British personal trainer needs £250,000 to get home from Thailand after falling from third-storey balcony and suffering horrific injuries while on holiday

[johnhender]

What I want to know is why people are always falling off these balconies ? when I visit I am super careful because I know safety is an afterthought in BKK and you will be SOL if anything happens insurance or not - this is not the place to take stupid risks 

[Mac Mickmanus]

9 minutes ago, johnhender said:

What I want to know is why people are always falling off these balconies ? when I visit I am super careful because I know safety is an afterthought in BKK and you will be SOL if anything happens insurance or not - this is not the place to take stupid risks 

Some baloneys are extremely low , some are just above knee height

[jerrymahoney]

This is from AXA Travel Insurance 'Sawasdee' INBOUND to Thailand:

 

This Insurance Policy does not cover
1. Loss or damage arise from, or in consequence of following causes; (Unless the coverage is extended and stated in the endorsement):

1.1 Any action of the Insured while under the following condition
(1) Under the influence of addictive drugs or narcotic drugs to the extent of being unable to control one’s mind or
(2) Under the influence of alcohol which have blood/alcohol level of 150mg percent and over or
(3) Under the influence of alcohol to the extent of being unable to control one’s mind in the event of no blood test for alcohol, addictive drug or narcotic drugs and the Insured is under the influence of those substances to the extent of unable to control one’s mind.

 

The term “under the influence of alcohol” in case of having a blood test refers to a blood/alcohol level of 150mg percent and over.(150 milligram of alcohol is found in 100 milliliter of blood) (their italics)

 

https://thailandgi.cdn.axa-contento-118412.eu/thailandgi/ae9aff71-4346-4156-abf5-3d6aa93e4d3d_Policy+Wording_Sawasdee+Thailand_Online_EN_17.09.2021.pdf

Edited March 1, 2023 by jerrymahoney

[jerrymahoney]

Note to the above: See page 20/35 of the above linked PDF 

 

Specific Exclusions (Only Apply to Insuring Agreement: Medical expense due to Accident or Sickness) 

Edited March 1, 2023 by jerrymahoney

[cracker1]

I wish you all the very best of luck with your recovery.

[NanLaew]

On 2/28/2023 at 10:26 AM, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Medical evacuation does not cost a quarter million. Something (many things) is off here.

Medical evacuation doesn't have a fixed cost and can vary widely. Standard practice is to move the IP (injured party) to the nearest center of medical excellence for their specific or medical condition. For example, I had an employee offshore Nigeria who caught malaria but through a previously un-diagnosed medical condition, had life-threatening complications. He needed critical care including dialysis that wasn't available in Port Harcourt or Lagos. The medevac flight arrived from the UK, the team stabilized the IP before transferring to the aircraft, whereupon he was flown to Nairobi in Kenya.

 

I would imagine that the IP in this story may require a large support team and complex handling because, 'He currently has external pelvic fixations and cannot move from a laying down position. He needs a second operation to insert internal fixations before he can start the long recovery process ahead before he will be able to sit on a flight to get home.' 

[Gottfrid]

On 3/1/2023 at 9:02 PM, JimTripper said:

Sucks to live that way though in your own home.

 

It’s nice to relax once in awhile without looking out for the slightest threat when enjoying a beer on your balcony.

No problem! I am not stopping you from falling. Just relax and sing with Sinatra "I did it my way"

[Gottfrid]

On 3/1/2023 at 8:57 PM, Mac Mickmanus said:

That right mate , I am a complete drunken idiot who is unaware of his surroundings and have been lucky to live this long without dieing and you are wonderful 

Thanks Mac! Why did that happen to you?

[Mac Mickmanus]

6 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Thanks Mac! Why did that happen to you?

Yes, unfortunately  it did , I died in 2017 after falling off a balcony in Pattaya

[Senior Player]

The DM's details are rather scant to form an overall opinion. Apparently, the three-story fall happened on Koh Phi Phi island, which was where the speed boat had to rush Kieren from to Phuket. But questions need to be asked, such as how did Kieren happen to fall from a balcony? What were the circumstances? If the balcony isn’t faulty, how do you fall off it? And does the hotel bear any responsibility, assuming that it was a hotel? I would suggest the manner in which he fell from the balcony is perhaps the reason why the insurance company will not compensate him. Also, are balcony falls something of a red flag to insurance companies, as in do they suspect another reason for the fall? Without more details, it's difficult to judge. I understand why so many here believe intoxication is probably the lead cause, as it's difficult to understand how a fully grown adult could simply fall off a balcony while sober.

 

Only thing I'll add is young people really need to take more care of themselves when holidaying abroad.

[jerrymahoney]

Crowdfunding your medical bills seldom works in Thailand -- March 2, 2023

 

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/crowdfunding-your-medical-bills-seldom-works-in-thailand-425710

[Captain Monday]

On 2/28/2023 at 12:36 AM, Sheryl said:

 

No reason to hire a private jet. This sort of medical evacuation is done on commercial aircraft all the time.  While still not cheap, it is far, far less than a private plane charter.

 

There may well be a medivac company trying to sell the family on chartering a plane, but if so they should look elsewhere (including DIY by contacting airlines).

 

Contact airlines, explain the requorements (i.e. stretcher as he cannot sit up) and overall condition etc (e.g: conscious, not on  a ventilar, etc etc. Will likely be told have to pay for a full row of seats (and costs of their removal to accomodate a stretcher) and medical personnel accompaniment.

 

 

The stretcher kits  I saw used  whilst working on a previous airline cannot be put sideways over a row of seats.  9 seats/ three rows were used with the stretcher lengthwise and needed to be paid for and there was thus room for three attendants/relatives in the aisle seats also .

 

Still cheaper than any kind of charter flight even if the seats need to be blocked for the return to base. Talking 737. Maybe there are stretchers that can be mounted on a center row of a widebody aircraft?

Edited March 3, 2023 by Captain Monday

[JimTripper]

I hope we get a follow post on what happens. I always read these with the plea but never find out what happened.

[Gottfrid]

19 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Yes, unfortunately  it did , I died in 2017 after falling off a balcony in Pattaya

Nah, that´s impossible, but you might have hurt yourself badly. That´s the only explanation I can find for the comment above.

[jerrymahoney]

NB: This is dated 28 FEB 2023:

 

Yvette Cooper MP contacts Foreign Office to help stuck Castleford couple return home from Thailand

 

"I’m calling on their insurance company to urgently help rather than making things so hard for Kieran and Shauna at what is clearly already an incredibly difficult time.

 

"I’ve also contacted the Foreign Office to ask for their help. Kieran and his girlfriend are being left in an impossible limbo without any response from the insurance company.

 

https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/people/yvette-cooper-mp-contacts-foreign-office-to-help-stuck-castleford-couple-return-home-from-thailand-4044455

[markclover]

In the UK he probably lives in a bungalow and just walked out to get the milk like normal.

[FritsSikkink]

On 2/28/2023 at 8:12 PM, Mac Mickmanus said:

Yes, but you haven't fallen off a balcony .

Its very easy to fall off a balcony, all you need to do is to be standing one step  further away from the balcony that you thought you were , lean back, and over you go 

With a low balcony, you should have your face towards the balcony and not your back and surely not lean back.

[Ralf001]

28 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

With a low balcony, you should have your face towards the balcony and not your back and surely not lean back.

Does it really matter if low or high balcony ?

 

[Lorry]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:41 PM, NanLaew said:

Medical evacuation doesn't have a fixed cost and can vary widely. Standard practice is to move the IP (injured party) to the nearest center of medical excellence for their specific or medical condition. For example, I had an employee offshore Nigeria who caught malaria but through a previously un-diagnosed medical condition, had life-threatening complications. He needed critical care including dialysis that wasn't available in Port Harcourt or Lagos. The medevac flight arrived from the UK, the team stabilized the IP before transferring to the aircraft, whereupon he was flown to Nairobi in Kenya.

 

I would imagine that the IP in this story may require a large support team and complex handling because, 'He currently has external pelvic fixations and cannot move from a laying down position. He needs a second operation to insert internal fixations before he can start the long recovery process ahead before he will be able to sit on a flight to get home.' 

That's all true,  but a medevac from Phuket to Castleford (wherever that is) really doesn't cost 250,000 GBP. IP has already been stabilized and is  in a good hospital. Prices vary a lot, reckon between 60,000 and 130,000 GBP.

Now, if you add the cost for Bangkok Phuket Hospital you will easily hit 250,000 GBP, the sky is the limit. See this thread