Missing British man found dead in Bangkok

[bannork]

Inconsistencies:

1. The girlfriend got the Bangkok times wrong. If James phoned her at 11.00 pm GMT, that's 6.00am Thai time. Either up early or hadn't yet gone to bed.

2. How did the people he supposedly met in the bar have her phone number in the UK?

3. Why was she talking about his possible death in that first message to the media? Wasn't that a bit premature or pessimistic, or did she know something already?

[kwilco]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of The Daily Mail

 

by Bob Scott 

The family of a missing British man paid tribute after he was found dead in Thailand. Essex-born James Sangwine has died after going missing in Thailand for days. Thai police have yet to release details around the circumstances of the Londoner’s death.

 

The father of one’s family has launched a fundraiser to help bring the 33 year old man’s body home. Sangwine travelled to Bangkok for a holiday on January 18 and soon after his family lost contact.

Sangwine vanished during what was supposed to be a fun holiday in Bangkok. His partner, 38 year old Katie Maybin told EssexLive that he was travelling to Thailand to spend time with a friend living there but then all contact stopped after a night out on January 20.

 

Sangwine was last seen making his way to the Abandoned Mansion Bar & Restaurant in Bangkok. A local couple who encountered the British man there messaged his partner Maybin, mentioning that he had been out with friends that evening.

Sangwine was due to fly home on January 24 but he never got on the plane.

 

His distraught family has since launched an urgent fundraiser to bring the beloved West Ham fan back to the UK for a proper farewell. The Just Giving page, which has been flooded with support, was set up by James’s family to cover the costs of repatriation and the forthcoming funeral.

 

In a heartfelt tribute, family friend Julie Nolan-Day wrote on the page.

“Our boy James walked into every room as loud and large as life! He had endless stories that would always have you in fits of laughter. From a young age, he wanted to be where the action was, particularly for birthday celebrations.

 

“James was a dad to our ‘little Jimmy’, a cherished son, brother, uncle, and a friend to many. His love for West Ham was a highlight, especially when he shared it with Jimmy. Remember him with warmth and laughter as we work to bring our boy home for the send-off he deserves. Any leftover funds will go into a trust for his little boy.”

 

Picture of the Abandoned Mansion in Bangkok courtesy of BK Magazine

The fundraiser, launched on February 3, has already amassed £21,000 (882,000 baht), shattering its initial £15,000 target in just hours.

 

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) stated: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand and we are in contact with the local authorities.”

 

Those wishing to contribute can view the fundraiser by clicking here.

 

Picture courtesy of EssexLive

 

RELATED TOPIC:

British dad mysteriously vanishes in Bangkok

https://aseannow.com/topic/1350490-british-dad-mysteriously-vanishes-in-bangkok/

 

Source: The Thaiger 

 

-- 2025-02-05

 

 

 

Staying with a friend - so they know the story? Surely if he disappeared they would have said something?

[PomPolo]

1 minute ago, bannork said:

Inconsistencies:

1. The girlfriend got the Bangkok times wrong. If James phoned her at 11.00 pm GMT, that's 6.00am Thai time. Either up early or hadn't yet gone to bed.

2. How did the people he supposedly met in the bar have her phone number in the UK?

3. Why was she talking about his possible death in that first message to the media? Wasn't that a bit premature or pessimistic, or did she know something already?

Not to mention on depending where you read the story the bar he was at keeps on changing, in the missing story there was no mention of the hotel he was staying that only seemed to appear on Facebook with the poster saying no CCTV available which I highly doubt in the center of Bangkok.

[newbee2022]

30 minutes ago, Toby1947 said:

Obviously no travel insurance 

Sure, but why start begging?

[newbee2022]

42 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

But don't forget. 'Just Giving' has also got to pay for a holiday for family and friends in Thailand.

Yeah, they are relying on other people, just beggars.

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Possible that they want a UK coroner inquery. 

I was under the impression Thailand embalms before shipping.

Am I wrong?

[Watawattana]

As of now £23,683 raised.  A lot of love for this guy.  RIP.

 

 

 

[sabai-dee-man]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Guilty as charged. There are so many things to weigh and consider. Much of it is balancing risk and financial situation  against the odds of something happening. I make about $1665 a month SS, a pittance in the S but can live nicely here. I have medicare insurance in the US. I have $200,000 US in a mutual fund. I keep between $5000 and $10,000 in liquid cash in case of emergencies. I have comparison shopped for insurance from covid onward but haven't made a decision. The sticking point in the past was whether a substantial insurance premium would take a significant amount out of my living budget and place my finances at risk. Thanks for the reminder. Cheers. 

$10K won't get you far in Thailand in a hospital emergency! 

 

Ignorance is bliss!

[AustinRacing]

Without details one can only assume. It’s unusual for a tourist to get killed in Thailand deliberately unless he was up to no good. 

[steven100]

This is very sad news for the family indeed. They obviously want answers,  

was it drugs that got him,  was it foul play that got him. TIT where anything can happen in an instant and sometimes the real truth is buried. 

 

I hope the family can find the strength and funds to get through this horrible ordeal. 

 

RIP young man.

[Elkski]

4 hours ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

There is plenty travel insurance available for us$60 for 30 days, includes repatriation of body.

If you can afford to travel to Thailand it's hard to understand why people don't buy travel insurance.

Still RIP young man.

My family never would have known if I had insurance or the contact number I did usually carry that info on me and it did have like 20k for repatriation but I don't recall if that was if I was real sick, dead or both.   

Who was this couple who contacted his girlfriend to say he was going out or had gone out.  

Seems this young man kept in constant contact with family.    How many people are missing in Thailand who no one knows about?

[Sheryl]

30 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I was under the impression Thailand embalms before shipping.

Am I wrong?

Usually they do, yes.

 

But that does nto preclude an autopsy especially if tissue and blood samples are taken first and sent with the body.

[steven100]

20 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

Without details one can only assume. It’s unusual for a tourist to get killed in Thailand deliberately unless he was up to no good. 

are you saying there was possibly foul play involved  ?

[D M G]

6 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Perhaps, maybe, more than likely drug related. 

Spiked or accidental...

[dunroaming]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Damn. Such an ugly ending to this story. Lives of his loved ones will be devastated. Based on his youth, one wonders what happened? Will we ever know for certain? 

As we know this was posted extensively on another thread when he was first reported missing.  The majority view then was that he was shacked up with a bargirl somewhere and the whole thing was quite amusing.  Others urged a note of caution, seems like they were sadly right to do so. 

[ChipButty]

6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

It's a tragic story.

However, why fundraising?

Him and his partner were unemployed, 

[steven100]

6 hours ago, hotsun said:

A bunch of folks here claimed this guy was just spending his time with bargirls because he left his family home. I advise those folk to walk away in shame

I advise some on here to stop talking nonsense claiming what others may have said.  

[digger70]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

His distraught family has since launched an urgent fundraiser to bring the beloved West Ham fan back to the UK for a proper farewell. The Just Giving page, which has been flooded with support, was set up by James’s family to cover the costs of repatriation and the forthcoming funeral.

Holiday,  Insurance??????   Make that Compulsory  By Law .

Must Have Proof of Insurance Otherwise Refuse Entry Into the country.    🙏

[steven100]

36 minutes ago, D M G said:

Spiked or accidental...

was foul play involved here ... possibly ...? TIT anything can happen

[steven100]

29 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

As we know this was posted extensively on another thread when he was first reported missing.  The majority view then was that he was shacked up with a bargirl somewhere and the whole thing was quite amusing.  Others urged a note of caution, seems like they were sadly right to do so. 

so something sinister possibly ...

[Jim Blue]

Something(s) not right ..........

[steven100]

Just now, Jim Blue said:

Something(s) not right ..........

agree .... a young man missing then found dead.  Did he have confrontation with someone in the bar?

 

[thesetat]

8 hours ago, Blueman1 said:

The RTP are still on the case.....The family of a missing British man paid tribute after he was found dead in Thailand. Essex-born James Sangwine has died after going missing in Thailand for days. Thai police have yet to release details around the circumstances of the Londoner’s death........." OVERDOSE " ?????

If he was overdose. It did not happen in his room or he would have been found long ago and details of them finding him would have been posted all over the news. 

This story is odd in that it does not say anything pertaining to how he died or when he was found or where. Only details about what a good person he was and that they have set up a gofundme page to get him home. 

Is it possible that the details are deliberately being suppressed by the family? 

 

[newbee2022]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Him and his partner were unemployed, 

unemployed but got enough money for Thailand? Bad joke

[PopGun]

9 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

There is a very good possibility, given the number of cameras here. If the family has doubts they can get an autopsy which might be conclusive, at that point it is likely to be kept private. There are so many things that can happen. This is too sad. 

I was under the impression that autopsies were mandatory in Thailand.

Get run over by a truck; autopsy.

Fall from 25th floor balcony; autopsy.

Shot in the head; autopsy.

Savaged by dogs; autopsy.

Hanging off a balcony with a bag over the head, hands tied behind the back. (Suicide).

Whatever, whenever there's a fatality they have an autopsy 🤷

[PopGun]

My condolences to the lad's family. 🙏

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, Leadidge said:

He may have been taken and killed by aliens from Mars too……just an assumption , but could be true! 🤦‍♂️

No, that could not be true.

[cardinalblue]

9 hours ago, hotsun said:

A bunch of folks here claimed this guy was just spending his time with bargirls because he left his family home. I advise those folk to walk away in shame

Why? Many reasons what could have killed him….the two might be related or totally unrelated…

 

it doesn’t matter how he spent his remaining days…what caused his death we might never know 

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, Letseng said:

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Possible that they want a UK coroner inquery. 

This achieves what?

A second opinion.

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, pomchop said:

and if an autopsy shows he died from a self imposed drug OD will all the go funds be refunded?  

Probably not, but, then, why should they be returned?   People donate unconditionally.