British Man's Urgent Plea to Save Dying Father in Thailand

[snoop1130]

Picture courtesy of The Standard

 

A distraught British man is fighting to bring his critically ill father back from Thailand to the UK for life-saving medical treatment. Reginald Leo, 77, once hoped to enjoy retirement in Pattaya, but a seemingly minor foot wound has escalated into a severe medical crisis.

 

Jonathan Leo, who relocated to Thailand in 2017, has sacrificed everything to look after his father, a retired security officer from Milton Keynes, now struggling with diabetes and Addison’s disease. The conditions have left Reginald bedridden, drastically underweight, and potentially facing amputation.

 

Despite Jonathan's desperate appeals for urgent medical intervention, delays from the British Embassy in Bangkok and bureaucratic obstacles linked to the recent Bangkok earthquake have thwarted efforts to secure an emergency medevac. An air ambulance back to the UK could cost between £35,000 and £55,000, an unattainable sum for the family alone.

 

 

 

Determined to help his father recover, Jonathan meticulously cares for him daily, managing his bandages and basic needs while witnessing his father’s heart-breaking deterioration. He’s also initiated a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to raise the substantial funds needed to cover the medical transports and treatments.

 

"My priority is my dad's health," says Jonathan, highlighting the urgent need for proper medical evaluations and treatments in the UK.

 

Picture of Jonathan Leo courtesy of The Standard

 

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed they are assisting and liaising with local authorities. However, the family’s plight underscores the crucial reliance on compassionate public support to expedite medical attention.

 

To aid their struggle and support Reginald’s hopeful route to recovery, donations can be made on Jonathan’s fundraising page, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-04-04

 

 

[bkk6060]

The guy looks like death already.  Why even medevac him?  Get him back and he dies?  Can't they treat those ailments here?

[nick supreme]

4 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

The guy looks like death already.  Why even medevac him?  Get him back and he dies?  Can't they treat those ailments here?

The treatment for Addison’s disease are proper drugs which I'm sure are available in Thailand. 

[smedly]

come to Thailand and take him home, what is the issue ?

[mikebell]

4 minutes ago, smedly said:

come to Thailand and take him home, what is the issue ?

'Jonathan Leo, who relocated to Thailand in 2017' - he's already here.

[hotchilli]

15 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

The guy looks like death already.  Why even medevac him?  Get him back and he dies?  Can't they treat those ailments here?

The issue is funding, not treatment

[newbee2022]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Picture courtesy of The Standard

 

A distraught British man is fighting to bring his critically ill father back from Thailand to the UK for life-saving medical treatment. Reginald Leo, 77, once hoped to enjoy retirement in Pattaya, but a seemingly minor foot wound has escalated into a severe medical crisis.

 

Jonathan Leo, who relocated to Thailand in 2017, has sacrificed everything to look after his father, a retired security officer from Milton Keynes, now struggling with diabetes and Addison’s disease. The conditions have left Reginald bedridden, drastically underweight, and potentially facing amputation.

 

Despite Jonathan's desperate appeals for urgent medical intervention, delays from the British Embassy in Bangkok and bureaucratic obstacles linked to the recent Bangkok earthquake have thwarted efforts to secure an emergency medevac. An air ambulance back to the UK could cost between £35,000 and £55,000, an unattainable sum for the family alone.

 

 

 

Determined to help his father recover, Jonathan meticulously cares for him daily, managing his bandages and basic needs while witnessing his father’s heart-breaking deterioration. He’s also initiated a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to raise the substantial funds needed to cover the medical transports and treatments.

 

"My priority is my dad's health," says Jonathan, highlighting the urgent need for proper medical evaluations and treatments in the UK.

 

Picture of Jonathan Leo courtesy of The Standard

 

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed they are assisting and liaising with local authorities. However, the family’s plight underscores the crucial reliance on compassionate public support to expedite medical attention.

 

To aid their struggle and support Reginald’s hopeful route to recovery, donations can be made on Jonathan’s fundraising page, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-04-04

 

 

Oh NO, another one with insufficient health care and funds.

But hey, why not go for other people's money?

He came to Thailand for retirement? Could have saved 300£/month easily.

This would be now enough (40.000£ probably) to take a fly wherever he wants.

No need for any donation at all.

[newbee2022]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The issue is funding, not treatment

You mean grabbing money!

[Scouse123]

The British Embassy will not pay for a medical evacuation to the UK, no matter how ill he is.

 

They are dreaming, if they think they can put this on the toes of the British Embassy.

 

It's got nothing to do with the Embassy being busy with recent earthquakes in Thailand.

 

They don't do these things, it is not in the consular remit.

 

Now they might scape up a bag of oranges and some Vitamin tablets at a push.......

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

'Jonathan Leo, who relocated to Thailand in 2017' - he's already here.

 

He was referring, possibly, to other members of the family, not the man in question.

 

 

[hotchilli]

5 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

You mean grabbing money!

I know what I meant... funding..

I didn't say anything about where it was coming from.

[Scouse123]

6 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

You mean grabbing money!

 

Of course, it's the favourite pastime these days for many and what they think is an easy fix.

 

It absolves them, in their minds, of responsibility and five minutes setting this up to beg money on a computer, they can confidently boast they are ' doing all they can '

[newbee2022]

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

I know what I meant... funding..

I didn't say anything about where it was coming from.

...and you agree with #gofundme ?

[newbee2022]

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Of course, it's the favourite pastime these days for many and what they think is an easy fix.

 

It absolves them, in their minds, of responsibility and five minutes setting this up to beg money on a computer, they can confidently boast they are ' doing all they can '

That's what I think too ❤️

[Ironmike]

Must be a first a British person that hasn't started a gofundme I thought the Poms started those before leaving England to come he so they get free holidays or pay for stuff after they have accident and need money. 

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

'Jonathan Leo, who relocated to Thailand in 2017' - he's already here.

 

 

And in my view, he could have had his father removed years ago if things were looking bad, but instead they wait until 2025?

 

How has Jonathan Leo been supporting himself all these years?

 

Couldn't that money have been used to repatriate his father?

[Wuvu2]

"Old age" is no longer recognized as a natural cause of death by the medical community on a death certificate in the West.  We have some ridiculous expectation that with the best medical treatments, we'll live forever. 

 

I plan to be stoic and accept the aging process with grace. If I chicken out I'll be posting my go-fund-me page right here 😂

[Scouse123]

5 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

...and you agree with #gofundme ?

 

I most certainly don't.

 

It's BEGGING.

 

We in my family, were brought up differently.

[Scouse123]

3 minutes ago, Ironmike said:

Must be a first a British person that hasn't started a gofundme I thought the Poms started those before leaving England to come he so they get free holidays or pay for stuff after they have accident and need money. 

 

No, he's done the same thing under a different format as in crowdfunding.

[hotchilli]

5 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

...and you agree with #gofundme ?

I didn't say anything about go-fund-me.

[NorthernRyland]

Sorry I'll donate to any random Thai family in need before this random immigrant from Britain.

[newbee2022]

Just now, Scouse123 said:

 

I most certainly don't.

 

It's BEGGING.

 

We in my family, were brought up differently.

Yesterday I got a <deleted> storm when I named this #gofundme action as BEGGING.

But it is nothing else !!!

[NorthernRyland]

7 minutes ago, Wuvu2 said:

"Old age" is no longer recognized as a natural cause of death by the medical community on a death certificate in the West.  We have some ridiculous expectation that with the best medical treatments, we'll live forever. 

 

 

Exactly. Give me 10 minutes and I'll find a Thai person in which 40k pounds would be a life changer for their family and help their young children get ahead. Giving that dying old man (look at his legs ffs) the money would be a waste of money.

[J Branche]

Wait. So you want others to pay the equivalent of 1.5 million baht to 2.5 million baht to transport him to the UK. Top Hospitals in Bangkok can treat him and I'm just guessing but I think it would be cheaper.  

 

I will never understand the I'm going to wing it and make high risk decisions and if things go wrong some hero will step in to save me Mindset.  

[Chongalulu]

14 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

I most certainly don't.

 

It's BEGGING.

 

We in my family, were brought up differently.

Me too, the large country estate we have in Hampshire and private education sees to that....

[ronster]

With everything that was wrong with him then retiring to Thailand without proper medical insurance was crazy.

As for getting him back to UK for treatment I'm pretty sure after a certain amount of time out of the UK that you are not fully covered for NHS treatment and have to foot the bill for part of any medical services.

[J Branche]

17 minutes ago, Ironmike said:

Must be a first a British person that hasn't started a gofundme I thought the Poms started those before leaving England to come he so they get free holidays or pay for stuff after they have accident and need money. 

"To aid their struggle and support Reginald’s hopeful route to recovery, donations can be made on Jonathan’s fundraising page, reported The Thaiger"

 

I missed the part at the bottom also.

 

I feel sorry for these people but like others have mentioned if you don't have the insurance already and he is not already getting proper treatment the money could benefit others in serious need and have a lasting benefit 

[KannikaP]

31 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Could have saved 300£/month easily.

Please explain, thanks.

[Eloquent pilgrim]

 

Surely he should have been on a plane back to LHR for circa £500, months ago, when he first started to show signs of deterioration, and was capable of travelling alone. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

[PomPolo]

Already let my friends and love ones know, if I ever end up in this scenario, throw me on a bonfire and scatter my Ashes in my favourite park, don't fly me anywhere don't want to go back to the UK even if I kark it and don't want to rot underground.