A British woman who was left stranded in Thailand for over two months after falling from a horse and breaking her back in three places has returned home, but faces a £60,000 medical bill. Joanna Ingram, 57, from Belton, Norfolk, travelled to Thailand with her husband Stuart in February 2026 for a winter holiday.
Towards the end of the trip, Joanna fell from a horse during a beach trek in Krabi, suffering devastating spinal injuries. She underwent emergency spinal fusion surgery and has since regained full movement, but her travel insurer, JOURNY, refused to cover the costs, deeming horse riding a “high-risk” activity. The couple had to fund the £60,000 treatment themselves, depleting their life savings.
Joanna spent three weeks in hospital and then moved to a hotel while waiting to be fit to fly. However, she contracted dengue fever, which delayed her return by a further 10 days in hospital. The couple finally flew home in May, after being stranded for 11 weeks.
Joanna is still using a walking frame but hopes to recover fully within three to six months. A GoFundMe page set up by friends and family has raised £19,000 towards her medical costs. Joanna said: “I can’t describe how it felt to finally be going home. We can’t believe the generosity of people.”
