Australian tourist stuck in Thai hospital after head-on collision, owing $56,000 in medical bills

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, Nemesis7 said:

How sad how the insurance companies deprives a person who is insured. And strongly agree that the first thing they should clearly state are the things which are not covered in bold and big fonts. 

Mikkions if people buys insurance and hardly few clams and then the insurance companies are always trying to find tricks to avoid payments upon genuine claims , it's sad.

hooe the victims friends and family could raise the money and mostly she gets well. 

As much as i dislike insurance companies,they are right.She would have been covered if she had a valid licence.

[cyberfarang]

14 minutes ago, amykat said:

 

Well I bet that most or all bike rentals do not have any insurance for themselves.  I had car insurance, and my first car and house was in a big flood here once.  I had a Thai license.  My car was parked at my house, it did not involve any driving.  They had me come in 3 times to prove that I had that Thai license ..they seemed to keep losing it.  They surely were trying to deny my claim by saying that I had no Thai license. I was also told that floods were never covered and many other things.  I was also told that by a lawyer who just seemed to want to screw with me ..as a farang .. F' you ...I don't want to see you get anything from us!!

 

If you get car insurance here, and ask anyone, they will tend to tell you "don't worry, you don't need a Thai license, you can use you license from home."

Was you here during the Chiang Mai 2005 floods? We were flooded out in Hang Dong, remember walking down the road trying to reach my house being up to my chest in water. We lost most of our furniture and clothes, took months to get the damp out of our house afterwards. We were not insured at the time. Still having nightmares about that.

 

As you say, these insurance companies will come up with any excuses to avoid paying out. I guess that according to the insurers they consider a flood as being an act of God, that gives them a million get out of paying clauses.

 

When companies or people tell me don`t worry, no problem, then I start to worry.

[Pib]

3 hours ago, BarnicaleBob said:

If you would have read the whole story, you would know that she had insurance but it did not cover her for driving a moped.  So her only mistake was to rent a moped without reading the fine print on her travel insurance policy

 

 

Well, what the story actually said was she did not have a motorcycle license; therefore, no coverage for driving a motorcycle.  If she had had a motorcycle license it appears she would have been covered.   Summary:  her fault.

 

Quote

 

Ms Weldon's comprehensive travel insurance was void because she did not hold an Australian driver's licence for a motorcycle.

The General Exclusions clause in the Allianz Insurance Basic policy states: "This applies even if you are not required by law to hold a licence in the country."

 

 

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, Generalchaos said:

What is the law regarding moped licenses in Australia? Is it different to the UK? Depending on your age you can automatically and legally use your car licence for motorcycles under a certain CC. 

Up to 50cc,i think,but maybe wrong.

[optad]

7 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

As much as i dislike insurance companies,they are right.She would have been covered if she had a valid licence.

https://www.1cover.com.au/thailand-guide/

 

Louse is right. Usually is/

[dotpoom]

3 hours ago, BarnicaleBob said:

If you would have read the whole story, you would know that she had insurance but it did not cover her for driving a moped.  So her only mistake was to rent a moped without reading the fine print on her travel insurance policy

 

It's not nuclear science to figure out that you would not be covered in the case of an accident by your insurance company if driving a vehicle without a licence to drive said vehicle.

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, farcanell said:

One reason to get "worked up" over this is that the hospital is holding her captive, until the bill is paid, and charging her to remain in captivity.... now that's wrong, regardless of the insurance point of view. (Which may be valid).

 

Fair enough.Take her passport,that's wrong too.I rekon Thai hospitals have been once bitten,twice shy on trusting farangs after they leave hospital.

[Dan5]

So what if she can't come up with the money?

[ChrisY1]

3 hours ago, Nemesis7 said:

How sad how the insurance companies deprives a person who is insured. And strongly agree that the first thing they should clearly state are the things which are not covered in bold and big fonts. 

Mikkions if people buys insurance and hardly few clams and then the insurance companies are always trying to find tricks to avoid payments upon genuine claims , it's sad.

hooe the victims friends and family could raise the money and mostly she gets well. 

Terms and conditions.....everyone gets them with many purchases and services....but very few read them.

A lesson learnt!

[Aussieroaming]

she certainly realised that she cocked up i'm sure, given the hospital time. Luckily the boy is physically ok. Her mistake (poor judgement) is hopefully a learning lesson for her son. Good luck to her for recovery.

[NoBrainer]

Almost 200K Baht per day, what kind of hospital was she staying in?

 

One of the top Hi-So Hospitals in Bangkok?

 

Sounds to me like she should be thoroughly checking each and every item on the hospital bill.

 

There is also a new law on the books that states every hospital has to provide Emergency Medical Treatment to any patient, regardless of wether they can pay or not.

 

I wonder if that might come in useful in this type of situation.

[hkt83100]

3 hours ago, 12DrinkMore said:

 

We have out of control on a motorcycle

- riding on the notoriously hazardous roads of Samui

Ahem. Read again please. The article is about Kho Lanta.

[Thaidream]

The charges see rather high for what is normal in Thailand. This is another issue of Insurance companies not being up front with coverage exclusions. 

Medical care is a human right and needs to be provided regardless of economic status. The countries of the World could solve this problem by providing universal coverage to its citizens no matter where that citizen is at the time. The countries would reimburse each other for medical costs that are reasonable and fair. This would eliminate the need for insurance companies and get profit making out of the medical industry.

Until the above happens if it ever does- Thailand could simply add 20-50 Baht onto each ticket sold to Thailand and create a medical fund to pay the costs of medical care. Since there are about 30 Million 'tourists' who come to Thailand each year- that would create a sizable fund.

The mindset by the medical establishment must change-  doctors take the hippocratic oath and hospital owners/administrators/managers need to be held accountable when they start putting money ahead of a person's life or treatment.

 

[Blackheart1916]

4 hours ago, JohnMiller70 said:

2 Lessons to be learned: read the small print of your insurance and try to avoid riding motorcycles. And can't her friends and family manage all together to gather 60k???? 

Its not actually in the small print, it's in the general exclusions which take two or three minutes to read, not too hard. A lot of insurers now have you list any " dangerous activities " soch as motorbike riding, scuba, rock climbing etc. Oh, and it pays to have a license and experience. Hope she raises the cash, but none will be mine.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

1 hour ago, cyberfarang said:

Was you here during the Chiang Mai 2005 floods? We were flooded out in Hang Dong, remember walking down the road trying to reach my house being up to my chest in water. We lost most of our furniture and clothes, took months to get the damp out of our house afterwards. We were not insured at the time. Still having nightmares about that.

 

As you say, these insurance companies will come up with any excuses to avoid paying out. I guess that according to the insurers they consider a flood as being an act of God, that gives them a million get out of paying clauses.

 

When companies or people tell me don`t worry, no problem, then I start to worry.

and everyone else should pay for your decision to live in an obvious flood plain?  The large US companies wouldn't have paid, either, unless you bought a costly flood insurance policy.

[mikecha]

i think most countries need a moped or big bike license   Europe does America does Australia does

 

why do people  just do things beecause they are on holiday and think it will be ok   to drive or rent anything without la license  

 

 

most  think the rules can be bent in Thailand Cambodia Laos Vietnam  i wonder why    ?

 

in there home country they can not do that   and the Insurance would act the same not pay out .

 

Sorry for your accident   but life sucks sometimes     wrong place weong time   

as for the medical bill get  clued up before go  anywhere  especialy medical or travel Insurance    as they say.Read  And   understand 

 

 

like a computer program read and you know if you press all the buttons then all goes hay wire   same goes for travel Insurance

 

 

 

[TEFLKrabi]

I hope the twits who hop on motorbike taxis without a helmet with only flip flops on their feet take note !

I'd guess 5 million Thais do just that every day. The % who have accidents must be minuscule


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[Lokie]

Would have thought with being a nurse she would have had a bit more nounce about the situation? Hope she gets better and home asap.

 

People take the risk of not having correct coverage, really is their problem when things go T it$ up, don't tell me she thought she was covered to ride a vehicle she has no licence for... also amazed witrh her injuries that her son did not sustain major injuries also??

[Wazza1]

4 hours ago, BarnicaleBob said:

If you would have read the whole story, you would know that she had insurance but it did not cover her for driving a moped.  So her only mistake was to rent a moped without reading the fine print on her travel insurance policy

 

Actually if you read it she didn't have a license for a motorcycle in Australia so insurance won't cover her. Should be no need to read fine print because it's common knowledge that your not covered by insurance if you engage in criminal behaviour and are hurt.

[Wazza1]

No pity what so ever, she's an idiot, no license to ride a bike so she thinks it's a good idea to jump on one and go tearing around the place. I wouldn't give her one cent on gofundme. Most insurance covers bike accidents if YOU hold a license and wear a helmet regardless of the laws in the foreign country. 

[Thaidream]

Another poster with no  human compassion-  Sometimes human beings make the wrong decisions or choices. It's called being human. Some of you might want to try it some time- that is- actually being human.

[Dante99]

Insurance this, insurance that, blah, blah, blah....

 

The lady did not have a license.  

 

I have compassion but the irresponsibility is hers.  Compassion for the person but no get out free card for the act.

[Zikomat]

Thai hospitals are rip offs. All modern hospitals are rip offs. Instead of helping people this so called "health entities" make them even more unhappy. Money making machine that is what modern medicine is. Farangs without a proper insurance are in a very dangerous zone in Thailand.

[farcanell]

1 hour ago, Dan5 said:

So what if she can't come up with the money?

Kidnap for ransom scenario.... send in the SAS to rescue her.

[Zikomat]

Just explain me what exactly this hospital did to this australian patient for this huge amount of money! 60 K USD.... Did they implant a new brain in her head or what? F***ing rip-offs!

[Zikomat]

Also , you cannot be as greedy as this woman. Riding a bike in the foreign country when you are a woman aged 53 is a risky business in itself. And she also did not have a license. Come on, you greedy australian c*nt, rent a car or take a taxi!

[SiSePuede419]

Ride a bicycle, lazy people.  Your insurance covers you 100% on a bicycle.  

 

If you need help, get an "e-bike" a bicycle with battery power.  You can go for 60km on one charge.  

 

I did it last summer on Martha's Vineyard (an expensive island most Americans can't afford to visit) ?

[tropo]

5 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

Methinks they should make the fine print a little bigger and especially "not cover when riding a motorbike part" It is such a big feature that insurance sellers should really take a sec and point this out to prospective policy buyers and travelers.

 

After reading the full report I gathered that her insurance was voided because she didn't have an Australian motorcycle licence, which is necessary no matter where she rides motorcycles, even if they are not required in the country of travel.

 

In some states in Australia (SA, Qld [not sure about the other states]), you can ride a motor scooter up to 50cc on a car drivers licence.

[Get Real]

Off course it´s the insurrance company´s fault??? Sometime I get scared when I read all the posts here.
You buy an insurrance and you read the terms. How hard can it be. Insurrance companies doesn´t do anything wrong. People taking out the insurrances do the only wrong thing by not reading, and think that they are covered for everything.

Sad for the woman off course, but nothing is wrong with the insurrance.

[likewise]

a 56.000$ bill at Krabi government hospital........knowing the place I cannot understand how they come up with such an amount ???