Thread: Melbourne couple stranded in Thailand after scooter accident

A YOUNG Melbourne couple is facing months stuck in a Thailand hospital after a celebratory holiday ended in disaster.

Troy Markides and his girlfriend Katie Van der End were badly injured in a scooter accident in Kho Phangan last week with Mr Markides needing emergency surgery to save his mangled leg.

The 29-year-old dislocated his knee, tore three ligaments and crushed the main artery in his leg.

The couple were ferried between six hospitals before Mr Markides was finally operated on, 26 hours later.

“The doctor came in and told us that they may have to amputate his leg in surgery,” Ms Van der End told the Herald Sun.

“It was the first time he had heard that … he just burst into tears, it was horrible,” the 21-year-old paramedic student said.

Despite having travel insurance, Ms Van der End said the company has refused to cover the mounting medical costs for Mr Markides’ treatment and those associated with flying him home.

“We were told that Troy wouldn’t be covered because the scooter was classified as a motorbike and they weren’t covered in our policy,” she said.

“It doesn’t make sense … but right now our priority is getting Troy home safely,” she said.

Mr Markides, who celebrated his 29th birthday in the hot, “filthy” hospital bed he has been confined to since the accident, has open wounds from his multiple surgeries and is at constant risk of infection.

Because of the severity of his injuries his leg has been placed in a metal brace with rods screwed into the bones to stabilise it.

“He’s in a world of pain and we just need to get him out of there,” Ms Van der End said.

In order to keep Troy’s leg straight on the flight home, he needs to be flown out by stretcher which will cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Ms Van der End said the other option is having to wait in Thailand for his leg to stabilise enough to be operated on again which could take up to four months.

Ms Van der End warned others travelling overseas to check their insurance policies before hopping on a scooter.

“We weren’t doing anything silly, we hadn’t been drinking, we just went for a drive and then this happened,” she said.

“Troy trying to be strong on the outside but he just wants to get home.”

The couple’s family has set-up a fundraising page to help pay for Mr Markides to flight home.

No Cookies | Herald Sun

Seems to happen every week, not covered for riding a bike by insurance policy, but do anyway in the most dangerous country on earth for it. 'We weren't doing anything silly' yes you were idiot, then they want people to bail them out as usual.

Feel sorry for the guy but it is all of his own making.

Some of life's lessons are hard!

Why can't foreign embassies give loans to stranded tourists and medical emergencies like these?They could pay back the money when they get home.

Originally Posted by Wilsonandson

Why can't foreign embassies give loans to stranded tourists and medical emergencies like these?They could pay back the money when they get home.

Why should the embassy bail out the stupid fucks that dont read their insurance policies ?

Tourist come here and completely forget what they would automatically do in their home country.

Check your insurance policy!

Having said that most people do seem to ignore the dangers anyway when they come here.

Probably didn't even have a proper driver's license either.

Lessons to be learned the hard way.

Originally Posted by Wilsonandson

Why can't foreign embassies give loans to stranded tourists and medical emergencies like these?They could pay back the money when they get home.

Used to be the case many decades ago, but they commonly did not repay.

There was also many a scam for "lost passports" and "lost suitcases" etc at the British embassy, down and outs trying to get beer money. For many years now, not a penny is paid out.

If you have the money for a phone call, they may help you contact someone back home with a credit cared.

Originally Posted by misskit

Troy Markides and his girlfriend Katie Van der End were badly injured in a scooter accident in Kho Phangan last week with Mr Markides needing emergency surgery to save his mangled leg.

“We were told that Troy wouldn’t be covered because the scooter was classified as a motorbike and they weren’t covered in our policy,” she said.

“It doesn’t make sense … but right now our priority is getting Troy home safely,” she said.

No Cookies | Herald Sun

Makes perfect sense, no insurance.

I wish him the best of luck, looks like a nasty injury.

I just read in another news report
That they have already raised $24,000 AD.



No wonder the bloke wants to get well soon! Not being able to get his leg over must be hell. Corr! What a looker, 21 year old. Lucky bugger!

Troy Markides Thailand crash sparks gofundme campaign

Originally Posted by misskit

“We were told that Troy wouldn’t be covered because the scooter was classified as a motorbike and they weren’t covered in our policy,” she said.

As usual.


Another expensive and painful F-up by tourists.

Insurance companies are cvunts. They sell you a shit policy that misleads the punter into thinking they are covered for accidents when in truth there are so many exclusions and wriggle-free clauses most folk are exposed unwittingly.
Many policies offer cover for usual holiday pursuits including motorcycle hire but these are limited to 100cc capacity, or less. In Thailand all bikes are usually 110cc as a minimum capacity and therefore excluded - do the insurers highlight this? Do they fuck.
And in truth what young person embarking on their first exotic holiday scrutinise the fucking small print of an insurance policy and its schedule.

Insurance companies are vermin. It should be law that all insurance policies must be warranted for any lawful pursuit undertaken by the insured whilst in a sober frame of mind and not intoxicated by drink or drugs, or otherwise impaired. Plain and simple and if that means premiums increase, then so be it.

I hope everything works out for them. If he gets back to Aus,I think he gets his healthcare covered by the state.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Insurance companies are cvunts. They sell you a shit policy that misleads the punter into thinking they are covered for accidents when in truth there are so many exclusions and wriggle-free clauses most folk are exposed unwittingly.
Many policies offer cover for usual holiday pursuits including motorcycle hire but these are limited to 100cc capacity, or less. In Thailand all bikes are usually 110cc as a minimum capacity and therefore excluded - do the insurers highlight this? Do they fuck.
And in truth what young person embarking on their first exotic holiday scrutinise the fucking small print of an insurance policy and its schedule.

Insurance companies are vermin. It should be law that all insurance policies must be warranted for any lawful pursuit undertaken by the insured whilst in a sober frame of mind and not intoxicated by drink or drugs, or otherwise impaired. Plain and simple and if that means premiums increase, then so be it.

It's called Due Diligence a.k.a. "Reading the small print" a.k.a. Caveat Emptor.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Probably didn't even have a proper driver's license either.

Didn't you write this on another thread?

I drive in Thailand on an international drivers licence issued in Australia which clearly states inside it is valid in Thailand.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Probably didn't even have a proper driver's license either.

Lessons to be learned the hard way.

^ from the idiot who thinks his Aussie license is valid indefinitely in Thailand.

Kho Phangan...full moon...party Monday 10th...oh well.
A trip that will long be remembered.
Wishing all a healthy recovery.

Sure beats the parasailing Aussie's deadly fall. RIP.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Tourist come here and completely forget what they would automatically do in their home country.

Check your insurance policy!

Having said that most people do seem to ignore the dangers anyway when they come here.

Probably didn't even have a proper driver's license either.

Lessons to be learned the hard way.

You travel insurance to cover you at home ?.

I dont.

Melbourne couple stranded in Thailand after accident are
heading home
By Jo Abi



A Melbourne couple stranded in Thailand after a serious scooter accident are returning home on Thursday.

Troy Markides, 29, and girlfriend Kate Van de End, 21, were on the trip of a life time when they were involved in the accident on a hired scooter on popular island Kho Phangan.

The couple crashed, leaving Troy with serious leg injuires including a dislocated knee, three torn ligaments and a crushed main artery in his leg.


Read more at Melbourne couple stranded in Thailand after accident are heading home

A happy ending for such a nice young couple, home sweet home soon and the nightmare of Thailand can be laid to rest.

Originally Posted by Fondles

did this fucktard actually hold a licence to ride a bike back in AUS ?, if the answer that is no then he should have never been on a scoot here.. Insurance company has every right to refuse.

Would have made no difference, licence or not, normal travel policies don't cover motorbike riding.
They have very little cover in general, opt out clauses cover most claims.

Time governments made travel insurance rules simple and got rid of all the fine print exclusions.

Opt out clause in most travel insurance, no coverage in areas/countries at war whether declared or undeclared. or where terrorist are active.

You may win in court and get cover when you get home, if you live that long, read the small print and my advice forget travel insurance, if you have BUPA, AIA etc pay the bit extra for overseas coverage.

Okay he got some suckers to foot the bill that the insurers wouldn't cover. So what happens to the surplus dosh?

I doubt the policy had as an exclusion for driving a motorcycle. The travel polices I've used (Imglobal) only have motorcycles as an exclusion IF you are racing it (or driving under influence of drugs/alcohol). HOWEVER, you DO need a valid driver license to be covered by any insurance policy. So, even if he had a valid motorcycle license in his home country (doubt he did) he would still not be covered in Thailand unless he had taken the time to get an international driver license ($25 in the US for example, takes an hour) AND that license had a motorcycle endorsement on it. Because just having a driver license from USA/Australia etc won't work in Thailand. You either need to take an hour in your home country and pick up an international driver license OR get licensed IN thailand which tourists aren't going to do (and probably can't anyway).

So when the kid says his insurance 'told us motorbikes aren't covered' it probably actually means "like all insurance policies, no driving whatsoever is covered, period, unless the driver has a valid license".

He didn't have a valid motorcycle license, so why should the insurance company pay for his injuries if he had never passed a driving test(s) for motorcycles?

With a bird like that, he didn't come to Thailand for a happy ending, but he got one anyway.

Originally Posted by boi

I doubt the policy had as an exclusion for driving a motorcycle.

But you don't know...but don't let that stop you.