Travel insurance warning as NI man loses leg after Thailand motorbike accident

[fouryesrs]

7 hours ago, robblok said:

Yes IF the school was above board.

do you indicate he worked illegaly in a developing country.?..teachers are covered with medical insurance similar to government officials...if they did not do it for him he should sue his employee the school for paying the medical bills...that would teach all other schools to implement good praxis..w.this government there should be a good chance for sucess in this matter especially if media gets involved...

[Letseng]

6 hours ago, fisherd3 said:

It will be impossible to formulate any private insurance plan in Thailand that anyone can afford when e.g Bangkok Hospital Rayong charges 34,000 thb for first Rabies shot of a course.

I spent 3 nights in Bnh after getting knocked down by a car. Hospital wasn't my choice but the car owner's. I needed no treatment other than a dressing on my arm, xray, CT and otherwise just needed rest. Cost 160.000 Bht incl. uncaring nursing care. Amazing what they try to sell you when you really need nothing but just to recover enough to move with a pelvic fracture.

When I saw the pic of the guy in hospital bed, I recognised the depressing hospital room. Feel sorry for him considering the bill he gets.

[Caine]

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

Meet the requirements and it will cover. But no license e.g., and yes, it will not cover.

Most travel insurance will only cover you up to 50cc. Obviously with a valid license, above 50cc and ridiculous loading more than doubling you premium 

[Letseng]

3 minutes ago, fouryesrs said:

do you indicate he worked illegaly in a developing country.?..teachers are covered with medical insurance similar to government officials...if they did not do it for him he should sue his employee the school for paying the medical bills...that would teach all other schools to implement good praxis..w.this government there should be a good chance for sucess in this matter especially if media gets involved...

Many travellers volunteer in remote schools. They are not actually employed and paid. May not be the schools fault that he has no insurance.

[AGareth2]

1 hour ago, Briggsy said:

Clearly you have never worked as a teacher in Thailand. You are lucky if you get paid.

oh dear

[4MyEgo]

12 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Well, I am 58, so "age permitting" as per your suggestions.

However, due to pre existing conditions, it is far more advantageous for me to self insure, leaving funds in a fixed deposit account. Although my conditions are not life threatening, my premiums would be extortionate, and anything connected to my respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system (I have neuropathy), to name a few, would not be covered. I also have no problems using Government Hospitals, so the cost to me would be exceedingly less than the rip off Private hospitals here.

I self insured when I first came here just over 3 and a bit years ago as no one would cover my pre-existing condition, i.e. I had a heart attack age 47 a couple of months short of my 48th birthday, a stent was put in and all good, 3 meds once a day, blood pressure, Cholesterol levels all good, weight good, never had an issue since I over exerted myself, long story ????

 

After 2 insurers wouldn't cover me, I said well I ain't parting with 80,000 to 100,000 baht per annum without having my pre-existing condition covered, suffice to say self insuring was the only avenue for me, or should I say choice, that is until I stumbled upon David Shield through my broker. The insurer requested copies of letters from my Cardiologist which I had from day one as I get a copy from my GP every 2 years after I see the Cardiologist, the insurer said for an extra $60AUS per month they would cover my pre-existing condition, if I wanted it added to the policy, the cover included 4 neighbouring Asian countries, not every other place in the world that I do not travel or will never travel to that other insurers have as a standard policy, and it also give me 90 days emergency cover worldwide when travelling, the policy is under 60,000 baht per annum, I am 58 and of course would expect it to increase at 60 years of age.

 

Having cover makes me feel a lot better in case of an emergency with the pre-existing condition.

 

I don't believe my condition is life threatening, although after having been to a couple of public hospitals here, other than the University/training ones, I am not confident at all with the doctors, especially after being misdiagnosed for the flu when in fact it was a bad chest infection and allergy to mould which a doctor in a private hospital after seeing me first referred me to a chest specialist on the spot who picked it up, no guessing, heavy duty drugs and I was on the hop within an hour improving very quickly 2 weekly, then a fortnightly and month follow up, I believe if I listened to the hospital doctor who said, your getting over the flu because you have had it for 4-6 weeks and its normal to cough yellow, I reckon I would have died due to my lack of breathing, narrow windpipe due to possibility of inhaling some mould spores.

 

I agree private health insurers are greedy, but you would also have to agree, having cover with them, gets you better coverage from better doctors, i.e. private versus public here in Thailand.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

should have health insurance through his teaching contract

Very doubtful!

[helloagain]

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Tragic. However, while we expect tourists visiting for a short period to gamble with buying insurance or not, those who live here should know better. I hope he makes as full a recovery as possible in the circumstances and any living here without some medical insurance heed the message.

I choose not to have travel insurance i am 65 and live here 15 years. How much would i have paid by now. When time comes i get bill i pay. 

[AGareth2]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Very doubtful!

should

[ghworker2010]

7 hours ago, fisherd3 said:

It will be impossible to formulate any private insurance plan in Thailand that anyone can afford when e.g Bangkok Hospital Rayong charges 34,000 thb for first Rabies shot of a course.

but who would be stupid enough to pay that when one can rock up to a govt hospital and pay very cheap price?

[nong38]

7 hours ago, z42 said:

Travel insurance very rarely covers bike crash injuries, and insurance companies in many cases need social media pressure to actually force a pay out.

 

Wish the injured man as speedy a recovery as possible

If he was working here as a teacher Travel Insurance is hardly likely to cover, he is not travelling he is working, sorry to be harsh but that is what the Insurance company will say. We all know the risks here and if you are too old get a policy then you need to self insure. He is lucky his family were able to help him out.

[Spock]

4 hours ago, balo said:

Another hopeless case without insurance.  And he lives here. "Should have known better" etc.  

 

I am tired of this. 

 

 

How are you personally affected by this guy's situation? 

[blookhead57]

7 hours ago, overherebc said:

Unfortunately this is

'No country for safe biking.'

Don't care if you've ridden safely for the past 30 years or not, in fact I believe if you've never come off in your early years of biking the more likely it is to have a bad one here. 

Early on I managed a few 'down the road on my wee pink bum' happenings and they are the best experiences to have to learn what biking is about.

I bought a big bike here

( 1100cc ) after 30 years of UK and EU riding and hung up the helmet after about 2 years here. It was just too scary.

you don't learn to ride  bike until you have come off a few times.

[Cereal]

Is there no news about what happened other than an accident? No other vehicles involved?

[yimlitnoy]

7 hours ago, fisherd3 said:

It will be impossible to formulate any private insurance plan in Thailand that anyone can afford when e.g Bangkok Hospital Rayong charges 34,000 thb for first Rabies shot of a course.

Bangkok Hospital koh Chang charged my wife 17,000 thb for first Rabies shot of a course of 5 shot, the remaining 4 shots were done at Bangkok Red Cross for 350 thb per shot.  She was bitten by a cat in a restaurant in koh Chang.  You have some insurance then we charge more...

[gerritkaew]

I see this all the time, no good insurance. 

And always from the same place in Europe. 

I have 2 friends from holland who need care in thailand and no problem with insurance. 

Why its so difficult to get one who covers in thailand??

[Spock]

3 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

I'm hitting 60 years old, am a lowly teacher, and can still easily afford the premium for my $1.2 million baht expat insurance policy.  Why?  Because I prioritise my expenses, and a decent health insurance policy comes near the top of my list.

 

This guy is young - the insurance premium for him (or his employer) would be peanuts.

How much is your premium?

[phantomfiddler]

I personally know of 2 friends who had serious (17 compound fractures in 1 leg !!!) injuries, and it was only because they both knew some Thai language that they realized the doctors were about to cut their leg off. When they got wind of the doctor,s intentions, they both said "The hell you are" ! and both are walking around well on 2 legs as we speak. Maybe the decision to amputate is taken too readily over here.

[Bantex]

Yet again another one who hasn’t learnt the lesson of having insurance. I’m sure the renewal cost was a fraction of what his family is paying in hospital fees, flights to Thailand, hotel etc.

 

[howbri]

Moral; STAY OFF MOTORBIKES.

[Thainess]

In my experience of having the misfortune of encountering dozens of falang "English teachers" in Thailand, most of them aren't very bright, both academically and in terms of common sense. They would not have been able to succeed in becoming a teacher back in their home country, so they come to Thailand as "being able to speak English" is their only marketable skill in the jobs market and in some cases, "being able to speak English" (after a fashion) is the only qualification you need to "teach English" in certain disreputable educational establishments in Thailand! Seriously, I once received an e-mail from one of these "English teachers" and it was riddled with grammar and spelling errors. Why anyone would even VISIT Thailand, let alone live there, without having COMPREHENSIVE medical insurance (including cover for evacuation in an intensive care aircraft) is beyond my comprehension!

[rocketdave]

I live here, have no family, am over 70 with hypertension and type 2 diabetes, you try and get health insurance!

[Sheryl]

do you indicate he worked illegaly in a developing country.?..teachers are covered with medical insurance similar to government officials...if they did not do it for him he should sue his employee the school for paying the medical bills...that would teach all other schools to implement good praxis..w.this government there should be a good chance for sucess in this matter especially if media gets involved...

As already explained private schools are exempt from Social Security scheme.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[maddox41]

Some travel insurance companies do cover bike accidents. Mine does. 

I'm amazed how many expats that live here don't have any insurance  I have many friends that don't  to me that's insane. Medical insurance here is expensive to get a good one it's around 45000 + and most have a ceiling limit here. And a cut of at 70yrs of age. 

I have not found a good expat insurer here that covers your needs for less then 80 000 b a Yr 

[nickcar]

8 hours ago, fisherd3 said:

It will be impossible to formulate any private insurance plan in Thailand that anyone can afford when e.g Bangkok Hospital Rayong charges 34,000 thb for first Rabies shot of a course.

 I believe that is nonsense, no insurance company if they charge that amount would pay out, and in my opinion anybody who is willing to pay it is nuts.  Remember that hospitals are not entitled to charge ridiculous amounts and if they present a bill that is ridiculous then one should refuse to pay it.   34,000 Baht for a full course of rabies is totally ridiculous and no hospital would be able to sustain it in court 

[jadee]

58 minutes ago, Spock said:

How much is your premium?

I'd love to know too!

[jadee]

15 minutes ago, maddox41 said:

Some travel insurance companies do cover bike accidents. Mine does. 

I'm amazed how many expats that live here don't have any insurance  I have many friends that don't  to me that's insane. Medical insurance here is expensive to get a good one it's around 45000 + and most have a ceiling limit here. And a cut of at 70yrs of age. 

I have not found a good expat insurer here that covers your needs for less then 80 000 b a Yr 

Some policies cover bike accidents but only pay half, I remember that being the case when I had BUPA years ago (now Aetna). It depends. 

[digger70]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

He was a teacher, surely his employers were legally required to cover him under the SS scheme?

If they didn't cover him, he could just sue them for the medical costs.

What has his employers to do with what he drives/ Ride and if it was to travel To and From work?

[Thingamabob]

Insurance won't bring his leg back. Just stay away from motorbikes in Thailand, even if you are a skilled and experienced rider.

[GinBoy2]

Well couple of things.

 

I think most of us when we are 30 think of ourselves as immortal, 'insurance' nah, who needs it!

 

That being said, he lived in Thailand, he's seen the carnage on the roads every day.

 

I'm actually surprised more tourists don't die on their rented motorbikes. They get off the plane rent a bike and ride assuming, as they would at home, people obey the rules

 

So irresponsible?

 

Hope the guy can recover from this, but it's a cautionary tale for sure