British woman, 22, who 'could lose leg' after Thailand motorbike crash in race against time to raise £100,000

[Nong Khai Man]

11 hours ago, steven100 said:

so did she have travelers insurance ?

get the boyfriend to throw in some cash.

 

you run the risk every time in Thailand ....  folks must be aware of that ....

hope she gets home alright and adjusts for the future ...

Insurance does NOT Cover you on Motor Cycles.......

[PoorSucker]

49 minutes ago, MaiChai said:

What is it with the hospitals on the islands off Surat Thani being so expensive? Get her moved to a main land gov hospital and her costs will drop dramatically?

 

I looked at the crowdfunding page on my phone and did not see much detail about her injuries. Did I miss something?

There is a good government hospital on Samui.

The tourists normally ends up in one of the private ones, there are four in Chaweng alone.

[smedly]

8 hours ago, robblok said:

Strange that they penalize people who are passengers too, i can get that if you penalize the driver and exclude him from insurance.. but passengers is strange. Again.. we have to believe what they are writing.. its not like that the persons involved would make things up to look better.. maybe not really having a insurance at all. 

as I said above - it is not about complying with the law it is about risk and being on a motorbike (driver or passenger) in Thailand is high risk - they simply add it as an exclusion ....................... not covered, remember we are talking about travel insurance - there are many risky activities that they refuse to cover (exclusions), up to them and it is up to you to check

[smedly]

6 hours ago, biggles45 said:

So much mis-information in this thread, is it any wonder the young woman was confused and thought she was covered. I have ridden for 16 years in Thailand and I have a Thai licence and never ride a bike more than 125cc. This complies with my insurance requirements but if I was a pillion the driver must be licenced. 

 

Companies have many different EXCLUSIONS and they dont ALL ban riding bikes, just using them in sporting events. Some dont insure at all, and some have limits on size and licencing requirements. Some even want you to have a local country licence as well as a home country licence. I read here that this young woman had a previous claim that was paid so it is perhaps understandable that she thought she was covered. Only reading the exclusions would have told her otherwise. 

correct, people need to remember we are talking about travel insurance which covers you for your travel activities or not as the you have rightly explained above 

[smedly]

6 hours ago, chrissables said:

What happens in Europe is of no concern.

 

If you hold a legal, valid licence here you should be able to rent what you want. I am sure sure wearing just a shirt or no helmet does not endanger anyone else. 

 

If they are endangering others of course the police should deal with it.

 

Following your thinking, a ban on hiring would be a slippery slope by the know all's who would ban all bikes over 150cc.

 

If it's legal, let it be, jump on the illegal.

again confusing the issue, if you have a bike licence and hire a bike here your travel insurance company may still not cover you, either way you need to take out insurance here in Thailand to comply with the law - that has nothing to do with travel insurance 

[Rhys]

All the best to her... I hope she can walk out of here...

[chrissables]

15 minutes ago, smedly said:

again confusing the issue, if you have a bike licence and hire a bike here your travel insurance company may still not cover you, either way you need to take out insurance here in Thailand to comply with the law - that has nothing to do with travel insurance 

I was referring to being able to hire a bike if you have a valid and legal licence.

 

Insurance is another issue. All legal bikes have government insurance for all it's worth.

 

Private insurance is a decision to be made by the hirer, if in fact is is available.

[Bastos60]

9 hours ago, robblok said:

Strange that they penalize people who are passengers too, i can get that if you penalize the driver and exclude him from insurance.. but passengers is strange. Again.. we have to believe what they are writing.. its not like that the persons involved would make things up to look better.. maybe not really having a insurance at all. 

What I think happened in this articles story is that the boyfriend was driving the motorbike lacking any valid drivers license for the motorbike he was driving. 
Nowhere do they mention the class of motorbike. In that case he forfeits and insurance doesn't have to pay. 
There is also no mention of what travel insurance they took out. They might have even relied on the travel insurance included in their visa (which does not cover motorbikes).

The misunderstanding could be from the couple involved, not knowing it was not covered. 
 

[Bastos60]

9 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

100000 BP is almost 4.5 million Baht. That is enough to pay for several organ transplants let alone leg surgery. What is the excess for, family vacation? Sounds a bit dodgy.

 

The wounds were pretty extensive. But the story by itself was already not very convincing lacking major details. 

[Baerboxer]

13 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Jenni Evans, from Sheffield Road, Barnsley, was a passenger on a motorbike

 

Can you read? she was a passenger so no license needed

 

Engage brain b4 fingers

 

That is indeed what the article says. Now Einstein, if that's the case and she was a passenger it wouldn't matter whether she had a driving license or not, would it?

 

The issue is what the insurance cover she bought excluded.

[MaiChai]

Ideally tourists should be charged a health insurance fee on entry that would allow government hospital care in event of an accident. This was considered before but maybe the private hospitals might see their gravy train disappear and some powerful folks would not want this?

[MRDave]

So if my Bhatbus has a crash and I get injured will my medical insurance still be valid if my driver was drunk or did not have the correct license? Also will I be insured if my Thai Taxi crashes, and there were no seatbelts for me to use? Also if I go with a Thai bargirl, and get the pox will I be covered for treatment?

[smedly]

46 minutes ago, MRDave said:

So if my Bhatbus has a crash and I get injured will my medical insurance still be valid if my driver was drunk or did not have the correct license? Also will I be insured if my Thai Taxi crashes, and there were no seatbelts for me to use? Also if I go with a Thai bargirl, and get the pox will I be covered for treatment?

Why are you asking here, read your policy

 

Oh and to repeat again - this is about travel insurance obtained in the UK for travel to Thailand - not medical insurance - not accident insurance - not vehicle insurance....................................Travel Insurance

[Markmywords]

The accident happened on May 11. Unfortunately if she hasn't had surgery by now then she has probably lost her leg. The NHS won't help any. Bangkok does have some of the best Hospitals in the world, while they are inexpensive compare to other neighboring countries they are definitely not free. My best guess is either she didn't have travel insurance or there may be a loophole in her policy like when Australians that don't have a valid motorcycle license or international license or are under the influence will invalidate their insurance policy coverage automatically. In which case the medical expenses and taking her home on a stretcher is likely 100,000 GBP. While most British nationals tend to travel with travel insurance. Some Europeans do not, even though most of the world that need a schegken/European visa are required to have travel insurance. 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Markmywords
misspelling

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Nong Khai Man said:

Insurance does NOT Cover you on Motor Cycles.......

 

That is not necessarily correct. Some companies will and some won't. Some companies will only cover the driver and not the passenger, some will cover both.

 

What the average tourists OUGHT to do is to read the very tiny print, and if necessary take out a separate insurance policy to cover the worst options.

 

It may cost a few extra quid but you will have the thought that you will be covered, "just in case".

[Markmywords]

2 hours ago, MaiChai said:

Ideally tourists should be charged a health insurance fee on entry that would allow government hospital care in event of an accident. This was considered before but maybe the private hospitals might see their gravy train disappear and some powerful folks would not want this?

No its the travel industry and tour groups that think tourist will not come if they have to pay extra. 

[Bullie]

13 hours ago, YetAnother said:

i think in general you are not insured here unless you have a valid thai DL (which tourists cannot get)

Looking for an answer, are you?

Everyone's insured as long as they have the proper licences from their home countries plus an IDP for 3 months. After that they have to get the proper Thai licences.

[Bullie]

12 hours ago, PaoloR said:

Chrissables : "If you were licenced and were refused to be allowed to hire a bike, how would you feel?"

 

I am licenced and own 3 big bikes and yet cannot rent a big bike in certain European countries on my Thai licence - even with an IDP - I feel fine, just rent a smaller bike or a car.

 

When you see, as I do often, the idiots in Phuket driving rented litre bikes with no helmet and no shirt on and endangering themselves and innocent people then something has to be done to stop them. If a very small number of people are inconvenienced then tough. You live here, then buy one, on holiday here, then rent a smaller one.

I love your reply. You've ben around, you know the score.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

If anyone noticed, there is a Public Information Film running in advert time on UK TV warning people NOT to contribute to online pleas for crowd-funding for hospital bills after motorcycle accidents in Thailand as many turn out to be scams.

I have no idea if this case is genuine or not, but I'd check as the insurance for her riding as a passenger has been denied.

Who was driving the bike and why is the insurance invalid?

Look before you leap...

[Thongkorn]

18 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

So many accidents involving Brits who themselves go through training that is the best in the world, you would think it would not happen to a Brit.

 

It comes down to local driving and boy can I say I have seen it close up.

 

pack a body bag must be added to UK Th>>>>> website soon please

who says its the Brits fault all the time,

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

For British bike riders with full UK motorbike licenses the problem is indeed other tourists (from anywhere) with little or no riding experience or training that can hire here with no restriction or checks. Of course there are also a lot more locals with no training either, both on bikes and in 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and even 16 wheeler vehicles on the roads too.

I've seen people hire scooters on holiday that have never ridden a push bike before, and a good friend and very experienced rider from the UK killed by a minibus on the wrong side of the road on a blind corner in Phuket.

 

The roads in Thailand are very dangerous.

 

[simoh1490]

10 hours ago, MaiChai said:

Ideally tourists should be charged a health insurance fee on entry that would allow government hospital care in event of an accident. This was considered before but maybe the private hospitals might see their gravy train disappear and some powerful folks would not want this?

Western tourists are only a very small if not insignificant portion of this problem, workers from neighbouring Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are at the heart of it. In Phuket alone there are over 350,000 Burmese workers and less than half have any medical insurance whatsoever - those people are expats or tourists of a sort and they get sick, have health care needs and most often can't pay their hospital bills. Charging those people a health insurance fee is almost impossible because of the costs involved and the logistics of collection hence levying a health insurance fee can only practically be done for Western visitors or similar and that doesn't solve the problem of unpaid medical bills which will continue to climb.

[steven100]

Can anybody tell me did she get 100,000 BP to pay her bills and travel  ?   tks

[steven100]

9 hours ago, MRDave said:

So if my Bhatbus has a crash and I get injured will my medical insurance still be valid if my driver was drunk or did not have the correct license? Also will I be insured if my Thai Taxi crashes, and there were no seatbelts for me to use? Also if I go with a Thai bargirl, and get the pox will I be covered for treatment?

3 no's  .......... 

[PoorSucker]

Western tourists are only a very small if not insignificant portion of this problem, workers from neighbouring Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are at the heart of it. In Phuket alone there are over 350,000 Burmese workers and less than half have any medical insurance whatsoever - those people are expats or tourists of a sort and they get sick, have health care needs and most often can't pay their hospital bills. Charging those people a health insurance fee is almost impossible because of the costs involved and the logistics of collection hence levying a health insurance fee can only practically be done for Western visitors or similar and that doesn't solve the problem of unpaid medical bills which will continue to climb.

There is a government health care program for migrant workers.

Sent from my Lenovo TB3-710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[simoh1490]

28 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

There is a government health care program for migrant workers.

Sent from my Lenovo TB3-710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Yes indeed, for legal migrants and ones who are registered. A recent article that discussed the poor financial state of governement hospitals in Phuket estimated there are some 150,000 illegal and/or unregistered migrants in Phuket alone. The article suggested that the unpaid bills at one governement hospital alone amounted to over THB 24 million.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30305745

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/img/news/2017/02/05/30305745/456c9f7dde7fff0e20b9d29cc691b789.jpeg

Edited May 24, 2017 by simoh1490

[jerojero]

9

Strange that they penalize people who are passengers too, i can get that if you penalize the driver and exclude him from insurance.. but passengers is strange. Again.. we have to believe what they are writing.. its not like that the persons involved would make things up to look better.. maybe not really having a insurance at all. 

Insurance companies and their policies look to deny payouts at all costs. You think you're covered, then small print loopholes denies your claim. F. A. Holes.

 

[steven100]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

Can anybody tell me did she get 100,000 BP to pay her bills and travel  ?   tks

Did she get her 100,000 GBP ...  ?   I guess the hospital is waiting ...

[tomwct]

Whatever happened to the American Teacher who was hit by a car on the way to school on a motorcycle. They should have warning signs to stay off of motorcycles while on holiday, so they can return home in one piece.

[ben2talk]

5 minutes ago, tomwct said:

Whatever happened to the American Teacher who was hit by a car on the way to school on a motorcycle. 

Lots just give up n go home. Some in wheelchairs.

14 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Did she get her 100,000 GBP ...  ?   I guess the hospital is waiting ...

Maybe she's celebrating - rumour has it she's legless.