Hua Hin shark attack victim: Insurance won't pay as wife slams authorities

[Jomtien Holiday Guy]

I have only used mine ones, but no problems at all.....I haver never heard about problems with wellknowned companies in Denmark and i have meet many people, who have used their cover in Thailand over the years...One Danish guy listened to some expats in Jomtien and payd for an insurance in a Thai company. He was in his early fourties and got big pain in his chest. Went to the Hospital and they recommanded a ballon extention near the Heart. The insurance wouldn't cover it, because as they said, it's was due to his lifestyle. In pain he went back to Denmark and had it done there to return to Thailand a month later.......i guess he pay a little bit more now.....

[Here It Is]

Complaining about an out of date insurance policy?  Love it.  I have a train ticket that was valid for a day in 1982.  Is it still valid today?  No.

[Superlight]

On 4/30/2018 at 9:55 AM, midas said:

" Caveat emptor "

 

Yes indeed! Particularly when it comes to insurance companies

Exactly, I once upset the CEO of a large reinsurance company who was extolling the virtues of insurance.

Having let him finish I rounded up with, "Frank insurance companies are the same as bookies, offering odds against; the only difference is Bookies honour the bet, insurance companies want to argue about it".....( and when the argument is looking thin they call in loss adjusters...who incidentally get 20% of what they save the company) should this happen to you get a claims adjuster......who ramps up the calim in your favour..

 

But as the man wisely said "Caveat Emptor"

[jimn]

9 hours ago, Telly said:

Sorry Im not clear.

I meant flying over borders.

What an insurance company wants is proof of flight. You don't have to give complete but partial.

I leave it up to you to think devious.

As for uninformed, I sold insurance for years.

Telly like another post from Peter Denis I wont doubt your word. But in my experience annual policies are for a maximum period abroad in one year and do not reset after 89 days. Would be very unusual if this is the case. I would double check if I was you. But as you sold insurance many years ago you probably know best.

[gk10002000]

On ‎4‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 10:26 PM, Tilacme said:

The most i could get travel insurance for was 45 days.

When I have bought travel insurance, the time periods were clearly stated, in fact the price of the insurance was clearly listed for number of days or months covered I selected.   But, the article wording is a bit vague as it almost could lead one to read it as if it was saying he had an immigration or overstay issue and that is why the policy was not honored.  And the article never did say what the time limit on his insurance policy was.  Very incomplete journalism without the details

[prestburypark]

I swam off the beach in Hua Hin and bumped into   a shark, we checked each other out and it decided to leave me alone due to professional courtesy.

[Jonathan Swift]

I can't emphase enough how important it is to take time and VERY CAREFULLY READ EVERY DETAIL OF EVERY INSURANCE OR LEGAL CONTRACT!!!! Especially if you're in another country. Call someone and get them to explain anything you're not sure of. So much misfortune occurs because people don't do their homework before traveling, especially to such a "quirky" country as Thailand.

[Peter Denis]

14 hours ago, cat handler said:

 

Really, Travel Insurance for 4000 Baht for 12 months, you’re dreaming.

 

25,000 would be a closer figure.

 

secndly Travel Insurance doesn’t cover you for ongoing treatment, only initial treatment and possibly evacuation to your home country if your seriously ill and injured and can’t catch a commercial flight. That’s why it’s far cheaper than Expat Insurance.

No, I am not dreaming.

I paid 95 Euro (approx 4.000 Bath) for 1 full year of Travel Insurance, with quite generous conditions in case you need help.

The 95 Euro is for 1 person, for whole family it's only 130 Euro.

This Allianz Classic-Protection Insurance policy covers a.o.:

- full pay-back of all medical expenses abroad up to 250.000 Euro (yes,  almost 10 million Bath)

- unlimited re-patriating costs

- medical after treatment in home country up to 6.250 Euro

- find and rescue costs up to 3.750 Euro

- etc.

On top of that you even get home assistance, when there is damage to your home when abroad.

The polis covers ALL your trips abroad during one year, only condition being that a trip is limited to 90 days. 

 

 

[Hummin]

11 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

 

A decent travell insurance for a year, would be around 40 000,- or more for a middle aged man trough Nomads. 

 

Please tell me if you have anyone who can beat that one. Im interested. 

[Peter Denis]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

A decent travell insurance for a year, would be around 40 000,- or more for a middle aged man trough Nomads. 

 

Please tell me if you have anyone who can beat that one. Im interested. 

See my response to Cat Handler, the post just above yours.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, Peter Denis said:

See my response to Cat Handler, the post just above yours.

Ok I see now, but still 90 days limit, and not 365 days. 

[Peter Denis]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

Ok I see now, but still 90 days limit, and not 365 days. 

At first I thought so too, but it is indeed 90 days per trip, so after 3 months abroad you are not covered anymore.  However, this insurance covers ALL your trips during the whole year.  So if you have several trips a year, each one lasting less than 3 months, you are fully covered the whole year. 

Note: At this price you could even consider making two contracts, as you can choose the date when the year starts and so you can have back-to-back coverage of 6 months. 

 

[Hummin]

4 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

At first I thought so too, but it is indeed 90 days per trip, so after 3 months abroad you are not covered anymore.  However, this insurance covers ALL your trips during the whole year.  So if you have several trips a year, each one lasting less than 3 months, you are fully covered the whole year. 

Note: At this price you could even consider making two contracts, as you can choose the date when the year starts and so you can have back-to-back coverage of 6 months. 

 

You always have to go back to your orign country then, and why have two contracts? The insurance starts when you start traveling to your first destination, and ends when you are back home in your orign country. Extending those insurances is expensive. 

[stevenl]

35 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

No, I am not dreaming.

I paid 95 Euro (approx 4.000 Bath) for 1 full year of Travel Insurance, with quite generous conditions in case you need help.

The 95 Euro is for 1 person, for whole family it's only 130 Euro.

This Allianz Classic-Protection Insurance policy covers a.o.:

- full pay-back of all medical expenses abroad up to 250.000 Euro (yes,  almost 10 million Bath)

- unlimited re-patriating costs

- medical after treatment in home country up to 6.250 Euro

- find and rescue costs up to 3.750 Euro

- etc.

On top of that you even get home assistance, when there is damage to your home when abroad.

The polis covers ALL your trips abroad during one year, only condition being that a trip is limited to 90 days. 

 

 

Looking at your earlier post on this, you're living in Thailand. Expect problems in case of a serious claim, your insurance policy was clearly not meant for somebody bin your position.

[Peter Denis]

7 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You always have to go back to your orign country then, and why have two contracts? The insurance starts when you start traveling to your first destination, and ends when you are back home in your orign country. Extending those insurances is expensive. 

You are partly right.  Indeed you have to go back to your home country if you want the insurance to be valid after 3 months abroad, so no use to have 2 contracts (my mistake, was not thinking when I wrote this).  However, the contract does NOT end when you are back in your home country.  You are fully covered for ALL your trips during the whole year, the only condition being that 1 trip should not extend over 90 days.  So indeed, if you are going regularly back to your home country like I do, there is no problem and I am fully covered whole year for 95, Euro.  

Note: As another poster already pointed out, if 3 months validity per trip is too short for you, Europ Assistance offers a similar contract at 250,- Euro per annum, but with 6 months validity per trip.

[Peter Denis]

11 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Looking at your earlier post on this, you're living in Thailand. Expect problems in case of a serious claim, your insurance policy was clearly not meant for somebody bin your position.

Hi Steven,

Yes indeed I am living most of the year in Thailand.  But my official residence is still in Belgium, so in case of serious illness I can go back and am fully covered at home.  So my situation in Thailand is sort of semi-perpetual tourist.  And in case I should encounter an accident while in Thailand (or any other country for that matter) I am fully covered by the Travel Insurance contract I have. 

The condition of 3 months per trip for the insurance to remain valid, is no issue for me as I travel at least every quarter back to my home country.

So this insurance is really ideal for me, and at 95,- Euro per year, it would be as good as impossible to find a better deal.

Note: The 3 month period also nicely coincides with the MultipleEntry visa which I have, which allows me to stay 2 months + 1 month extension in Thailand, and then I have to leave the country. 

 

 

[Hummin]

So far I found only world nomads to cover my ass good enough.

[stevenl]

40 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Hi Steven,

Yes indeed I am living most of the year in Thailand.  But my official residence is still in Belgium, so in case of serious illness I can go back and am fully covered at home.  So my situation in Thailand is sort of semi-perpetual tourist.  And in case I should encounter an accident while in Thailand (or any other country for that matter) I am fully covered by the Travel Insurance contract I have. 

The condition of 3 months per trip for the insurance to remain valid, is no issue for me as I travel at least every quarter back to my home country.

So this insurance is really ideal for me, and at 95,- Euro per year, it would be as good as impossible to find a better deal.

Note: The 3 month period also nicely coincides with the MultipleEntry visa which I have, which allows me to stay 2 months + 1 month extension in Thailand, and then I have to leave the country. 

 

 

I think that if you need it you'll notice you're mistaken.

 

Good luck.

[Just Weird]

On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 5:50 AM, jerojero said:

Insurance companies will do everything possible not to pay a claim. That's how they stay in lucrative business. Read the fune print several times of any insurance contract. Filled with limitations and exceptions, often general exceptions subject to arbitrary definition by the insurance company of course.

Garbage.

[Peter Denis]

52 minutes ago, Hummin said:

So far I found only world nomads to cover my ass good enough.

Hi Hummin.

I checked World Nomads (thanks for the tip), and a 1-year Standard contract would cost me 930,- Euro (and 2 months would cost  267,50). 

The coverage is indeed very extensive and generous, and if I would be of the adventurous kind (hiking, outdoor sports) I would surely consider them. 

But as I am more of the 'couch potato' type the coverage of my 95,- Euro a year contract is more than sufficient.

[hagler]

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

No, I am not dreaming.

I paid 95 Euro (approx 4.000 Bath) for 1 full year of Travel Insurance, with quite generous conditions in case you need help.

The 95 Euro is for 1 person, for whole family it's only 130 Euro.

This Allianz Classic-Protection Insurance policy covers a.o.:

- full pay-back of all medical expenses abroad up to 250.000 Euro (yes,  almost 10 million Bath)

- unlimited re-patriating costs

- medical after treatment in home country up to 6.250 Euro

- find and rescue costs up to 3.750 Euro

- etc.

On top of that you even get home assistance, when there is damage to your home when abroad.

The polis covers ALL your trips abroad during one year, only condition being that a trip is limited to 90 days. 

 

 

I have had a look at the policy for the Allianz Classic Protection insurance you are mentioning and it says that the max trip length is 45 days. I have taken a screenshot of the relevant page from the PDS.

 

Could you please give a link to the policy that you have as I must be getting the wrong one in my searches as I am interested in taking it out too if it is indeed 90 days .

 

Thanks in advance

[Hummin]

31 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Hi Hummin.

I checked World Nomads (thanks for the tip), and a 1-year Standard contract would cost me 930,- Euro (and 2 months would cost  267,50). 

The coverage is indeed very extensive and generous, and if I would be of the adventurous kind (hiking, outdoor sports) I would surely consider them. 

But as I am more of the 'couch potato' type the coverage of my 95,- Euro a year contract is more than sufficient.

I have 75 days, and add the extra days to world nomads, before I return home, and start on new 75 days when I return. As you I go home 3-4 times a year as well. But if I am going to stay 6 months or so, I will use health insurance by Luma, or maybe still World Nomads. We will see. 

[Peter Denis]

38 minutes ago, hagler said:

I have had a look at the policy for the Allianz Classic Protection insurance you are mentioning and it says that the max trip length is 45 days. I have taken a screenshot of the relevant page from the PDS.

 

Could you please give a link to the policy that you have as I must be getting the wrong one in my searches as I am interested in taking it out too if it is indeed 90 days .

 

Thanks in advance

 

Hi Hagler,  I did sent you a message with the links to the Belgian Allianz website and blog, where the 90 days per trip condition is posted (and highlighted the statement) .

From your post it seems that Allianz is using different conditions on their Annual Classic-Protection Travel Insurance, for different regions.

On the Allianz blog it is stated, that in order to be eligible for the contract which I took, you need to be a citizen of Belgium, the European Union or Switzerland.

[Thomas Hannah]

On 4/30/2018 at 3:10 PM, Just Weird said:

If you bothered to read the OPs you'd know that he was admitted as an in-patient, needed after care and physiotherapy also.  Hospital rooms are not cheap and there was a lot more to it than just 19 stitches.

Yes i did read it all.Seems you know nothing how thailand works.And also nothing about shark bites.

[cat handler]

6 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

You are partly right.  Indeed you have to go back to your home country if you want the insurance to be valid after 3 months abroad, so no use to have 2 contracts (my mistake, was not thinking when I wrote this).  However, the contract does NOT end when you are back in your home country.  You are fully covered for ALL your trips during the whole year, the only condition being that 1 trip should not extend over 90 days.  So indeed, if you are going regularly back to your home country like I do, there is no problem and I am fully covered whole year for 95, Euro.  

Note: As another poster already pointed out, if 3 months validity per trip is too short for you, Europ Assistance offers a similar contract at 250,- Euro per annum, but with 6 months validity per trip.

 

Allianz policy is around $850 for 12 months, but again Travel Insurance shouldn’t be confused with Health Insurance and won’t cover follow up treatments, for the Shark Bite guy ot would have been his initial hospital yreatment and stitches, physio etc. Wouldn’t be covered.

[fdbob]

On 4/30/2018 at 9:26 AM, Tilacme said:

The most i could get travel insurance for was 45 days.

I get 12 months in Australia

[fdbob]

24 minutes ago, cat handler said:

 

Allianz policy is around $850 for 12 months, but again Travel Insurance shouldn’t be confused with Health Insurance and won’t cover follow up treatments, for the Shark Bite guy ot would have been his initial hospital yreatment and stitches, physio etc. Wouldn’t be covered.

I had a bad motorbike accident world nomad travel insurance covered everything including physio and after care I’m still an outpatient 5 months later it cost $800 aud for 12 Months

[Johnboxer]

On 30/04/2018 at 3:23 AM, tingtongtourist said:

another lesson why not to buy into the big scam that is called insurance.

as it says here, typical insurance from home not cover you after 2 or 3 months abroad.

 

sometimes they tell you, sometimes not. doesnt really matter, as for most claims from incidents in Thailand they could find several reasons not to pay anyway

You should always read your insurance policy, and when taking out insurance they give you the option, I always go for 3 month for one trip, that seems to be the maximum if you take out 3 month one trip insurance then after 3 months you are not insured, simple

[Just Weird]

12 hours ago, Thomas Hannah said:

Yes i did read it all.Seems you know nothing how thailand works.And also nothing about shark bites.

Nothing much sunk in then.  

 

How do you rationally come to the conclusion that I know nothing about how "Thailand works"?  

 

I know next to nothing about shark bites but then I don't need to know anything about them as that knowledge wouldn't affect why his bill was at the level it was.

[Thomas Hannah]

17 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Nothing much sunk in then.  

 

How do you rationally come to the conclusion that I know nothing about how "Thailand works"?  

 

I know next to nothing about shark bites but then I don't need to know anything about them as that knowledge wouldn't affect why his bill was at the level it was.

Nothing sunk in to you, then.19 stitches = about a 6 cm wound.This is a small shark.Its teath would be about 5mm long.Sharks bite to hold onto the prey and tear the meat away.In this case .it only bit.There is no need for him to be in a hospital bed.He should have been treated and left on crutches with antibiotics.Going to a medical centre to have the wound dressed untill after 10 ten days, when the stitches would be removed.As for knowing about thailand.Its dangerous to let them know you have insurance.Hundreds of stories i could tell.Hers one .Guy knocked his head.They were going to operate on his head.lucky he had a freiind that stopped them.Next day he was fine and still is after 5 years ago.Guy who had half his nose removed for cancer.He never ever had cancer.etc etc etc.My son was ill a few years back.Put him private .He and his mother were in great room for 5 days with all treatment.Bill was 29,000 baht.I suggest you think before you make a comment.