A British coroner has recorded an open verdict into the death of Aaron Campbell, 27, who was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room in March 2025.
Thai post-mortem findings had listed a drug overdose as the cause of death after morphine was detected in his urine. However, Nottingham coroner Helena Gallagher, at an inquest held on 8 September 2026, said the report did not state the level of morphine present or whether it was therapeutic or fatal.
Mr Campbell, a traffic management worker from Retford, Nottinghamshire, had travelled to Thailand in December 2024 and toured the country, visiting waterfalls and festivals. He had planned to return to the UK and save for a future trip to Japan.
Last message after a beer
By March 23, 2025, Mr Campbell was staying at the Sukawadee Hotel in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon area. At 7.45pm that evening, he messaged a friend saying he felt "a bit sick" after drinking a beer and was returning to his room.
He wrote that he thought he had "caught something on the Khao San", referring to Bangkok's main backpacker strip. It was the last contact anyone had with him.
Mr Campbell failed to check out for a planned flight home and was found dead on his bed two days later. Messages sent by relatives and friends had remained unread.
A further post-mortem examination was carried out after his body was repatriated to Britain. It found morphine, Tapentadol and Tramadol, but none was present in an excessive concentration, the inquest heard.
The doctor could not establish a cause of death. Ms Gallagher said the reason morphine, which is prescribed in Thailand, was in Mr Campbell's system was unclear.
Coroner rejects overdose finding
Ms Gallagher told Mr Campbell's parents, Paul and Moira, and sister Natalie that she was sorry she could not provide answers. She said: "Sadly we do not tend to get as much information as we would like when there is a death abroad."
Aaron Campbell's relatives are unlikely to ever discover why he was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room
Checks with Mr Campbell's GP found no history of mental health problems or drug abuse.
Speaking after the hearing at Nottingham's Council House, Mrs Campbell said her son had never used illicit drugs and suggested his drink may have been spiked, possibly with robbery in mind. That possibility was not established at the inquest.
She described him as health-conscious, quiet and careful, saying he carried a medical kit in his backpack and had organised his Thai trip in detail. She also criticised Bangkok authorities for what she said was a lack of cooperation with attempts to obtain further information.
For foreign visitors and residents, the case underlines the practical difficulty families can face in obtaining detailed evidence after a death overseas, particularly where local and UK medical findings differ.
Pictures courtesy of Daily Mail
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