British mum: My son was left for dead in Thailand... now I just want him home

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My son was left for dead in Thailand... now I just want him home

BY SAM YARWOOD

 

“I was a bit hesitant of asking for help at first, but people have been so kind and thoughtful."

 

MANCHESTER: -- The family of a young man left for dead following a hit and run in Thailand are desperately appealing for cash after they say his travel insurance company refused to pay for his treatment.

 

Jake Tonkin remains in a critical condition in hospital in Phuket following the collision which happened Sunday night UK time.

 

The 23-year-old had been riding pillion on a friend’s motorcycle when a car came around the corner on the wrong side of the road and hit them.

 

Both were thrown from the bike, with Jake landing underneath the wheels of the vehicle as it fled the scene.

 

Full story: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/son-left-dead-thailand-now-13008478

 

-- Manchester Evening News 2017-05-10

 

[Rhys]

... speedy recovery and trust that all works out for the best...

[darksidedog]

How if you are a pillion passenger and you are knocked off by a hit and run driver on the wrong side of the road, can it be your fault?

Insurance company showing once again what scumbags they can be. Take your money and then leave you high and dry. I hope they are publicly shamed and boycotted for this. Good luck to the family and I hope the guy recovers.

I also ask what about the 72 hours free treatment policy Thai hospitals are supposed to have?

[wakeupplease]

Get well soon lad and get out of there, driving standards are of the lowest and morals simply do not exist.

[colinneil]

Calm down folks, tragic what has happened to the lad.

I know i have been there in a similar situation.

Please stop screaming about his insurance company, as we all know travel insurance does not cover riding motorbikes.

Compassion does not come into it with insurance companies, just hard facts.

 

I hope the lad gets the best treatment possible, yes there is good care provided in Thai hospitals.

Chin up lad be positive, my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[stevenl]

55 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

How if you are a pillion passenger and you are knocked off by a hit and run driver on the wrong side of the road, can it be your fault?

Insurance company showing once again what scumbags they can be. Take your money and then leave you high and dry. I hope they are publicly shamed and boycotted for this. Good luck to the family and I hope the guy recovers.

I also ask what about the 72 hours free treatment policy Thai hospitals are supposed to have?

As somebody else just said, hard facts. At the moment we only have the mothers word for what happened.

[darksidedog]

5 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Calm down folks, tragic what has happened to the lad.

I know i have been there in a similar situation.

Please stop screaming about his insurance company, as we all know travel insurance does not cover riding motorbikes.

Compassion does not come into it with insurance companies, just hard facts.

 

I hope the lad gets the best treatment possible, yes there is good care provided in Thai hospitals.

Chin up lad be positive, my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

The insurance company haven't said he wasn't covered to be on a bike. They have refused on the basis that the injuries were as a result of ‘careless driving on his part’.

The problem being, he wasn't driving, only a passenger. Read the full story and you can see their actions.

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Calm down folks, tragic what has happened to the lad.

I know i have been there in a similar situation.

Please stop screaming about his insurance company, as we all know travel insurance does not cover riding motorbikes.

Compassion does not come into it with insurance companies, just hard facts.

 

I hope the lad gets the best treatment possible, yes there is good care provided in Thai hospitals.

Chin up lad be positive, my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Provided all is legal, so driver with DL, riding a motorbike normally is covered under travel insurance.

[colinneil]

Just now, stevenl said:

Provided all is legal, so driver with DL, riding a motorbike normally is covered under travel insurance.

Sorry i disagree with you, please study travel insurance documents.

I still have mine from over 6 years ago, it clearly states riding on motorbikes not covered.

[steven100]

get well to go back home. Good luck on bikes in the future.

[hagler]

25 minutes ago, colinneil said:

 

Please stop screaming about his insurance company, as we all know travel insurance does not cover riding motorbikes.

 

Umm actually they do. Been riding in third world countries all over the world now for over 35 years and have been covered the whole time.

[tomwct]

Can you buy Travel Insurance for two plus years? I have problems buying my wife anything over 90 days.

I hope is family can get him home for medical care, but when your on motorcycles anything can happen.

[hagler]

1 minute ago, tomwct said:

Can you buy Travel Insurance for two plus years? I have problems buying my wife anything over 90 days.

I hope is family can get him home for medical care, but when your on motorcycles anything can happen.

I have an annual policy with IHI/BUPA that auto renews each year. Have had it for nearly 20 years now. Covers for everything except professional motor racing and high altitude mountaineering ( it used to cover for the mountaineering before BUPA took over IHI and that is why I took it with them in the first place)

 

That may be of assistance for your wife. She can take as many trips as she wants during that year and be covered but each trip must not be more than 30 days long. I am constantly on the move for work and lesiure so this works well for me however may not work for her.

 

IHI/BUPA will do 12 month policies and if you ask perhaps they do 2 year ones. Hope this helps you

[Destiny1990]

Why not have arrested to car driver and let him pay for it?Phuket roads  are full with cameras so its simple to track him down.

[masuk]

50 minutes ago, wakeupplease said:

Get well soon lad and get out of there, driving standards are of the lowest and morals simply do not exist.

How very true.  It is amazing how many flee the scene.    Real pillars of society.

[BEVUP]

49 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Provided all is legal, so driver with DL, riding a motorbike normally is covered under travel insurance.

& if i recall right it will only be 50 % for motorcycles (I think QBE Australia )

[Dmaxdan]

The problem with travel insurance is like pretty much everything else in life.....you get what you pay for. These days people go online, check out the compare sites and in many cases pick the cheapest option, thinking that the policies are all the same.

But that's not the case at all when you read the small print. Sometimes activities like motorcycle riding are not covered on the cheaper policies unless you specify and pay more. 

[tomwct]

1 hour ago, hagler said:

I have an annual policy with IHI/BUPA that auto renews each year. Have had it for nearly 20 years now. Covers for everything except professional motor racing and high altitude mountaineering ( it used to cover for the mountaineering before BUPA took over IHI and that is why I took it with them in the first place)

 

That may be of assistance for your wife. She can take as many trips as she wants during that year and be covered but each trip must not be more than 30 days long. I am constantly on the move for work and lesiure so this works well for me however may not work for her.

 

IHI/BUPA will do 12 month policies and if you ask perhaps they do 2 year ones. Hope this helps you

BUPA Policy you are talking about is a annual health Insurance Policy. I had them too for many years. This is Travel Insurance which is only good for a specified time. In fact, BUPA sells a Travel Insurance Policy, but limits the coverage for 90 days during your trip. You then need to return home and you can buy another 90 days for your next trip. The backpacker could have bought an annual health insurance policy from BUPA, but it would be more expensive and care limited to Thailand. To my knowldege you cannot

buy travel insurance for two plus years, consecutive. It is true, most Thai policies cover motorcycle accidents but only payout 50% of the medical costs.

[bristolgeoff]

Check your policy.u need to have a motorbike license from here.then u are covered.if u don't have a bike license,then u in trouble.i get travel insurance everytime and I check  the policy I,am covered.very easy to ride a bike in the LOS but a license is what u need to be covered for up too a 125.that is why the police have a field day, everyday and get lots of tea money for no license from a farang.i have watched it many times from the bars on beach  road.just outside the police station in pattaya.a international license is needed too.it happens everyday somewhere in Thailand a motorbike death

[cardinalblue]

Maybe they will garnish the driver's wages? ?

[Metapod]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

How if you are a pillion passenger and you are knocked off by a hit and run driver on the wrong side of the road, can it be your fault?

Insurance company showing once again what scumbags they can be. Take your money and then leave you high and dry. I hope they are publicly shamed and boycotted for this. Good luck to the family and I hope the guy recovers.

I also ask what about the 72 hours free treatment policy Thai hospitals are supposed to have?

Pretty sure no insurance policy will cover a pillion passenger if the driver isn't licenced (which I doubt he was)

[Blackheart1916]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Calm down folks, tragic what has happened to the lad.

I know i have been there in a similar situation.

Please stop screaming about his insurance company, as we all know travel insurance does not cover riding motorbikes.

Compassion does not come into it with insurance companies, just hard facts.

 

I hope the lad gets the best treatment possible, yes there is good care provided in Thai hospitals.

Chin up lad be positive, my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

All travel insurance policies I have taken out do cover motorbike riding, I always take it and scuba diving as additional options. This lad's insurance must cover motorbikes, as they have already paid him out once for a motorbike accident. Maybe it has something to do with the status of the rider ( the lad in hospital was a passenger), possibly unlicenced? 

[sekmet]

Which insurance company?

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

[JamJar]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Calm down folks, tragic what has happened to the lad.

I know i have been there in a similar situation.

Please stop screaming about his insurance company, as we all know travel insurance does not cover riding motorbikes.

Compassion does not come into it with insurance companies, just hard facts.

 

I hope the lad gets the best treatment possible, yes there is good care provided in Thai hospitals.

Chin up lad be positive, my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

I have the premium policy with this company, so know what they cover.

 

They exclude;

 

Quote

Any claim that results from you riding a motorcycle with an engine over 125cc (as either the driver or a passenger) unless we have agreed in writing to cover the activity, as shown on an endorsement with your validation certificate, and you have paid the appropriate premium.

 

So likely covered if on a scooter. But we don't know the extenuating circumstances.

[JamJar]

13 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

Check your policy.u need to have a motorbike license from here.then u are covered.if u don't have a bike license,then u in trouble.i get travel insurance everytime and I check  the policy I,am covered.very easy to ride a bike in the LOS but a license is what u need to be covered for up too a 125.that is why the police have a field day, everyday and get lots of tea money for no license from a farang.i have watched it many times from the bars on beach  road.just outside the police station in pattaya.a international license is needed too.it happens everyday somewhere in Thailand a motorbike death

 

Not true. An valid IDP will suffice.

[Mickmouse1]

Where is the Thai Police and Justice if the Car involved was the culprit? 

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

How if you are a pillion passenger and you are knocked off by a hit and run driver on the wrong side of the road, can it be your fault?

Insurance company showing once again what scumbags they can be. Take your money and then leave you high and dry. I hope they are publicly shamed and boycotted for this. Good luck to the family and I hope the guy recovers.

I also ask what about the 72 hours free treatment policy Thai hospitals are supposed to have?

Many insurance companies preclude motorcycle accidents. Also did the driver have a full motorcycle licence?

Phuket is a dangerous place to ride (actually all Thailand is). Only you can be responsible for your own safety, getting on a small motorcycle as a pillion passenger is a dangerous thing to do, It is not always someone else's fault! Perhaps that of the car they hit on the wrong side of the road.  The appeal seems to have passed 16,000 pounds so I hope they can get the poor kid home and ease the worries of a distraught mother.

[bartobar]

Being the second on the list of countries with highest road accident deaths, ln my view, riding a motorbike??????? hmmmmmm....

[tomwct]

15 minutes ago, sekmet said:

Which insurance company?

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk
 

Happy Day Travel Insurance Company

Bombay, India

[tomwct]

9 minutes ago, Mickmouse1 said:

Where is the Thai Police and Justice if the Car involved was the culprit? 

The Police had a Photo OP Planned and then lunch with some  Go Go Girls. Folks the police have priorities, too!