Missing British Thailand Traveller Tom Armstrong Found Safe And Well

[webfact]

Missing Thailand traveller Tom Armstrong found 'safe and well'

BANGKOK: -- A 22-year-old man who went missing in Thailand for more than a month has been found "safe and well", police have said.

Tom Armstrong, from Kelsale, Suffolk, had been due to arrive at Heathrow from Bangkok on 9 January but did not catch the flight.

newsjs

His father flew to Thailand at the start of February to try to find him.

Mr Armstrong had been in Thailand since last April and was living on the island of Koh Tao for a diving course.

He did not have a mobile phone and his last contact with the family was by email on 6 January, when he told them of his plans to fly home.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk...uffolk-21498345

-- BBC 2013-02-19

RELATED:

Tom Armstrong Search: Thailand Trip For Missing Man's Father

Tom Armstrong Search: Family 'hopeful' After Possible Sighting In Bangkok

[JUDAS]

What a great relief to his family to have a happy ending in this case. This young man has a great deal of explaining to do to his loved ones.......

[Jayman]

And.......?

Don't we get any explanation as to where/why he went missing?

Sent from my GT-I9100T

[ChinChanGamble]

Agreed with jayman, I presume it will come out over the next few days. Glad to hear he is alive and safe.

[webfact]

Kelsale: Mother’s thanks after missing son Tom Armstrong found alive and well in Thailand

By Tom Potter and Craig Robinson

KELSALE: -- THE mother of a Suffolk man who was missing in Thailand has thanked everyone for their support after he was found alive.

Tom Armstrong, 22, from Kelsale, near Saxmundham, was due to fly home on January 8 but he did not board his flight.

He had not been in touch with his family since and his disappearance sparked an international hunt.

His father, Kingsley Armstrong, flew out to Thailand earlier this month to help the local authorities search for his son.

Suffolk police have now confirmed that Tom has been found alive and well.

Full story: http://www.ipswichst...iland_1_1938033

-- Ipswichstar 2013-02-19

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Based on the "facts" presented thus far in the news reports here, it seems he was pretty thoughtless regarding his family.

Even without a mobile phone, there's many other ways to stay in touch or communicate...if one has the consideration to do so.

I wonder what the Thai authorities will be thinking the next time a farang goes missing for REAL here, and they're asked to mount a search...

[lizardtongue]

Based on the "facts" presented thus far in the news reports here, it seems he was pretty thoughtless regarding his family.

Even without a mobile phone, there's many other ways to stay in touch or communicate...if one has the consideration to do so.

I wonder what the Thai authorities will be thinking the next time a farang goes missing for REAL here, and they're asked to mount a search...

I totally agree, whilst I am pleased that he is safe I do also think that he is an inconsiderate little prick. It's not like there are a shortage of internet cafe's in BKK ! If he was my son I would not be a happy bunny!

[Buchholz]

one can't help but begin to think that perhaps, for whatever personal reasons he may have, that he isn't truly missing, but that he simply doesn't wish to have contact.

While I suspected this was the situation nearly three weeks ago, I was still willing to give him the final benefit and made only my tentative post then only speculative. Tom is certainly not alone in what he did. I've seen the same happen several times before and that is where my suspicions with him originated. It's an incredibly selfish thing to just drop out like that. Not only does it affect his family and friends strongly, it impacts even on complete strangers, who are less experienced in what humans are capable of.

Well, we still don't know whether it was really him and without info on the withdrawals it is impossible to tell if HE was taking money from his account or someone else. I am in Bangkok and would like to help - can't someone just please post the ATM locations and dates they were used at?

Read that, too. Still: we don't know if it's true, if it actually happened, if it really was him.

I find it difficult to help being in Bangkok and not having any further info locationwise.

Just drove past that soi yesterday after the football match - could be he only went there once, you could tell a lot from his withdrawals.

The other results from these selfish actions is that it taints the authorities into being lackadaisical when the next missing person report is filed. Potentially quite dangerous when that one may very well be legitimately missing. It also wastes a tremendous amount of manpower and resources.

If a person wants to drop out and tune in and flop on a beach smoking weed or whatever other nonsense Tomw was up to, go for it, but for God's sake (and those that may worry about you), frickin' let them know that is your intention, so that an international man-hunt isn't generated looking for your selfish ass.

[chooka]

And.......?

Don't we get any explanation as to where/why he went missing?

Sent from my GT-I9100T

It would be nice to know where he was found and what he was doing.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If a person wants to drop out and tune in and flop on a beach smoking weed or whatever other nonsense Tomw was up to, go for it, but for God's sake (and those that may worry about you), frickin' let them know that is your intention, so that an international man-hunt isn't generated looking for your selfish ass.

Ditto on that...and on the bad precedent this kind of thing sets for the Thai authorities responsible for the search.

I should add, though, knowing all too well the (lack of) quality of the news reporting here combined with the propensity for Thai authorities to not give full or accurate reports, I can't help wonder if something more/else was going on here that isn't being reported.

But if it's just as is being reported above, and nothing more sinister, it's pretty represensible.

[sfbandung]

Now concern turns to anger ...

[mrtoad]

Very thoughtless, glad for the family that he has been found.

Echo the state nets of others, that this sort of reckless, idiotic behaviour could make authorities less inclined to do something when it is a genuine missing person, as opposed to someone who has decided to opt out in Bangkok for a month.

[moe666]

heheheeh, and all the mean bad things Thais had done to this guy to make him disappear. When will a few of the posters here reign in their total dislike for Thais and there all Thais are bad people rants.

I guess Tom comes from the I am 21 crowd and can do as I please group without consideration for other people

[IMA_FARANG]

He's still young ... and not really capable of making a rational judgement yet.

Were you really at 21 years of age?

I know you will say that at 21 he should know what he's doing but we simply don't know what the situatlon is between him and his family.

He may be bored with his loving and over protective family and just didn't know how to tell them he had no desire to come back to England and live a "normal" life in a boring "white bread" world.

We just don't know what the situation is. Until we do, if we ever do, it's none of our business to try to guess.

At least he is safe.

[besth]

Now concern turns to anger ...

"Thank God you are OK"

"Why the f didn't you tell us that is what you wanted to do, you selfish @H?????"

I think that is quite a natural reaction for his family and friends to have.

The guy is not a 12 yo kid deciding to play hide and seek at the mall and taking it too far. He is old enough to decide what he wanted to do, but if he had a brain he would have cared about not making others suffer.

Having said all that, there may still be some information that we don't know and might explain things, but it seems highly unlikely.

[Pimay1]

If this was my son I would see to it he inlisted in the military. After a short time he would find out what respect and responsibility meant. Obviously he is lacking in both.

[phuturatica]

Would have been nice to have an explanation...

When I went travelling at his age, I was in contact with my family once a week at least. I bet he doesn't even realise what turmoil his family and friends have been going through whilst they've been looking for him.

Selfish.

[moe666]

If this was my son I would see to it he inlisted in the military. After a short time he would find out what respect and responsibility meant. Obviously he is lacking in both.

A bit of over reach there, since he is 21 probably tell you to f-------- off. But remember it was the stricken family who raised him too be less than consederate of them

[angsta]

So he wasn't lost in Thailand he just had failed to phone home and inform his parents of his change of plans?

Pretty inconsiderate but hardly news worthy for the BBC me thinks.

[animatic]

There seems to be an undercurrent of controling attitude about the father.

He has a 21 year old adult son, who doesn't do what he is told and goes into

an international panic and flies to Thailand in search of his prodigal.

I get the sense the kid purposely, ignored the home front to get a long over due break from them.

Never imagining daddy dearest would go multi-national panic button.

When he's lost control of little boy blue, daddy blows his horn long and loud.

Thinking to publicly shame the lad back under his thumb.

I think son found his first taste of real freedom in his whole life,

and just couldn't face getting back home, and return to the unwanted gaunlet of daddy's plans for his life.

That explains the obviously intentional lack of contacts to home and the rather fast panic button hit.

Just my 2 cents, but it fits the facts as presented IMHO.

Edited February 19, 2013 by animatic

[Pimay1]

If this was my son I would see to it he inlisted in the military. After a short time he would find out what respect and responsibility meant. Obviously he is lacking in both.

A bit of over reach there, since he is 21 probably tell you to f-------- off. But remember it was the stricken family who raised him too be less than consederate of them

No problems with your post other than I was only talking about if the boy was my son. Agree it appears he was not taught respect and responsibility from his parents. He would indeed probably tell them to f----- off.

[Semper]

And.......?

Don't we get any explanation as to where/why he went missing?

Sent from my GT-I9100T

It would be nice to know where he was found and what he was doing.

Indeed, but maybe his relatives didn't want to have it published for one or other reason.

[webfact]

Missing Brit found alive in Thailand

Tom Armstrong.

THAILAND: -- The family of missing British tourist Tom Armstrong, 22, has announced that their son is alive and well, after being reported missing while in Koh Tao earlier this year.

The BBC reported that Mr Armstrong had been found alive and well.

Mr Armstrong, from England, had been on a dive master course on Koh Tao since last April, but was due to return to the UK over Christmas.

However, his mother said he had postponed the journey back after “running into trouble” in Bangkok, and was instead due to catch a flight home on January 8.

Mr Armstrong never boarded the flight and had not been heard from since.

Police found that money had been withdrawn from Mr Armstrong's British bank account by someone in Bangkok in mid January.

Tom Armstrong’s father later came to Thailand in order to search for him, in collaboration with Thai authorities. Those authorities announced this morning that Mr Armstrong was “safe and well,” but did not elaborate beyond that description.

The East Anglian Daily Times quoted his mother Helen Armstrong-Bland, saying: “I’m not sure if he is aware of just how much coverage this has had in the media.

“I just want to thank everyone in the Saxmundham community, our close friends and family, and people from all over the world – complete strangers. We wouldn’t have found him without them.”

Tom’s disappearance sparked an international hunt – with an online appeal through social networking website Facebook revealing a potential sighting in the centre of Bangkok.

The sighting came almost three weeks after police revealed that money was withdrawn from his bank account in the city.

Source: http://www.thephuket...iland-37184.php

-- The Phuket news 2013-02-19

[sfbandung]

Now concern turns to anger ...

"Thank God you are OK"

"Why the f didn't you tell us that is what you wanted to do, you selfish @H?????"

I think that is quite a natural reaction for his family and friends to have.

The guy is not a 12 yo kid deciding to play hide and seek at the mall and taking it too far. He is old enough to decide what he wanted to do, but if he had a brain he would have cared about not making others suffer.

Having said all that, there may still be some information that we don't know and might explain things, but it seems highly unlikely.

That's exactly where I'm coming from. I have a 23 yr old son. If he pulled a stunt like this I'd be beside myself until I knew he was ok. But if it turns out he was goofing off without any regard for his family it would turn to anger very quickly.

But "my boy" would never do anything like this ....... Says naive parent ....

[jocko]

That's what they meant by "diving school," I guess...

[GentlemanJim]

So he wasn't lost in Thailand he just had failed to phone home and inform his parents of his change of plans?

Pretty inconsiderate but hardly news worthy for the BBC me thinks.

But they have only just found out it was not news worthy! Meanwhile everyone was conducting a manhunt.

There seems to be an undercurrent of controling attitude about the father.

He has a 21 year old adult son, who doesn't do what he is told and goes into

an international panic and flies to Thailand in search of his prodigal.

I get the sense the kid purposely, ignored the home front to get a long over due break from them.

Never imagining daddy dearest would go multi-national panic button.

When he's lost control of little boy blue, daddy blows his horn long and loud.

Thinking to publicly shame the lad back under his thumb.

I think son found his first taste of real freedom in his whole life,

and just couldn't face getting back home, and return to the unwanted gaunlet of daddy's plans for his life.

That explains the obviously intentional lack of contacts to home and the rather fast panic button hit.

Just my 2 cents, but it fits the facts as presented IMHO.

I think that's a completely unfair assessment of the situation, and does not fit in with the facts does it. The guy emailed his parents on Jan 6 saying he was flying home on Jan 9. So there you are as the father, go to pick your son up from the airport.....no show...<deleted>! What do you mean he never boarded the aircraft...he said he was flying back on this flight. Wait several nerve racking days and nothing, you call the embassy, call the Thai police...nothing. Is it really an over controlling Father that then hits the panic button, or someone who cares for the welfare of their now missing son? I am sometimes amazed as to how peoples perceptions of a situation can be so far apart when it's the same information available.

[animatic]

So he wasn't lost in Thailand he just had failed to phone home and inform his parents of his change of plans?

Pretty inconsiderate but hardly news worthy for the BBC me thinks.

But they have only just found out it was not news worthy! Meanwhile everyone was conducting a manhunt.

There seems to be an undercurrent of controling attitude about the father.

He has a 21 year old adult son, who doesn't do what he is told and goes into

an international panic and flies to Thailand in search of his prodigal.

I get the sense the kid purposely, ignored the home front to get a long over due break from them.

Never imagining daddy dearest would go multi-national panic button.

When he's lost control of little boy blue, daddy blows his horn long and loud.

Thinking to publicly shame the lad back under his thumb.

I think son found his first taste of real freedom in his whole life,

and just couldn't face getting back home, and return to the unwanted gaunlet of daddy's plans for his life.

That explains the obviously intentional lack of contacts to home and the rather fast panic button hit.

Just my 2 cents, but it fits the facts as presented IMHO.

I think that's a completely unfair assessment of the situation, and does not fit in with the facts does it. The guy emailed his parents on Jan 6 saying he was flying home on Jan 9. So there you are as the father, go to pick your son up from the airport.....no show...<deleted>! What do you mean he never boarded the aircraft...he said he was flying back on this flight. Wait several nerve racking days and nothing, you call the embassy, call the Thai police...nothing. Is it really an over controlling Father that then hits the panic button, or someone who cares for the welfare of their now missing son? I am sometimes amazed as to how peoples perceptions of a situation can be so far apart when it's the same information available.

Whatever, obviously there are definite issues between them, or the dolt would have sent a follow up email.

They would have sent emails and he would have seen them, he had the money for internet cafe's, he ignored them. He obviously did not want contact. But also he did not think they would go beserker either.

Edited February 19, 2013 by animatic

[lemonjelly]

And.......?

Don't we get any explanation as to where/why he went missing?

Sent from my GT-I9100T

Why do you need an explanation ?

Are you his guardian ?

[tmd5855]

Based on the "facts" presented thus far in the news reports here, it seems he was pretty thoughtless regarding his family.

Even without a mobile phone, there's many other ways to stay in touch or communicate...if one has the consideration to do so.

I wonder what the Thai authorities will be thinking the next time a farang goes missing for REAL here, and they're asked to mount a search...

I totally agree, whilst I am pleased that he is safe I do also think that he is an inconsiderate little prick. It's not like there are a shortage of internet cafe's in BKK ! If he was my son I would not be a happy bunny!

Agree 100%. If he were my son, i would be very saddened that a child of mine would be so flippant and thoughtless of his family.

wonder if he got in touch first?

"Hey dad, could you send out some.........

what you saying.........

Jeez pop the time flew past..................

Ye I know I will next time.....................

Now about the money..........................

what 'no', what you mean 'No'...............................

You lot have never loved me"???

[theajarn]

So he wasn't lost in Thailand he just had failed to phone home and inform his parents of his change of plans?

Pretty inconsiderate but hardly news worthy for the BBC me thinks.

But they have only just found out it was not news worthy! Meanwhile everyone was conducting a manhunt.

There seems to be an undercurrent of controling attitude about the father.

He has a 21 year old adult son, who doesn't do what he is told and goes into

an international panic and flies to Thailand in search of his prodigal.

I get the sense the kid purposely, ignored the home front to get a long over due break from them.

Never imagining daddy dearest would go multi-national panic button.

When he's lost control of little boy blue, daddy blows his horn long and loud.

Thinking to publicly shame the lad back under his thumb.

I think son found his first taste of real freedom in his whole life,

and just couldn't face getting back home, and return to the unwanted gaunlet of daddy's plans for his life.

That explains the obviously intentional lack of contacts to home and the rather fast panic button hit.

Just my 2 cents, but it fits the facts as presented IMHO.

I think that's a completely unfair assessment of the situation, and does not fit in with the facts does it. The guy emailed his parents on Jan 6 saying he was flying home on Jan 9. So there you are as the father, go to pick your son up from the airport.....no show...<deleted>! What do you mean he never boarded the aircraft...he said he was flying back on this flight. Wait several nerve racking days and nothing, you call the embassy, call the Thai police...nothing. Is it really an over controlling Father that then hits the panic button, or someone who cares for the welfare of their now missing son? I am sometimes amazed as to how peoples perceptions of a situation can be so far apart when it's the same information available.

I think it's a perfect assessment of the situation, coming from a dysfunctional family myself. We HAD to email our dad EVERYTHING we were doing. When you grow up under this amount of control, it's difficult to wrest back control of your own life and make decisions for yourself. What PROBABLY happened here is that Tom did what he was PROBABLY 'programmed' to do by his father by sending that last email, and then realised "Wait... THIS is my chance... it's now or never... who gives a shit if I am disowned? I can easily make a living here... all by myself. Freedom at last!" So he decides to bolt. Of course the dad is concerned -- any control freak will be. My dad would have done the same, rest his soul. There's something that needs to be understood about the nature of parents that are absolute control freaks. Most people don't understand this... these parents are NOT f*ing normal. They have it in their sick minds that they OWN you. Don't matter that you're already old enough to look after yourself. These parents believe that they've invested enough time and money in their offspring that ultimately make them mere objects to control. Sadly this condition cannot be treated -- you cannot tell such a parent that it is WRONG to treat their kids like that. They simply DO NOT understand and they will just be offended all the more like: "<deleted> do YOU know about my kids... _I_ am his dad... not you, go f-- off!".

That is, if I'm right about this guy's relationship with his dad. If I'm wrong, I'll take off my tinfoil hat and would gladly apologise to his folks (and kick the shit out of Tom for being such a jerk).

Edited February 19, 2013 by theajarn