Thailand trouble

[thesleeze]

I had a crash on my motorcycle in Bangkok. I was out for the count with a bump on the head, not a life threatening situation, but a knock out blow for a week or so.

The next two days i was in a very nice hospital, and very expensive. The ambulance drivers are freelance, so they take you to whatever hospital they think will suit. And being a european, you are automatically presumed rich.

I can only assume that the nurses or staff must have taken my wallet, and used my debit card as payment. No problem with that I'm sure. I can only guess that they dressed my wound, (no stiches needed thankfully, just a band aid) and some TLC. Two nights in a bed, the bill was £1300.

 

After my card wouldn't give them any more money, I vaguely remember them getting me a taxi to my apartment.

I spent a couple more days sleeping off the confusion and grogginess, and thats when the trouble started. I coudn't get my hands on any cash.

I had some friends locally so I wasn't down and out. I had to move my return flight forward and return to England.

 

My bank is Barclays. My overdraft was £1000. Before my accicdent i was £300 in credit. So in two days the hospital had drawn out the lot. I didn't ask for them to do that, I didn't WANT them to do that. There would be nothing with my signature authorising this. I had no travel insurance (bad choice, I hold my hands up to that one). But I still had £0.00. Even insurance wouldn't have stopped that.

 

On return to England Barclays wanted the money back. Phone calls, letters, more phone calls. Annoying to say the least. But I don't have the money to pay them back.

 

So to sum up, I don't want to pay them back as they were so free and easy in handing out my £300 and thier £1000. I fully expect fireworks and knocks on the door but what can i do.

 

Any advice?

[cashins]

In effect then, you are saying these withdrawls were unauthorised by you.

 

I would suggest you write to Barclays disputing the matter and ask them to produce evidence, (a signature on a credit slip) that in fact you did authorise the transactions.

 

David

[dannyboy660]

Any chance of an insurance claim, assuming you were insured???

 

No, disregard that. Just realised you said no insurance..................

[palomino]

Your argument is with the ambulance driver and the hospital, not with your bank.

 

I don't think you will get very far by claiming the withdrawals were unauthorised. Did you want to be left to die on the street? Mind you I fully understand your comment about Thai people assuming you are rich.

 

Banks of course have actually no sympathy at all (depite their claim to conform to the Banking Code). All they want is money. Your circumstances are irrelevant to them.