Dream holiday turned to nightmare for friends who lost everything in Thailand fire

By Katherine Bainbridge

 

Dan Norman, Patrick O'Donovan and Danny Hamlett (Image: UGC MEN)

 

The blaze swept through the October Hostel on Koh Phi Phi Island in Thailand, destroying it completely

 

A dream holiday turned into a nightmare for three friends after they lost all their belongings in a hostel fire.

 

The blaze swept through the October Hostel on Koh Phi Phi Island in Thailand on Tuesday evening (February 6), destroying it completely.

According to a report in the Phuket Gazette, nine people were injured and ‘officials suspect the fire was caused by an exploding gas tank’.

 

Full story: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dream-holiday-turned-nightmare-friends-14271312

 

Manchester Evening News: 2018-02-11

 

At least they weren't in the hostel.  Yeah, I guess they need a hand.  We all know they could have got insurance cheaply.

Again the first move these days seems to be asking strangers for handouts... Am I that weird for thinking to ring up one of my parents, brothers, close friends, etc and ask them to transfer a few thousand by Western Union or bank? It seems that would be such an easier and faster way to get your hands on some much needed cash...

 

And how are they going to get their hands on the funds generated from their gofundme efforts? I would assume it's paid out by Paypal or bank transfer, neither of which they can currently access it seems. 

 

Finding a person you can trust, possibly a tourist police officer, and have someone within Thailand transfer them some emergency cash would get you back on your feet within 1 hour (depending on the time of day obviously). Next best thing would be someone abroad doing a Western Union transfer, which would probably see you sorted within 1 day or so. All beats having to wait a full week for small donations from strangers.

It would be helpful if certain topics had "Go Fund Me" alerts, along with the heading.

That way, you could just skip it, and go to the next topic.

Well since they lost their passports they can just fly back to the UK and will get EVERYTHING for free as asylum seekers.

 

“We estimate between the three of us we lost around £6,000 worth of personal belongings that night,” Danny said.

 

Oh boy you guys really lost EVERYTHING!!! And since you are from the UK you can't go to the embassy since they sold and get money within an hour so you can buy new cloths. 

 

What a drama story....they should be happy they weren't in the hotel during the blaze...

Isn't this what embassies are for?

 

 

1 hour ago, mjnaus said:

Again the first move these days seems to be asking strangers for handouts... Am I that weird for thinking to ring up one of my parents, brothers, close friends, etc and ask them to transfer a few thousand by Western Union or bank? It seems that would be such an easier and faster way to get your hands on some much needed cash...

 

And how are they going to get their hands on the funds generated from their gofundme efforts? I would assume it's paid out by Paypal or bank transfer, neither of which they can currently access it seems. 

 

Finding a person you can trust, possibly a tourist police officer, and have someone within Thailand transfer them some emergency cash would get you back on your feet within 1 hour (depending on the time of day obviously). Next best thing would be someone abroad doing a Western Union transfer, which would probably see you sorted within 1 day or so. All beats having to wait a full week for small donations from strangers.

Maybe parents dont have any money!  But the advice kind of tells us quite a bit about your background.

If they borrowed from friends/family they would probably have to pay back.  With GoFundMe they wouldnt.

A sad reflection of todays society is the amount of people that resort to the 2nd option(GoFundMe begging) rather than take resposibility for their own actions or inactions(in this case not taking out insurance).

No mention of travel insurance anywhere!  

Surely at least one of them must have an ATM card , quite probably they all have ATM cards .

Bus to BKK 500 Baht

New passport 4000 Baht .

500 Baht a day living expenses .

Two weeks wait for a new passport .

12 000 Baht in total and then fly back to China on existing tickets .

Pretty sure that they could get the money themselves or if not, their familys can send it to them

41 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

Maybe parents dont have any money!  But the advice kind of tells us quite a bit about your background.

One day i got robbed in Greece, went to our embassy and they could get my money from my bankaccount with my signature.

I'm about to start a GOFUNDME.  It's the last week and money is a wee bit on the short side.  I am reduced to drinking Chang instead of Tiger.  Please help.

1 hour ago, mommysboy said:

Maybe parents dont have any money!  But the advice kind of tells us quite a bit about your background.

Even his username

2 minutes ago, Gillyflower said:

I'm about to start a GOFUNDME.  It's the last week and money is a wee bit on the short side.  I am reduced to drinking Chang instead of Tiger.  Please help.

You must be a fraud everyone knows Tiger is the cheapest cat pis$ out there

1 hour ago, mommysboy said:

Maybe parents dont have any money!  But the advice kind of tells us quite a bit about your background.

Quite possible that the parents do have money , but would prefer it that other people use their money to help their children

I am sure the British Embassy would help out in what is an emergency that is in no way the fault of the tourists. It just doesn't seem to have even crossed their minds to ask for help. GoFundMe appears to be the default position for many now.

Am I alone in thinking that it can be a nice little earner, creating a chunk of leftover cash once costs have been covered?

2 hours ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Isn't this what embassies are for?

 

 

No, it's what travel insurance is for.

11 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

No, it's what travel insurance is for.

Do they issue replacement passports then?

2 hours ago, mjnaus said:

Again the first move these days seems to be asking strangers for handouts... Am I that weird for thinking to ring up one of my parents, brothers, close friends, etc and ask them to transfer a few thousand by Western Union or bank? It seems that would be such an easier and faster way to get your hands on some much needed cash...

 

And how are they going to get their hands on the funds generated from their gofundme efforts? I would assume it's paid out by Paypal or bank transfer, neither of which they can currently access it seems. 

 

Finding a person you can trust, possibly a tourist police officer, and have someone within Thailand transfer them some emergency cash would get you back on your feet within 1 hour (depending on the time of day obviously). Next best thing would be someone abroad doing a Western Union transfer, which would probably see you sorted within 1 day or so. All beats having to wait a full week for small donations from strangers.

 

 

I wonder what:

 

- The typical age ranges are for folks who so quickly want the public to support them?

 

- How many of these folks embark on holidays abroad without enough funds?

 

- How many have never given any thought whatever to what risks might be involved?

 

- How many have never given any thought whatever to what risks might be involved but when something does go wrong they instantly expect that others should pay the bill?  

 

Why? A western colleague was recently staying in a 3 star hotel in Bkk, several young backpackers sharing the next room, they rented motorcycles, one had an accident, one leg badly broken and more injuries and quickly a hospital bill several hundred thousand Baht. His buddies approached my colleague asking for a donation for their friends hospital bill and they approached other hotel guests as well.

 

The crunch - One of the buddies was saying to the people he was approaching for donations  'it's just not fair my friend has to pay the hospital bill because he's just having fun in his gap year.'

 

They were also mentioning that they had approached their embassy with the same line: 'it's just not fair my friend has to pay the hospital bill because he's just having fun in his gap year' and they were angry that their embassy would not discuss this point. 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, mommysboy said:

Maybe parents dont have any money!  But the advice kind of tells us quite a bit about your background.

 Pretty impressive you can work out my entire background from a single post. Perhaps you can make a living using that skill :)

 

It's extremely hard to believe that all combined six parents couldn't cough up some spare change to help out their kids.

If they were in a hostel I doubt they had many possessions, money or soap

8 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

If they were in a hostel I doubt they had many possessions, money or soap

You'd be surprised at how many backpackers carry around brand new MacBooks, iPhones, iPads. Some of them look like a walking advert for Apple!

4 minutes ago, madmitch said:

You'd be surprised at how many backpackers carry around brand new MacBooks, iPhones, iPads. Some of them look like a walking advert for Apple!

A mate who is German has a BMW bike and new Merc at home.Just flew over to BKK from Frankfurt Business class.He stayed in the shittest cheapest hotel in Ayutthaya. Left today to go to Pattaya taking a bus from Ayutthaya to Bangkok and then another bus to Pattaya

Unfortunate accident, shit happens,,, they should be lucky they are alive.

No travel insurance, no ATM cards,, no personal effects insurance back home.

They would have had their mobiles in their pocket so can call for assistance,

Methinks this is a bit of a melodramatic opera

Terribly inconvenient,,,, nightmare     NO !!!!!

and ofcourse absolutely none of the money raised will end up behind some bars in bkk coz they are just going to stay in their room, eating street food and drinking water. yeah right

I would presume the British consul or embassy would take care of the lost passport situation, whilst their travel insurances would take care of the remaining issues.

4 hours ago, champers said:

I am sure the British Embassy would help out in what is an emergency that is in no way the fault of the tourists. It just doesn't seem to have even crossed their minds to ask for help. GoFundMe appears to be the default position for many now.

Am I alone in thinking that it can be a nice little earner, creating a chunk of leftover cash once costs have been covered?

You're not alone in your thinking.

Not exactly the place to come for a ""dream holiday""

3 hours ago, madmitch said:

You'd be surprised at how many backpackers carry around brand new MacBooks, iPhones, iPads. Some of them look like a walking advert for Apple!

yes exactly, walking around _ not likely to leave in hostel while they are out