Travel Insurance Fails As Phuket Tourist Faces Bt600k Medical Bill

[drdoom6996]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

Most travel insurance excludes many things. It is mainly for sickness and to and from the airplane. You have to ask questions. This is a profit making tool, but some intelligence must be put into the purchase. I am sorry for the couples problems. You know what ASSUME gets you. A / ASS/ U / Me.

[nontabury]

nd

Am i missing something here... Why does he pay the bill if a van hit him??? surely he should pay nothing as not at fault

You've got to be kidding, this is Thailand not the UK, if a Thai is in an accident with a farang, he is never to blame, that's if they can ever find him. I drive a suv, yet I'm terrified of being involved in a accident involving a Thai,automatically I will be in the wrong,

[drdoom6996]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

Sorry to digress - we have an annual backpacker-type medical/public liability only policy from Australia and we are fully covered provided we are not in breach of any local law - i.e. over the drink driving limit or (the one that gets most people) an International Drivers Licence endorsed with BIKE, which means you have passed your motorbike test in your home country. Lots of tourists get an International Licence and think they're covered, but they're only valid for cars unless they are endorsed with BIKE. In a previous life, I used to write small print, so I always read it. In this case, even though I was certain, I sent them an email asking for confirmation of insurance coverage of person and property in the case of a motorcycle accident, asking them to quote my entire message in their reply, which they did. It's the kind of policy that you can't renew - we get a new one each annual visit, and I send the same email asking for confirmation before paying up. I pay about $1,500 for the policy (2 people, medical only). I can get a one that is pretty much the same for $500. It pays to read the small print. I know in England, almost all insurance policies exclude riding and even being pillion on a motorbike. We're not covered for any kind of racing except foot races, suba diving unless we got our PADI in Australia (i.e. not a developing country) and a few other silly things that we wouldn't consider doing, but we definitely are covered for motorcycle accidents. My sympathies go to the victim and his family, and this should serve as a reminder to everyone to read the small print. It's designed to confuse you, but be diligent with it and ask (in writing) anything you're not 100% clear on.

Exactly

[phl]

I wonder why no mention if van driver has been arrested or the man hunt is on to find him.

If hit and run, driver is a criminal, if accident he should be raking responsibility.

Hope the chap recovers well. Perhaps family should try to move him home where medical is free instead of trying to raise money for medical in Thailand

[bobbysan124]

I feel for the young man and his family, but with any insurance policy it's, at least, as important to know the exclusions as it is to know what's covered.

It would appear that they did not read the policy thoroughly.

If he was planning to ride motorbikes, it was absolutely necessary to ensure that he would be covered in the event of an accident.

Hope he makes a full recovery, not only from the physical damage but from the financial.

[simple1]

I just re-read the newspaper article and the injured party was traveling with his company boss. You would think that his employer would cover his medical expenses and sort out financial matters later.

[NoshowJones]

The falang is always in the wrong when in accidents in Thailand ,no matter who's fault it is?

Things have improved a lot in Thailand, I know personally of farangs being blameless in accidents, and the police telling the other party(Thai) that they will pay and have.

[pacovl46]

Proves just one more time, read the fine print and don't ever ever trust insurance companies!!! It's a shame really!!!

[NoshowJones]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

It should be against the law in any country or line of business to use small print, It is a way of trying to dupe the customer. In this case, the insurance company had FULL COVERAGE on it's policy, then contradicted itself. They should be made to pay out.

[NoshowJones]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

Sorry to digress - we have an annual backpacker-type medical/public liability only policy from Australia and we are fully covered provided we are not in breach of any local law - i.e. over the drink driving limit or (the one that gets most people) an International Drivers Licence endorsed with BIKE, which means you have passed your motorbike test in your home country. Lots of tourists get an International Licence and think they're covered, but they're only valid for cars unless they are endorsed with BIKE. In a previous life, I used to write small print, so I always read it. In this case, even though I was certain, I sent them an email asking for confirmation of insurance coverage of person and property in the case of a motorcycle accident, asking them to quote my entire message in their reply, which they did. It's the kind of policy that you can't renew - we get a new one each annual visit, and I send the same email asking for confirmation before paying up. I pay about $1,500 for the policy (2 people, medical only). I can get a one that is pretty much the same for $500. It pays to read the small print. I know in England, almost all insurance policies exclude riding and even being pillion on a motorbike. We're not covered for any kind of racing except foot races, suba diving unless we got our PADI in Australia (i.e. not a developing country) and a few other silly things that we wouldn't consider doing, but we definitely are covered for motorcycle accidents. My sympathies go to the victim and his family, and this should serve as a reminder to everyone to read the small print. It's designed to confuse you, but be diligent with it and ask (in writing) anything you're not 100% clear on.

Exactly

Riding a motor bike is not a sport, unless on a track offroad, it is a means of transport.

[simple1]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

It should be against the law in any country or line of business to use small print, It is a way of trying to dupe the customer. In this case, the insurance company had FULL COVERAGE on it's policy, then contradicted itself. They should be made to pay out.

In Australia the legal requirement is on the buyer to read the PDS. However some posts have questioned why you would spend the time to read the PDS! So you can go around and around, but will not change buyer responsibility. Even with "Full Coverage" there will still be exclusions. Simple example, driving without a license, DUI etc (not saying it's the case in this incident)

[bikerider21]

Statements,counter statements, petty squabbles... It would be good if people would keep unqualified opinions to themselves and only comment if they have something constructive to say. That way, the Thai Visa site might do what it was originally intended for, to inform people.

[Fishenough]

yeah i understand they do a runner in Thailand but he should get free treatment and the taxi driver who they will probably catch if not already should be paying that bill for the rest of his life..... His insurance would not have paid out anyway as he was not the cause of the accident so he is <Snip!> either way

Hope absolutely every foreigner here knows that the hospitals will go as far a stabilizing you, and stop until funds are produced. You could loose the use of organs, limbs, and even maybe the ability to walk; all because you have to wait until a few hundred thousand baht is presented. It happens.

[jshorts]

yeah i understand they do a runner in Thailand but he should get free treatment and the taxi driver who they will probably catch if not already should be paying that bill for the rest of his life..... His insurance would not have paid out anyway as he was not the cause of the accident so he is <Snip!> either way

And, if the taxi driver has no money, then who is going to pay for this "free treatment"?

[jshorts]

Insurance companies are the biggest scam artists in the world.

And, your point is . . . ?

[mikecwm]

A lousy start to his trip to Thailand - and the end of the trip for him.

I guess one moral of this story is to go over any insurance with the proverbial tooth comb (any one know what one of those is?).

On the brighter side - if the same accident had happened in many SE and S Asian countries, with those injuries he would be dead by now. Fortunately Thailand has some great surgeons and doctors.

In the first post it mentioned that he would also need to see doctors in NZ. At least he won't have to find any money for that - unless NZ has changed drastically since I lived there 20 years ago. Broke my undercarriage with a heavy landing while paragliding (leg). Treatment and physio for as long as it took to heal cost me zero. They even paid me to lie in bed for 2 months.

Has it changed?

[jshorts]

Living in the world of Thailand and you?

I'm living in the real world.

How can a hospital provide free treatment to everyone that comes in and says "It wasn't my fault"?

works in UK fine

Great line! Love it!

[jshorts]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

it's not a bike, its a glorified scooter. In the west a scooter requires no special license.

Which "west"?

[simple1]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

It should be against the law in any country or line of business to use small print, It is a way of trying to dupe the customer. In this case, the insurance company had FULL COVERAGE on it's policy, then contradicted itself. They should be made to pay out.

In Australia the legal requirement is on the buyer to read the PDS. However some posts have questioned why you would spend the time to read the PDS! So you can go around and around, but will not change buyer responsibility. Even with "Full Coverage" there will still be exclusions. Simple example, driving without a license, DUI etc (not saying it's the case in this incident)

Out of interest I just downloaded a comprehensive travel insurance policy for Thailand and the PDS does have a heading for motorbike accident cover, so easy to locate. Wording as follows:

Motorcycle / Moped Riding

If You wish to be covered for riding a motorcycle (including a moped)

as the driver or pillion passenger during Your journey, You must pay an

extra premium. Please ask the Providing Entity for a quote.

Even if You pay the extra premium You will only be covered if:

• the engine capacity is 200cc or less;

• You are wearing a helmet;

• You are not participating in a professional capacity;

• You are not racing; and

• whilst in control of a motorcycle, You hold a licence valid in the relevant country.

Edited July 7, 2012 by simple1

[meatboy]

never mind if it was his first trip to thailand or his hundredth why any farang would want to ride a bike here is behond me,no laws,no licences,no insurance and every man for himself and women and kids.hope he recovers soon.

[jshorts]

I just re-read the newspaper article and the injured party was traveling with his company boss. You would think that his employer would cover his medical expenses and sort out financial matters later.

Why would someone's boss cover his medical expenses? Don't understand.

[DGS1244]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

it's not a bike, its a glorified scooter. In the west a scooter requires no special license.

Not sure where you come from but in UK motocycles and scooters are treated the same.

Also people talk about an 'International Driving License' when actually all it is is a International Driving PERMIT i.e. a translation of your normal license which you are required to have to accompany your full normal license.

[jshorts]

Why are they so shocked he isn't covered for a motorbike I don't get it, all insurance policys exclude motorbikes and most extreme sports which need additional payment. I know people who have paid the bike cover and mistakenly believe they will be covered even though they do not have a valid bike licence.

Sorry to digress - we have an annual backpacker-type medical/public liability only policy from Australia and we are fully covered provided we are not in breach of any local law - i.e. over the drink driving limit or (the one that gets most people) an International Drivers Licence endorsed with BIKE, which means you have passed your motorbike test in your home country. Lots of tourists get an International Licence and think they're covered, but they're only valid for cars unless they are endorsed with BIKE. In a previous life, I used to write small print, so I always read it. In this case, even though I was certain, I sent them an email asking for confirmation of insurance coverage of person and property in the case of a motorcycle accident, asking them to quote my entire message in their reply, which they did. It's the kind of policy that you can't renew - we get a new one each annual visit, and I send the same email asking for confirmation before paying up. I pay about $1,500 for the policy (2 people, medical only). I can get a one that is pretty much the same for $500. It pays to read the small print. I know in England, almost all insurance policies exclude riding and even being pillion on a motorbike. We're not covered for any kind of racing except foot races, suba diving unless we got our PADI in Australia (i.e. not a developing country) and a few other silly things that we wouldn't consider doing, but we definitely are covered for motorcycle accidents. My sympathies go to the victim and his family, and this should serve as a reminder to everyone to read the small print. It's designed to confuse you, but be diligent with it and ask (in writing) anything you're not 100% clear on.

Exactly

Riding a motor bike is not a sport, unless on a track offroad, it is a means of transport.

In Thailand it is a sport.

[jshorts]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

It should be against the law in any country or line of business to use small print, It is a way of trying to dupe the customer. In this case, the insurance company had FULL COVERAGE on it's policy, then contradicted itself. They should be made to pay out.

And, would everyone read the policy if it were in larger print?

[jshorts]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

It should be against the law in any country or line of business to use small print, It is a way of trying to dupe the customer. In this case, the insurance company had FULL COVERAGE on it's policy, then contradicted itself. They should be made to pay out.

In Australia the legal requirement is on the buyer to read the PDS. However some posts have questioned why you would spend the time to read the PDS! So you can go around and around, but will not change buyer responsibility. Even with "Full Coverage" there will still be exclusions. Simple example, driving without a license, DUI etc (not saying it's the case in this incident)

No idea what PDS means. I am not Australian.

[belg]

insurance, you can pay for it all your life, but when you need it, they find a way not to pay out.... but hey, if the small letters in the contract said : no motorcycle coverage, than he is to blame.... too cheap ass to pay for his (illegal) taxi ?

what about he insurance of the taxi van that supossedly hit him ??? or did the driver ran away, like they always seem to do to avoid any legal issues

[GamLing]

Insurance companies are the biggest scam artists in the world.

And, your point is . . . ?

His point is that insurance companies are the biggest scam artists in the world. Perfectly clear to me.

[siamjimi]

I have read all the posts people are commenting about why? Insurance companies do not pay.

It is the sole directive of any insurance company to find out reason why NOT to pay first - it’s not about the person themselves - the insurance companies will spend literally ten’s of thousands or substantially more depending on the potential pay-out to avoid debits to the companies accounts across the entire organizations coverage spectrum whether its travel, auto, home or otherwise.

If they can con a person into believing they are not liable - they will.

In this case if the insurance company sold a product represented as "Full Coverage" it would infer the insurance company would pay for "hit and run" and/or “Uninsured” in the most obvious sense of drivers in Thailand fleeing the scene of any accident - no matter how large or small - which is so commonplace.

If this accident was not this man’s fault – not matter if he was on a motorcycle or not – the insurance company should pay – it’s like being struck by a falling rock – no matter who’s fault the rock was falling – the insurance company has represented the policy to be full coverage – to cover any and all accidents no matter what the cause.

The fact that they misled this individual for "full coverage" but excluded even 1 shred of coverage that would contradict their representation of "Full Coverage" in the most literal sense - this is quite disturbing and would be viewed the same by any court of law.

I think I would be safe to say the family should hire legal representation and sue the insurance company for fraudulent practice and neglect of execution of their contractual agreement for financial support of medical need.

This should be easy enough to prove the company representation of “Full Coverage Policy” during the sale of the policy and then subsequent failure to pay-out when it was required for seriously needed medical care.

It would be nice if any insurance professionals were to read this thread of discussions would jump into this conversation and elaborate with real facts and methodology of insurance company practices – but I think that would not happen because they would be divulging trade secrets they do not want their potential customers to know about.

I have had only a few experiences with insurance company pay-outs of friends and family – and on all cases they went into many areas of blood testing and other means to try and discredit or absolve themselves of any pay-outs - even when it was the other persons fault and the policy clearly stated uninsured and full coverage.

I have even had the insurance company “share” the pay-out with the other insurance company 50/50 making a full claim with both parties and collecting deductibles from both parties involved thus reducing their pay-out.

[simple1]

I just re-read the newspaper article and the injured party was traveling with his company boss. You would think that his employer would cover his medical expenses and sort out financial matters later.

Why would someone's boss cover his medical expenses? Don't understand.

Unless it was a private holiday trip, duty of care for the employee as he was traveling with his manager.

Edited July 7, 2012 by simple1

[simple1]

The large number of motorbike accidents in Thailand involving foreigners, is precisely why the out of the box insurance cover excludes coverage.

It should be against the law in any country or line of business to use small print, It is a way of trying to dupe the customer. In this case, the insurance company had FULL COVERAGE on it's policy, then contradicted itself. They should be made to pay out.

In Australia the legal requirement is on the buyer to read the PDS. However some posts have questioned why you would spend the time to read the PDS! So you can go around and around, but will not change buyer responsibility. Even with "Full Coverage" there will still be exclusions. Simple example, driving without a license, DUI etc (not saying it's the case in this incident)

No idea what PDS means. I am not Australian.

PDS - product description statement