Family in desperate bid to bring home Brit dad after motorbike accident in Koh Samui left him in coma

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Family in desperate bid to bring home Brit dad after motorbike accident in Thailand left him in coma

BY TOM HOUGHTON

 

Adam Hobbs has been travelling in Asia but suffered the injuries after an accident in Koh Samui

 

CARDIFF: -- The family of a British father have launched a campaign to get him home after a serious motorbike accident in Thailand left him in a coma.

 

Dad-of-one Adam Hobbs has been travelling in the country but suffered the injuries on Monday evening after a motorbike accident in Koh Samui, one of the country’s largest islands.

 

The 28-year-old from Roath, Cardiff, is in a critical condition in hospital - with friends and family desperate to raise £10,000 to bring him home.

 

Full story: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/family-desperate-bid-bring-home-8613257

 

-- Mirror 2016-08-12

[Thian]

Does his travelinsurance not cover this?

[BigBadGeordie]

12 minutes ago, Thian said:

Does his travelinsurance not cover this?

If you try that "Full story" link you will find out.

But just to save you the sffort,

"Now a Just Giving fundraising campaign has been launched to get Adam, whose travel insurance has run out, home safely."

[taotoo]

He should have crowd-funded a helmet.

[tomwct]

Awful young to be retired! I hope the family can get him home! Another reason to always buy health insurance!

[gk10002000]

2 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

If you try that "Full story" link you will find out.

But just to save you the sffort,

"Now a Just Giving fundraising campaign has been launched to get Adam, whose travel insurance has run out, home safely."

Every travel insurance I looked at and even purchased a few did not pay costs or bills upfront.  You had to file for reimbursement after treatment or during or whenever you actually get a bill.  Each policy I had would pay for repatriation or emergency flight home.  I guess if he was in a coma after his policy has lapsed then the policy is gone.  The articles don't list any dates so you can't tell how long he has been traveling and how long the policy lasts or what the terms of the policy are.  If the accident occurred while the policy was in effect, then the repatriation and the medical features should still be intact.  I wouldn't expect the policy to  require him to file claims while the policy is in effect.  Judging by the photo in the hyperlinked article no helmets seem in evidence.  I know that here in the USA if they prove negligence such as driving without a seatbelt or riding a bike without a helmet which is required by law in most states, depending on your policy you may get zippo

[overherebc]

8 minutes ago, tomwct said:

Awful young to be retired! I hope the family can get him home! Another reason to always buy health insurance!

 

Another reason to post photographs of motorcycle accident injuries/victims on rental brochures as they do on cigarette packets.

[mcfish]

A lot of policies dont cover bikes in Asia anway. All bike riders need to read their fine print

[F4UCorsair]

28 minutes ago, tomwct said:

Awful young to be retired! I hope the family can get him home! Another reason to always buy health insurance!

 

Riding a motorcycle Is generally excluded by Insurance companies.  They don't want to do anything risky!

[futsukayoi]

If he is a coma surely he cannot fly.  I was repatriated from Hong Kong but had to wait quite a time until I was judged able to cope with the flight.  Perhaps I was worse as I has been on a breathing machine.  It was also my family wanting to get me back but I found the doctors worse in the UK, just not willing to spend time to discuss options or tell you what is going on.

 

In any case someone who served their country is worth a few bucks of mine if it can help.

[tomwct]

If motorcycles are covered in Thailand, the policy would be only 50% coverage. This is true on all health insurance policies

issued in Thailand. Even government health insurance.

[jackh]

This exact scenario happened to my British friend in Phuket a few years back. It took 9 months before the family could get him back to UK. Three years on, he is still in a hospital in the UK and needs constant daily care. He has a wife and 2 children who now moved to the UK to be with him there.

 

The key is get him out of LOS ASAP. The system there is setup to drain you of every available fund before they release him to travel. Be vigilant with his care in LOS.

[craigt3365]

Most policies do not cover motorcycle accidents here in Thailand.  And Samui is one of the most dangerous places in Thailand to ride a bike.

 

Insurance should be mandatory with the rental, like it is in many other countries.

[farang62]

I would say 95% of the "tourists" have never driven a motorcycle before.

I watch in horror and humor as they try and coordinate the complicate controls, break, gas, clutch.

We watched here in Natorn as 2 "tourists" shakily drove down the road using a selfie stick, the driver forgot to keep his speed up as we watched them just fall over.

I am getting tired of the claims that the number of accidents is due to Samui people, Samui roads that's B.S..

Most of our quality tourists drive a 4 wheeled vehicle in there home country.

Keeping on their side of the road is also a problem, among  many.

Again It is not Samui's, Phuket's, or any other areas fault, it is because the "tourist" "does not know how to drive a motorcycle".

So lets stop bashing our local drivers who are very tolerant of our Motorcycling Tourists. I see out locals helping, assisting the Tourists every day, weather lost, (map upside down), bike won't start, I could go on and on and you all know and have seen this, It Is Not Samui's Fault. What are TAT and Tour companies doing to at least warn them of the dangers , seems to me nothing as usual.

 

 

 

[Peter3171]

Let's see:  no helmut, expired travel insurance, not enough in the bank so that his family would have enough to bring him home.  How irresponsible could this guy be?  Samantha, his girlfriend, is not part of the emergency package fund.  Presumably she has a return ticket and can fly home herself.  Not much sympathy for the pain this guy has caused his family.  If the whole family cannot raise 10,000 on its own, it is pretty pathetic.

[craigt3365]

I've driven in Samui several times.  The roads are very dangerous.  I've seen accidents pretty much every day I drive around, most involving scooters.  The minivan drivers are absolutely insane.

[DavisH]

8 minutes ago, farang62 said:

I would say 95% of the "tourists" have never driven a motorcycle before.

I watch in horror and humor as they try and coordinate the complicate controls, break, gas, clutch.

We watched here in Natorn as 2 "tourists" shakily drove down the road using a selfie stick, the driver forgot to keep his speed up as we watched them just fall over.

I am getting tired of the claims that the number of accidents is due to Samui people, Samui roads that's B.S..

Most of our quality tourists drive a 4 wheeled vehicle in there home country.

Keeping on their side of the road is also a problem, among  many.

Again It is not Samui's, Phuket's, or any other areas fault, it is because the "tourist" "does not know how to drive a motorcycle".

So lets stop bashing our local drivers who are very tolerant of our Motorcycling Tourists. I see out locals helping, assisting the Tourists every day, weather lost, (map upside down), bike won't start, I could go on and on and you all know and have seen this, It Is Not Samui's Fault. What are TAT and Tour companies doing to at least warn them of the dangers , seems to me nothing as usual.

 

 

 

Good post. Anyone not in possession of a motorbike licence from their home country should NOT be allowed to rent a bike. Period. Inexperienced riders + road conditions + Thai driving mentality / law enforcement = a  recipe for disaster. 

[farang62]

The mini-van's are totally out of control, they cause many accidents here on Samui, and why do we have so many anyway seems they increase every week. Their like taxi's, why do we have so many also?

 

[Peter3171]

@DavidH.  I agree with you 100%.  

[sahibji]

4 hours ago, Thian said:

Does his travelinsurance not cover this?

 provided it was bought. brings me to the earlier discussion on this form. i still feel make travel insurance cover as part of the travel package,just like paying your airport tax. there will be that much lesser pain and trauma in case of accidents.

[sahibji]

make travel insurance compulsory just like the visa or the airportax.

[canopus1969]

2 hours ago, tomwct said:

If motorcycles are covered in Thailand, the policy would be only 50% coverage. This is true on all health insurance policies

issued in Thailand. Even government health insurance.

 

Totally wrong

[shamrock09]

5 hours ago, Thian said:

Does his travelinsurance not cover this?

Travel Insurance can be dodgy when it comes to motorcycle accidents. There can be an exclusion clause, particularly if the individual was not in possession of a motorcycle licence.

[denkiblue555]

2 hours ago, overherebc said:

 

Another reason to post photographs of motorcycle accident injuries/victims on rental brochures as they do on cigarette packets.

 

Same for new car brochures - should show lots of grizzly car accident damaged bodies...

[emilymat]

The DavidH post is quite correct.

 

I've had a clean m/bike licence for around 50 years and driven here for 10.    But......... I remember being in Spain some years ago and came out of an entrance onto a quiet road with no traffic. My mind was on other things and suddenly a car was coming straight at me and I realised I was on the wrong side of the road!.

 

My fault entirely, but it bought home to me the need for total concentration all the time. Why? because I'm a Brit and they drive on the right in Spain.

 

So, just to add to DavidH's comments. I would think a large number of European tourists drive on the right at home and suddenly, they are in a country that drives on the left. Add that to the other points which have been made and it can be a disaster waiting to happen. Trying to drive a mbike here, with no licence or real experience and on the wrong side of the road is criminal and downright stupid.

 

 

 

[SOTIRIOS]

...did he fall off himself....

 

..or if there was a Thai involved .......'no witnesses'....???

 

...disgusting......

[SOTIRIOS]

...why are there absolutely no details...did this take place in outer space....???

 

...let me guess....

[SOTIRIOS]

...hey embassy.....whom do you represent and speak for....you and your paycheck....???

[12DrinkMore]

1 hour ago, Peter3171 said:

Let's see:  no helmut, expired travel insurance, not enough in the bank so that his family would have enough to bring him home.  How irresponsible could this guy be?  Samantha, his girlfriend, is not part of the emergency package fund.  Presumably she has a return ticket and can fly home herself.  Not much sympathy for the pain this guy has caused his family.  If the whole family cannot raise 10,000 on its own, it is pretty pathetic.

 

There are not many in the UK who have 10,000 Quid in the bank. They all reckon the State should pay for accidents.

[natway09]

No helmet, no licence, driving a strange vehicle in a strange country

Whats the matter with these people,, on holiday & left their brains at home?

No licence, no hire, no helmet supplied by rentor ?

Thailand,

Stop these idiots from giving us a bad name here