'Spinal injury in Thailand is costing us thousands'

A woman stranded in Thailand after emergency spinal surgery has urged other holidaymakers to check their travel insurance after discovering she cannot recoup medical bills of at least £21,000.

Jo and Stu Ingram were on a two-week holiday when she broke her back in three places falling from a pony on a beach trek - an "extreme sport" not included in her policy.

An online fund has been set up to help with ongoing medical and hotel costs, and their eventual return flight.

"We are desperate to get home so we can be with our loved ones and continue the recovery there," said Jo, a vets' receptionist from Belton, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

She and her husband were enjoying the penultimate evening of their stay on 8 March when they decided to ride ponies near their hotel in Krabi, south-west Thailand.

Jo said the next thing she remembered was waking up on the sand. She got up but was in "considerable pain" and had to be taken by ambulance to hospital.

X-rays revealed her back had broken in three places and fragments from a shattered disc were pressing on her spinal column.

"We were shocked and so scared," said Jo, who is 56.

"We were in Thailand, thousands of miles from home in an awful situation, completely on our own."

Stu, 58, added: "It's been indescribable, I've been constantly terrified and scared, and very lonely.

"When Jo laid on a hospital bed for 36 hours before her operation, in extreme pain, [paralysis] was something we dared not even talk about; it brings a lump to our throats even now."

The couple had to pay the Thai hospital £12,000 upfront to initiate treatment - which they withdrew from savings.

On checking with their insurer, they were told horse-riding was not included in their policy.

"The insurers disregarded our claim on the grounds it was an extreme sport," said Stu.

"As we plodded along the water's edge on ponies it didn't feel extreme, but it's our fault for not reading the small print."

The total hospital stay of two weeks brought the bill up to £21,000, with the costs continuing to mount for Jo's ongoing physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

She cannot be accepted on a commercial flight until at least seven weeks post-op, with the couple staying in a hotel until the end of April at the earliest.

The Ingrams have accepted the insurer's response and their financial predicament, but felt they had nowhere to turn for advice.

"Thankfully everyone at home has been amazing, working around the clock to get the answers we need, and the medical team have been brilliant," Jo said.

"I have got my mobility and with a walking frame I can get about, but it's going to be months and months before I get back to normal."

Stu's manager at a building contractor in Great Yarmouth set up an online fund, which has already raised enough to cover their initial outlay.

"They have gone above and beyond; I didn't expect the response and care - it's been magnificent," said Stu.

Jo said her firm, a veterinary practice in Caister, had been "so supportive".

"We know we are in a bit of a pickle, but we are so blessed," said Stu.

They said they were keen to ensure holidaymakers thoroughly checked their travel insurance before taking part in activities.

"There are so many things that aren't covered - it's a mistake we've made and we've paid dearly for it," said Jo.

Tom Vaughan, from Confused.com, said travel insurance policies should include a list of defined "extreme activities".

"You should always assume that if it's not listed, it's not covered," he said.

"Most have a pretty broad view and generally activities like scuba-diving and bungee-jumping are covered, but it's really important to check on that cover first."

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) told the BBC: "We are supporting a British woman who has been hospitalised in Thailand."

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