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

[StevieAus]

23 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 the policy doesn’t cover motorcycle accidents why should the Insurer be forced to pay out?

It is not unusual for insurance policies to have exclusions such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

What is needed is for people to start accepting responsibility for their own actions rather than wanting others to foot the bill when it goes wrong.

[Kelsall]

Motorbikes (what the guy was riding) and big bikes are the same here: death traps.

 

Insurance or no insurance, get off them.

[stevenl]

21 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Really?

I was under the impression that riding a m/c you actually ride past a racket of a morlam in a few seconds, somebody picking his nose in a split second, and ditto sniffing buffalo crap - in a split second.

But you carry on, not enjoying countryside and all that entails.

Carry on loving city exhaust fumes and i'll carry on enjoying views, greenery, sights, sounds and smells, the majority of which are all natural.

You have a nice day too.....

You're projecting your own situation on that of others.

 

Enough said, yawn.

[stevenl]

13 hours ago, JackGats said:

We had a discussion about travel insurances not so long ago when a girl broke her neck jumping into a swimming pool. The consensus was then that insurances don't cover motorbike accidents.

Don't know if that was the consensus yes or no, nor does it matter very much. It is incorrect.

 

With some provisions insurance (both health and travel insurance) does cover motorbike accidents.

[stevenl]

7 hours ago, Skallywag said:

Something my health insurance guy told me is that there is a separate policy for "accidents" called accident insurance. 

 

I have an annual inpatient health care policy with AIA. 

 

My  "health insurance" policy only covers personal health problems; heart, cancer, diabetes, etc... (not accidents)

 

Something people who ride motorcycles or participate in dangerous activities should look into with their provider I would think

"My  "health insurance" policy only covers personal health problems; heart, cancer, diabetes, etc... (not accidents)"

Incorrect.

 

Health insurance will cover hospital stay after accidents, but there will be no separate pay-out as there is with accident insurance (either lump sum or daily).

[Duck J Butters]

On 2/23/2019 at 9:04 AM, 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.

Show me an insurance company that will actually cover this. Extremely unlikely. Health Insurance plans while living in Thailand are essentially a waste of money. Read the fine print of your plan. You’re better off saving your money and just paying out of pocket when shit happens. Hospital fees really aren’t that expensive. On the off chance that you get in trouble while in Thailand, you should always have at least 1 million baht saved for a rainy day. If you don’t have at least 1 million baht saved in a Thai bank account, you really have no business living in Thailand for any significant length of time. Living in Thailand is a risk. You can’t expect to live in Thailand at a fraction of the cost of the western world and expect all the creature comforts that come with living in places like Europe and the US as well. Honestly, if you’re riding around Thailand on a motorbike, I don’t know what to say. It’s a huge risk.

 

By all means, please leave us a link to your travel insurance. Perhaps I’m mistaken and there is good coverage out there.

[otherstuff1957]

Teachers at private schools in Thailand are specifically excluded from the Thai employment laws.  They don't get social security unless their school chooses to 'opt-in' and without social security, they don't get government health insurance, though the school should offer some sort of other health insurance.

 

 

[stevenl]

10 minutes ago, Duck J Butters said:

Show me an insurance company that will actually cover this. Extremely unlikely. Health Insurance plans while living in Thailand are essentially a waste of money. Read the fine print of your plan. You’re better off saving your money and just paying out of pocket when shit happens. Hospital fees really aren’t that expensive. On the off chance that you get in trouble while in Thailand, you should always have at least 1 million baht saved for a rainy day. If you don’t have at least 1 million baht saved in a Thai bank account, you really have no business living in Thailand for any significant length of time. Living in Thailand is a risk. You can’t expect to live in Thailand at a fraction of the cost of the western world and expect all the creature comforts that come with living in places like Europe and the US as well. Honestly, if you’re riding around Thailand on a motorbike, I don’t know what to say. It’s a huge risk.

 

By all means, please leave us a link to your travel insurance. Perhaps I’m mistaken and there is good coverage out there.

" Show me an insurance company that will actually cover this. Extremely unlikely. Health Insurance plans while living in Thailand are essentially a waste of money. Read the fine print of your plan.  "

Many if not all Thai health insurance policies will cover this. Why you say they are a waste of money is totally unclear to me. Sure, coverage only for a limited amount, but that does not mean 'waste of money'.

Foreign health insurance will also often cover, and travel insurance (presuming riding with DL) will also often cover.

[Huckenfell]

On 2/23/2019 at 9:04 AM, 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.

Yes it is always a worry, but what one does after reaching a certain is all a gamble, as no insurance company will touch you. I understand all the "sky diving and bungee  jumping is dangerous" but how many 75 yr olds do that, in fact i think that they would be less of a risk. Why cannot insurance companies give reasonable cover to this age group regarding accidents, disregarding m/c and  previous illnesses or conditions etc.  But "Cherry pick" they will. 

[Huckenfell]

On 2/23/2019 at 9:24 AM, 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.

Does anyone know if this is in fact correct.

[stevenl]

8 minutes ago, Huckenfell said:

Does anyone know if this is in fact correct.

See earlier post from Simon about this (#16).

[Huckenfell]

On 2/23/2019 at 10:18 AM, DavisH said:

Unfortunately, many school are cheapskates and get away without giving any insurance. Mine has some, but its only for small incidents. Nothing like BUPA. We get fed the old chestnut "you get paid more than enough already". The same applies to provident funds which the Thai teachers get but we don't. Fortunately, my wife is a civil servant so myself and son are also covered under that. There are a LOT of teachers here without cover or with inadequate cover. This should be mandatory - no health insurance, no WP and no extension. 

Quite smug about it knowing that you have got free insurance off somebody else's back. Are'nt you.

[brianthainess]

One of the biggest problems is that if you don't have a motor bike licence,as so many don't .guess what NO health insurance.

[Thingamabob]

On 2/23/2019 at 10:34 AM, thaiguzzi said:

Yawn.

Sell your Kawayamazuki XYZ1100 space ship and buy a RE 500 single.

Tour the countryside taking in all the sights, sounds and smells @ 80 kmph instead of hooning around at 160 kmph.

Or are you saying you'd kill yourself on anything bigger than a stepthru?

On 2/22/2019 at 11:01 AM, johng said:

Yes !!   because they might be  someone's beloved grandma re-incarnated ????  ????

Me?

I'm off for a ride on my Triumph.

Smart ass.

[SupermarineS6B]

On ‎2‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 9:31 AM, 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.

Used to ride Speedway and grasstrack as a kid, i just sold my pushbike as i considered my luck had run out here on Thailands crazy roads..... I was never scared as a kid on bikes, did my first 100 mph in a stuble field at 14 years old......... But Thailands roads on a pushbike scared me.......

[bananafish]

On 2/23/2019 at 9:17 AM, overherebc said:

Unfortunately the belief in 'it only happens to other people' is a hard one to dispel.

Lets be honest, that's because it's mostly true. ???? 

[SupermarineS6B]

Here we go, you'll have to have full health cover and chopper evacuation shortly before you're allowed to walk down to the 7/11........ All available from Thai banks of course, at a special price to foreigners...... naturally......

[stevenl]

24 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

One of the biggest problems is that if you don't have a motor bike licence,as so many don't .guess what NO health insurance.

"if you don't have a motor bike licence, NO health insurance."

Nonsense.

[SupermarineS6B]

All the years i've lived in Thailand i've had all sorts of insurances, whenever i was dragged into hospital the first thing that came out of my wallet wasn't the insurance card, it was my visa card....... That's why i carry a visa card, i don't use it due to the costs in Thailand, but once you're in dock it gets the ball rolling quickly when the card passes muster........ Insurance policies are minefields on their own......... Imagine a Thai one ????

[Huckenfell]

19 hours ago, Thainess said:

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!

Seven year old Thai kids are not interested in English Grammar. They only want to know how to speak basic English, just like we all did at primary school.

[Huckenfell]

19 hours ago, Thainess said:

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!

"Why would anyone even VISIT  Thailand, let alone live there"   Well here goes. 1) My flight broke down in BKK many years ago and I was given the option of a stopover. 2) I liked what i saw and decided to come back several times, even worked here. 3) Now I am happily living with my own Thai family, but too old to get medical insurance, so am self-insured.        There! now you know the 'terrible' truth.

[Huckenfell]

19 hours 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 

70  the magic number. What do you advise we all do, just walk out on our families. Perhaps you could do this,  but NOT the majority of us.

[stanleycoin]

35 minutes ago, SupermarineS6B said:

Here we go, you'll have to have full health cover and chopper evacuation shortly before you're allowed to walk down to the 7/11........ All available from Thai banks of course, at a special price to foreigners...... naturally......

it's no joke man

It can be very dangerous going through the doors of a 7/11

you can have a very nasty slip,  on all that Gob over the floor from the last Chinese group 

going in and out. 

 

[puukao]

I've met a ton of teachers, almost all of them complete losers.  Almost all like to drink, and almost all have a motorbike.  almost all like to drink during the week and not really care about teaching, unless they feel they must act like they are doing something.  yes, almost all would be complete losers in their home country.

 

it's a way to postpone your stay will little headache, but eventually life catches up.....

 

and almost all have very little money, so insurance isn't exactly on the top of their list.  

[SupermarineS6B]

5 minutes ago, puukao said:

I've met a ton of teachers, almost all of them complete losers.  Almost all like to drink, and almost all have a motorbike.  almost all like to drink during the week and not really care about teaching, unless they feel they must act like they are doing something.  yes, almost all would be complete losers in their home country.

 

it's a way to postpone your stay will little headache, but eventually life catches up.....

 

and almost all have very little money, so insurance isn't exactly on the top of their list.  

Have you ever thought about going home and joining the domino league ?  Nice and safe there......... you'll be with friends as well.........

[Vacuum]

Sorry about his accident. But what is a"NI man"?

[balo]

Sorry about his accident. But what is a"NI man"?

Nothern Ireland. You know Belfast and all that....

[Vacuum]

3 minutes ago, balo said:

11 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Sorry about his accident. But what is a"NI man"?

Nothern Ireland. You know Belfast and all that....

Ok. I was thinking about the movie 'The Holy Grail'.

[zleo99]

11 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

As has been pointed out on numerous occasions, please check the fine print of any insurance policy issued by a Thai company.  Many have the legal right to refuse to renew your annual policy if you have made a claim in the previous year, or can individually 'price you out' by raising the renewal premium only for you.

 

Insurance policies that are issued by overseas (UK, European) companies, such as BUPA International, Healthcare International, Davidshield, Cigna etc are not allowed by law to penalise you if you make a claim, and must renew your policy each year on the same terms as everyone else in your age band, (although your policy may have individual medical exclusions or a higher premium to cover pre-existing conditions that were put in place when you first took out the policy).

Thank you for your input, Simon. Much appreciated! ????

[racket]

I feel so sorry for this young man, god bless him! Anyone staying in Thailand should by mandatory have health insurance. Embassies should ask this as a prerequisite for obtaining any kind of visa. Travel insurance does not cover health costs since it only involves travel related things.