British man’s Thailand trip goes from heaven to prison hell (video)

[impulse]

17 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yes, it is a chain of events designed to make a good story for the Mail.

 

Given that the photos are the same as a January story about a guy banged up for overstay, I wonder if Thailand can sue the Mail for damaging their tourism business?

 

Edit:  On an aside, if I was the king (or owner) of AN, I'd be a little worried, too.

 

[Kandinski]

Despite Daily Mails perception; Thailand is not a lawless state and tourist don't end up in jail for jaywalking. My bet this, and thank God for that, will be the last ever heard of the missing flip flops😂

[suzannegoh]

58 minutes ago, proton said:

Seem to recall these images supporting another story not so long ago, over stayer?. The Airbnb was letting illegally if under a month of course, I'd like to be the first to say there must be more to this story, smokey beat me to it

I think that you're right that some of those images were used in another story.

[PomPolo]

Been thinking about this one and my final conclusion is given that Daily Mail will pay for news stories, he has just made a bunch of sht up to recoup his spending money from banging lady boys in Thailand.

Also he is probably one of our fellow community posters that has learned over the years how to make a couple of quid from the media by exaggerating and making sht up hahaha

[natway09]

More holes in this yarn than a swiss cheese

[suzannegoh]

I've noticed that whenever a farang gets robbed in Thailand that he claims to have lost some incredible amount of cash.

[ignore it]

I'm going with "A drunkard's lament"

[bkk_mike]

1 hour ago, rocketboy2 said:

Not nice Thailand.

All sounds like one big scam.

Good to see the story in the uk papers. 

 

It's the Daily Mail.

A "newspaper" that prints lies so often it's banned from being used as a reference on Wikipedia.

And the same pictures appear to have been used on another article about an overstayer.

 

So either this story, or the original one, also in the Daily Mail (no surprise), are complete bull<deleted>.

Or given it's the Daily Mail, quite possibly both stories are complete bull<deleted>.

[twizzian]

He walked into a neighbor's sign and 2 security guards appeared and kicked off.

Sounds ridiculous.

[cdemundo]

39 minutes ago, Nickcage49 said:

Exactly. I question the incident where he damaged private property. That wasn’t explained.

Right, what does the following mean, I don't understand it.

 

" he accidentally walked into a neighbour’s entrance sign."

[bkk_mike]

25 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

Appears no locked safe in the room either, as that would have made his valuables hardy to get at, if indeed the story isn't a Jackanory...

Locked safe in a hotel room (or Airbnb) can be reset and opened by the owners.

It protects your belongings from "guests" or the cleaning staff.

It wouldn't protect them from the people that have the user manual and know how to reset the safe when a guest forgets the combination they used.

[PomPolo]

4 minutes ago, cdemundo said:

Right, what does the following mean, I don't understand it.

 

" he accidentally walked into a neighbour’s entrance sign."

Me neither but given the size him they were lucky him only just taking the sign out, if he'd walked into their house accidentally they would be homeless now

[CecilM]

Leisurely stroll.

Walk into a sign.

Thrown into jail.

Details of all intermediate steps are needed to believe that's all that happened. 

[riverhigh]

"As he meandered through his neighbourhood, fate took an unfortunate terrible twist when he accidentally walked into a neighbour’s entrance sign."

 

Yeah right! Give me break! What really happened you were either drunk or high on something and you bashed in sign because it was in your way. Sorry I don't beleive your one-sided fictional story portraying yourself as an innocent victim, I need to hear the owner's and security guards account of what took place. From the account of your story, it appears that you have managed to piss off everyone on your trip to Thailand. 

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Pictures courtesy of the Daily Mail

 

by Bob Scott 

A British man ventured to Thailand anticipating nothing more than a peaceful, sun-drenched escape, yet, his dream holiday rapidly descended into a nightmare after a seemingly trivial mishap spiralled into a chain of catastrophic events.

 

Arrested, assaulted, and stripped of his belongings, Andrew Hopkins’ tale unfolds as a chilling reminder for would-be travellers drawn to the Land of Smiles.

It all began on an unassuming night in Pattaya. The 55 year old man decided to take a leisurely evening stroll from his Airbnb, unaware that this decision would turn his trip upside down.

 

As he meandered through his neighbourhood, fate took an unfortunate terrible twist when he accidentally walked into a neighbour’s entrance sign.

“At 21st 8lbs (137 kilos), it was inevitable I’d cause a bit of damage but little did I know the storm it would provoke.”

 

Almost immediately, the sounds of anger pierced the night as two security guards revealed themselves, shouting furiously in Thai.

 

Despite his heartfelt apologies and an offer to compensate for the damage, their rage was unquenchable, said Hopkins. Within minutes, the scene escalated further when local police arrived, and the British man found himself forcibly thrown into the back of a pickup truck.

 

Locked up in a cell for the next 36 hours, Hopkins’ bewilderment turned to fear.

 

“They threw me into jail, with an English guy inside advising me to comply, and eventually, they’d set me free.”

 

It was only after an Italian stranger arrived, instructing him to withdraw 15,000 baht (£360) as a fine, that Hopkins’ release was negotiated, reported the Daily Mail.

 

Once out, the British man’s relief was short-lived. On returning to his Airbnb, he encountered a hostile reception from the host’s wife, who was furiously waving his room key.

“They’d cancelled my booking and insisted I leave immediately.”

 

Pictures courtesy of the Daily Mail

Desperate to gather his belongings, Hopkins asked for a brief reprieve to collect his things. Hesitantly, they agreed.

 

Inside the apartment, a strange chemical odour greeted him.

 

“It seemed like they’d tried to drug me.”

 

His suitcase was filled haphazardly, and most alarmingly, considerable cash and valuables had vanished. His Cooperative Bank debit card, MBNA credit card, phone chargers, and a hidden stash of £1,230 (51,600 baht) in cash, all missing.

 

Hopkins confronted the woman, only to face accusations about smoking on the balcony.

 

“There was an ashtray there. I even had a video to prove it.”

 

 

Things escalated further when the police made a swift return. This time, the encounter turned even more brutal.

 

“They attacked me, handcuffed me to a pickup, and dragged me back to jail.”

 

Hopkins left with his arm bound to the cell bars, he endured unspeakable indignities.

 

“I had to urinate over myself. Lying there in my own fluids, I was stripped of any dignity.”

 

Frustrated and helpless, Hopkins resorted to singing songs like “Country Roads,” “God Save the King,” and “Half the World Away” to get someone’s attention.

 

Eventually, the officers released him but his troubles were far from over. His Thai mobile, a Galaxy s21, was missing, along with more cash.

 

Pictures courtesy of The Daily Mail

 

 

Worse, fraudulent charges of £450 cropped up on his debit card but the bank refused to help.

“They wouldn’t even check the CCTV from the 7-Eleven.”

 

Adding insult to injury, the £480 cash stash was gone, along with his beloved trainers and flipflops, leaving him barefoot and bewildered. As a small consolation, he was handed £120 in cash and left to fend for himself.

 

Back in the UK, Hopkins struggled with the aftermath, revealing ongoing physical pain, infections, and PTSD.

 

“I ended up booking a business-class flight home with Emirates for £1,800 because I simply couldn’t sit properly.”

 

Now, Hopkins is embroiled in battles with Airbnb insurers and his travel insurance, while the UK Home Office has taken his plight to the Thai authorities.

 

Sharing his experience as a warning, Andrew noted: “Tourists in Thailand have zero rights, and are seen as easy targets.”

 

“They call it the Land of Smiles but that fades once the bills stop being paid. If you ever find yourself in a situation over there, keep your cool, stay quiet, and never, under any circumstances, question their authority.”

 

What should have been a blissful escape became a stark lesson in caution and cultural understanding. Hopkins’ story is a poignant reminder that paradise can quickly turn perilous.

 

Pictures courtesy of The Daily Mail

 

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2025-02-03

 

 

Where is the story, where are the news??

A Brit can't behave, because of intoxication, ran riot and ended in jail. 

All self inflicted. Face it.

End of story. 

[black tabby12345]

Having been arrested and jailed twice without guilt.

And his money and valuables stolen both at P.D and his hotel room.

Looks completely like a Set Up; intended to rob him systematically, from the beginning.

 

The worst possible travel experience I have ever heard of .

 

 

[Wuvu2]

1 hour ago, mikeymike100 said:

Many people, millions, go to Thailand and have a great time, some get into minor trouble, but this seems beyond anything plausible. Certainly not saying he is lying, but the chain of events here seem very strange.

Ok, so I'll say it - he's lying about something. We see many stories of Thai police showing restraint for foreigners far above what we'd expect in our home countries. He's probably leaving out the part where he was drunk and obnoxious with the police 🙄

 

 

[rattlesnake]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

As he meandered through his neighbourhood, fate took an unfortunate terrible twist when he accidentally walked into a neighbour’s entrance sign.

[…]

 

Almost immediately, the sounds of anger pierced the night as two security guards revealed themselves, shouting furiously in Thai.

 

Highly improbable.

[animatic]

If you don’t know Pattaya avoid Pattaya.

[EVENKEEL]

Hope Bob is doing OK.

[wombat]

1 hour ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

There has to be more to this story!🙄

2 sides to every story that's for sure.

[thjames88]

1 hour ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

There has to be more to this story!🙄

what you dont think his leisurely stroll down the road is all he did to cause such problems?   im surpised he wasnt feeding kittens and singing the thai national anthem while being arrested.   

[CLW]

The pictures are from an old story about a guy on overstay and problems with his business and Thai wife / girlfriend, who called the cops 

 

[wombat]

1 hour ago, Zaphod Priest said:

 

You couldn't make this stuff up!

AI could.

[OJAS]

51 minutes ago, impulse said:

I wonder if Thailand can sue the Mail for damaging their tourism business?

 

They could certainly block the Mail online, just as they did back in 2014 for reasons relating to the monarchy which are probably inappropriate for further discussion on here.

[lanng khao]

If it wasnt for bad luck he'd have no luck at all .

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

while the UK Home Office has taken his plight to the Thai authorities.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

1 hour ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

There has to be more to this story!🙄

Correct. There were a lot of angry Thai people. Thai people don't get angry over nothing, especially this many separate people. He clearly made up the drug accusation in order to bolster his story. If someone had tried to drug him he would have been drugged. Learning the hard way how NOT to deal with Thai people. I think he was less than "polite" But This is speculation, I don't claim any special knowledge or expertise. 

[Jonathan Swift]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Given that the photos are the same as a January story about a guy banged up for overstay, I wonder if Thailand can sue the Mail for damaging their tourism business?

 

Edit:  On an aside, if I was the king (or owner) of AN, I'd be a little worried, too.

 

More than that, they can bring criminal defamation charges.

[J Branche]

Sorry for this guy. According to Bangkok Post 34,999,999

People visited Thailand in 2024.  If this happened I would think the UK Embassy would make contact with their contacts in government.

 

Definitely two sides to this story.

 

Additionally I'm not sure being to large to fit in an Economy Seat is the Travel Insurances problem. Airbnb will probably give you a coupon code that expires in 30 days for your trouble. 5% off your next booking.