British student’s harrowing balcony plunge leaves him fighting for life in a Thailand hospital

[IamNoone88]

Interestly, i just paid for an annual policy in the UK yesterday .... he is a section which is standard ...

[roo860]

13 hours ago, anchadian said:

Did he digest the policy conditions of his travel insurance?  I doubt it.

Hope he recovers well enough to travel to the UK.

 

 

You're supposed to read the policy, not eat it.

[Sig]

24 minutes ago, keithkarmann said:

The attempted rescue of the passengers of the Titan sub must have cost millions, all for what? How is it when a few £thousands are needed to to repatriate someone in need of life saving medical care offers are not forthcoming. I am not condoning the injured party's stupidity but if this balcony fall happened in his own country medical care would be unlimited. The only difference I can see here is that the occupants of the sub were very wealthy but the chances are that the families of the sub occupants will not be asked for payment of the rescue.

You're not condoning "the injured party's stupidity"? What stupidity? You have some inside information that nobody else here can know from the article?

[Sig]

11 minutes ago, CecilM said:

Really? Two decades here and I’ve yet to see a balcony or railing at a mall/ hotel/resort where I thought “Oh, that looks a bit low”.

Wow... that's pretty amazing! Perhaps you always stay in very posh places? Not sure how you could have avoided seeing that. I don't disbelieve you, just find it amazing because I've also been in Thailand a bit over 2 decades and have seen railings that I thought "Oh that looks a bit low" countless times! Especially in condos and hotels.

[Andyfez]

Insurance has limits. It sounds like this claim would be way betond a normal holiday policy.

Hiw do so many tourists have these crazy balcony accidents? Alcohol or drugs?

[watchcat]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Read the small print and behave yourself on holiday...

Might as well skip the holiday and stay at home instead.

[riverhigh]

24 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

Interestly, i just paid for an annual policy in the UK yesterday .... he is a section which is standard ...

Thanks for posting! 

[CecilM]

8 minutes ago, Sig said:

Wow... that's pretty amazing! Perhaps you always stay in very posh places? Not sure how you could have avoided seeing that. I don't disbelieve you, just find it amazing because I've also been in Thailand a bit over 2 decades and have seen railings that I thought "Oh that looks a bit low" countless times! Especially in condos and hotels.

Not posh for sure. I wish. ???? Nowadays decent/nice places and some really cheap places early on. I’m 1.87m and quite honestly can’t remember noticing any low balconies. (Stayed at some really cheap hotels, think 900 Baht, a few years ago for a family funeral, and even those balconies were fine.)

i might actually carry a tape measure on holiday. ???? 

[watchcat]

31 minutes ago, CecilM said:

Really? Two decades here and I’ve yet to see a balcony or railing at a mall/ hotel/resort where I thought “Oh, that looks a bit low”.

Midget?

[CecilM]

1 minute ago, watchcat said:

Midget?

Not at 1.87m. 

[riverhigh]

Most probably a nice guy with a worthwhile career ahead of him. Unfortunately with youth comes the sense of invincibility and one mistake, as in this case, can be life changing. Hope he recovers and there are no long-term physical injuries. 

[hotchilli]

30 minutes ago, watchcat said:

Might as well skip the holiday and stay at home instead.

From his hospital bed he might be thinking just that.

[Powder]

terrible story. we all know that these balconeys are build for Asian constructions. So bend over to much and there you go.

It seems that the citizen of England have an subscription for a failing health insurance and crowdfunding. The real story of this will maybe show up later??!

i hope he get well soon

[renaissanc]

I have never wanted to have travel insurance because insurance companies will always find a way to not pay the medical expenses. Insurance is a waste of money for this reason.

[Ginner]

14 hours ago, anchadian said:

Did he digest the policy conditions of his travel insurance?  I doubt it.

Hope he recovers well enough to travel to the UK.

 

 

The article reads: The insurance company upon investigation refused cover due to the circumstances of the accident. Something was/is a miss. Plus the company would have told the family the reason why they are refusing cover..

 

[KhunLA]

47 minutes ago, CecilM said:

Not posh for sure. I wish. ???? Nowadays decent/nice places and some really cheap places early on. I’m 1.87m and quite honestly can’t remember noticing any low balconies. (Stayed at some really cheap hotels, think 900 Baht, a few years ago for a family funeral, and even those balconies were fine.)

i might actually carry a tape measure on holiday. ???? 

I'm not buying the 'balcony's fault' either.  

 

Hard to believe people still blame the balcony, as yet to encounter one that I thought was too low, and I'm far from from short or tall, 175cm.  

 

A few with shaky railings I wouldn't trust, but nothing I'd come close to falling over.

 

You're on a balcony, you use caution, you're crossing the street, you use caution.  Those 2 'accidents' are simply too easily avoidable.

 

Only construction issue I have, is width/depth of steps, some quite shallow for a size 12/44 to walk down, and I need to step sideways ... a lot, or I'd slip off the edge of the steps.  That's worldwide though, a bit more so here.

[KhunLA]

9 minutes ago, Ginner said:

The article reads: The insurance company upon investigation refused cover due to the circumstances of the accident. Something was/is a miss. Plus the company would have told the family the reason why they are refusing cover..

 

As someone already stated, people aren't as generous, if alcohol induced accident.  They may decide to give their funds to someone that didn't contribute to their situation.

[jesimps]

3 hours ago, kwilco said:

there needs to be a serious revue of balcony designs in Thailand - the rails are dangerously low especially for Westerners who are generally taller than Thai people.

It would've been impossible to fall from the balcony of the condo which I owned in Jomtien many years ago, you'd have had to have climbed over it purposely to fall. I'm 6'. Knowing my weakness for getting a little bit wiffled, I wouldn't have bought one with a low balcony.

[wombat]

14 hours ago, arithai12 said:

Looks quite serious, I hope he pulls through, best wishes.

 

As for the insurance refusal to pay, difficult to express an opinion without knowing the circumstances of his fall and the details of what was supposedly covered and what not.

Drink or drugs in your system....

Insurance denied

[Twod0gs]

1 hour ago, CecilM said:

Really? Two decades here and I’ve yet to see a balcony or railing at a mall/ hotel/resort where I thought “Oh, that looks a bit low”.

You either don't get out much or you are under 5' 6" (1.676m) tall ????

 

[CecilM]

8 minutes ago, Twod0gs said:

You either don't get out much or you are under 5' 6" (1.676m) tall ????

 

No. And no. 

 

18 minutes ago, jesimps said:

It would've been impossible to fall from the balcony of the condo which I owned in Jomtien many years ago, you'd have had to have climbed over it purposely to fall. I'm 6'. Knowing my weakness for getting a little bit wiffled, I wouldn't have bought one with a low balcony.

Hear hear. Glad I’m not alone here saying that “low balcony” is a bit weird. My condo is fine (I also wouldn’t have bought it if construction was iffy; and it wasn’t even a big brand name builder), as were both my previous apartments. Same with any hotel I’ve stayed. 

[superal]

1 hour ago, IamNoone88 said:

Interestly, i just paid for an annual policy in the UK yesterday .... he is a section which is standard ...

Item 8 , any signs of drugs use , insurance is void .   Item 9 , is a get out of jail card for the ins; company and down to their interpretation . People on holiday will drink alcohol , when out and about in the evenings , that may see them over a drink drive alcohol limit but so what , they are not driving . Item 9 is ambiguous unless the hospital reported that the claimant had excessive alcohol in their body . However the ins; do not stipulate a level of alcohol that is acceptable , unless there are companies that do so but I am not aware of any . So maybe 3 or 4 beers could void your insurance ?

[CecilM]

31 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I'm not buying the 'balcony's fault' either.  

 

Hard to believe people still blame the balcony, as yet to encounter one that I thought was too low, and I'm far from from short or tall, 175cm.  

 

A few with shaky railings I wouldn't trust, but nothing I'd come close to falling over.

 

You're on a balcony, you use caution, you're crossing the street, you use caution.  Those 2 'accidents' are simply too easily avoidable.

 

Only construction issue I have, is width/depth of steps, some quite shallow for a size 12/44 to walk down, and I need to step sideways ... a lot, or I'd slip off the edge of the steps.  That's worldwide though, a bit more so here.

So true. I’ve had some slips and one accident on the stairs here; none ever involving a balcony. (As a student in my cheap apartment, I used to take a nap on the aircon with was standing against the balcony railing. No worries of falling off.) 

[newbee2022]

And here we go again.....FUNDRAISING....Though it's a tragic accident we should think about the insurance's decision not to pay.

I was travelling since 20 years around Thailand but never got into troubles with balconies. 

So - no prejudice - we should consider the time of this accident and to ask about intake of alcohol or weed or both.

This guy's not a child and fully responsible for what happened.

It's a sad story indeed, but I'm fed up with immediately asking for money.

Anyway I hope he'll recover once.????

[CecilM]

1 minute ago, newbee2022 said:

And here we go again.....FUNDRAISING....Though it's a tragic accident we should think about the insurance's decision not to pay.

I was travelling since 20 years around Thailand but never got into troubles with balconies. 

So - no prejudice - we should consider the time of this accident and to ask about intake of alcohol or weed or both.

This guy's not a child and fully responsible for what happened.

It's a sad story indeed, but I'm fed up with immediately asking for money.

Anyway I hope he'll recover once.????

I agree, both in opinion and experience. 

[ignore it]

Let's review from prior situations this year.

Young man (UK) on a "Dream Trip"

Terrible accident (Not his fault)

Hospitalization (Fighting for his life)

Insurance won't pay (Or no ins)

Mummy and Da fly to his side

Family funds not enough to cover medical and repatriation

Sister at home contacts local paper

Go fund me campaign started 

 

Yep they've covered all the bases 

 

 

[Jingthing]

I understand not giving.

Either you're not feeling it, can't afford to, or both.

But I really don't understand objections to fundraising efforts.

Nobody is forced to give.

[damo1967]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Agreed..... 

.... Perhaps the insurance has a 'no-balconies' clause...  _(sarcasm)

 

IF the family are unclear of the circumstances of the fall, how can the insurance possibly refuse the claim - do they know something the family don't ???

 

It would be interesting to learn why the Travel Insurance company refused the claim (and who this company is).... Was it a 'booze clause' ?...   and if so, does that mean 100% no booze or reasonable amounts etc ?

 

 

 

 

 

For some-one to fall off a 3rd floor balcony... hmm alcohol.. drugs.. sky-larking.. or just a plain 1d1ot?

Would not take an insurance company long to get some CCTV footage, and blood test results.

 

Why should innocent people have to pay good hard-earned money for such 1d1ots?  GoFundMe's was not set up for people in crisis due to their stupidity... sorry but leave him where he is.  A lesson learnt the hard way.  Let the family go to the Bank and take out a loan or a mortgage on their property..  then this twit can re-pay the family back when he gets better.  

 

[KhunLA]

34 minutes ago, superal said:

Item 8 , any signs of drugs use , insurance is void .   Item 9 , is a get out of jail card for the ins; company and down to their interpretation . People on holiday will drink alcohol , when out and about in the evenings , that may see them over a drink drive alcohol limit but so what , they are not driving . Item 9 is ambiguous unless the hospital reported that the claimant had excessive alcohol in their body . However the ins; do not stipulate a level of alcohol that is acceptable , unless there are companies that do so but I am not aware of any . So maybe 3 or 4 beers could void your insurance ?

Obviously, if you're falling off a balcony, your judgement was impaired.  Simply using A/B levels for a DUI, would be sufficient to deny...IMHO   As they are set, for the limit of judgement and or reaction time while driving.  Above the limit, and you'd be considered 'impaired.'

 

And that limit isn't very high, so yea, if you sip a few on holiday, skip the travel ins.

[NanLaew]

6 minutes ago, damo1967 said:

For some-one to fall off a 3rd floor balcony... hmm alcohol.. drugs.. sky-larking.. or just a plain 1d1ot?

Would not take an insurance company long to get some CCTV footage, and blood test results.

 

Why should innocent people have to pay good hard-earned money for such 1d1ots?  GoFundMe's was not set up for people in crisis due to their stupidity... sorry but leave him where he is.  A lesson learnt the hard way.  Let the family go to the Bank and take out a loan or a mortgage on their property..  then this twit can re-pay the family back when he gets better.  

 

I just love the smell of empathy in the morning, don't you?