British family's heartbreaking plea to get body home after father-of-five dies in Thailand

[Letseng]

On 10/27/2018 at 11:00 AM, Different said:

x

To my understanding and firm knowledge, embassies are founded to serve citizens abroad. I don't know where you limited embassies duties are not obliged not serve citizens but only officials?

Embassies are the link between governments. They aren't there to help in cases like aforementioned. other than help if you pay. 

[Peasandmash]

let's see your friend? or loved one?, has six children, is financially not well off at all, they struggle with mental illness and they tell you they are gonna fly half way around the world to go fishing. you can't make this stuff up..

[Katia]

On 10/27/2018 at 5:10 AM, sanemax said:

Embassys are not there to send deceased people home and they arent there to service citizens every need .

  They are not the DHSS/DSS offices abroad  

Precisely.  You think taxes in your home country are high now, just see what they'd be if your embassy in every country had to pay for and hire enough people to deal with every citizen who gets arrested, dies, gets lost, runs out of money, otherwise gets into legal trouble, gets hurt or sick, gets scammed or robbed, doesn't call their mom immediately upon arrival into the country, etc.  And then we'd all be here whining about not wanting to pay for someone who chose to go to another country (and people who couldn't in a million years afford to go on holiday aren't going to be so amused to be paying for another person's mistake on theirs), so...

 

 

7 hours ago, bwpage3 said:

Fishing Holiday to Thailand?

 

Maybe that is what he told his family.

 

Agree a very selfish thing to do when you have kids.

 

All the talk of mental illness yet can still plan a trip to Thailand and make it there from the UK?

 

It is sad, however not as sad as leaving your kids behind, apparently with nothing, so he could go to Thailand.

Or leaving your wife behind to care for your kids so you can go to Thailand fishing (hopefully for actual fish but I'm not going to speculate on that).

 

But it's possible his friends paid for him to go?  Is there anything that says?

 

However: depression is a mental illness, not a mental disability or impairment.  Why shouldn't he be able to plan a trip and then travel with depression?  It makes you sad, not incompetent.

[Patriot1066]

On 10/26/2018 at 9:27 AM, ukrules said:

Well that's going to be nearly everyone, so don't be surprised that a very large proportion of people think it's very selfish.

 

I think it was a very selfish thing to do, and no, I have no idea about it.

 

If someone I know kills themselves I won't even bother to go to the funeral.

Nor would I

[Patriot1066]

On 10/26/2018 at 6:46 PM, Letseng said:

Are you serious with your reference to Brit. Embassy?

It's a bit sad really but I don't think it is their responsibility and or costs to pay, as ultimately the Embassy don't pay the tax payer does. Same as if you get stranded abroad they will not willingly repatriate you even when alive. Basically, your on your own and asking other people to help you out all the time is what is wrong with society.

[faraday]

12 hours ago, cleverman said:

What are you all trying to say, that he should be cremated here?

 

@katia

@et al

There are at least 8 types of depression, which includes 'Psychotic', Manic' & 'Post - Partum'. None of which just makes "you sad"

 

We do not know why he left his family to go on holiday, & on the face of it, it does seem odd. But then, it ends with his suicide.

 

Think about it please, & don't be dismissive of 'people who are sad'.

 

There is alot more to Depression.

 

Enjoy your day.

 

 

Ps Dunno why I've got a quote from you included @cleverman

 

 

 

 

[Dick Crank]

On 10/26/2018 at 1:30 AM, natway09 said:

Very Sad.

The family needs to wake up though, cremate here , they really do know how to do it 

& take him home in a small suitcase with the papers issued by the crematorium (they have the English forms as well)

Then say your goodbyes at a service somewhere

Really very  expensive & a bit stupid to try & take the embalmed body back

unless, some agency in thailand is not wanting to release the body without reparation for some reason.

 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Dick Crank

[BritManToo]

On 10/26/2018 at 9:27 AM, ben2talk said:

It's hard to take in - I'm curious what was going on in his head. If he's prone to manic phases, he might just have decided that his family and friends were better off without him.

 

A quick guess here, mother of the first four children denying him access.

Story title is a bit of a deception, as it gives the impression he's living with his 5 kids.

[BritManToo]

10 hours ago, sanemax said:

Although the family want to see him again, they need to realise that had he wanted to see them again, he would have flown home

It doesn't say anywhere that the mothers of his children want to see him again.

There is nothing to show his first four 'estranged children' would even have been allowed to see him again.

They lived in Exeter, he lived in London.

Only his sister has stated her desire to reclaim the body.

Edited October 28, 2018 by BritManToo

[blackhorse]

There are many places that leave thailand for dead when it comes to fishing. I'm from oz and a serious fisherman but wouldn't invest even a hundred baht for fishing gear here

I'm guessing the fish he was chasing wasn't in the water and perhaps he had an internet lover gone wrong
Wouldn't be the first

Just speculating

[Katia]

2 hours ago, faraday said:

@katia

@et al

There are at least 8 types of depression, which includes 'Psychotic', Manic' & 'Post - Partum'. None of which just makes "you sad"

 

We do not know why he left his family to go on holiday, & on the face of it, it does seem odd. But then, it ends with his suicide.

 

Think about it please, & don't be dismissive of 'people who are sad'.

 

There is alot more to Depression.

 

Enjoy your day.

 

 

Ps Dunno why I've got a quote from you included @cleverman

 

 

 

 

Where did I say I was dismissive of depression?  I'm aware of what depression is.  It's easier to say "it makes you sad" than to have to go into pages of clinical descriptions.  In short, that's precisely what it does.  Substitute "unhappy" if that works better for you.  Or say "it makes you feel like life is not worth living, for whatever reason."  Any way you slice it, it is not pleasant.  But, while in some cases it can indeed make a person lethargic, it still does not render the mentally incompetent.  And it seems you completely missed the point I was making, anyway.

[Travel2003]

On 10/26/2018 at 3:15 PM, Teee said:

Im sure the British Embassy will give all the help his family needs in getting this poor lads body home.

 

I am sorry but that will a surprise. Most countries do NOT help much with shipping bodies back. The number of British who die in Thailand every year will create an entire Department for just this logistics if the embassy should help with out with this. They probably give advice, etc.

 

Feeling for his family.

 

Many companies still pay out life insurance/travel insurance despite the fact the deceased committed suicide. let's hope this is also the case here.