The family of a visitor to Thailand who had his leg amputated after a motorcycle accident are warning other travellers to ensure that they have adequate travel and accident insurance before going abroad.
Road safety in Thailand leaves much to be desired, and travel website TTR Weekly estimates that highway fatalities in the kingdom are as high as 70 a day.
Schoolteacher Mike Johnson from Northern Ireland learned this the hard way when he was involved in a motorcycle accident while visiting southern Thailand in early February. Johnson’s injuries were so severe that doctors had to amputate his left leg, according to Belfast Live.
To add insult to injury, Johnson’s family learned that his insurance policy had lapsed – leaving them needing to raise almost £13,000 towards his care.
The experience has moved Johnson’s father to warn travellers to ensure that their policies are up-to-date.
“People, when you go on holidays, make sure your insurance is in place to allow you to do things you want to do, read the small print because anybody can go to Benidorm [Spain] and have basic insurance but if you go further afield and want to do bungee jumping or motorcycling or jet skiing, make sure your insurance covers it,” Johnson’s father told Belfast Live.
“It is something that is in your head every day, you are standing looking at your son, trying to do your best for him but every time they come into the room it’s a thousand pounds and we have not got that kind of money.”
