.3 mill - the max payout on his THIRD CLASS Insurance was 100,000 baht!!!  Yes, tourists should have adequate insurance but I think the Thai government have a lot to answer for by allowing a TAXI to have third class insurance.

 

Lawyer wanted to take the taxi driver to court  - the guy was a rice farmer from upcountry who rented the taxi on a 3 shift share.  I was not about to spend fortunes on a lawyer to chase a penniless farmer.

Edited May 12, 2018 by KhaoYai

[4MyEgo]

16 hours ago, tropo said:

You're being a bit harsh here. The problem here is not about tourists not having insurance. This is an issue where a public transport company in Thailand should have Public Liability Insurance to cover anyone injured in an accident. It's something Thailand needs to fix, not tourists. 

 

Let's be real here. I'll use Australia as an example. If a Thai tourist came to Australia and got <deleted> up in a taxi accident, all costs would be covered by public liability insurance... which covers up to many millions (maybe $10m) of AUD. A travel insurance company would not pay a cent.

 

Shaming the tourist for not being covered by travel insurance is wrong here. It overshadows the real point - that Thailand needs to do something about public transport companies and ensure they are all insured. They want to welcome tourists - well get on it! 

I just stumbled on this after being a frequent traveller to Thailand for the past 12 years and living here for the past 2.5 years.

 

For the life of me could not believe what I was reading, and you summed it up beautifully !!!

 

Fortunately for me, I usually hire a car if I fly down to Phuket as I don't like the way Taxi and Mini Van drivers fly to get me and my family to our destination, recently driving 10 hours to Pattaya with our own car.

 

As for the Taxi industry here, I just used my Facebook page to let all the Ozzie's I know back home not to get into a taxi here unless they have their own travel insurance and read the policy to make sure it covers pubic transport like taxi's, and hire cars, the latter I know it does.

 

You learn something every day in amazing Thailand, spread the word on this, would hate to see an unsuspecting Ozzie or anyone else for that matter go through what this unfortunate couple are going through, despite her travel insurance issue's, she is lucky for the go fund me site and people who donated to get her out of this.

 

SHAME ON THE THAI GOVERNMENT FOR NOT MAKING IT MANDATORY AND ENFORCING PUBLIC INDEMNITY INSURANCE ON THE TAXI INDUSTRY, WEAK AS P.SS

[Basil B]

4 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

My total claim against him was 1.3 mill - the max payout on his THIRD CLASS Insurance was 100,000 baht!!!  Yes, tourists should have adequate insurance but I think the Thai government have a lot to answer for by allowing a TAXI to have third class insurance.

 

Lawyer wanted to take the taxi driver to court  - the guy was a rice farmer from upcountry who rented the taxi on a 3 shift share.  I was not about to spend fortunes on a lawyer to chase a penniless farmer.

Yes the Government has a lot to answer for, I presume the insurance was shared too... and unfortunately it was the taxi driver to blame not the taxi so no point in pursuing the taxi owner.   

[Csaw]

There is a GoFundMe, if you guys wanna help out

https://www.gofundme.com/help-abbies-treatment-in-thailand

[MaxYakov]

Not meaning to second guess their decision to use a taxi to go to Khao Lak from Phuket, but it's at least 100 km one-way according to Google Maps. Further than I would want to go in Thailand in anything less than a bus or a Panzer tank. I wonder what type of taxi it was. In any case, I hope she has a complete recovery.

Edited May 12, 2018 by MaxYakov

[Baerboxer]

On 5/10/2018 at 3:48 PM, Expatthailover said:

If you have kosher insurance and you get on a dodgy taxi you will have no problem.

Can you imagine presenting to bumrungrad and saying I have no insurance the taxi driver is responsible for the bill.

Dony leave without proper insurance..it isnt hard 

 

Yes it is. Here we have someone who works in the travel industry, of which travel insurance is a topic, and mistakenly believes the insurance through her bank covers her. So if she can make an error pretty sure lots of others can, and do.

 

Of course your hindsight wisdom is almost priceless - and as one of my old CEO's used to say "hindsight is worth tuppence a ton". Yes, she should've checked the actual coverage with the bank and probably wishes she had like hell.

 

But she was in a local taxi, which through no apparent fault of the driver, was hit head on by a lorry which also hit the car in front. So in the real world, you'd expect the taxi to have insurance and claim against the insurance you'd expect the lorry to have. But in the third world, that isn't so. Trouble is many tourists believe the hype and don't realize what a backward place they're visiting. 

 

So as an expat living here, your're fully insured against all possible medical illnesses and treatments, all possible accidents and injuries, from all activities, with no exclusions. Wow, can you share the details of you all inclusive comprehensive insurance please.

 

Expecting the Thai governments to do something about the conditions of driving, mechanical conditions of vehicles, especially lorries and ensuring all vehicles are covered by adequate insurance, isn't Thai bashing, as this story is about events in Thailand. It is wishful thinking though and about as likely as snowballs in hell.

 

 

[joecoolfrog]

16 hours ago, Grauwulf said:

Another I didn’t check story...I am in s**t creek up to my neck please pay for me visit my go fund me page...sorry for you injuries and sorry but this is Thailand ...insurance...yeh right..but and yes it’s a but why do all these people carry on begging for money to get them out of S**t when they should’ve had themselves covered BEFORE they came. Sorry guys but this gofund me crap gripes me

Yes its terrible that one is forced to contribute...oh wait a minute !

[mogandave]

Why people do people with no money travel?

[hashmodha]

I have just donated through GoFundme.... having been in travel and I question the charges so Quickly......the UK TTG does not say anything about been forced to pay??!!!

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

So as an expat living here, your're fully insured against all possible medical illnesses and treatments, all possible accidents and injuries, from all activities, with no exclusions. Wow, can you share the details of you all inclusive comprehensive insurance please.

 

If you live here then you will or should know the dangers and have adequate cover.

 

That's not so cheap but it's also not so expensive. You can get it all covered for a few thousand pounds per year.

 

[Baerboxer]

1 minute ago, ukrules said:

 

If you live here then you will or should know the dangers and have adequate cover.

 

That's not so cheap but it's also not so expensive. You can get it all covered for a few thousand pounds per year.

 

 

Yes I know. But seriously, are you insured, and have checked all possible exclusions for every eventuality?

 

Great if you are but slightly anal retentive.

[Grauwulf]

16 hours ago, mommysboy said:

Sorry guys but this gofund me crap gripes me.

 

Clearly.  I imagine its far from the only thing- walking on the cracks in the pavement most likely enrages you!

Na just people quoting me who don’t know me....oh dear.

[richard_smith237]

39 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Yes I know. But seriously, are you insured, and have checked all possible exclusions for every eventuality?

 

Great if you are but slightly anal retentive.

 

Being anal-retentive, as you put it, it took me nearly 2 months of back and forth emails for my Insurance company to clarify in writing what they considered 'dangerous' activities for which there was an exclusions clause. 

 

Eventually they provided me more specific terms (by e-mail).

 

The detailed exclusions etc are vague, even after purchase the 'fine print' often leave plenty of room to maneuver by the Insurance company. 

 

 

[ravip]

On 10/05/2018 at 2:12 PM, darksidedog said:

Stories like this really piss me off. If you are in a taxi and it has an accident, his insurance should cover any medical expenses, especially if you do not have your own. On that note though, I am continuously shocked how many stupid people, (and if you come somewhere dangerous like Thailand without insurance, you are stupid), either have no insurance or do not bother to check their coverage. Maybe time for the Government to force people entering the country to show proof of adequate coverage, or for them to be forced to buy a package at the point of entry to cover them.

Although this news item drew a lot of negative criticisms, isn't this a good idea by all means?  The article

[mommysboy]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

If you live here then you will or should know the dangers and have adequate cover.

 

That's not so cheap but it's also not so expensive. You can get it all covered for a few thousand pounds per year.

 

Oh, right!  Just a few thousand then!

[ukrules]

5 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Yes I know. But seriously, are you insured, and have checked all possible exclusions for every eventuality?

 

Great if you are but slightly anal retentive.

 

Of course I'm insured, I pay the few thousand a year, it covers me for everything. It's not travel insurance either as I live here full time.

[timewilltell]

It's high time there was some better and clearer regulation on insurance generally. It is a minefield of complicated exclusions and waivers and you really should not have to wade through pages of small print to find out how they are going to weasel out of a claim.

 

As for the Thais - they have no proper regulation about anything so hardly surprising the lack of regulation on insurance for taxis. I doubt you would fare much better on a train, bus or maybe even the MRT.

 

These types of accidents and the bill required to put the unsuspecting right afterwards should have consumer protection from the UK who should demand the same from Thailand. It is a life ruining event.

 

 

[TheLobster]

I'm struggling to understand why a lot of posters here think your insurance cover needs to cover incompetent taxi drivers?

 

The incompetent taxi driver should pay ?

[Grauwulf]

4 minutes ago, TheLobster said:

I'm struggling to understand why a lot of posters here think your insurance cover needs to cover incompetent taxi drivers?

 

The incompetent taxi driver should pay ?

Yup agree if you were anywhere in the western world but this is Asia....how many are legally,fully insured taxi drivers...or just guys trying to make a buck....