Ex-Marine 'could die alone in Thailand' after massive stroke as borders stay shut

[elektrified]

There are so many inaccuracies in that article...

 

He could get out but does not have the means obviously. Just a guess but perhaps 6 million Baht on up to send him on a medevac with neurosurgeons, etc. accompanying him. I'm sure the Thai doctors don't think he's stable enough to endure such a long trip in his present condition.

 

[Dap]

however I can help please let me know

 

[Dap]

i've not read the thread - just let me know if i can assist in any way

 

[Dap]

where can I send money to help this situation? 

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by Dap

[michaellee]

12 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The majority of the Embassy staff are not British, they are Thai, so why should they care. It's not in their DNA

What’s got to do with the Thais? What is wrong with you? Staff follows order. Your embassy head is British. If you dont like Thailand why are you even there? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, Dap said:

where can I send money to help this situation? 

 

 

There's a link to the family's GoFundMe page at the bottom of the OP newspaper article website.

[Dap]

12 hours ago, colinneil said:

You ask why the Embassy is not helping him.

The answer is simple, they dont give a s++t about British citizens here.

How unfortunately you are correct colinneil, and how unbelievably sad. There isn't a government on the face of this earth that gives a sh*t about anything but themselves and the peoples money that they can put into their back pockets. This is disgusting!!

 

[Pilotman]

5 minutes ago, michaellee said:

What’s got to do with the Thais? What is wrong with you? Staff follows order. Your embassy head is British. If you dont like Thailand why are you even there? 

what an idiotic post. Where did I ever say I didn't like Thailand?  Yes, the staff should follow orders, maybe they do, but it certainly is not to the betterment  and help of Brits here.  And if you are not British, which it sounds like you are not, then it's none of your business.  

[warcy]

Is this fake news? There are flights out of Thailand. Flights coming in is a problem but not out.

[Kadilo]

22 minutes ago, Dap said:

where can I send money to help this situation? 

 

There is a gofundme page with a link in the Mirror article. 
 

Failing that just send it to me ????
 

 

[babyjesus]

Again, Colin is well and repatriation is being finalized.  I wish I could say more, but I have to respect his privacy.  The family is paying the bills and the doctors say he is fit to fly.  The Mirror article does not depict his present health accurately.  Colin will soon be home.

[Rockbottom]

1 minute ago, warcy said:

Is this fake news? There are flights out of Thailand. Flights coming in is a problem but not out.

Close enough...let's call it a journalistic embarrassment. The title of the article indicates he's "stuck" because the borders are closed. As clearly you pointed out, an immediate extraction from Thailand is not a border issue at all especially in the case of a medical emergency. I'm sure Thai immigration will do whatever they can on their end.

 

Does he need money? Has the British embassy been involved in this "emergency" case and are they willing to provide assistance? That IS what embassy's do.  What diplomatic channels have or are being explored here?

 

 

[SupermarineS6B]

I feel sorry for the lad, the sad part is that being British and his people trying to deal with the Embassy is about as useful as ringing up the speaking clock while you're wearing a watch....... 

I was in Choki a while back and called the Embassy for assistance, after being passed round and round from desk to desk i was eventually told by some plastic 003.5 that i was basically on my own, even though i'd been set up by THAI IMMIGRATION..........  After exhausting all possibilities for any assistance i asked the individual how it felt to be in such an elevated position and had absolutely no power ?    "Sorry Sir it's all we can do"..........   waste of space............     

 

Hope the lad gets some assistance.......   Royal Marine....... hats off to him......  

[josephbloggs]

7 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I have heard they are excellent at organising Garden Parties.

regards worgeordie

Are they really?  

[Card]

14 hours ago, JCP108 said:

The border is closed for people coming in. But, people aren't restricted from leaving, right?

Also closed for people to leave. A Cambodian friend has been stuck in Thailand for 4 months so far.

[SiSePuede419]

He had planned to take a few months out in Thailand, as he does most years, to have a break for his mind to practice Buddhism and to focus on his fitness.

 

Amazing how year after year someone FORCED HIM TO COME TO THAILAND AGAINST HIS WILL. ????

[Eddy Ozark]

15 hours ago, keith101 said:

 

From everything i have read about the British Embassy here they are an absolutely waste of space and dont seem to want to do their job just get paid for being here .

True.

[GAZZPA]

5 hours ago, the green light said:

simple:

 

Embasssy are in foreign countries to take care of the interest of rich companies,, government offical and their employess.

 

they do not care a sh..t about expat. or short term tourists.  they are there to make money - notoraizing, adding pages to passport from other.

 

1st ,this guy is obviously very sick.. what is he doing in Thailand. he should have left to home and be close to his family. It is not something that came suddenly, I am sure that his health was failingfor a while ..there are signs.

2nd. suprise that the corona virus did not get him

3rd. the Thai government will not hold him back.

4th. the problem is transportation.. there are no commercial flight to thailand .. 

5th. the only way is for the US givernment to bring him home in one of their planes. that costs a lots of money.  and who is going to pay for it ???

6th.do not know what kind of visa this guy has to be in thailand.

obviously retired visa.

 

This isutation is not the first and will not be the last. this is the price you pay for being  an expat. It is health..and where are you going to get treated and where are you going to die?

 

I feel sorry for the guy but there is no airlines who can take him home, even if he has insurance to bring him home in a casket. there is no airlines who will do that now.

 

All expat life in thailand has been turned upside down. the one in Thailand can't visiti home or leave for medical emergency because they cannot come back

 

and the one outside the country can't come back in and they still have to maintain residency in thailand and one abroad.

 

COvid19 changes all the rules now

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You make a lot of points but I must pull you up on the first one. A stroke can happen to anyone, at anytime, there are not always signs. I know, I am a stroke survivor and I went from feeling perfectly fine with no medical issues whatsoever to suddenly finding myself in hospital and a long year of recovery. To this day I have healthy major organs with no issues at all. I now have problems with rotation in my left arm since the stroke after a long period of inactivity due to paralysis. I very much doubt if he was sick and knew he was at high risk of a stroke that he would have taken a holiday. No comments on your other points but on the first point you are absolutely wrong.

[HashBrownHarry]

16 hours ago, keith101 said:

Why isn't his Embassy helping him getting a flight back to his country on medical grounds , its one of the things they are here for and should be doing all they can to make it happen .

From everything i have read about the British Embassy here they are an absolutely waste of space and dont seem to want to do their job just get paid for being here .

I've been to British embassy's all over the world and they're all equally bad as each other, it's disgusting!

[mpyre]

17 hours ago, Pilotman said:

The majority of the Embassy staff are not British, they are Thai, so why should they care. It's not in their DNA

The British Staff don't care either, along with their counterparts in most embassies...they are too busy at diplomatic parties and social functions.

[Albert Zweistein]

15 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Me too!

Seems the subject has changed.

[NRGF]

19 hours ago, fangless said:

I do feel sorry for the man but you don't think the Mirror is going to let the facts get in the way of a good "tug at the heart stings" story do you?

 

Never spoil a good story with the truth.

[brianthainess]

22 hours ago, Pilotman said:

a casevac flight, its his only option and they are allowed, if you can afford it, so this report, like so many others, is BS. 

The family all ready have got the money through a go fund me and a company have agreed to fly him.

[brianthainess]

8 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

He had planned to take a few months out in Thailand, as he does most years, to have a break for his mind to practice Buddhism and to focus on his fitness.

 

Amazing how year after year someone FORCED HIM TO COME TO THAILAND AGAINST HIS WILL. ????

Mmmm if he was really here to study Buddhism in Thailand most years then i guess if he recovers he'll know all about how wonderful THAI Buddhists are ............. 

[brianthainess]

10 hours ago, elektrified said:

There are so many inaccuracies in that article...

 

He could get out but does not have the means obviously. Just a guess but perhaps 6 million Baht on up to send him on a medevac with neurosurgeons, etc. accompanying him. I'm sure the Thai doctors don't think he's stable enough to endure such a long trip in his present condition.

 

Go fund Me has got him the money READ THE WHOLE STORY before comment please.

[sungod]

10 hours ago, babyjesus said:

Again, Colin is well and repatriation is being finalized.  I wish I could say more, but I have to respect his privacy.  The family is paying the bills and the doctors say he is fit to fly.  The Mirror article does not depict his present health accurately.  Colin will soon be home.

This is another incident of a longer story. And despite what is being said by some on here, there are a lot of people working very hard on this. I really hope they are not reading some of these comments.............

[fangless]

11 hours ago, elektrified said:

There are so many inaccuracies in that article...

I think you should have said "inaccuracies in my reading of the OP and attached article".

[elektrified]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

The family all ready have got the money through a go fund me and a company have agreed to fly him.

They've got a ways to go. They are only at 1.5 million Baht. I believe the medevac airplane alone is 3 million Baht with all the equipment, etc. Probably 2 Thai surgeons will have to accompany him. I think the total bill for the British woman with the broken spinal cord last year or the year before was 5 million or more.

[Daveyh]

On 9/5/2020 at 8:51 AM, keith101 said:

Why isn't his Embassy helping him getting a flight back to his country on medical grounds , its one of the things they are here for and should be doing all they can to make it happen .

From everything i have read about the British Embassy here they are an absolutely waste of space and dont seem to want to do their job just get paid for being here .

I'm afraid that this stance by "our" British Embassy in Bangkok should come as no surprise to anyone. The staff there, especially the Brit's seem aloof & do not seem to have an ounce of sympathy for any expat in Thailand requiring assistance. They have been getting away with it for years. I'm ashamed sometimes to be British as these officials are really a bunch of "non-active" individuals on a "jolly" overseas with perks galore. They do not support anyone here & only serve as "paper pushers" without portfolio ........ My years of living in Thailand I've never heard of this embassy going out of their way to help anyone! That's possibly due to the fact that they are too busy attending "garden parties" & "knobbing it" with the elitist crowd ..... they should close the embassy in my opinion as it's certainly not protecting UK citizens & do everything from the UK by email & surface post. 

Edited September 6, 2020 by Daveyh

[vinny41]

1 hour ago, Daveyh said:

I'm afraid that this stance by "our" British Embassy in Bangkok should come as no surprise to anyone. The staff there, especially the Brit's seem aloof & do not seem to have an ounce of sympathy for any expat in Thailand requiring assistance. They have been getting away with it for years. I'm ashamed sometimes to be British as these officials are really a bunch of "non-active" individuals on a "jolly" overseas with perks galore. They do not support anyone here & only serve as "paper pushers" without portfolio ........ My years of living in Thailand I've never heard of this embassy going out of their way to help anyone! That's possibly due to the fact that they are too busy attending "garden parties" & "knobbing it" with the elitist crowd ..... they should close the embassy in my opinion as it's certainly not protecting UK citizens & do everything from the UK by email & surface post. 

Another person that hasn't bothered to read the entire thread 

Quote from the family

JUNE 23, 2020by Maxine Coppard, Organizer

Hi everyone, I’d just like to update you on Colins condition , he is now on a ventilator and in and out of consciousness, we have been assigned case workers from both the British Embassy and the Marines are assisting us as much as possible , he is still in critical condition, we got a friend in Thailand to be at his bedside and he squeezed her hand. This as well as all your support , donations , messages have meant more than you’ll ever know ! Thank you for your help to get him home