A British teacher living in Thailand required emergency brain surgery after local doctors initially dismissed his severe symptoms as a hangover following Songkran celebrations in Chiang Mai. Michael Batten, 36, woke on April 14 vomiting, in pain and feeling “extremely dizzy” before later being diagnosed with an ischemic stroke and dangerous swelling on his brain.
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Michael, originally from Lightwater, Surrey, said he believed he was suffering his first migraine after celebrating the Thai new year. After struggling to breathe, he attended a local hospital in Chiang Mai, where doctors reportedly suggested he was hungover and sent him home with paracetamol and ibuprofen.
He said: “They kind of downplayed it - ‘you’d had a few drinks’. But I didn’t even drink that much, I was home by 10pm.” Michael returned home but spent the next three days “screaming in pain” before seeking treatment at the private Chiangmai Ram Hospital. Following a CT scan, a nurse informed him he had a brain tumour before doctors ordered an MRI scan to determine whether it was benign or cancerous.
Doctors later told him he did not have a tumour, but had suffered an ischemic stroke and had a 4.5cm shadow at the back of his brain. Michael said the diagnosis was particularly traumatic for his family after his father died unexpectedly from a stroke in 2020.
Picture courtesy of Daily Mirror
He was then rushed into surgery for a craniotomy, a procedure involving the removal of part of the skull, after doctors discovered dangerous swelling in his brain. Michael recalled doctors telling him that part of his brain “fell out to breathe” once the skull section was removed.
When he regained consciousness, Michael could not recognise anyone around him and was initially unable to speak. Although he has since regained the ability to communicate and walk, he has been left with brain damage affecting his motor skills, co-ordination and sense of direction.
The complications may prevent him from returning to activities including seven-a-side football and coaching basketball at his school. With part of his skull still missing, he said doctors warned that any blow to his head could be fatal.
Michael is also facing medical bills of around GBP16,000 after his insurer reportedly asked him to first settle costs directly with the hospital while they review his medical records, before any decision on paying his claim. He claims the hospital is withholding his passport because of the unpaid bill, leaving uncertainty over whether he can travel to visit his mother in the UK later this year.
The Daily Mirror reported that A GoFundMe page organised by a friend has raised more than GBP10,000 towards his recovery and treatment costs. Michael said he hoped his experience would encourage others living abroad to review their insurance coverage and seek support when needed.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Mirror 15 May 2026
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