British man rescued from Si Saket forest

[johnefallis]

Awesome. Welcome home Alex.

[chrisinth]

...there is still something 'not right' in all of this..

...wasn't the initial report 7 or 8 days....???

...and if he has this condition, why would he be allowed to drive anywhere alone....

....I would guess....he is of no more use to his wife....(no disrespect intended towards him)....some of us have experienced that predicament already.....

Unfortunately when most posters base their speculations on a professional reporter's story in the Pattaya Daily News, and at a later stage actual facts are added to the story, confusion often reigns................

[Jim walker]

Nice to have some good news on TV for a change it was always doom and gloom comments & stories in the past, I hope he makes a full recovery from his forest ordeal and remember to take mosquito cream with him the next time he goes walk about.

Edited September 18, 2013 by metisdead
Large font reset to normal, please stop posting using overly large font.

[gmac]

Wonder if all those making accusations towards the wife in the other post will turn up here.

Maybe the wife dumped him in the forest!! I love a good conspiracy theory.

[Fookhaht]

...and if he has this condition, why would he be allowed to drive anywhere alone....

Don't forget you're not living in a nanny state. 10 year old kids driving vans (national newspaper--which cannot be mentioned here---article a couple years ago), and 10-12 year olds driving motorbikes on the public roads all over the country. You think the law enforcement wing of the gov't would spend time chasing down a 60 year old with dementia? (Let alone the locals?) Hardly.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Fookhaht

[sirchai]

Wow I wonder how he got lost. It is a jungle in that location but there is always the river to find your way! He was on the other side of the river from my home. One side is jungle and one side is full of houses. Oh well, glad our fisherman got him back to safety.

Hello. Wouldn't it be an act of humanity to go to said hospital to visit the guy if he might need some help?

He might have an insurance that would cover a private hospital in Sisaket, or Ubon?

.Even if it's just for a chat.-

[slipperylobster]

Not a good place for him.... time for him to go back to Britain

[WhizBang]

Glad to know he is safe but I do not understand why his wife never reported him missing in the 1st place !!!!!!!

If you suggest to a Thai that they should call the police over some incident (ie: missing person), they will laugh at you and tell you the police will not do anything, at least not without being paid first.

Glad to hear the guy is ok and wasn't 'made' dead, as so many feared.

Edited September 18, 2013 by WhizBang

[arminbkk]

Wonder if all those making accusations towards the wife in the other post will turn up here.

The way the previous report was written gave a different idea of the circumstances than this article does.

Now it says the guy had been missing since 14th and the wife later reported him missing.

The other article reported 7-8 days missing.

Anyway, good that he is safe now. Well, at least he is found.

Whether the wife waited too long to report him missing to the police, well, opinions differ on that.

[Baerboxer]

Thai wife wants him dead insurance money,. why do people think different to this.

Because most people aren't as enlightened as you, with gifted psychic powers.

Oh, and most of us have developed beyond the "witch hunt mentalities" of a few hundred years ago.

You should look up Thailand's defamation laws too and ask someone to explain them to you.

[bander]

Happy ending for that guy ..... poor man !!! but I still dont understand why the wife has waited so long to inform the police ... anyway the essential is that he is alive .... Thanks to the rescuers.

She didn't inform police in the first place, but admitted he was missing many days already when they question her about the husband.

Something fishy about this story.

"Mr. Walton′s wife said he had a mental disability and tends to "black out" when he is stressed. "Sometimes he does things without being aware of it," his wife said."

Why didn't she tell this to the police the first time they contacted her so they could make a search for him in the jungle?

[adjustedpete]

I was just talking to the tourist police guy from Ubon. ( Sisaket belongs to Ubon as well) and I'd like to find out if anybody knows this guy? I can't go and talk to him before Saturday, as I'm not in Sisaket right now.

There're some issues I won't discuss on TVF. Please contact me if you know him. Thanks.- .

See!!! there are good expats in Thailand. You, sir are a gentleman. All you others take notes. This is what real people do...I bet my last dollar that Mr Walton is in need of a friend right now, and there are plenty of you who have time on their hands that could easily do what sirchai is doing at little cost to you but help a fellow human alot.

[ericthai]

Wonder if all those making accusations towards the wife in the other post will turn up

In yesterdays report, he was Derek Walton missing for 7-8 days,, today he is Alex Walton. and been missing 3-4 days, is there something more fishy than the reporting to do with this story ? Glad to see Mr Walton is still with us:)

Dont you know by now.. The stories any of these so called journalists write are at best 80% correct. This happens all the time. One day the story is this, next day the story is that. Allot of times in the same story they contradict themselves. Dont believe everything you read. If the story sounds fishy, most likely it's bad reporting.

As for some of the post about this guy the other day saying his wife and her boyfriend killed him, this, that etc. I really don't understand why so many posters here on TV think so bad of Thai's. I mean do you really believe every Thai is out to get every dime you have and kill you if need be? If you do then maybe it's time to leave Thailand.

I have been living and working in Thailand for all most 20 years. All the Thai's I have worked with, had relationships with I have never had an issue with any of them. None of them tried to steel money from me. I have had ex-pats try to cheat me, but no Thai's.

I know of guys being cheated in the USA too, i think it can happen anywhere you just need to choose your friends and business partners wisely and dont do stupid things. If you think you cant trust your wife and think she is going to kill you to get your money then why are you married to her? I see guys saying you need to be more valuable alive than dead. I mean really??? That is how bad your relationship is? Then I hear the same thing all the time. Well, my wife/Girlfriend is not like that but a friend of mine told me about this guy. I'm not saying it dont happen, I just dont think it is as common as everyone makes it sound.

[KuhnPaen]

That forest out there is no joke. Used to hike into Cambodia with the GF's family to buy cigarettes. I always thought if they ditched me that I would be screwed. He is one lucky guy.

[harleyd61]

tends to "black out" when he is stressed.

and he has a thai wife??

[Thai at Heart]

Hopefully it is just alittle dementia and a few pills will lessen the symptoms. I really hope he was not running away because he was scared of his wife and her friends, because if he was he is going to go right back to the lions den when they release him from the hospital.

A few pills can not deal with dementia, taking certain pills continuously might or might not be effective because dementia / Alzheimer is caused after people get aged, some are lucky, some are not.

Due to his mental problems he is obviously no longer able to assess matters and activities clearly, hence his strange departure from home into the forest, leaving his car in a heavy bog and then disappears into the forest, and then crying for rescue.

Due to all of this he needs someone to look after him, his wife does not appear to do it, so he must find someone else, lets hope he will find someone.

Having had my father in law live with us for 8 months after it became apparent that mother in law wasn't able to manage, it's basically obvious to me that whilst Thais know how to care for someone in general, they know nothing about how to handle a specific illness.

I am sure this poor man is being carted for OK, but no one understands that he probably had Alzheimer's and how to handle it best.

[plachon]

That forest out there is no joke. Used to hike into Cambodia with the GF's family to buy cigarettes. I always thought if they ditched me that I would be screwed. He is one lucky guy.

Thing is, Rasi Salai is no where near border with Cambodia, it's the other end of Sisaket in the north bordering Roi-Et. The report say he was found in "PaaTharm", or local name for seasonally flooded forest that borders the banks of the river Mun and other lowland rivers in Isaan. It is more often referred to as "paa boong paa thaam" and although there is not a lot left as it has mostly been cleared for agriculture and eucalyptus plantation, when you do wander into it unprepared, it is easy to get lost and disoriented. Added to which the shrubs, bamboo and trees tend to be very thorny and dense, especially in the rainy season, and one can imagine a stressed out elderly man panicing, possibly suffering from a blackout and getting hopelessly lost. For villagers it is a rich source of various food items, but he wouldn't have had a clue what was edible and what was poisonous without local knowledge. He was lucky he was found, but the question remains, what was he doing in there in the first place, so far away from his home in Kalasin?

Edited September 18, 2013 by plachon

[saakura]

But really....should he be allowed to drive on the road ? Blackouts ?

Oh wait...thailand...yeah

What's Thailand got to do with it? If he indeed has one, do you know if he declared to the driving license issuing authorities that he suffers such blackouts? Or would you know if his wife had in the past dissuaded him from driving? I would blame the guy himself for putting him and so many others at risk.

[Colabamumbai]

Thanks goodness for a happy ending....

[EricBerg]

Thanks goodness for a happy ending....

There's a good moment to lock this topic. Way too many silly comments...

[noitom]

Happy ending for that guy ..... poor man !!! but I still dont understand why the wife has waited so long to inform the police ... anyway the essential is that he is alive .... Thanks to the rescuers.

Because this isn't Europe. People don't go to the police automatically as their first choice with problems here. They try to sort out themselves first. The report says she was looking for him with neighbours, friends etc. Also this report says missing since 14th. Thais have a different sense of urgency to Westerners concerning most things.

And boy do they and how.

[Mosha]

The Thai people are a tight - cloistered group. Based on what was reported the neighbors were alerted and looking for him...and probably aware of his needs/condition through past experience. Proably there is a history of him running/wandering/disoriented taking off and being returned home by someone that is helpful........they tend to keep problems in house/village.....

It seems that this man should not be driving and may have short & long term lapses....possibly took the keys and car in a lucid state that turned into something different.....Why no report of "missing" before - anyones guess......

My step dad had dementia & I took him into my home when it was too much for my mom to handle....3 months later after virually no sleep I was forced to put him in a "home" where his needs could be better met. He expired there.....

I wouldn't be too eager to condemn the wife if the condition is similar...wandering off is a regular occurance....

It is fortunate that he was found safe, (sound?), and is getting medical treatment.

For the people here that like to trash the Thai's - do it selectively - most are very decent people......

You tend to judge people at your own level - better look in the mirror first.....

Been there, got the t-shirt. Even your own family have no idea what you go through. In it's very early stages dad got lost 1/2 mile from home. He ended up a mile away trying doors. Someone stopped him, and dad knew the street name. Someone brought him home. If this guy has Alzheimers, I pity his family

[noitom]

That forest out there is no joke. Used to hike into Cambodia with the GF's family to buy cigarettes. I always thought if they ditched me that I would be screwed. He is one lucky guy.

Thing is, Rasi Salai is no where near border with Cambodia, it's the other end of Sisaket in the north bordering Roi-Et. The report say he was found in "PaaTharm", or local name for seasonally flooded forest that borders the banks of the river Mun and other lowland rivers in Isaan. It is more often referred to as "paa boong paa thaam" and although there is not a lot left as it has mostly been cleared for agriculture and eucalyptus plantation, when you do wander into it unprepared, it is easy to get lost and disoriented. Added to which the shrubs, bamboo and trees tend to be very thorny and dense, especially in the rainy season, and one can imagine a stressed out elderly man panicing, possibly suffering from a blackout and getting hopelessly lost. For villagers it is a rich source of various food items, but he wouldn't have had a clue what was edible and what was poisonous without local knowledge. He was lucky he was found, but the question remains, what was he doing in there in the first place, so far away from his home in Kalasin?

Good question. Was he worth more dead than alive? Maybe he was dropped there, and of course no expected him to be found much less come out.

[ThaiFelix]

Glad to hear you made it Walt and I would imagine your wife is very relieved as well. My wife would be worried sick.

[sirchai]

I was just talking to the tourist police guy from Ubon. ( Sisaket belongs to Ubon as well) and I'd like to find out if anybody knows this guy? I can't go and talk to him before Saturday, as I'm not in Sisaket right now.

There're some issues I won't discuss on TVF. Please contact me if you know him. Thanks.- .

See!!! there are good expats in Thailand. You, sir are a gentleman. All you others take notes. This is what real people do...I bet my last dollar that Mr Walton is in need of a friend right now, and there are plenty of you who have time on their hands that could easily do what sirchai is doing at little cost to you but help a fellow human alot.

Thanks for your nice words. You're absolutely right about it. A guy from Ubon contacted me, if he couldn't come with me when I'm visiting him on Saturday.

I'm wondering that not even one from Kalasin area who knows him, or anybody who'd met him before, had written anything

Find it hard to believe that one guy reported that "the fishermen from his village" did such a good job......not even trying to visit him, living only a few meters away from the hospital.

Imagine it was a relative of yours. Would you still write some bs? And how would you react? Many expats have something in common.-

[Somtamnication]

Wonder if all those making accusations towards the wife in the other post will turn up here.

I'm here!!!

So wife had no concern and did not report him missing for all those days? Ok, check to see if he has any head or neck injuries. TV CSI member fully active!

[The Usual Suspect]

I'm just glad I didn't have to read another story about a dead farang found in the forest. Lucky man, he is.

[mikemac]

Dont you know by now.. The stories any of these so called journalists write are at best 80% correct. This happens all the time. One day the story is this, next day the story is that. Allot of times in the same story they contradict themselves. Dont believe everything you read. If the story sounds fishy, most likely it's bad reporting.

As for some of the post about this guy the other day saying his wife and her boyfriend killed him, this, that etc. I really don't understand why so many posters here on TV think so bad of Thai's. I mean do you really believe every Thai is out to get every dime you have and kill you if need be? If you do then maybe it's time to leave Thailand.

I have been living and working in Thailand for all most 20 years. All the Thai's I have worked with, had relationships with I have never had an issue with any of them. None of them tried to steel money from me. I have had ex-pats try to cheat me, but no Thai's.

I know of guys being cheated in the USA too, i think it can happen anywhere you just need to choose your friends and business partners wisely and dont do stupid things. If you think you cant trust your wife and think she is going to kill you to get your money then why are you married to her? I see guys saying you need to be more valuable alive than dead. I mean really??? That is how bad your relationship is? Then I hear the same thing all the time. Well, my wife/Girlfriend is not like that but a friend of mine told me about this guy. I'm not saying it dont happen, I just dont think it is as common as everyone makes it sound.

Well put, mate. I could not agree more.

Most of the foreigners I have known in Thailand who are married to Thai ladies are happily married, myself included. The few who suffered failed marriages were at least 50% responsible for the breakdown, and some of them actually had the guts to admit it.

Thailand is no different to any other country when it comes to selecting a wife, but some of the guys here seem to rush into it and marry the first girl/lady who pays any attention to them and cannot wait to put a ring on their finger. Some animals in the wild put more thought into it.

I spent a year with my wife before we were actually married and she has spent the last 4 years proving I made the right decision.

The only difference between being "cheated" here, and rolled in Western countries, is that it will probably cost you a lot more "back home".

Many of the people on this forum should never have come to live here, let mind enter a relationship with a local. If they can't make a marriage work with one of their own kind, what hope do they have with someone from from a totally different culture ?

[timewilltell]

Guess the spirits were with him after all. Happy for the fellow and hope he gets some treatment for his mental issues. A happy ending at last!

[mikemac]

I'm here!!!

So wife had no concern and did not report him missing for all those days? Ok, check to see if he has any head or neck injuries. TV CSI member fully active!

The CSI team deals in facts and hard, physical evidence. The TV amateur sleuths rely on hare-brained notions and other poster's dribble.