British woman, 20, left for dead in hit and run motorbike crash faces being thrown out of Thai hospital despite horrifying injuries after being hit with £40,000 medical bill

[howerde]

12 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

What would be the situation if a Thai person got the same treatment in a UK hospital? It would be interesting to know. I have no idea as I have lived in Thailand now for years.

In the UK  you would be taken to hospital all treatment at A and E(accident and emergency) is free to all, if admitted then if not a resident you are charged 150% of the normal cost, and the bill mounts up start claiming on your insurance,  the difference is that you would be treated with payment due later.  your hospital bills are shared with government agencies, so if you left the UK without paying, this is on your record and would not be able to apply for any UK visa until the debt is paid( these are rules that have come about in recent years to stop medical tourism).  i would not be surprised if they now use debt collection agencies to reclaim the money when you return home

[Tubulat]

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Why aren't the insurers paying out? I'm guessing no helmet or licence 

No, she smoked a cigarette while riding, and that is expressly excluded in the policy.

I mean, they always find a way to avoid paying out.

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, howerde said:

if admitted then if not a resident you are charged 150% of the normal cost,

That's only for Brits not normally resident in the UK.

It's free treatment for all foreigners/tourists involved in accidents.

[sateuk]

If she was hit by another bike and it was there fault they should pay, the other ride must have bad injuries also I doubt he or she just got up and drove of on there possibly broken bike

[NoshowJones]

4 minutes ago, howerde said:

In the UK  you would be taken to hospital all treatment at A and E(accident and emergency) is free to all, if admitted then if not a resident you are charged 150% of the normal cost, and the bill mounts up start claiming on your insurance,  the difference is that you would be treated with payment due later.  your hospital bills are shared with government agencies, so if you left the UK without paying, this is on your record and would not be able to apply for any UK visa until the debt is paid( these are rules that have come about in recent years to stop medical tourism).  i would not be surprised if they now use debt collection agencies to reclaim the money when you return home

Excellent post, something for us all to keep in mind.

[nigelforbes]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

That's only for Brits not normally resident in the UK.

It's free treatment for all foreigners/tourists involved in accidents.

Emergency medical care is free to everyone, any care beyond that is potentially chargeable, for non-residents.

[Yme]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

 £40,000, that is 1,640,000 baht, insanely expensive for broken bones.

Especially seeing she will need to have the work reviewed as soon as possible by a competent surgeon to make sure it has been done correctly. 

 

[1happykamper]

The miserable coward pos that hit and run. Did they find him or her? 

[Chongalulu]

19 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

He did'nt offer her any advice then.

He said " Stay oorf they dangerous combine 'arvesters" O'ive got a brand new one and Oi'll give you the key"… ???? 

[1happykamper]

The miserable coward pos that hit and run. Did they find him or her? 

[nigelforbes]

6 minutes ago, howerde said:

In the UK  you would be taken to hospital all treatment at A and E(accident and emergency) is free to all, if admitted then if not a resident you are charged 150% of the normal cost, and the bill mounts up start claiming on your insurance,  the difference is that you would be treated with payment due later.  your hospital bills are shared with government agencies, so if you left the UK without paying, this is on your record and would not be able to apply for any UK visa until the debt is paid( these are rules that have come about in recent years to stop medical tourism).  i would not be surprised if they now use debt collection agencies to reclaim the money when you return home

I have read previously that the laws governing emergency care in Thailand are not very different, emergency care treatment must be provided at government hospitals, regardless of nationality or the ability to pay. The requirement may be different at private hospitals, I do not know, they are after all, private businesses, first and foremost.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Without knowing exactly what the damage was one can't say that. A broken bone can be more than a simple fracture; was she in ICU,  was a GA needed, were rods or plates used, etc?

When I was a lad, rods and plates weren't available, but we all managed to survive with a plaster cast.

Anyway, her injuries couldn't have been that serious as the OP photo shows her sitting up on a chair 2 days after the accident.

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Which hospital? Sounds like BH. One of the costliest in Thailand. 

 

 

Many insurance companies are no better than the New Jersey mafia. Total crooks. 

 

 

On the other hand so are some money gouging, overpriced hospitals. 

[NorthernRyland]

2 hours ago, Reigntax said:

You haven’t experienced the real Thailand until you have been hit by another vehicle at fault and they have driven off

and said other vehicle was carrying a cage full of chickens on the back.

[Chongalulu]

8 minutes ago, Tubulat said:

No, she smoked a cigarette while riding, and that is expressly excluded in the policy.

I mean, they always find a way to avoid paying out.

While they are inclined not to pay out where possible,this is a slam dunk for them given all policies I’m aware of expressly exclude motorcycle cover ,naming it and others as a dangerous activity. It’s not really "small print" either as some say,it’s very often in the key points of the policy. Many are too lazy to read and understand a vital aspect of their holiday conditions.

[howerde]

18 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

That's only for Brits not normally resident in the UK.

It's free treatment for all foreigners/tourists involved in accidents.

No it is not, that changed years ago, only the initial A and E treatment is free, once admitted or recieving treatment  outside A and E, EU citizens might still get it free, not sure what changed at brexit

 

Hospital services

Hospital treatment is free to people who are "ordinarily resident" in the UK.

To be considered ordinarily resident and entitled to free hospital treatment, you must be living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being. You may be asked to prove this.

You cannot be considered ordinarily resident in the UK unless you have indefinite leave to remain or status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/visiting-or-moving-to-england/how-to-access-nhs-services-in-england-if-you-are-visiting-from-abroad/

 

Services that are free to everyone

Some services or treatments carried out in an NHS hospital are exempt from charges, so they're free to all.

These include:

• A&E services – not including emergency treatment if admitted to hospital

[WHansen]

As has been mentioned....Call their bluff and get thrown out of hospital, she looks well enough now. Go home and forget about Thailand ?

[nigelforbes]

Just now, WHansen said:

As has been mentioned....Call their bluff and get thrown out of hospital, she looks well enough now. Go home and forget about Thailand ?

Then she can join the list of foreigners who don't pay their hospital bills and who are responsible for the next arrival or departure tax/surcharge that everyone has to pay!

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, Xonax said:

A 7 hour surgery will easily cost more than 1 million Baht.

People have hip replacement surgeries , which is two hours for a fraction. I can certainly see complex internal operations (open heart, intestinal, cancer etc) getting to that price, lots of machines needed going 'ping'.....but for an operation on her arm and hand it does sound a lot.

[ezzra]

3 hours ago, spermwhale said:

The point is they are fleecing her. No way, no how anywhere, especially up country in Thailand, would a hospital charge that much to treat someone for their injuries like hers, not even Bumrungrad or Bangkok Hospital. 

I beg to differ, couple of years ago a went to a very big hospital in Bkk with a dislocated/fractured shoulder and was asked for 200k to fix it, so 1.6 for treating many broken bones and trauma to boot it's not that pricy.

[Speedhump]

3 hours ago, spermwhale said:

The point is they are fleecing her. No way, no how anywhere, especially up country in Thailand, would a hospital charge that much to treat someone for their injuries like hers, not even Bumrungrad or Bangkok Hospital. 

My wife was in Bangkok Hospital for 10 days with acute  gastroenteritis. Two days in an emergency ward room then a  basic private room. No expensive medications just regular antibiotics and saline drip, and blood test every day.

Over 400,000 Baht. 

[austhai]

Insurance companies knock back many claims, can take them to court & if they are wrong will pay. But if she had no bike license, they can refuse. 

[brianthainess]

I haven't read all posts but as said I doubt VERY much she had a License for a motor bike, I'm seeing young Tourists here on Koh Chang everyday, driving motorbikes, it is so obvious they have no experience,   ( I could have easily killed 2 last week, luckily my car has very good brakes, ) incidentally down at the ferry port a few days ago, there is a motorbike rental place and the cops were there, checking if they had a license, before they could rent. 

[blackshadow]

3 hours ago, RT555 said:

Getting off cheap at 40,000BHT........

go read the figure again

[Smokey and the Bandit]

4 hours ago, VinnieK said:

Same goes for hospitals.

Agreed with the double pricing?

[Speedhump]

22 minutes ago, Tubulat said:

No, she smoked a cigarette while riding, and that is expressly excluded in the policy.

I mean, they always find a way to avoid paying out.

You mean they always apply the express terms of the policy? How nasty of them... 

[Smokey and the Bandit]

13 minutes ago, WHansen said:

As has been mentioned....Call their bluff and get thrown out of hospital, she looks well enough now. Go home and forget about Thailand ?

I'm assuming/hoping that's sarcasm?

[Zapitapi]

jeez so many bitter comments.. yeah might be her fault or not.. we dont know from the superb article:) but show some compassion..

[stratocaster]

According to her father her arm was broken in 50 places, so she can consider herself lucky they did not lop her arm off. He also said she had no motorbike license for Thailand and that she had the incorrect travel insurance. She had seen everyone else driving motorbikes so assumed it was the in thing to do. He also described her as very intelligent.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

You mean something like this… 

Road travel

There are a high number of road traffic accidents in Thailand especially involving motorcycles. The World Health Organisation (WHO) rates Thailand as the world’s deadliest countries for fatalities on motorcycles.

To drive a car or ride a motorcycle in Thailand, under Thai law you must have the correct licence and appropriate insurance for the category of vehicle you’re using. You will need to apply for a Thai driving licence or, if you already hold a UK licence, an International Driving Permit. If you drive a car or ride a motorcycle in Thailand without a valid licence, this may invalidate your travel insurance if you have an accident or injury.

Motorcycles or scooters for hire in beach resorts are often unregistered and can’t be used legally on a public road. Before you hire a vehicle, make sure you’re covered by your travel insurance and check the small print of the lease agreement. 

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/safety-and-security

Exactly, and several factors can come into play,

Many think it is great to fly about in shorts and a tee shirt with the helmet hanging from the handlebars. I knew a guy that burnt his leg quite badly just parking the bike.

Some years ago I was at the old Malibu bar and a guy on the other side got off his stool, climbed on a big bike and set off on 2nd road, the wrong way.  If it wasn't for the quick thinking of the bar girls he would probably have ended up in a similar position.

The warnings are there for a reason.