I have spent the last 4 days trying to help the US based family of a good friend, seriously injured after being hit by a car.

 

My life would be much easier just now if my friend had bothered to have a easily accessible document somewhere in his residence with all his emergency contact and insurance information.

 

Please give your friends and family a break!!!

 

It does nobody any good if all the important info, including Passport copy, insurance policy, ect, ect are on your phone or neatly filed away on your laptop, inaccessible to anybody but you.

 

Make  hard copies of your passport and insurance policy face page.

 

Make a list of those you want contacted should you be incapacitated along with all contact details:  Phone, email even social media.

   

Make a directive of exactly what you want done with your body should you be dead.  Make financial arrangements with somebody you trust to sort out your details. 

 

Make several copies.  put in a sealed envelope and exchange with a local friend as well as putting in a dresser or night table drawer.

 

My friend Mike had just retired and was really enjoying himself.  he never expected Friday to end the way it did.  You don't know how every day will end either.  make it easy on others, and ultimately yourself by having your vital info available.

 

EDIT:  make sure your insurance policy contains permissions for family members or others you designate to act on your behalf.  If you are from the USA, make sure your insurance has the HIPPA clause, giving others access to your information and the ability to make medical  decisions on your behalf activated.  If it is not, even your family can be locked out.  This is causing huge problems for my friend's family at the moment.  The travel insurance company will only compensate HIM directly, not family paying hospital bills on his behalf and he is totally incapacitated.

 

Edit2: Consider giving somebody trusted medical power of attorney.  Do you really want to be kept on life support while a hospital milks every last dollar you have and nobody with the legal standing to stop them?

Edited November 30, 20223 yr by dddave

Wife's phone number in wallet. 

Thai Driving licence enough for me. 

4 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Wife's phone number in wallet. 

Thai Driving licence enough for me. 

You think so?  My friend's wallet was apparently pinched at the scene.  he had no id on him when brought to the hospital.  I happened to call him to chat.  An EW nurse picked up his phone and answered.  That's how they found out who he was.

 

We later searched his room and no wallet.  That's why we think it was pinched.

Do everybody a favor, Kwasaki.  Same could happen to you.  Make a copy of the license and your pp and put it in a drawer.

 

2 minutes ago, dddave said:

You think so?  My friend's wallet was apparently pinched at the scene.  he had no id on him when brought to the hospital.  I happened to call him to chat.  An EW nurse picked up his phone and answered.  That's how they found out who he was.

 

We later searched his room and no wallet.  That's why we think it was pinched.

Do everybody a favor, Kwasaki.  Same could happen to you.  Make a copy of the license and your pp and put it in a drawer.

 

If someone stole my motorbike or my truck and my wallet and i was a long way from home in Thailand alone what good is info in a drawer going to do. 

17 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

If someone stole my motorbike or my truck and my wallet and i was a long way from home in Thailand alone what good is info in a drawer going to do. 

I agree, since Thailand is very unlikely that an accident occurs (sarcasm) it would still be useful given the one described above to have a copy of the passport (kept separately from the wallet) with the urgent numbers to call.

I do about 25k km per year cycling and on a motorbike and i reckon it's safer than walking, always exposed walking in Pattaya, but in both the accidents reported this week, they are tourists who don't seem to know how dangerous the roads can be

2 hours ago, BE88 said:

I agree, since Thailand is very unlikely that an accident occurs (sarcasm) it would still be useful given the one described above to have a copy of the passport (kept separately from the wallet) with the urgent numbers to call.

Hard A4 photocopies carried in bikes and truck which is recommended along with a copies on my mobile.

Wife's mobile numbers in wallet. 

 

I supposed i should get a tattoo if all is stolen. ????

The OP poses a dilemma. It's fair enough to say people should be able to access essential information in an emergency situation. OTOH, in these days of scammers everywhere, I for one am reluctant to enable them to use said information by making it easily accessible.

 

My solution is a Thai and Australian will, a joint bank account with my GF to tide her over while she waits for probate, and a password-protected USB stick to be posted to my son in Australia containing financial information.

38 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Hard A4 photocopies carried in bikes and truck which is recommended along with a copies on my mobile.

Wife's mobile numbers in wallet. 

 

I supposed i should get a tattoo if all is stolen. ????

It would be the first useful tattoo, think about it ????