Lots of intelligent speculation - but hopefully the autopsy will answer many currently unanswerable questions

So sad

So young

RIP

On 1/21/2026 at 4:24 PM, scubascuba3 said:

He was found in his hotel room

with a bandage on his arm

20 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

UPDATE

Final CCTV Images Shows Brit’s Last Hours Before Bangkok Hotel Death

Picture courtesy of The Sun taken from CCTV

CCTV footage has emerged showing a British tourist in his final hours before he was found dead in a Bangkok hotel, deepening the mystery surrounding his death. The footage captures 21-year-old Joshua Kershaw after a night out, just hours before his body was discovered, prompting renewed attention from investigators and raising questions about his final movements.

Joshua, from Grimsby in Lincolnshire, checked into the Maxim’s Inn on Sukhumvit 7/1 on the evening of January 12. He had planned to travel on to the tourist town of Pattaya, but his plans were cut short when hotel staff found him dead the following afternoon.

According to police, Joshua’s body was discovered by hotel maids, who immediately alerted officers. Emergency responders attempted to resuscitate him at the scene, but he was pronounced dead. His cause of death has not yet been revealed by authorities.

Security footage from the evening of January 12 shows Joshua drinking in a bar opposite his hotel about an hour after he checked in. In the footage, he is seen sitting with a woman before later in the night eating pizza and fried chicken, washing the food down with several beers.

Later that night, Joshua collapsed inside the bar. An ambulance was called and rushed him to hospital, where bar staff reportedly believed he may have eaten too quickly and choked on his food.

One witness at the bar said he had arrived with a woman.“They sat in a corner of the restaurant, next to the pool table,” she said. “He ordered pizza, fried chicken and beer for two people and he ate very quickly, as if he were extremely hungry.

“At about 01:30, he then fell off his chair and collapsed, losing consciousness,” she said. “The woman screamed and the bar owner needed to help calm her down and called for an ambulance from Chulalongkorn hospital.”

The witness said the woman went with him in the ambulance. It was reported that Joshua later discharged himself and is understood to have returned to the busy bar area, drinking until 5.45am when he was seen returning to his hotel room, carrying some more beers. No official confirmation has been given on whether the earlier choking played any role in his death.

The investigation also took a further turn when police revealed that a man arrived at the hotel later, looking for Joshua, only to be informed that he had already died. The identity of this man remains unknown and officers have not disclosed whether he is considered a witness or person of interest.

The Sun reported that police have confirmed that inquiries are ongoing and that all evidence, including CCTV footage and witness statements, is being reviewed. No signs of forced entry or immediate foul play have been publicly reported and authorities have stressed that the investigation is continuing.

Key Takeaways

• Joshua Kershaw, 21, was found dead in a Bangkok hotel after a night out on January 12.

• CCTV shows him drinking, eating and later collapsing in a bar opposite his hotel.

• Police have not released a cause of death and are investigating an unidentified man who asked for him.

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Sun 2026-01-22

 

 

Seems he bit off more than he could chew

Sad that he never made it to soi 6

18 hours ago, Effective altruism said:

According to the update, he was hospitalized after collapsed in an eating establishment. As a result, he left the hospital and started drinking again. Looks like he had a death wish.

What he did was Tuesday night for half of the members of this forum

2 hours ago, Al BB said:

What confuses me is this ! Authorities said Mr Kershaw’s reported last known location is believed to have been in the Walking Street area of Pattaya. The report was recorded by Police Lieutenant Kriengkrai Kaewpipob and logged under reference EV70123256903004U.

Probably just a record of verbal information received. Either from the family (who mistakenly assumed he had reached Pattaya) or a member of the public upon seeing the notice of missing person with picture.

Either way, no explanation for why the long delay in notifying the family. He would have shown his passport on check in so police who retrieved the body, even if unable ot locate passport then, would have known his name and nationality and informed the Embassy. When Embassy then, days later, got missing person report they should have checked their own records of reported deaths to UK citizens. Very odd.

An insensitive post has been removed. Show some respect. Family and friends may be reading this thread.

23 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Probably just a record of verbal information received. Either from the family (who mistakenly assumed he had reached Pattaya) or a member of the public upon seeing the notice of missing person with picture.

Either way, no explanation for why the long delay in notifying the family. He would have shown his passport on check in so police who retrieved the body, even if unable ot locate passport then, would have known his name and nationality and informed the Embassy. When Embassy then, days later, got missing person report they should have checked their own records of reported deaths to UK citizens. Very odd.

Yes, I find this most concerning.

If the reported timeline for police being advised by the hotel of his demise is correct, the SOP would be for the UK embassy to be notified and their next step would be advising family back in the UK. Matching up the police notification with the missing person report would seem an automatic process by the embassy. Not having travelled to Pattaya would be of no consequence, it should just be a name match. The family needs to press the UK embassy for an explanation.

5 hours ago, ade591 said:

Easy to jump to conclusions. I was staying at the Sheraton 18 years ago on my own on the exec floor. No drunkeness, certainly no drugs. I was just having coffee in the reception area. I felt a bit uneasy so I went to my room. I started with the runs and was getting so severe I started taking rehydration salts. This then set off vomiting. It wouldn't stop, every few minutes I was in the bathroom, coming out both ends. Eventually, my vision went all tunnelled, closing down to nearly nothing. I panicked and called reception for a doctor and ambulance and managed to shuffle to the door and slumped in the doorway shout for help. A brit couple next door heard me and came to my aid before ambulance arrive. To cut a long story short I was in intensive care 3 days, first night my heart rate was 178 all night. I was given a drip and small cups of potassium liquid to regulate my heartbeat, which brought it down. I came out a few days later but was stricken with panic disorder/anxiety for years over this ordeal. This was not related to any alcohol/drugs, maybe heatstroke I don't know but I'm just putting this out to say it doesn't have to necessarily be drink or drug related to get into problems, especially when travelling alone. I guess I was lucky in my outcome. Cheers.

have you considered that someone drugged you?

I have heard stories from a cop that many years ago, and quite often, there was a scheme where a pawn woman drugs a person of interest, then some guys show up to rob him while he is passed out in the room. Now a days it's harder in the CCTV era.

He phoned his family on the 12th from bkk and told them he was going to pattaya yet he already had booked his hotel in bkk for that night, so why would they presume he was in pattaya when it would have been clear he had not left the bkk hotel.

It sounds like he arrived in Thailand on the 12th and would have booked hotel prior I'm sure.

Rip but story doesn't add up

6 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Your user name fits. Do you know what a question mark means and how it’s used? There were no “assumptions”. He was asking. Speculating. Not guessing. Do you know the difference? Apparently not. 7 year olds learn question marks and punctuation in school. Your comment is Reprehensible and inappropriate.

And your comment is Reprehensible and inappropriate, straight off your first words are an insult and a personal attack then continues, sounds like you follow the likes of trump school of insulting people.

4 hours ago, Upnotover said:

They were anticipating the costs of their search and rescue mission, from the GFM....

"Why we need help

We urgently need to travel to Thailand ourselves to continue the search on the ground. This includes: emergency passport for his mum

• Emergency flights for family members

• Accommodation while we search

• Travel costs within Thailand

• Ongoing expenses while working with local police, hospitals, and authorities"

I find that weird, unless he had gotten himself into serious trouble abroad previously or something was off about his behavior. All they knew at that point was that he wanted to go to Pattaya and they lost contact with him - in most cases that wouldn't immediately trigger a rescue mission, considering that he was an adult. 99% of youngsters in that situation just have better things to do than keeping mom back home updated.

Of course we now know that his life took a tragic turn, but the fact that his family had no qualms to ask strangers for money before that had been established just bothers me.

On 1/22/2026 at 5:16 AM, ikke1959 said:

RIP to the young man... but it is a strange story... Seen last time on Monday 12th January.. nothing heard anymore till over the weekend That is 17/18 January than).. On 14 January family members find him in a hotel room in Bangkok with a bandage on the bed...not alive anymore....

Did the hotel not notice anything? I suppose there is room cleaning daily.. Where did the family suddenly come from who found him, as he was travelling alone? His mother reported over the weekend ( 17/18 January) How could they have found him the 14th ??

Last Monday he would fly back to London, but did not show up...

I am confused and have many questions.. or there is information missing

Try buying a pair of glasses please. Might stop you talking 💩

I am lost for words and will not criticize or judge his unwise decisions. RIP Joshua and prayers for your family…

19 minutes ago, Caldera said:

All they knew at that point was that he wanted to go to Pattaya and they lost contact with him - in most cases that wouldn't immediately trigger a rescue mission

The GFM was only launched after he had failed to return home. Exactly when the family reported him as missing is not very clear. Why the embassy hadn't already already been in touch with them at that point is somewhat odd.

27 minutes ago, Reddavy said:

Try buying a pair of glasses please. Might stop you talking 💩

Sorry,allknowing

New Forensic Details Into British Tourist's Death in Bangkok

Photo courtesy of Khaosod

Thai police are currently awaiting detailed autopsy results to determine the cause of death of Joshua Kershaw, a 21-year-old British tourist found dead in a Bangkok hotel on January 13. The immediate impact includes an ongoing investigation as police work alongside forensic experts to uncover what led to Kershaw’s sudden death at the hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 7/1, Watthana district.

On January 13, police received a report at 15:16 about a deceased foreign man in the hotel room. Officers, accompanied by a forensic doctor, discovered Kershaw’s body lying on his back. Initial examinations revealed fine white foam around his mouth, bruising on his right hand, and pale conjunctiva, but there were no injuries to his inner lips or bleeding spots. These observations left the cause of death undetermined, necessitating a more detailed post-mortem by the forensic institute at Chulalongkorn Hospital.

The case gained attention in the UK when Kershaw's family, who had been searching for him, learned of his death nine days later. In response, Thai police confirmed that they had informed the British Embassy immediately following their initial investigation on January 13. The lack of immediate closure has left Kershaw’s family and authorities awaiting the full autopsy to provide clarity.

Experts have not yet speculated on possible causes, but detailed forensic results are expected in the coming days. The outcome of this examination will be crucial in determining the next steps of the investigation. Police emphasize that no further information can be disclosed until the autopsy is complete, reported Khaosod.

Key Takeaways

• Thai police await autopsy results for British tourist Joshua Kershaw.

• Kershaw’s family learned about his death nine days after it occurred.

• The British Embassy was notified promptly by Thai authorities.

Related Stories

British-Australian Man Found Dead on Yacht Off Phuket

Autopsy Reveals Thai Party Entertainer Died of Overdose, Not Drowning

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khaosod 2026-01-23

 

 

6 hours ago, Caldera said:

I find it somewhat troubling that his family already started a GoFundMe at a time when neither they had been informedthat his body was found nor he had missed his flight home yet.

RiP to the young man.

The family may have known about the death earlier .

Maybe for some reason the Police wanted to delay the announcement ?

I think that Pattaya definitely has some karma involving some farangs. Once I checked in a hotel in South Pattaya and a Swiss senior guy in a room on the same floor was found dead. Since then I have been reading about many incidents where farangs lose their lives in that city in all kinds of maners. Of course, it's not my role to judge anybody. I feel sorry for his family, may he RIP.

Thailand swallows up many people and spits them out... alive or dead. Need to be careful of such places, many pitfalls to catch you out, especially for the naive.

Was his drink spiked?

I've never stayed at the Maxim's Hotel. I was searching it up on Booking,com and it looks nice enough but, to me it seem a bit pricy at $200 a night.

Mmmm. Can't rule out bedbug spray.

BBC News

'Toxic chemical link' to Thailand hotel deaths

The deaths of tourists and a tour guide in the Thai city of Chiang Mai may be linked to exposure to toxic chemicals, the government says.

On 1/22/2026 at 1:18 AM, save the frogs said:

Is the drugs on the streets in Bangkok laced? Probably, right?

A lot of what the street dealers deal as "cocaine" is cut with fentanyl which is deadly.

On 1/22/2026 at 5:16 AM, ikke1959 said:

RIP to the young man... but it is a strange story... Seen last time on Monday 12th January.. nothing heard anymore till over the weekend That is 17/18 January than).. On 14 January family members find him in a hotel room in Bangkok with a bandage on the bed...not alive anymore....

Did the hotel not notice anything? I suppose there is room cleaning daily.. Where did the family suddenly come from who found him, as he was travelling alone? His mother reported over the weekend ( 17/18 January) How could they have found him the 14th ??

Last Monday he would fly back to London, but did not show up...

I am confused and have many questions.. or there is information missing

My wife is a cleaner in a hotel she opened the door once saw a guy asleep on the bed, next day opened the door again, guy in same position obviously deceased, and rang police,

Can easilybe missed for 24hrs,

15 hours ago, PPGuy said:

Yes, I find this most concerning.

If the reported timeline for police being advised by the hotel of his demise is correct, the SOP would be for the UK embassy to be notified and their next step would be advising family back in the UK. Matching up the police notification with the missing person report would seem an automatic process by the embassy. Not having travelled to Pattaya would be of no consequence, it should just be a name match. The family needs to press the UK embassy for an explanation.

Was the British embassy informed promptly by the Thai police? If not, they can do nothing. The hotel reported him being found quite quickly and then it was in the hands of the police, They had all the guys details from check in and I expect they even found his passport in the room.

16 hours ago, Harsh Jones said:

Sad that he never made it to soi 6

If that was what he was after he was better off just staying in the Nana. Could have gotten a girl right on Soi 7/1. And beers in room. Good time. Instead of The chicken + pizza+ beer.ER, mystery acquaintances. You blew it son.

8 hours ago, SanSaiExPat said:

I've never stayed at the Maxim's Hotel. I was searching it up on Booking,com and it looks nice enough but, to me it seem a bit pricy at $200 a night.

? Per week perhaps.

3 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

? Per week perhaps.

Comes up at 1000-1300 baht per night on Google Maps. Fairly good location.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/v1N7LmC7GkTFtiw68

On 1/22/2026 at 5:54 AM, Georgealbert said:

Picture courtesy of Nottingham Post

The body of a 21-year-old British tourist who had been reported missing in Thailand has been found, prompting his family to begin arrangements to bring him back to the UK. His mother confirmed the development on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, describing the situation as “heart breaking” and saying efforts are now focused on repatriation.

The young man had been reported missing after losing contact with family and friends following his arrival in Thailand. He was reported to have been in the tourist town of Pattaya on 12 January 2026 and was due to fly home from Bangkok on 19 January 2026, but failed to board his scheduled flight at 8.30pm.

After a missing persons report was officially filed, police classed him as a high-risk missing person and a search was launched. His family also started a GoFundMe appeal to help locate him, as concerns grew over the prolonged lack of contact.

In a Facebook post issued on the morning of 21 January, his mother said: “As much as my heart is breaking right now. We have now located Josh. But unfortunately he was not alive. We are now trying to get his body back to the UK.” The family has not released further details about the circumstances of his death.

Pattaya City Police confirmed they had recorded a missing person report involving a 21-year-old British national. Police identified the missing person as Mr Joshua Kershaw, aged 21, a British national. Officers stated he was last heard from on 12 January 2026 at around 10.30pm, when he made a telephone call to his mother in the UK, after which no further contact was possible.

Authorities said Mr Kershaw’s reported last known location is believed to have been in the Walking Street area of Pattaya. The report was recorded by Police Lieutenant Kriengkrai Kaewpipob and logged under reference EV70123256903004U.

The investigation was overseen by Pol Col Anek Sratongyu, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, and Pol Lt Col Arut Saphanont, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation. Police had said enquiries were ongoing and had issued an appeal to the public for information before confirmation emerged that a body had been found. No further details on where the body was found and cause of death has been released.

Picture of Pattaya Police missing persons notice

Key Takeaways

• A 21-year-old British tourist missing since 12 January 2026 has been found dead.

• His family confirmed the discovery on 21 January and is seeking to repatriate his body to the UK.

• Pattaya City Police had opened a missing person investigation after a week of no contact.

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Nottinghampost 2026-01-22

 

 

Pattaya, the new Koh Toa.

3 minutes ago, helloagain said:

Pattaya, the new Koh Toa.

Not really relevant in this case.