PHUKET, Thailand – Thai boxing student Ricky Eury has suffered serious brain injuries after being hit by a motorbike whilst crossing the road in Phuket. He is unable to communicate his medical insurance details, assuming there are any, to relatives who have rushed from UK to his bedside at a Phuket private hospital.
Treatment in intensive care units in Thailand can cost daily up to 10,000 pounds (430,000 baht) in the initial stages when investigations and surgery mostly occur. A Gofundme account has raised almost 23,000 pounds in several days. The Russian XMAX motorbike driver and his passenger have both been arrested.
Mr Eury has been in Thailand for over a month to study Thai boxing (Muay Thai) which is one of the activities for the Destination Thailand Visa which offers a stay of up to six months. Medical insurance is not a compulsory element of the application process, but access to 500,000 baht (12,000 pounds) is required.
Greg Walters, a Thai-based insurance broker, said, “It may be worth the relatives contacting the Thai embassy in London who could have information to help in this situation.” He added that there were now 13 Gofundme cases in the last year of Brits in Thailand unable to pay hospital bills, usually because they lacked a policy or because the company found a reason to decline cover.
Mr Eury runs Gorilla Thai Kitchens in the Bristol area, one of which was nominated for the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year 2024. Local press reports say he is a popular and successful businessman.
