Family relatives have arrived in Thailand to be with Liam Kilby, a 25-year old Merseysider, who crashed into a clothes shop window in Phuket on May 1. His loss of blood was so great that he technically died en route to the hospital but was revived by paramedics at the scene. According to the GoFundMe website, almost 11,000 GBP has been raised out of the 13,500 GBP being sought. However, this sum is likely to rise quickly as Liam requires further major surgery and intensive care treatment.
Liam’s sister, Molly, said that she and another family member were travelling on their own funds and not with the proceeds of the charity fundraiser. She also noted on Facebook that a British embassy case worker would check that the hospital to ensure the bills were fair, the first time such diplomatic assistance has been publicly noted in the ten similar cases of cashless Brits in serious Thai traffic accidents over the past year. The family has admitted that Liam did not have medical insurance.
A Pattaya-based insurance assessor told Pattaya Mail that the crowdfunding cash request was already out of date and urged family members to update as soon as possible. “Daily reports are vital if the charity cash is to keep flowing,” he said, “as potential donors need reassurance on an ongoing basis.” His advice to the relatives included providing new photos and having the Thai police report translated/published on the GoFundMe site.
Although compulsory insurance for foreign tourists has many advocates, there are problems as Thai motorbikes are usually more highly powered and may not be covered in travel insurance. Moreover, there are many reasons apart from drugs and alcohol why insurers refuse cover including failure to wear a crash helmet or the catchall “failing to take due care”. The better solution is to avoid riding a motorbike altogether either as a driver or a pillion passenger.
