British man, 44, found living rough in Cambodia for TWO YEARS after robbery leaves him completely stranded

[geovalin]

 

The British couple who found him are trying to track down any relatives or friends so he can return home

By Susannah Keogh

 

A BRITISH couple holidaying in Cambodia were stunned when they came across a homeless Scottish man -who had been living on the streets for TWO years after his passport was stolen.

Robbie Tarran and girlfriend Sarah Robertson were walking through Siem Reap on Wednesday when they spotted the homeless man.

Robbie Tarran / Facebook

3

These heartbreaking pics show the condition Gary was in when Robbie and Sarah found him

He told them his name was Gary Mereno, that he lived in Glasgow and he was born on April 17, 1973.

Heartbreaking pics show the state Gary is in after two years living rough in a foreign country.

 

He told Robbie and Sarah that he just wants to go home - but the Foreign Office reportedly said they would not be able to help until the couple find a family member or friend to financially help return Gary home.

 

read more https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4842706/british-man-44-found-living-rough-in-cambodia-for-two-years-after-robbery-leaves-him-completely-stranded/

[JohnC]

This article has been published on Facebook and locals in Scotland can find no trace of anyone of this name being born there in the year given. 

[Thaiwrath]

Unfortunately, there are probably a few people over here, who could possibly end up in a similar position, i.e. living rough.

[jacko45k]

Makes one ashamed to be British, and no I don't mean the guy, I mean the consular/ F.O. response.

Edited November 6, 2017 by jacko45k
typo

[phantomfiddler]

I have met a few similar cases over the years here  in Pattaya, and sadly the normal chain of events is that, when money is collected for repatriation, it is very quickly spent, by the "victim", on booze and "loose living"  

[samsensam]

 

there has to be more to this story, tourist's passports and money are lost and/or stolen all the time, those concerned dont end up living rough. it could well be this individual has issues. he must be able to give those trying to help him basic information; his full name, DOB, previous  employer, previous address, name and addresses  of friends and family,  etc. that will help them to track down friends/family back home

[Get Real]

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Unfortunately, there are probably a few people over here, who could possibly end up in a similar position, i.e. living rough.

As usual a comment with no identity at all. It´s not only here this problem exists. It´s all over the world. Maybe you belive it´s more bad when it happens in Thailand or Cambodia, than in Germany or UK.

 

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Makes one ashamed to be British, and no I don't mean the guy, I mean the consular/ F.O. response.

They can´t find him in any records. Maybe he is lying? Shuold a person that is lying about his situation get the help from any country he wants it from. Just saying and elaborating for creating a thought.

 

18 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

I have met a few similar cases over the years here  in Pattaya, and sadly the normal chain of events is that, when money is collected for repatriation, it is very quickly spent, by the "victim", on booze and "loose living"  

You´re spot on. Have seen this a lot too. Even knew som people that put it in system. Off course only until friends, family and country gave up on them.

[cooked]

There are plenty of Thais lost in Cambodia because they lost everything including passport/ID in a gambling casino. There is a casino in Siem Riep.

Just saying.

[smew]

My guess is a wino trying to benefit from novice tourists and extort as much as he can to buy him more booze .... 

[zyphodb]

Shocking but unsurprising behavior by the UK government, they're only interested in how much their citizens pay them in taxes, nothing else... 

[VocalNeal]

Not the British government or the Consul's fault. They should, with no difficulty, be able to give him a temporary travel document and maybe if they can find a guarantor even provide a ticket to get home. They used to "loan" individuals the fare home or maybe provide them with a ticket home, but I suspects got overwhelmed with the numbers of their citizen abroad. I know of one case in the '70's of an older lady travelling in Yugoslavia who was robbed. She was travelling on a UK passport but was from Australia. UK Consul could repatriate her but she had emigrated as a young woman and all her family was in Aus, and she had no relatives in the UK.. UK and Aus guys decided over a beer to repatriate her to Aus. they must have worked out the finances between them. I suspect as above the rules have changed.

UK foreign Office has no affiliation with the Welfare Dept. nor are they a branch of the UK police. If one leaves the protection of the UK shores, one is on one's own. 

Edited November 6, 2017 by VocalNeal

[Tony125]

If you Google his name another site Expats in Cambodia Online states they know of him and have tried to help but he refuses. They have even bought meds for him but he would rather drink. Said they arranged for him to stay at a hospice and be flown home but left. He has a car that the police have that people wanted to get so he could sleep in it and Police said send him down we will talk about his overstay so they forgot that idea. They say his passport is being held by Immigration as he left it at a guesthouse.  Some new guys said they located him and are trying to make arrangements to get him sent home. They have contacted a relative who has been sending $$$  monthly.

 

All these problems brought on himself, I had a passport stolen went to US Embassy and got a new one.  Broke my ATM card (from US bank) they sent me a new one. These alcoholics or drug users would rather stay in warm Asian countries bumming and living on a beach then back in a cold EU or other western country

 

 

[Tchooptip]

Be serious everyone, he is not a Syrian or a Libyan nor even an Iraki, but a Scotsman, so how could any government help him? Pfffff

[VocalNeal]

14 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

would rather stay in warm Asian countries ..........living on a beach than back in a cold EU or other western country

Hey! I resemble that remark. 

[johna]

losing your passport takes second place to claiming food poisoning among Brits in Spain. 

[superal]

34 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

If you Google his name another site Expats in Cambodia Online states they know of him and have tried to help but he refuses. They have even bought meds for him but he would rather drink. Said they arranged for him to stay at a hospice and be flown home but left. He has a car that the police have that people wanted to get so he could sleep in it and Police said send him down we will talk about his overstay so they forgot that idea. They say his passport is being held by Immigration as he left it at a guesthouse.  Some new guys said they located him and are trying to make arrangements to get him sent home. They have contacted a relative who has been sending $$$  monthly.

 

All these problems brought on himself, I had a passport stolen went to US Embassy and got a new one.  Broke my ATM card (from US bank) they sent me a new one. These alcoholics or drug users would rather stay in warm Asian countries bumming and living on a beach then back in a cold EU or other western country

 

 

The truth sometimes hurts , probably needs protection from himself and help , he is heading in one direction only .

[Bundooman]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Makes one ashamed to be British, and no I don't mean the guy, I mean the consular/ F.O. response.

That's right, take the anti-establishment high ground - decry the Embassy/consular facilities. His name is not to be found under his given birthdate, his passport 'stolen' two years ago and yet you see no problem with this. Blame the authorities, but not him. Why didn't he deal with the problem at the outset? I bet you are anti-monarchy/police/all authority - small-minded, I would call that! 

[jippytum]

9 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Unfortunately, there are probably a few people over here, who could possibly end up in a similar position, i.e. living rough.

Yes .Strolling along beach road early morning before sunup and the Chinese hordes  opposite soi post office you will see  a few expats sleeping rough beside their empty beer bottles.

[pumpjack]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Makes one ashamed to be British, and no I don't mean the guy, I mean the consular/ F.O. response.

british consulate / embassy are a  bunch of hatefull bas...rds,

thats why i now travel on my irish passport

[mikecha]

my friend lost his Passport in Cambodia  and the  British Consulate helped no end to get him a a temporary passport 

the cambodian police were very helpfull to 

but what he needed was a copy of his passport  all passports are copied at hotels so if this guy can remember where he stayed first before loosing his documents then he can give this to police sertifying  that it is lost 

copy with police report to consulate and 10 days a passport  it is only a thaught as i was with my friend when it happened and was greatull for all the help people gave us and the copy was a golden tip 

 

not quiet sure how u can stay in Cambodia 2 years without any documents the police and SIb are quite vigilent to helpless tourists 

[thaikahuna]

And not enough smarts to notify the embassy to replace his passport?

[sanemax]

57 minutes ago, pumpjack said:

british consulate / embassy are a  bunch of hatefull bas...rds,

thats why i now travel on my irish passport

What would the Irish Government do, in this situation ?

[sanemax]

There was another thread on TV about a Western homeless man in CM , in a broken wheelchair and his leg had metal rods going through it .

   I spoke to him yesterday and he got in the situation because he was in a tuk tuk which exploded 

[Tony125]

Taken from Cambodian Expats Online site

 

Re: Homeless Scotsman in Siem Reap GARY MORENO Makes The News When Tourists Try To Help

• 0
•  

Postby General Mackevili » Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:18 pm

So, someone who seems to have known him a while write this about him yesterday:

"I hope he can make it home.

But, Gary doesn't want to go back unfortunately. He has said the embassy had already arranged for everything. Put him up in a guesthouse and helped with meds. He was going to be put in a hospice once he returned and didn't want that so fled.

He does have little money sent to him by his only relative he has contact with monthly. His parents have passed.

He spent time being assisted by our family as he was sleeping out the front of our business. He has parkinsons, at times being refused entry into pharmacies because of scaring off customers. Friends of friends put him up for a while to try and get him on his feet but that didn't work out. He wants to stay in Cambodia but nobody wants him longterm in their guesthouse.

As you can see from the videos he thrashes about when needing a top up of his Parkinson meds. That's why he cannot wear shoes, we gave him several but he said the joggers cut his legs up as he thrashed around and the flip flops won't stay on his feet. He had us keep his passport for safety as he had been robbed (the thieves assumed he was drunk when they got him). His passport was full and his current visa many years expired. He had a car here, which as his condition worsened could not drive. He left it at a guesthouse that he had been staying in.

They held it for 6 months before calling immigration to remove it from the property.

We tried to help him get his car back to sleep in and the story was true. When we called the police they said they knew of Gary and had his car and we're eagerly awaiting him to collect it so they could have a chat about his visa status. He is certainly in a rough spot. I just hope he finally accepts the help being offered and doesn't run off again.""

And we have another guy who is in the process of rescuing him:

"There was a lot of my friends from back home in Scotland sent me a post that a man who had been traveling through Siem Reap (also from Scotland) asking for some assistance on how to get this man named Gary, thought to be around 44 years old and from the Glasgow area of Scotland. 

That post was rapidly scooped up by some of the news networks in Scotland. 

The photos in the original post were taken out front of the market under X-Bar. 

Anyone any idea on where he might be now, the Scottish government are liaising with Westminster to get him home as he's been sleeping rough for two years out here. 

He'll be very elated to hear of this news.

UPDATE:

If he has an addiction, which based on what I'm hearing and have been told, coupled with the belief he is suffering from parkinsons he'll likely not be lucid. 

I've worked with people in the past with addictions and they're never easy to deal with but still need to be helped. I think him hearing from the Scottish couple whom he met yesterday might have made him a bit more comfortable. There's definitely work being done back in the U.K on the back of that Facebook post, so maybe he just needs to hear that there's work being done back in Scotland to help him.

UPDATE:

I met him 20 minutes ago as I got a phone call from someone that had seen him in one of his frequent hangouts. 

He does indeed want to go home and there seems to be some confusion as to what his intentions have been out here. 

I've emailed his local politician back home but with it being the weekend they'll likely not respond until Monday. 

I've also emailed the news network from Scotland that published the article about his situation on the back of a Facebook status that went viral in Scotland concerning his welfare. 

I got him food and have arranged to meet him tomorrow afternoon at 12:30 to update him on what's happening. 

He has 2 family members in Scotland that he has given me their names and I'm trying to locate them on Facebook. 

Hopefully we can sort his situation and get him back home within the month.""

[sanemax]

3 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

But, Gary doesn't want to go back unfortunately. He has said the embassy had already arranged for everything. Put him up in a guesthouse and helped with meds. He was going to be put in a hospice once he returned and didn't want that so fled.
 

I hope all the posters in this thread who were critical of the Embassy will post an apology to the embassy .

   Pumpjack and Jack45K?

[snowgard]

4 hours ago, Tony125 said:

I had a passport stolen went to US Embassy and got a new one.  Broke my ATM card (from US bank) they sent me a new one.

But you got it only because you PAID for it!!! If you don't have money in your bank account and no friends or family who pay for you the embasies don't help you.

 

This is the true!!!

 

On one hand I can understand that because a lot of people would otherwise exploit it, but those who really need help would not get help. And not everyone have relatives and friends who could help them financially.

[sanemax]

9 minutes ago, snowgard said:

But you got it only because you PAID for it!!! If you don't have money in your bank account and no friends or family who pay for you the embasies don't help you.

 

This is the true!!!

 

 

Did you read the post above ?

It stated that the Embassy did arrange everything for him (for free), and he declined all offers of assisstance

[snowgard]

8 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Did you read the post above ?

It stated that the Embassy did arrange everything for him (for free), and he declined all offers of assisstance

Where??? I not find it!!! Only that other expats tried to help him:

"If you Google his name another site Expats in Cambodia Online states they know of him and have tried to help but he refuses. They have even bought meds for him but he would rather drink. Said they arranged for him to stay at a hospice and be flown home but left."

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, snowgard said:

Where??? I not find it!!! Only that other expats tried to help him:

"If you Google his name another site Expats in Cambodia Online states they know of him and have tried to help but he refuses. They have even bought meds for him but he would rather drink. Said they arranged for him to stay at a hospice and be flown home but left."

Posts # 24 above and I quoted that post in post # 25

[snowgard]

Ok, I found it. :-)

Can't find this often, but if him not want it, ....