Tourist 'lucky to be alive' after Thai bike crash

A year after a motorcycle accident in Thailand left him paralyzed, Lee Francis said he is "lucky to be alive" but "cries every day for the life he has lost." Mr. Francis, 55, and his wife, Clare, were involved in a motorcycle accident on the last day of their holiday in Krabi, southern Thailand, on January 19, 2024.

Mr. Francis recalls that the last thing he remembered before the accident was saying to his wife, "we are living the dream." He spent 10 months in hospital and said his helmet saved his life, leading him to strongly urge others to wear one. At the time, the couple were visiting Mr. Francis’ daughter, Katie, and were planning to return the motorbike before the accident occurred.

"It’s been a huge challenge," said Mr. Francis, from Llantwit Fardre, Rhondda Cynon Taf. "I cry most days because I get frustrated, and sometimes I just want to go back to the life I had. It’s hard to accept that I have to learn to live my life in a wheelchair now. It’s a loss for me, it’s like I’m grieving, but I realise I’m on a journey, and I haven’t accepted my accident yet.” Mr. Francis said he is receiving help from a psychologist at Llandough Hospital in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Following the accident, Mr. Francis was taken to Phuket Hospital in Bangkok and developed a pulmonary embolism, which affected the treatment of his spine, which was fractured in three places in the accident. He said surgeons told him he was lucky to have survived the night. Medics spent a week fighting to save Mr. Francis’ life but were unable to prevent him from becoming paralyzed from the waist down. “I’m lucky to be alive, it’s the start of my new life, and I believe every day, every year will get better.”

The couple were both wearing helmets at the time, which he said saved their lives. “We were 10 minutes from getting back to the villa, and I said to Clare, ‘babe, we are living the dream’ and then 10 minutes later the accident happened and it changed our lives completely.” Mr. Francis noted that in Thailand, locals do not seem to wear helmets on motorbikes, many young people do not wear them, and tourists often have ill-fitting helmets or think it looks cooler not to wear one, but he knows that wearing one saved his life. “It’s important that people realise they must wear the right gear, that the helmet fits properly, and to have insurance.”

Mr. Francis spent 10 months at Llandough Hospital before returning home in October. He has undergone intensive physiotherapy, building up his upper body strength, adjusting to being in a standing frame, and has also received hydrotherapy. Clare suffered a concussion in the accident and had severe grazes to her face and body. The couple married in the summer of 2022. “Clare hasn’t missed a day, she came to see me every day in hospital, she’s been my rock. She’s had to change her role from wife to carer and back to wife, which has been very difficult, but she’s taken it all on, even while she was injured. But we’ve come together as a family and we will get through this together, she’s been an inspiration to me.”

Mr. Francis is one of several Welsh tourists who have been killed or seriously injured in motorcycle accidents in Thailand in recent years. Earlier this month, Corey Bevis, 28, from Barry, died in an accident, while Adam Davies, from Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire, fractured his skull on Boxing Day in 2022 on Ko Tao. Mr. Francis used to work as a community occupational therapist but has had to take early retirement. He dedicated his life to helping disabled people live independent lives, and now he has arranged a similar care package for himself.

He and his wife have adapted their home and are having an extension built, partly funded by money raised by the local community. “The community has been amazing, they are helping me fund a shower and a downstairs bed which will make my life a lot easier. I am so grateful for the generosity of everyone who has supported me.” Last year, as part of his rehabilitation, Mr. Francis visited Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. He also suffers from a neurological condition, Tourette's syndrome. “I’ve always loved sport, it’s been my therapy since I was a child, and I know sport will heal my mind again, and I want to inspire other people to realise that there is still life after injury, and that’s my journey now.”