German Tourist Seeks Help in Pattaya

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

By that logic, your own presence on ASEANNOW is evidence of mental instability?

Interesting strategy.

It was a joke Richard , interesting that you took it personally

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Well, he states his wallet was stolen. Which in my eyes is slightly different to not knowing its whereabouts. The latter I take as being lost.

Lost or stolen - the same thing - its gone.

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

He probably (I’m guessing) has a home in Germany. My assumption is that he had a hotel booking in Thailand when he arrived. I’m struggling to work out why he didn’t tell the hotel of the theft, perhaps because of a mental breakdown, as you suggest?

Maybe not - between places ?

Luggage stolen along with all other items ? - the 'incident' does become a lot more exaggerated then.

So, I'd agree - his luggage is likely somewhere, at a hotel etc.

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

However, where is his luggage? Usually a hotel wants you to check out with your luggage. And if you simply disappear without checking out and leaving your luggage behind, the hotel usually informs the police.

No money is the easiest to work out. His wallet was stolen.

Possible he had his wallet stolen, was unable to pay for his hotel. His hotel kicked him out without further access to his room and belongings until he paid his bill ? (just guessing).

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

He very likely had a return air booking and usually the ticket would be in his hotel room safe or somewhere in his luggage. So if he has no flight, it’s because he missed it.

No - all that info is online - I've not seen a paper ticket for a couple of decades.

All e-Tickets are online - e-mails / cloud storage.

If 'back-packing' there may be no return flight (onward travel may not have been 'looked for' by immigration upon initial entry) - I wouldn't be uncommon for back-packers to enter with a 'fake onward ticket' and try to extend their stay etc.

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

So I guess I don’t quite agree with all you have said.

Here’s another possibility, he’s being doing a load of drugs and that caused him to lose his wallet and become disoriented. Five days became five weeks

Agreed - this seems to be the more-likely case - a confusing set of information provided to the initial responders.

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

But the thing that really does not add up for me is the photo. He looks reasonably well groomed. And you just don’t look like that if you have been living on the beach for five weeks. His hair isn’t shaggy and in fact is well combed, his beard is fairly well trimmed, his clothes arent totally disheveled.

He might have had a bag of spares with him - access to fresh water at a local bathroom etc and could give his grundies a rinse !

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

So something is going on with him, he is seemingly destitute in terms of cash and access to cash. Whether by mental problems, drugs or some other reason. if the story said he had been thrown out of his hotel and had been on the beach with his suitcase for 3/4 days, then I could believe it. Five weeks and look like that, no way.

Agreed - five weeks seems very excessive - first responders may not have pressed this point and simply went with what they were told rather than questioning the veracity of such information.

7 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

At least now he has the chance to tell his story to the police, they can inform his embassy and if he needs help, medical or otherwise, he will get it. If he’s pulling a scam he’ll just get deported, which ultimately might be what he wants.

The 'deporting' angle - would be a worse case scenario - as IF he has overstayed, he can't leave until he has a ticket (can pay for a ticket) and can pay any overstay fine - this is very difficult cycle to get 'out of' without priority assistance.

Also - if he is here legally, there is no legal grounds to deport him - he's just someone sleeping on a beach and another story for us to comment on.

5 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

By that logic, your own presence on ASEANNOW is evidence of mental instability?

Interesting strategy.

It was a joke Richard , interesting that you took it personally

“It was a joke” is usually the immediate damage control and back-pedal when a weak shot lands poorly.

9 minutes ago, Front Row said:

Yes and no. I can't believe that if someone is in such a situation that a trip to even the most ineptly staffed police station wouldn't get them started on the road to recovery.

That’s not entirely true. Thai police unfortunately have a longstanding reputation for being dismissive when it comes to matters that are seen as low priority, inconvenient, or unlikely to benefit them in any meaningful way - unless pressure is applied through senior oversight, public attention, or occasionally through one genuinely conscientious officer taking interest.

A dishevelled foreigner walking into a station claiming they’ve lost everything may not automatically receive a sympathetic or proactive response.

I’ve seen “nothing we can do” responses firsthand in situations that absolutely warranted action.

One example involved a clear death threat made via phone call and text message, with recordings and written evidence provided to police. The initial response from the local station was essentially: “No crime has happened yet”.

Only after the matter was escalated through people with the right connections and senior oversight did it get handled properly. The aggressor was eventually arrested.

So I’m not saying this man necessarily went to the police and was ignored. From the article, my first impression is that he may not have approached them at all.

But it’s also not remotely inconceivable that someone appearing distressed, intoxicated, or disorganised could be brushed aside or not taken particularly seriously when attempting to report a loss.

9 minutes ago, Front Row said:

And people can be cruel but they can also be kind. We often hear of someone helping a total stranger when they could just as easily have looked away.

Very true.

9 minutes ago, Front Row said:

As for the embassy helping, your points ring true. If I were is trouble, my country's embassy is the last place I would look to for help. These days they run the embassies as profit centers. LOL.

I’ve always understood an embassy’s primary mission overseas to be advancing and protecting national interests - diplomacy, business liaison, trade, intelligence gathering, regional security awareness, political relationships, and state representation.

Consular assistance for citizens is part of their role, but more as a supporting function rather than the core purpose of an embassy’s existence.

People often miss that nuance and assume an embassy can somehow solve almost any problem abroad, when in reality its powers are often quite limited and heavily constrained by local law, bureaucracy, and practical realities.

At best, they may be able to help contact family back home, provide guidance, assist with emergency documentation, or help facilitate onward travel arrangements. But even something as simple as an emergency travel document is only truly useful if there’s an actual route home and the means to travel.

13 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I’ve always understood an embassy’s primary mission overseas to be advancing and protecting national interests - diplomacy, business liaison, trade, intelligence gathering, regional security awareness, political relationships, and state representation.

Consular assistance for citizens is part of their role, but more as a supporting function rather than the core purpose of an embassy’s existence.

Most embassies have special sections for citizen assistance. Seems these days those sections are understaffed and under funded. I've heard horror stories of people not even being able to get an appointment with their embassy without as 30, 45, 60 day wait. Emails go unanswered, phone calls go directly to voicemail or refer them to the website, then the website refers them to a phone number. Not the sort of 'assistance' most citizens expect from their government. Meanwhile, the fees they charge for the most rudimentary functions keep increasing. FWIW.

But I digress. I don't think this poor fellow ever got close to the point of interfacing with his embassy's staff.

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

His mental heath cannot be too bad, because he hasn't yet signed up to ASEANNOW

One of your best comments so far. Didn't expect it. Congrats 🎉

1 hour ago, wensiensheng said:

But the thing that really does not add up for me is the photo. He looks reasonably well groomed. And you just don’t look like that if you have been living on the beach for five weeks. His hair isn’t shaggy and in fact is well combed, his beard is fairly well trimmed, his clothes arent totally disheveled.

Maybe prior to the photo, just to make him presentable. ?

I don't think he's under the influence of drugs. Not at least 5 weeks losing his memory.

And the wallet? If he can't remember it's easy to answer "stolen".

His luggage? In his accomodations. Somewhere.

His ticket? With his luggage.

The fact that he is not actively searching shows me he's in a psychological distress.

As I said, we might get an update

15 minutes ago, Front Row said:

Most embassies have special sections for citizen assistance. Seems these days those sections are understaffed and under funded. I've heard horror stories of people not even being able to get an appointment with their embassy without as 30, 45, 60 day wait. Emails go unanswered, phone calls go directly to voicemail or refer them to the website, then the website refers them to a phone number. Not the sort of 'assistance' most citizens expect from their government. Meanwhile, the fees they charge for the most rudimentary functions keep increasing. FWIW.

A rather succinct, but disappointingly accurate, description.

In several relatively recent situations, the standard public messaging was always the same: “Contact your Embassy.” The implication being that meaningful assistance would follow.

My own experiences have been dissapoing (with one exception).

a) During Covid, the country I was in began shutting down rapidly. Thailand had already closed its borders and I was advised to contact my Embassy regarding repatriation flights back to the UK.

No email response was ever received. Phone calls went directly to recorded messages. No human contact at all.

Expecting this I had plan B in my back pocket - solved it myself through an Emirates contact, securing a seat on an outbound repatriation flight intended primarily for Emirati citizens returning home from the UK. I paid for the ticket and had no issue doing so. What frustrated me was the contrast between the public messaging - “contact your Embassy, we’re here to help” - and the practical reality of silence.

b) By contrast, when Thailand later reopened, the Thai Embassy in London was excellent. They responded by email, called me directly, helped switch my visa status from Thai Elite to Non-Imm O based on marriage, and processed everything in a single day. Genuinely outstanding assistance.

c) Caught in conflict-zone situation, we were instructed to immediately register with our Embassy for security updates and possible evacuation coordination. Beyond the automated registration acknowledgement, I never heard a single thing again. No updates. No advisory messages. Nothing.

I ultimately organised my own exit - securing a visa for a neighbouring country, hiring local transport to cross the border, and arranging my own onward flight to the UK - I never ever heard from the Embassy.

d) In another high-risk environment where I was informed that local security services had begun taking an interest in me, the company I represented suggested contacting the Embassy - I objected - Instead taking the next international flight out within the hour. I had no realistic expectations that the Embassy staffers were able to materially improve the situation.

That’s why I think many people overestimate what embassies can actually do in practice. In serious situations, self-reliance, local contacts, money, and mobility often matter far more than the comforting public narrative surrounding consular support - I expect nothing from them - and have often found myself discusted at the cost of a 'piece of paper' (either Verification of a Copy of my Passport / Affirmation of Address etc) - I've taken all measures to avoid needing Embassy documentation.

15 minutes ago, Front Row said:

But I digress. I don't think this poor fellow ever got close to the point of interfacing with his embassy's staff.

Agreed - I suspect there is key information that he did not provide - poor tourist living 5 weeks on a beach without access to funds, food or water..... is a lot better than German lad over nights on the beach after losing his wallet...

19 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Maybe prior to the photo, just to make him presentable. ?

I don't think he's under the influence of drugs. Not at least 5 weeks losing his memory.

And the wallet? If he can't remember it's easy to answer "stolen".

His luggage? In his accomodations. Somewhere.

His ticket? With his luggage.

The fact that he is not actively searching shows me he's in a psychological distress.

As I said, we might get an update

19 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Maybe prior to the photo, just to make him presentable. ?

I don't think he's under the influence of drugs. Not at least 5 weeks losing his memory.

And the wallet? If he can't remember it's easy to answer "stolen".

His luggage? In his accomodations. Somewhere.

His ticket? With his luggage.

The fact that he is not actively searching shows me he's in a psychological distress.

As I said, we might get an update

I watched the video. His hair is slightly more disheveled in that than in the photo, but not with 5 weeks of growth. He doesn’t say much and the video quality is quite poor but he does say a sentence asking if he can get back home, in English.

If he has a “home” rather than meaning his country, then it’s likely he has family, friends and/or work colleagues. He apparently says he lost his credit cards, so he has a bank. They are all potential sources of help that he could e mail from an Internet cafe if he has just a few baht. And he must have a few baht to have survived 5 weeks.

He doesn’t seem so deranged as to be in some kind of mental paralysis. But what do I know, I’m not a psychiatrist 🤷‍♂️. Destitute is the word I would use to describe him with a plausible but unconvincing ( for me anyway) back story.

Quality tourist…….definitely not.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Lost or stolen - the same thing - its gone.

Maybe not - between places ?

Luggage stolen along with all other items ? - the 'incident' does become a lot more exaggerated then.

So, I'd agree - his luggage is likely somewhere, at a hotel etc.

Possible he had his wallet stolen, was unable to pay for his hotel. His hotel kicked him out without further access to his room and belongings until he paid his bill ? (just guessing).

No - all that info is online - I've not seen a paper ticket for a couple of decades.

All e-Tickets are online - e-mails / cloud storage.

If 'back-packing' there may be no return flight (onward travel may not have been 'looked for' by immigration upon initial entry) - I wouldn't be uncommon for back-packers to enter with a 'fake onward ticket' and try to extend their stay etc.

Agreed - this seems to be the more-likely case - a confusing set of information provided to the initial responders.

He might have had a bag of spares with him - access to fresh water at a local bathroom etc and could give his grundies a rinse !

Agreed - five weeks seems very excessive - first responders may not have pressed this point and simply went with what they were told rather than questioning the veracity of such information.

The 'deporting' angle - would be a worse case scenario - as IF he has overstayed, he can't leave until he has a ticket (can pay for a ticket) and can pay any overstay fine - this is very difficult cycle to get 'out of' without priority assistance.

Also - if he is here legally, there is no legal grounds to deport him - he's just someone sleeping on a beach and another story for us to comment on.

Five weeks in, so won’t be long before he is overstay. I guess then he will be found accommodation at the holding centre in Bangkok.

I have a feeling local tourist police will look at this and see it as an opportunity to do a good deed, get him straightened out and log a good photo op.

Alternatively if he is a druggie he’ll get nothing.

6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

How to call without money and without a phone?

This guy is no doubt distressed.

And to call his situation BS shows a lack of empathy.

He is psychological unstable. It's about humanity to help him🙏

The 30 day visa exempt permission to stay in Thailand is far, far more humane than the previous 90 day allowance.

Seems a strange situation to be in really and reckon we are not hearing it all. If he had his wallet etc. stolen, then did he do what you are supposed to do and file a police report and make it official? Secondly, if no passport now, then why haven't you got in touch with the embassy? If he's somehow survived this long since, then surely he could have found a way to get in touch with the embassy for an emergency travel document. What about his onward flight?

Why didn't he ask someone back in his country to Western Union/wire him enough to get sorted out... even an email from an internet cafe or public computer in a hotel lobby would suffice for that. Maybe I'm expecting too much from people these days.

He could have even walked in a police station and thrown himself at their mercy... who would then have done something to help, even if just to get rid of the problem. As mentioned by someone else, could very easily be some proper mental issues going on and if that's the case, then probably he shouldn't have been let loose to screw everything up abroad on his own.

7 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

The 30 day visa exempt permission to stay in Thailand is far, far more humane than the previous 90 day allowance.

Explain, please. And the connection to the German guy is....?

33 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Quality tourist…….definitely not.

Maybe was when entering the kingdom

9 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Maybe was when entering the kingdom

Hmm, you are really fighting his corner, give you kudos for that.

I suppose we could throw it to TAT and ask them.

Why is there no record of this dreamer reporting the theft of everything to the police 5 weeks ago ?

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The report urged authorities to visit the location and coordinate with the German embassy to help arrange safe repatriation to Germany.

Germany even has a honorary consul in Pattaya who could provide assistance.

19 minutes ago, Easterneye said:

Why is there no record of this dreamer reporting the theft of everything to the police 5 weeks ago ?

Maybe he was dismissed.... I wouldn't be the first time...

Or, maybe he never went, because he guessed nothing would come of reporting the theft in the first place.

If I had my wallet stolen - I probably wouldn't bother reporting it to the police - I'd just ensure I contact the card companies and had them blocked and replacements sent out.

45 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Hmm, you are really fighting his corner, give you kudos for that.

I suppose we could throw it to TAT and ask them.

I really hope we will get an update. Indeed, I pity him. He's so alone and helpless and seems to be in a hopeless situation. Until a Good Samaritan arrived

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The only mystery is whether it’s untreated instability or terminal stupidity.

None of them. It´s plainly called the ability to see things as they are, and not drag humanity, decency or #metoo into it just to show how great person your are and believe everything until proven otherwise.

4 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Every psychologist or psychiatrist will have to deal with it when writing an expert opinion for a court.

You don't know that?

Please don´t treat anybody! 🤣

Obviously he is affected with some sort of mental disorder.

Mental disorders can happen to anyone, even when least expected.

I should know.

I can attest to this possiblity.

4 hours ago, Kandinski said:

one day it might be you !!!

Hmmm......that´s as doubtful as they come. 🤣

17 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

None of them. It´s plainly called the ability to see things as they are, and not drag humanity, decency or #metoo into it just to show how great person your are and believe everything until proven otherwise.

How to you manage that through the myopic optics of unhinged bias ?

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Agreed - but the Police here are notoriosly 'offhandish' File a Police report for your items being robbed - thats it, report filed, you just have a piece of paper - you won't get further help.

The Police may attempt to contact your embassy - who, are then notoriously unhelpful, we've all seen too many stories about this.

If the lack of help cascades - people can just become stuck.

I’m not sure a single photo can really be treated as representative either.

That said, basic hygiene isn’t impossible to maintain even in difficult circumstances. A toothbrush, public bathrooms, and access to fresh water can go a long way.

He doesn’t look completely dishevelled or physically broken-down to me. Not perfectly groomed, obviously, but also not looking like someone who’s been entirely without support or access to basic facilities for weeks on end.

What simple steps might he have taken to resolve his situation ?

• Report Loss of Wallet / Money / ID to police - have a police report (thats it)

• Report to Embassy (in BKK - how does he get there without money) ?

• Report to the German honorary Consulate Pattaya - What can they do ?

  • Assist in contacting the main Embassy in BKK

  • Who can then assist in verifying identification

  • Who can then assist in contacting family overseas

  • Help provide emergency travel documents

• What they don't do:

  • Don't hand out cash

  • Don't provide free travel home

  • Don't pay for accommodation

• Without ID how can he receive money from overseas ?

This is why the “just buy a ticket home” comments you often see online are simplistic. Once someone loses all documents, phone access, cards, and cash simultaneously, even basic tasks become surprisingly difficult very quickly and may take time.

In a psychological distress episode you're not able to think clear. These episodes could last for weeks or months.

19 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Please don´t treat anybody! 🤣

I hope you will not come in need for psychological help and support. Honestly!

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The Police may attempt to contact your embassy - who, are then notoriously unhelpful,

Out of curiosity; do you know the specific operating instructions any embassy most adhere to and their definitions of emergency?

17 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Hmmm......that´s as doubtful as they come. 🤣

I see, you dont have plans to visit Thailand😮‍💨

1 minute ago, D Peter said:

In a psychological distress episode you're not able to think clear. These episodes could last for weeks or months.

Interesting.

I do think it’s a genuine skill to compartmentalise under extreme stress and still think logically. A lot of that comes from understanding your available options and being able to assess the best pathway out of a situation.

Ironically, in the absence of options, this German guy may have had one thing working in his favour: time. Enough time to decompress, process events, and slowly evaluate what to do next.

That part, to me, isn’t particularly strange.

What makes people sceptical is the rest of the story - especially the claim that for weeks he never meaningfully sought help from authorities, the embassy, police, or anyone official.

I still struggle with the “five weeks” aspect. Either there are important details missing, he never truly considered himself in genuine distress, or the situation wasn’t quite what it’s being portrayed as.

It’s also entirely possible he was simply drifting around for a few days and later constructed a more dramatic explanation when questioned.

The substance-use speculation may not be entirely misplaced either, simply because the story as presented is unusually odd and inconsistent when compared to the application of basic logic.

7 minutes ago, D Peter said:

26 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Please don´t treat anybody! 🤣

I hope you will not come in need for psychological help and support. Honestly!

His posting history makes it abundantly evident that ship already sailed.....

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Interesting.

I do think it’s a genuine skill to compartmentalise under extreme stress and still think logically. A lot of that comes from understanding your available options and being able to assess the best pathway out of a situation.

Ironically, in the absence of options, this German guy may have had one thing working in his favour: time. Enough time to decompress, process events, and slowly evaluate what to do next.

That part, to me, isn’t particularly strange.

What makes people sceptical is the rest of the story - especially the claim that for weeks he never meaningfully sought help from authorities, the embassy, police, or anyone official.

I still struggle with the “five weeks” aspect. Either there are important details missing, he never truly considered himself in genuine distress, or the situation wasn’t quite what it’s being portrayed as.

It’s also entirely possible he was simply drifting around for a few days and later constructed a more dramatic explanation when questioned.

The substance-use speculation may not be entirely misplaced either, simply because the story as presented is unusually odd and inconsistent.

Being in a distressed episode you can't think logically and we should not judge about him unless we would accept his special mental health problems. Or short: Don't beat him but help