Aussie Muay Thai boxer’s career on the ropes after Koh Samui road knockout

[snoop1130]

 

The promising career of a talented Aussie Muay Thai boxer is on the ropes after a devastating knockout by a man driving on the wrong side of the road while riding his scooter on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand. In keeping with the trend, his insurance company declared that the aspiring martial arts fighter was not covered for the accident.

 

The accident victim, Tommy Kirk, now has to find tens of thousands of dollars to cover his medical bills.

 

The 23 year old mine operator from Kitchener in New South Wales’s Hunter region, was only three days into an intensive two-week Muay Thai training trip on Koh Samui with a friend when disaster struck on Tuesday, January 30. While riding his scooter, he was violently knocked off by a driver travelling on the wrong side of the road, resulting in a forceful collision that pierced his skin and caused a clean break of both the tibia and fibula in his right leg.

 

Following the accident, Kirk underwent emergency surgery to save his leg but his medical expenses continue to mount. He faces the daunting prospect of having to fly home in business class after further procedures to mend the shattered bone.

 

Despite having travel insurance, Kirk’s hopes were dashed when the company declined to cover his medical bills, citing a lack of coverage for motorcycle injuries of this nature.

 

This unfortunate incident serves as a poignant reminder for foreign travellers to ensure comprehensive motorbike cover in their travel insurance plans, particularly in regions where mopeds are a prevalent mode of transportation.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture courtesy of the Daily Mail

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-05

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

[Dmaxdan]

7 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

This unfortunate incident serves as a poignant reminder for foreign travellers to ensure comprehensive motorbike cover in their travel insurance plans, particularly in regions where mopeds are a prevalent mode of transportation

Or just do the sensible thing and refrain from riding motorcycles full stop.

[soi3eddie]

What is missing in this story? No mention of the third party driver who is at fault for causing these injuries. Surely the insurance of the guilty party driving on the wrong side of the road should be paying all the hospital bills. Or was the third party not insured? No mention if the third party driver was Thai or foreign, not that it really makes a difference, but could give a clue regarding their insurance status. Compulsory insurance is required for all motor vehicles. What coverage is being claimed from the other driver and their insurance. If Australia (or any wetsern country) a claim against the other driver would be made in cases such as this. 

 

[soi3eddie]

4 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Or just do the sensible thing and refrain from riding motorcycles full stop.

 

Or don't drive a car, don't cross the street, don't swim in the sea or rivers. Might as well stop life IMO. Unfortunate accidents happen. He will heal in full in a couple of months. 

 

[uttradit]

Can't get motorbike insurance without a licence. If he was training muay thai to get fit he could have walked to the bungalow. Riding a motorbike to exercise doesn't make sense.

[zhounan]

Does the third party driver has insurance in case he drive in the wrong side and change the life of someone?

[brianthainess]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This unfortunate incident serves as a poignant reminder for foreign travellers to ensure comprehensive motorbike cover in their travel insurance plans, particularly in regions where mopeds are a prevalent mode of transportation.

What about traveling on buses? My advice, if you manage to reach your destination in Thailand unscathed, stay on the ground floor, don't go anywhere, no boats, buses, taxis, swimming, in fact don't do F All. 

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

he was violently knocked off by a driver travelling on the wrong side of the road, resulting in a forceful collision

So why isn't the offending riders insurance not covering this accident???

Or is this just another case of "you're a foreigner screw you" ??

[spermwhale]

I find it deplorable that a headline writer and editor would make fun of the man's injuries by using a play on words in the headline and lede sentence of this article. It's really really in bad taste. That kind of headline should not be on an article about someone's suffering. 

It's disgusting. I expect this kind of rubbish in the comments section from classless on this site, but not from a news source.

 

[Robbkk]

12 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Or don't drive a car, don't cross the street, don't swim in the sea or rivers

Those things are not the same. Everybody who rides motorbikes in Thailand shatter some bones sooner or later.

 

[Sig]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a forceful collision that pierced his skin and caused a clean break of both the tibia and fibula in his right leg.

Anyone else find that a very odd way of describing the injury? "pierced his skin"???
The only thing that came to mind is that the translator has no clue what a compound fracture is and they came up with this after asking about it or maybe looking it up in a dictionary?

[Robbkk]

2 minutes ago, spermwhale said:

I find it deplorable that a headline writer and editor would make fun of the man's injuries by using a play on words in the headline and lede sentence of this article

I have to admit that I only clicked.on the link because of the headline. Thought it was about a fight on the road. Had I known it was just another motorbike accident I wouldn't have bothered.

[arick]

And accident not a disaster.  A orthopedic surgery not an emergency surgery.

Should be out of the hospital within 48 hours.  I am curious how much the hospital bill will be I am sure will find out soon enough.

[arick]

18 minutes ago, Sig said:

Anyone else find that a very odd way of describing the injury? "pierced his skin"???
The only thing that came to mind is that the translator has no clue what a compound fracture is and they came up with this after asking about it or maybe looking it up in a dictionary?

ORIF open reduction 

Can I get a job writing these articles ?

[newbee2022]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

The promising career of a talented Aussie Muay Thai boxer is on the ropes after a devastating knockout by a man driving on the wrong side of the road while riding his scooter on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand. In keeping with the trend, his insurance company declared that the aspiring martial arts fighter was not covered for the accident.

 

The accident victim, Tommy Kirk, now has to find tens of thousands of dollars to cover his medical bills.

 

The 23 year old mine operator from Kitchener in New South Wales’s Hunter region, was only three days into an intensive two-week Muay Thai training trip on Koh Samui with a friend when disaster struck on Tuesday, January 30. While riding his scooter, he was violently knocked off by a driver travelling on the wrong side of the road, resulting in a forceful collision that pierced his skin and caused a clean break of both the tibia and fibula in his right leg.

 

Following the accident, Kirk underwent emergency surgery to save his leg but his medical expenses continue to mount. He faces the daunting prospect of having to fly home in business class after further procedures to mend the shattered bone.

 

Despite having travel insurance, Kirk’s hopes were dashed when the company declined to cover his medical bills, citing a lack of coverage for motorcycle injuries of this nature.

 

This unfortunate incident serves as a poignant reminder for foreign travellers to ensure comprehensive motorbike cover in their travel insurance plans, particularly in regions where mopeds are a prevalent mode of transportation.

 

By Bob Scott

Caption: Picture courtesy of the Daily Mail

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-05

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

I travelled a lot in my life but never missed driving a moped. Even in remote areas there were opportunities to go by four-wheels.

Also keep an eye on the right insurance policy. Read carefully 🙏

[soalbundy]

29 minutes ago, spermwhale said:

I find it deplorable that a headline writer and editor would make fun of the man's injuries by using a play on words in the headline and lede sentence of this article. It's really really in bad taste. That kind of headline should not be on an article about someone's suffering. 

It's disgusting. I expect this kind of rubbish in the comments section from classless on this site, but not from a news source.

 

The woke is strong in this one.

[rwill]

Most likely without seeing a video of the incident the driver of the vehicle was probably going the wrong way on the shoulder of the road.  Which, as far as I can tell, Thai's don't consider to be part of the road. 

 

However after reading the linked article it isn't as described:  "

Nathan Jones, a friend and fellow Muay Thai fighter, launched a fundraiser to assist Kirk in his journey home. Jones recounted the horrifying details of the accident, emphasising Kirk’s innocence in the matter and the grievous extent of his injuries.

“Tommy was only crawling along when another driver came flying through an intersection and wiped him out.

 

More a story of someone running an intersection than driving on the wrong side of the road.

 

And yes as has been mentioned the titles on a lot of the Thaiger linked articles are pretty rediculous.  But that is Thaiger writers doing it.  AN is just copying their articles.

[Toby1947]

13 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

What is missing in this story? No mention of the third party driver who is at fault for causing these injuries. Surely the insurance of the guilty party driving on the wrong side of the road should be paying all the hospital bills. Or was the third party not insured? No mention if the third party driver was Thai or foreign, not that it really makes a difference, but could give a clue regarding their insurance status. Compulsory insurance is required for all motor vehicles. What coverage is being claimed from the other driver and their insurance. If Australia (or any wetsern country) a claim against the other driver would be made in cases such as this. 

 

This is Thailand, very few have insurance even less have a driving license. Ever tried to get a 8yr old kid and 4 of his mates insured to travel around on 1 motorbike it ain't happening. Police as usual do nothing 

[Bangkok Barry]

28 minutes ago, spermwhale said:

I find it deplorable that a headline writer and editor would make fun of the man's injuries by using a play on words in the headline and lede sentence of this article. It's really really in bad taste. That kind of headline should not be on an article about someone's suffering. 

It's disgusting. I expect this kind of rubbish in the comments section from classless on this site, but not from a news source.

 

 

Just more brilliant Thaiger journalism by their editor-in-chief. It isn't only driving that is of a low standard here. It's getting to the stage now where I'm simply not going to read any more of the garbage that Thaiger spews at us. The fact that this is the most frequent source of news that AN gives us doesn't reflect well on this site, believing it is acceptable to publish jokes about injury. Why not add a laughing emoji as well while they're at it.

 

I know that AN is not allowed to change what they re-publish, but if what Thaiger reproduces for us is so poor then why use it at all? Surely there must be a better source of news. A source that doesn't say someone is dead and in the next paragraph talks of them being alive (yesterday) or make pathetic not-funny jokes about serious injury, written with the mind of a child. And that is what their senior staff thinks is acceptable.

[rwill]

13 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Surely the insurance of the guilty party driving on the wrong side of the road should be paying all the hospital bills. Or was the third party not insured?

Lot's of people driving with no insurance, which means unregistered too.  But the basic liability insurance required to register a vehicle only pays for medical, no property damage.  However the limits on it are pretty low, thus the about 700 baht per year cost.  80K baht for injury, up to 500K baht for death or permanent disablity, 200 baht per day if hospitalized but no more than 20 days.

[Ironmike]

This is one of so many stories here I have read about these insurance companies leaving people in the crap but never a mention of the names of these companies why not???? If I was travelling and needed insurance I wouldn't be giving any money to them if I have read bad news about them,,, why not shame them

[steven100]

next comes the ' go fund me  ' page .....

 

 

 

[Bangkok Barry]

13 hours ago, uttradit said:

Can't get motorbike insurance without a licence. If he was training muay thai to get fit he could have walked to the bungalow. Riding a motorbike to exercise doesn't make sense.

 

1 - the article doesn't say he was riding to a bungalow (and what bungalow anyway?). And 2 - we are not told how far it was from where the victim was staying to wherever he was trying to get to.

[steevjee]

18 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Just more brilliant Thaiger journalism by their editor-in-chief. It isn't only driving that is of a low standard here. It's getting to the stage now where I'm simply not going to read any more of the garbage that Thaiger spews at us. The fact that this is the most frequent source of news that AN gives us doesn't reflect well on this site, believing it is acceptable to publish jokes about injury. Why not add a laughing emoji as well while they're at it.

 

I know that AN is not allowed to change what they re-publish, but if what Thaiger reproduces for us is so poor then why use it at all? Surely there must be a better source of news. A source that doesn't say someone is dead and in the next paragraph talks of them being alive (yesterday) or make pathetic not-funny jokes about serious injury, written with the mind of a child. And that is what their senior staff thinks is acceptable.

Tim Newton on YouTube is my go to for Thai news, he's a gem compared to the Thaiger dribble, a former Thaiger boss but jumped ship wisely IMO

[itsari]

39 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

The woke is strong in this one.

Bigotry is strong on your one ,

[fondue zoo]

Time to invest

 

 

[Bazerino]

13 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

What is missing in this story? No mention of the third party driver who is at fault for causing these injuries. Surely the insurance of the guilty party driving on the wrong side of the road should be paying all the hospital bills. Or was the third party not insured? No mention if the third party driver was Thai or foreign, not that it really makes a difference, but could give a clue regarding their insurance status. Compulsory insurance is required for all motor vehicles. What coverage is being claimed from the other driver and their insurance. If Australia (or any wetsern country) a claim against the other driver would be made in cases such as this. 

 

Agree to all of the above, you would of thought so, but nope, the guilty party walks away Scott free!

[Bangkok Barry]

2 minutes ago, steevjee said:

Tim Newton on YouTube is my go to for Thai news, he's a gem compared to the Thaiger dribble, a former Thaiger boss but jumped ship wisely IMO

 

I agree. Just look at what happened to Thaiger after he left. To say standards went down the toilet is a massive understatement. I used to watch the YouTube reports from Tim, but within a week of him leaving I'd given up watching such childish garbage. 

[chrissables]

14 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Or just do the sensible thing and refrain from riding motorcycles full stop.

Best way by far to see Thailand.

[Andyfez]

The government insisting foreigners pay up for insurance on arrival is one thing, how about keeping their own house clean by insisting motorbike rentals cover with good insurance.

Also, insisting that anyone with a vehicle has a reliable insurance cover.