Family of a yoga instructor who died while swimming in Thailand suffer another heartbreaking blow - after learning about his death from a FACEBOOK post

[rooster59]

Family of a yoga instructor who died while swimming in Thailand suffer another heartbreaking blow - after learning about his death from a FACEBOOK post

By ELIZA MCPHEE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

 

Tobey Martin, from Victoria, had lived in Thailand as a yoga and fitness instructor for years before he hit his head on rocks while swimming near an island in late March.

 

A family who learnt their son and brother had died while swimming in Thailand from a Facebook post have now been told they're unable to enter the country to bury him.

 

Tobey Martin, from Victoria, had lived in the Southeast Asian country as a yoga and fitness instructor for years before he hit his head on rocks while swimming near an island in late May.

 

The 30-year-old's family have worked tirelessly for the last six months to be granted permission to enter Thailand and lay him to rest in a traditional burial.

 

Full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8924071/Victorian-family-denied-entry-Thailand-bury-son-died-swimming.html

 

Daily Mail: 2020-11-08

[RotBenz8888]

"But the application was denied twice by Thailand officials." 

 

Far too draconic. Completely heartless. 

[keith101]

Maybe they should have worked with Embassy in Bangkok to have his body returned back to them for burial there which probably would have been much simpler than working with Thai bureaucracy here .

 

 

 

[Dmaxdan]

How can this not be regarded as a legitimate reason to enter the country?? 

[sanuk711]

Quote

Family of a yoga instructor

 

2-3-4? surly it would be cheaper to fly the body back to the UK instead of return fares accommodation etc.

[petermik]

7 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

How can this not be regarded as a legitimate reason to enter the country?? 

Non at all except for the fact that they are not offering inducements to the right people here....

[bangkokfrog]

So sad. Wrong nationality and unlikely to meet the expected 400,000 baht visitor's spend here.

[orchis]

52 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

 

2-3-4? surly it would be cheaper to fly the body back to the UK instead of return fares accommodation etc.

 

Tobey was Australian

[Mike Rodik]

sorry but yoga instructor , farangs can do that ? not on THAI ONLY list ?

[LomSak27]

Just now, Mike Rodik said:

sorry but yoga instructor , farangs can do that ? not on THAI ONLY list ?

 

Eight posts until the dreaded WP issue, so near and dear to expats, is raised. Getting sloppy these days. ????

[VocalNeal]

Surely you'd have to swimming quite fast to fatally injure yourself on a rock?

[jackdd]

3 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Surely you'd have to swimming quite fast to fatally injure yourself on a rock?

Ever heard of "waves"?

[teacherclaire]

Why couldn't they get in touch with the right people and send the body home?

 

    https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-biosec-human-remains.htm#burial

[VocalNeal]

9 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Ever heard of "waves"?

 

I was thinking he dived into water where there is a rock. So diving not swimming.

[quake]

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

"But the application was denied twice by Thailand officials." 

 

Far too draconic. Completely heartless. 

That will be the authorities of Thailand,

showing there true colors to the foreigners.

[teacherclaire]

28 minutes ago, Mike Rodik said:

sorry but yoga instructor , farangs can do that ? not on THAI ONLY list ?

It seems that they can do that. 

 

         https://www.facebook.com/groups/1815040338813760/

[ThailandRyan]

My deepest condolences to the family and to what they are going through in order to retrieve the body of a deceased loved one.  A repatriation of his remains, should be undertaken by the embassy of his nationality, so that a proper burial can be undertaken and, the family can move forward instead of having to continue to grieve daily.

[NE1]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Tobey Martin, from Victoria, had lived in Thailand as a yoga and fitness instructor for years before he hit his head on rocks while swimming near an island in late March.

 

A family who learnt their son and brother had died while swimming in Thailand from a Facebook post have now been told they're unable to enter the country to bury him.

 

Tobey Martin, from Victoria, had lived in the Southeast Asian country as a yoga and fitness instructor for years before he hit his head on rocks while swimming near an island in late May.

Great reporting again.......Was it March or May ?

[metisdead]

A troll post has been reported and removed. 

[orchis]

1 minute ago, NE1 said:

Great reporting again.......Was it March or May ?

It was May.

[BangkokReady]

28 minutes ago, teacherclaire said:

It seems that they can do that. 

Surely yoga is mostly a certain type of expat "teaching" other similarly minded expats?

[wombat]

a lot of nonsense over dead meat....cremate me, save a glad bag full dust to be posted back to oz as a token for scattering and as for the rest....what do i care, I'm dead, not my problem.

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

a lot of nonsense over dead meat....cremate me, save a glad bag full dust to be posted back to oz as a token for scattering and as for the rest....what do i care, I'm dead, not my problem.

Seems you missed the point about closure by the family, but I can see by your tone your a loving family man.

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Seems you missed the point about closure by the family, but I can see by your tone your a loving family man.

 

3 hours ago, wombat said:

a lot of nonsense over dead meat....cremate me, save a glad bag full dust to be posted back to oz as a token for scattering and as for the rest....what do i care, I'm dead, not my problem.

So just flush your ashes down the loo, save a few  Baht of postage. 

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Seems you missed the point about closure by the family, but I can see by your tone your a loving family man.

 

The family can have closure by having a church service in their local church and invite their fiends and relatives. The fact that no physical remains are present seems to be moot. The son can have a funeral here with whatever friends and well wishers there are here. 

 

The current virus situation is unusual for us but it is not that much different to losing a loved one in combat in a distant land, who for whatever reason cannot be repatriated.

[ThailandRyan]

20 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

The family can have closure by having a church service in their local church and invite their fiends and relatives. The fact that no physical remains are present seems to be moot. The son can have a funeral here with whatever friends and well wishers there are here. 

 

The current virus situation is unusual for us but it is not that much different to losing a loved one in combat in a distant land, who for whatever reason cannot be repatriated.

I have yet to find one of my fallen brethren that could not be repatriated after a time and a funeral conducted. Now when there are no remains due to the nature of the situation that caused the demise, then that is a different story, as you say the fact that no physical remains are present is not a moot point, it is a point where the families are more than understanding.  When a body lies in a morgue and can be repatriated, then that makes a whole world of difference to a family.  Even allowing one family member to enter the country so that a small ceremony can be had and, then the body cremated here and, then carried home would have a better impact then what has occurred in this case.   

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

"But the application was denied twice by Thailand officials." 

 

Far too draconic. Completely heartless. 

I couldn't enter UK to cremate my mother back in April.. just a sign of the times.

[natway09]

As long as they do the 14 days in isolation why can they not come ?.

Embassy not working hard enough

[Neeranam]

I agree with the Thai decision. There is a global pandemic; is is not their fault. I doubt Australia would let Thais into their country. 

 

Easily done - I broke my neck here 25 years ago by diving into a shallow pool. Could easily have died, or worse. 

 

Condolences to family reading this. 

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

could not be repatriated after a time

 

I don't remember reading that he couldn't be repatriated just that the family can't come here. there is more than one way to solve a problem.