Jo Hoffman has been told she needs facial reconstruction surgery. IMAGE SOURCE: GENEVA HOFFMAN

A student is asking for help to pay her sister's medical bills, after she suffered a horrific accident while on holiday.

 

Jo Hoffman from Wolverhampton came off her hired scooter while in Thailand, smashing nearly every bone in her face.

 

She is currently in hospital in Koh Samui, where medical experts from Bangkok came out to try and help her.

 

She has since found out she is not covered by her travel insurance and her medical bills could reach £50,000.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-64006109

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2022-12-17

 

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same old same old, riding a m/cycle in Thailand without having the correct licence and or insurance to do so. she thought she was covered by her credit card.

Sorry to hear about her accident and condition. This happens quite too often here in Thailand. How do Thai hospitals handle that? Do they stop treating you and release you after a while when no payment is made? Or do keep you there as a medical prisoner till payment is made??

 

 

Distraught family need to raise £50,000 for woman's medical bills after Thailand scooter crash
By Adam Smith, Wolverhampton

A Wolverhampton social worker on the holiday of a lifetime will spend Christmas in a Thailand hospital after suffering a catastrophic scooter crash.

 

 

Jo Hoffman smashed every bone in her face and broke her spine in four places during the crash and now desperately needs £50,000 to pay for vital treatment needed to recover.

 

The 28-year-old's frantic family back home can only wait for sporadic updates about Jo's health as she lies in agony in her hospital bed wondering if there will be enough money for her next procedure.

 

Geneva Hoffman, from the Merry Hill area of the city, has launched a Gofundme page to raise money for the spiralling medical bills after her sister's credit card travel insurance did not cover medical bills.

 

She told the Express & Star: "The whole family is so upset, my parents are really struggling not being able to see Jo and knowing she is suffering so far away.

 

"She will be in hospital for Christmas and we don't know when she will be getting back home because she might have to stay until the medical bills are paid off, it is a nightmare."

 

She said: "Jo has been looking forward to this holiday for so long, she has taken time away from her career for the first time ever and was going to New Zealand after Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/wolverhampton/2022/12/17/distraught-family-need-to-raise-50000-for-wolverhampton-womans-medical-bills-after-sickening-thailand-scooter-crash/

 

-- © Copyright Express & Star 2022-12-17

6 minutes ago, RandiRona said:

Sorry to hear about her accident and condition. This happens quite too often here in Thailand. How do Thai hospitals handle that? Do they stop treating you and release you after a while when no payment is made? Or do keep you there as a medical prisoner till payment is made??

 

 

Few years ago I need to be hospitalised and before can go in, they ask me 10,000 THB cash deposit and to check my insurance. Of course it was not a government hospital.

21 minutes ago, steve187 said:

same old same old, riding a m/cycle in Thailand without having the correct licence and or insurance to do so. she thought she was covered by her credit card.

License? Lol

She probably never rode a scooter, let alone have a license.

10 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

License? Lol

She probably never rode a scooter, let alone have a license.

She was a passenger 

Taking time away from her career at 28?  They mean she quit?

Sounds serious and bad for her, but ignorance or lack of awareness of her insurance seems a poor excuse. 

Hope she gets sufficient donations sorry, I will not be making one.

36 minutes ago, steve187 said:

same old same old, riding a m/cycle in Thailand without having the correct licence and or insurance to do so. she thought she was covered by her credit card.

According to the local paper she was a passenger. And wore a helmet. 

1 minute ago, roo860 said:

According to the local paper she was a passenger. And wore a helmet. 

sorry should i have posted being on a m/cycle.

the post was generic to all the posts that appear on here about being on a m/cycle with either no insurance, or not being covered by the insurance they do hold, or not having a licence, i would think it was not a very good helmet or was unfastened, Koh Samui is high on the list of places for m/cycle crashes.

5 minutes ago, steve187 said:

sorry should i have posted being on a m/cycle.

the post was generic to all the posts that appear on here about being on a m/cycle with either no insurance, or not being covered by the insurance they do hold, or not having a licence, i would think it was not a very good helmet or was unfastened, Koh Samui is high on the list of places for m/cycle crashes.

Open face helmet I would guess, full face for me, regardless of weather or distance to travel, but that's my choice. On many occasions seen foreigners with chin straps that lose won't help in a accident. 

It's a sad story of course but many people who come here don't understand how dangerous the roads are and expect that similar rules of the road apply here as back home. I live off a main road that runs from Chiang Mai to Pai and also to the Mae Sa Valley, I see younger western tourists and western hitchhikers almost every day. I have to shake my head at the way they drive, very few drive defensively or even cautiously, they might as well be in the Cote d'Azur as far as driving style is concerned. Not too many try to emulate local bike riders but many do try to compete with cars and trucks for space and aren't afraid of blocking the fast lane. I did chat with two young Dutch guys on this point when we both arrived at the petrol station together. Their thinking was that driving aggressively was the better way to go and was safer for them because they believed the locals would give way.

46 minutes ago, roo860 said:

And wore a helmet

do the 20baht specials really count as a helmet tho?

 

be as well with paper mache.

 

pretty girl as well....

2 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

do the 20baht specials really count as a helmet tho?

 

be as well with paper mache.

 

pretty girl as well....

Unfortunately in the eyes of the law they do.

58 minutes ago, roo860 said:

She was a passenger 

Sorry..my bad 

I believe foreign embassies should alter their warnings list..

#1 Don't ride on a motorbike on Thai roads (driver or pillion) under any circumstances 

These young dumdums have no clue on the amount of tomfoolery that happens on Thai roads

 

 

47 minutes ago, roo860 said:

Open face helmet I would guess, full face for me, regardless of weather or distance to travel, but that's my choice. On many occasions seen foreigners with chin straps that lose won't help in a accident. 

i reckon no helmet is more likely which might be why any health insurance she had was invalid. Also no licence or alcohol would make it invalid, even riding pillion has to be checked on insurance to ensure it's included

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

same old same old, riding a m/cycle in Thailand without having the correct licence and or insurance to do so. she thought she was covered by her credit card.

I paid  extra  on my credit card insurance once for larger motorcycle coverage only to find out later I wasn't covered because I owned the bike and it wasn't a rental. Luckily I didn't need it but always read the fine print

Considering all those broken bones, she doesn't look too bad. Just keep it like that. ???? 

After rain, so many dangerous curves on the roads of Samui (and the other islands) with dirt and sand deposits that last several days. Couple that with many inexperienced drivers and I see tourist crashes every week, sometimes every day.  The standard motorbike rental helmets are a joke, colorful ornaments that barely reach the top of the ears. I hope she makes a full recovery. 

This is a little off topic, but what are the public transport options in Samui now?

Can people go in mini-busses from beach to beach for a reasonable price all day and night?

Or is it totally overpriced?

Seems well to do, herself, and possibly family.  Cancel NZ part, refund, family can chip in and done, all paid up.  International holiday, island / country hopping, can't be that skint.  'break from career' ... sounds like should have some savings and or equity.   Borrow & sell something later on return.

 

OR... go fund me, and let others pay for it.

 

Who was driving, and what insurance was there.  Was driver, he/she/it responsible and a qualified, licensed driver.  Friend or hired driver ?

 

Aside from that ... hope for a speedy recovery.

So she thought her credit card has medical travel  insurance.  I guess some do.   So was it a rental bike and bf was driving. Or a hired taxi?   I looked into this you need a motorcycle license in home country, get that made into an international license, then must wear helmet and  better not pee purple.  I imagine 90% of tourists would be found with THC in their first hospital blood test. 

31 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

This is a little off topic, but what are the public transport options in Samui now?

Can people go in mini-busses from beach to beach for a reasonable price all day and night?

Or is it totally overpriced?

There was a new bus service a couple of years ago. Disappeared with Covid. Not seen any of the buses running for a long time.

As for minibuses and taxis, their prices force tourists to rent bikes. Not used a taxi for a long time, but they don't use the meter and even used to charge a service charge. Not sure if they still do.

22 minutes ago, Elkski said:

So she thought her credit card has medical travel  insurance.  I guess some do.  

My CCs had medical/travel insurance, though never read the 'fine print'.  Don't know if it covered 'stupidity' or 'high risk' activities.  Even my debit cards have coverage, again, never read the fine print.

 

Obviously she didn't spring for 'motorcycle riding/passenger' waiver with her travel insurance.  And yet, hopped on one  ... driven by ????

2 hours ago, VinnieK said:

I believe foreign embassies should alter their warnings list..

The Foreign Office of my country does so in great detail re: traffic and motorcycles and insurance.
The U.K. F.O. as well under "road travel";
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/safety-and-security

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Who was driving, and what insurance was there.  Was driver, he/she/it responsible and a qualified, licensed driver.  Friend or hired driver ?

from reading the news article one can conclude bf:
"Jo's boyfriend was not as seriously hurt in the crash and is still in Thailand helping to look after her."

Her face is worthy of reconstruction.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

She has since found out she is not covered by her travel insurance

one can only feel pity for her while wondering how stupid one can be by traveling without insurance!

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Taking time away from her career at 28?  They mean she quit?

Sounds serious and bad for her, but ignorance or lack of awareness of her insurance seems a poor excuse. 

Hope she gets sufficient donations sorry, I will not be making one.

Probably watching too many of those stupid influencers

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Taking time away from her career at 28?  They mean she quit?

Sounds serious and bad for her, but ignorance or lack of awareness of her insurance seems a poor excuse. 

Hope she gets sufficient donations sorry, I will not be making one.

Taking time away from her career at 28?  They mean she quit?

 

not at all, many organisations offer career break opportunities to staff. indeed, it often has the opposite effect, prevents staff from quitting.