Pattaya: Pitiful old man at the police station will be "repatriated to Britain"

[Andrew65]

10 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

affordable, but really, do expats need any more bad press of Thais having to financially look after foreigners? 

Yes, agree, but this is maybe a case with extenuating circumstances?
 

There's plenty of looking after foreigners going on in the UK too, probably also Germany, America etc? (But then again, there are foreigners who bring alot to those countries also).

[from the home of CC]

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

If he was an alcoholic then its of his own doing. Its hard to take care of an alcoholic. 

extremely difficult even to people who have been educated about the disease, the alcoholics totally self serving behavior to someone not familiar with addiction can make the warmest person turn ice cold.. 

[Fred31]

42 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

according to the what the wife read online this was a self induced issue with the drug alcohol involved..

That sounds more like it. Send em home

[from the home of CC]

1 minute ago, Fred31 said:

That sounds more like it. Send em home

if this is true, he should be looked after better at home..

[sammieuk1]

If the poor old fella has been here a while the warm Tory welcome will be your not entitled to anything here is a blanket a foodbank voucher and your NHS bill ????

[HashBrownHarry]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

ISNT IT PATHETIC, that after Pattaya plod were shamed on social media, they are suddenly going out of their way to help the man.

Shame on you sad individuals, ohh look at me helping the poor old man.

IT's better than not helping him though, right?

[Golden Triangle]

2 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

IT's better than not helping him though, right?

They did <deleted> all for the first 3 or 4 days, such warm human beings. 

[colinneil]

9 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

IT's better than not helping him though, right?

Bit of a crazy post yours, they did sod all for 3/4 days, only did something after being shamed on social media.

[bluesofa]

4 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Bit of a crazy post yours, they did sod all for 3/4 days, only did something after being shamed on social media.

I agree there. It's the usual 'loss of face' that makes them do something.

[metempsychotic]

32 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Where does it say he had a Thai family, wife or girlfriend? Too much jumping to conclusions with a measure of veiled thai bashing thrown in. Where were all the members of the legendary farang brotherhood to help him out?

Possibly just an old derelict alchoholic who finally ran out of money.

Well the assumption is that he must have a back story, and did not simply spring into existence, wheelchair and all, from a vaccum.

 

I reckon that is a fair assumption

[luckyluke]

Some may learn from this incident :

 

Drop the destitute elderly farang, you don't want to support anymore, at a police station. 

 

Soon or later he will be taken care off. 

[emptypockets]

1 minute ago, metempsychotic said:

Well the assumption is that he must have a back story, and did not simply spring into existence, wheelchair and all, from a vaccum.

 

I reckon that is a fair assumption

There are many single male expats without any family connections with Thai people.

[Andrew65]

Just now, emptypockets said:

There are many single male expats without any family connections with Thai people.

I was for about 20 years, but nothing like as old as this guy.

This story also illustrates that unlike in the UK (or some other places), there's no support or safety net for people like this.

[metempsychotic]

Just now, emptypockets said:

There are many single male expats without any family connections with Thai people.

I said merely that there must be a back story. I did not offer any speculation as to what it was.

[Andrew65]

39 minutes ago, robblok said:

Ah the legal hard drug that people on this forum love so much. Cannabis is so much milder then this. 

Yes, but I think one can end up the same way being stoned every day.

[sungod]

29 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

If the poor old fella has been here a while the warm Tory welcome will be your not entitled to anything here is a blanket a foodbank voucher and your NHS bill ????

He could ditch his passport and claim refugee status, then be entitled to everything.

[Guderian]

You've got to admire their self-control, not a single cop was pointing at the guy, lol!

[micmichd]

1 hour ago, DaveE13 said:

Maybe I not sure about other countries but UK old bill would get in touch with social services.

I would hope so.

At least the embassy are trying to get in touch with family back home. 

What would happen if he has no family at home?

[lanng khao]

48 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

If the poor old fella has been here a while the warm Tory welcome will be your not entitled to anything here is a blanket a foodbank voucher and your NHS bill ????

Behave, Boris will put him up in the spare room,keep all the snowflakes happy..

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

If he was an alcoholic then its of his own doing. Its hard to take care of an alcoholic. 

If it’s true, social media often turns out to be seriously flawed source of information...especially facilebook or tw*tter 

[ronaldo0]

Looks like the cop in the first photo is showing him a magic trick !! ????

[jacko45k]

It would be overly cynical to deride this effort. I am just pleased that this dire situation has been addressed and this poor sods miserable circumstances have improved.

Now who abandoned him there?

[peter14]

They dont mention about his visa..weird

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

Tired of all the internet tough guys on here. Look, marijuana is a gazillion times more destructive than drinking -- Bukowski said so. Leave the poor old fella alone folks.

[natway09]

His nookee days are over then ?

Hope he gets home safe & well

[sawadee1947]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

To really understand what was going on here, a lot more information would be helpful. I suspect the cops have decided to "help" out of being shamed rather than from a sense of pity. Regardless, if the fella gets home without having to go through the ignominy of IDC then God speed to him. I just hope he has someone waiting for him when he gets there.

At least wonderful NHS. 

[daiwill60]

The UK embassy will be looking for relatives to foot the bill for sending him home, no doubt, and to take care of him and remove the burden on the NHS once he arrives there.  We definitley need more background info on this case before judging the poor old guy.

[Pdavies99]

1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

Where does it say he had a Thai family, wife or girlfriend? Too much jumping to conclusions with a measure of veiled thai bashing thrown in. Where were all the members of the legendary farang brotherhood to help him out?

Possibly just an old derelict alchoholic who finally ran out of money.

There are many places that would have helped him, if asked...for example the Father Ray Foundation have assisted many with accomodation and meals at no charge, and if necessary paid for hospital treatment or flights etc, with little chance of any repayment. The British Legion in Pattaya are very kind and would also have assisted. The Rotary Foundation of Thailand, the Lions charity foundation  the expats club etc, all these will assist in some way.

 

Ultimately this guy came to Thailand with some money etc and one way or another needs the kindness of others, it can happen overnight etc, with illness.

[DennisE]

Regardless of whether or not people were calling him that is the term “pitiful old man” really necessary for a public article like this? Hopefully he does have family in the UK. They said the British Embassy was apparently trying to contact them according to the article at least. At least they’re talking care of him. 

[Thaidream]

1 hour ago, ThaiBunny said:

America?

I am American and I know  any US police station would not kick him out.  they would find shelter and provide meals until Social Services were notified and worked with him to get him home to the UK.

 

In addition, there are various church groups that could assist someone in such dire straits.

 

There's alot of bad press about police in America, some deserved, most not .

Most police are profesionals and have a heart.  

 

The real problem is what happens to people like this who are in Thailand.  There are very few support groups around  and the Embassies are not stafffed with social workers.

 

This is a sad story- I hope everything works out. Regardless of their state- everyone deseerves  to live in dignity.