Buy insurance: British tourist issues warning after moped crash

[BritManToo]

17 minutes ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

Another bites the dust,   same old story,  farang rents bike, crashes it, no insurance,  no sympathy whatsoever.  Glad shes ok tho,  

Her insurance fully covered the hospital bill.

[Jonathan Swift]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why do we always have these experts who somehow think they know it all?

Did she have a motorcycle license? It was not mentioned.

Did she wear any helmet? It was not mentioned.

Did she drive like an idiot or was there maybe a reason that she got off the street? It was not mentioned.

 

Why don't we stick to the facts and don't speculate about what we don't know?

Because the social issue of accidents caused by inexperienced and unlicensed drivers is a valid topic for discussion. Because it is fair based on statistics and even on the facts of the article to infer certain things about this one. I have ridden a motorbike in my home country and this one for many decades. First and foremost it is highly likely that she was impaired either by a lack of motorbike driving skills and/or drinking. I would personally bet money that not only does she not have insurance, she also doesn't have a motorbike license, because those two responsibilities go hand in hand. The problem of unlicensed and inexperienced motorbike renters is epidemic in Thailand, and this is quite often the result. So you may have a theoretical point as far as it goes, but the commenters also have a point based on the story and also the bigger picture into which it falls. Since this is not about a crime we don't have to treat her as "innocent until proven guilty", but whether or not it's likely she was to blame for all the reasons discussed. It appears more likely than not. And remember that these are just opinions. 

[KhunLA]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Her insurance fully covered the hospital bill.

yea ... talk about reading the headline only, then assuming wrongly what that even meant.   Too funny, as were most of the other replies that didn't peek at the link.

 

Par for the 'expert' analysis on AN

[Jonathan Swift]

Funny how she mentions buying insurance - but nothing about safety and being careful when driving. She doesn't sound like she's willing to own up and accept responsibility for this.  Insurance would not erase the scars and disabilities incurred, but proper skills would have prevented the whole thing. The best insurance is safe driving practices and skills. A motorbike is not a kid's toy and can kill you if you don't take driving one seriously. 

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

First and foremost it is highly likely that she was impaired either by a lack of motorbike driving skills and/or drinking. I would personally bet money that not only does she not have insurance, she also doesn't have a motorbike license, 

as I typed, another expert chimed in ... ????????????

... it boggles the mind.

[IAMHERE]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why don't we stick to the facts and don't speculate about what we don't know?

Very few of these articles have many of the facts. Only speculation is left or leave it alone. Leaving it alone is extremely difficult for most people, certainly difficult for those who read these posts. I'm gonna go with humans hate to leave a vacuum and love to leave comments. 

 

BTW, I think it was a great job of stiches on her face. 

[ukrules]

7 hours ago, Sig said:

it doesn't appear that you read the article to even know that she had insurance at all

Yep, you got that right

[KhunLA]

37 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

BTW, I think it was a great job of stiches on her face. 

Agree, and thought it was just a nasty scratch till reading 56 stitches, well done.

[kwilco]

12 hours ago, ukrules said:

I'm pretty sure she wasn't wearing a full helmet here if the huge cut on the face probably wouldn't have happened.

 

No motorcycle license likely no insurance, unless she has a policy like mine - which she obviously doesn't.

I believe she was insured?

[GinBoy2]

1 hour ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

Another bites the dust,   same old story,  farang rents bike, crashes it, no insurance,  no sympathy whatsoever.  Glad shes ok tho,  

Did you read the article?

 

I think she was saying the fact she 'had' insurance was what saved her, and was simply telling others buy it.

 

I think she said something to the effect. "200 pounds at the time seemed like a lot of money but it saved me 20,000 pounds"

[kwilco]

I rang Staysure: yesterday and asked about cover for injuries from M/C/ rental

 

They said they would cover you if

You have. FULL licence. - obviously

and then they said it must be no bigger than 125cc

This represents a problem as many step-throughs rented in Thailand are over 125 cc these days and it is quite possible that renters will not know or be informed of the size of the engine.

 

E.g. - the Yamaha. Nouvo - the standard version is 110 cc, but the liquid-cooled version - which is almost identical is 135 cc This bike therefore would be covered by Staysure and also not by the "A1" category on the IDP.

I imagine that other insurance companies are the same - I know some don't allow M/C rental at all.

 

 

If anyone knows a travel insurance that does include M/Cs larger than 125cc?

 

 

 

[kwilco]

BTW - warning about the standard of care.

Would you accept that kind of stitching/sutra a in a "Western" hospital?

facial injuries are cosmetically very sensitive - will she be "scarred for life?"

[KhunLA]

18 minutes ago, kwilco said:

BTW - warning about the standard of care.

Would you accept that kind of stitching/sutra a in a "Western" hospital?

facial injuries are cosmetically very sensitive - will she be "scarred for life?"

With no before & after, it's pretty hard to tell what they had to work with.   From looks of it, she'll have a thin line across her cheek, and surely can be touched up if she wants later.  Looks like it was a fairly jagged tear and slice.

 

A little concealer and make up would do a fine job of blending.

[connda]

200 quid for a policy that covers motorcycles?  Sign me up.

 

[Olmate]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Her insurance fully covered the hospital bill.

 

3 hours ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

Another bites the dust,   same old story,  farang rents bike, crashes it, no insurance,  no sympathy whatsoever.  Glad shes ok tho,  

Jimbo can only count to 5,letalone read the thread! 

[Deerculler]

13 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why do we always have these experts who somehow think they know it all?

Did she have a motorcycle license? It was not mentioned.

Did she wear any helmet? It was not mentioned.

Did she drive like an idiot or was there maybe a reason that she got off the street? It was not mentioned.

 

Why don't we stick to the facts and don't speculate about what we don't know?

I agree with you 100 hundred percent.

[Deerculler]

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

BTW - warning about the standard of care.

Would you accept that kind of stitching/sutra a in a "Western" hospital?

facial injuries are cosmetically very sensitive - will she be "scarred for life?"

And you are a experienced surgeon?

[Deerculler]

11 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The Southern islands tend to attract alot of tourists and some expats who have little to no experience riding a bike, and figure "what could possibly go wrong in a relaxed island environment"?

 

In reality these islands are some of the most dangerous places in the world to ride a bike, and the number of injuries and deaths that happen are staggering. I used to live down there and personally witnessed many bike accidents. Also have a friend who worked for Samui Rescue for many years, and he told me the authorities do everything in their power to cover up the fatality totals. 

 

Her facial scars will be permanent. It would require quite a reconstructive plastic surgeon, doing micro stitches for her to have any chances of avoiding substantial scarring, due to the scars being primarily horizontal. It will be a daily reminded for her, of a rather cavalier decision, and perhaps not exercising greater care driving. She may have encountered a patch of gravel, sand, rocks or oil and lost total control of her bike. Maybe. 

You are a expert on these things?

[kwilco]

2 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

And you are a experienced surgeon?

Why do you ask? Do you think that is relevant? Are you - what is your opinion?

[kwilco]

25 minutes ago, connda said:

200 quid for a policy that covers motorcycles?  Sign me up.

 

The Statsure policy was less than 200 quid.

[Deerculler]

1 hour ago, kwilco said:

BTW - warning about the standard of care.

Would you accept that kind of stitching/sutra a in a "Western" hospital?

facial injuries are cosmetically very sensitive - will she be "scarred for life?"

Do you mean she had a choice of a Western Hospital or a Thai hospital.

 

[kwilco]

55 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

With no before & after, it's pretty hard to tell what they had to work with.   From looks of it, she'll have a thin line across her cheek, and surely can be touched up if she wants later.  Looks like it was a fairly jagged tear and slice.

 

A little concealer and make up would do a fine job of blending.

I'm not making a diagnosis, I'm wondering why they didn't use tissue adhesive - You don't seem to be able to answer that?

My experience of stitching and sutras in Thailand is that they are somewhat behind the times and leave unnecessary scarring or get infected..... - I'm sure the doctors who did it would be able to justify it.....but whether the same procedures would have been used in a western hospital is questionable .

There is a concern with people who have medical procedures in Thailand that they consider them to be "100% successful" and are delighted with the results but they never consider if those procedures were the most appropriate for the problem they had.

 

 

[kwilco]

26 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

You are a expert on these things?

I think people who use the word "expert"show distinct a lack of critical thinking abilities

[Keep Right]

Only a fool rides a motorbike in Thailand regardless if you have insurance, helmet, boots, leather. It just does not matter, the rule of probability will catch up to you and you will either die or get seriously hurt.

[3NUMBAS]

the ts and cs always says bike hire is not covered so they never read them

 

the ts and cs cover tons of get out clauses

[richard_smith237]

29 minutes ago, Keep Right said:

Only a fool rides a motorbike in Thailand regardless if you have insurance, helmet, boots, leather. It just does not matter, the rule of probability will catch up to you and you will either die or get seriously hurt.

Only fools who have no idea of the risks because they’ve never ridden here make such statements.

 

76% of Thailands roads fatalities are motorcyclists.

Of those, many / most were drunk, speeding, riding dangerously, racing, riding at night, no lights.

 

Someone who rides defensively cuts their risk significantly such that the aggregate statistics are no representative of the risk they are taking.... But, if someone is the type of person to speed while riding drunk, at night then their risk profile is significantly elevated. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, Jimbo 12345 said:

Another bites the dust,   same old story,  farang rents bike, crashes it, no insurance,  no sympathy whatsoever.  Glad shes ok tho,  

Its not the same out story though is it...  she had insurance for starters !

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

 

 

Other may call something a scooter, for whatever reason.   I've called all motorcycles, scooters for as long as I've been riding them.   Mine; 750/900/125/3000w, or friends Harley hogs.  It's a scooter to me.

 

Back in the 1960s and 1970s it was common for many motorcycle enthusiasts in my area to refer to all motorcycles as scooters. I always thought it was kind of a local thing, but perhaps not.

[sungod]

21 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Only fools who have no idea of the risks because they’ve never ridden here make such statements.

 

76% of Thailands roads fatalities are motorcyclists.

Of those, many / most were drunk, speeding, riding dangerously, racing, riding at night, no lights.

 

Someone who rides defensively cuts their risk significantly such that the aggregate statistics are no representative of the risk they are taking.... But, if someone is the type of person to speed while riding drunk, at night then their risk profile is significantly elevated. 

 

 

And here you go trying to convince yourself again......

 

Drive as defensive as you want, doesn't allow for other road users who are drunk, ignore red lights, pull out on u turns etc etc etc etc.

 

My friend who had been riding big bikes for years was rear ended by a delivery truck. May he RIP.

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, sungod said:

And here you go trying to convince yourself again......

 

Drive as defensive as you want, doesn't allow for other road users who are drunk, ignore red lights, pull out on u turns etc etc etc etc.

Nothing is without risk. But the risk as I evaluate it is less than the aggregate statistics suggests for the reasons I posted.

 

Other road users are a danger in other countries too, of course, more so in Thailand, but it's still not that bad when riding in day time, dry conditions.

 

The drunks on the road is a problem here which is why I won’t ride at night, yes, you can argue there are drunks in the daytime, but it's a lot less. 

 

22 minutes ago, sungod said:

My friend who had been riding big bikes for years was rear ended by a delivery truck. May he RIP.

A similar thing happened to my friend, a car didn’t take the corner and drove on straight into her, a head on impact killing her instantly...   This was in the UK, she was in a car.

Sorry for the loss of your friend, but anecdote is just that.