Friends bid to repatriate body of killed Briton Sam Austin

[Jip99]

Bury or burn me in Thailand when I go

Why cost so many so much to move dead person me around the world?

Regards

Wonder if you would have been equally unempathetic if it was your child??

So according to your "philosophy" they could just have left the victims of M17 in a field in Ukraine!!

I think that is a bit dramatic.

Nuddy's point is only a poorly worded version of what The Siem Reaper posted early on in the thread.

I am also totally opposed to repatriating bodies but (particularly in the case of a premature death) the decision must be the families. It must also be their burden if the deceased chose not to take out travel insurance.

I am of the view that, via the British Embassy, 50% of the repatriation costs should be covered - after all Mr Sam Austin is never going to be a burden on the State.

[slygeeza]

Not many people aware of it, but last year there were nearly 400 fatalities of British people alone

in Thailand, and that's says it all....

"and that's says it all......"

Yes but maybe not the way you intended!!

For half the numbers of visitors to Thailand last year Swedish fatalities was about 100.

So the mortality rate amongst the Brits are twice that of the Swedes.

Makes you wonder why!! Maybe Thailand is not to blame alone............

not saying theres not a lot of violence in Thailand at the moment, Ive been attacked several times myself recently, but you have to remember that quite a few Brits retire here and retired people do generally die at some stage of their retirement

[Acharn]

Another "Tragic Accident" ? yeah right, dont tell me, suspected suicide, this is getting beyond a joke. How many more bodies will pile up before something is "actually done" !

It can only be suspected suicide if his hands were tied behind his back. Also, too, did he fall off a high balcony at a rented condo? Has to be eighth floor or higher.

[JOC]

Sam Austin ! Much be a new arabic surname.

Please keep your racist slur out of this thread!!

[SOTIRIOS]

.....sorry but.......does.........'shrouded in mystery'='coverup'.......???

[sambum]

JOC, on 22 Nov 2014 - 13:21, said:

What about the British Embassy for once doing the decent thing??

Get the poor guys body home and worry about the monetary aspects later!!

Sorry, but it's not the British taxpayer that is responsible for repatriation. That's what travel insurance is for.

I note the victim's friend states:

Mr Russell, a chef, said: "I always thought that a British passport was a ticket to get back home if anything happens to you but it does not work like that

"If you are not insured, then your family and friends have to raise the money to repatriate."

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Appeal-launched-bring-home-Sam-Austin-s-body/story-24583021-detail/story.html

His friend, Jon Russell, said: "The plan was to move to Thailand, find a job and live there and when you live there you don't really get travel insurance."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-30142309

Well, you do get travel insurance if you want to save your friends and family the trouble of raising the money themselves. I note that nearly £11,000 has been raised on a fundraising page for the victim's body to be repatriated.

If you have an accident abroad and are lucky enough to survive then repatriation will cost in excess of £30,000.

As much as I have sympathy for the young man and his family and friends, the small cost of insurance saves additional heartache if something untoward occurs whilst abroad.

This happens so often and is well documented but still people do not learn.

Anyway, RIP to Mr Austin.

Agreed about the travel insurance - small price to pay for peace of mind if you are on holiday. However, I can also agree with the point raised above by his friend regarding travel insurance while you're living here. The answer is usually to take out a sort of resident's insurance, but this can be expensive as you get older (at age 65+ you are talking in terms of 3000+ pounds a year for a decent policy.) However, the poor lad sounds as if he didn't have time to arrange anything.

[luckyman]

What about the British Embassy for once doing the decent thing??

Get the poor guys body home and worry about the monetary aspects later!!

On average, cost of transporting a dead body back home is 10 times the cost of an economy return ticket.

For example, flying a dead body back to the Netherlands costs approx. € 10.000,-

[phantomfiddler]

500.000 baht for transporting a body from Thailand to the UK??

Even in a tragedy there is clearly money to be made!! Humanity?? My backside!!

It was Robert Burns, the scottish poet, who I believe coined the phrase ",Tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good"

[12DrinkMore]

Bury or burn me in Thailand when I go

Why cost so many so much to move dead person me around the world?

Regards

Wonder if you would have been equally unempathetic if it was your child??

So according to your "philosophy" they could just have left the victims of M17 in a field in Ukraine!!

I think that is a bit dramatic.

Nuddy's point is only a poorly worded version of what The Siem Reaper posted early on in the thread.

I am also totally opposed to repatriating bodies but (particularly in the case of a premature death) the decision must be the families. It must also be their burden if the deceased chose not to take out travel insurance.

I am of the view that, via the British Embassy, 50% of the repatriation costs should be covered - after all Mr Sam Austin is never going to be a burden on the State.

He would be if his repatriation was paid for.

Maybe we can take it a bit further along the same lines?

He should be charged for NOT making his contribution to the State.

[Basil B]

What about the British Embassy for once doing the decent thing??

Get the poor guys body home and worry about the monetary aspects later!!

Sorry but as a tax payer why should we pay the thousands required to repatriate him?

He could not be bothered to get insurance, going to get a job in Thailand?

Lot cheaper to have him cremated in Thailand and have his ashes sent back to the UK.

If he paid NI he (his family) may be able to get the £2,000 bereavement payout.

[alanrchase]

Not many people aware of it, but last year there were nearly 400 fatalities of British people alone

in Thailand, and that's says it all....

"and that's says it all......"

Yes but maybe not the way you intended!!

For half the numbers of visitors to Thailand last year Swedish fatalities was about 100.

So the mortality rate amongst the Brits are twice that of the Swedes.

Makes you wonder why!! Maybe Thailand is not to blame alone............

not saying theres not a lot of violence in Thailand at the moment, Ive been attacked several times myself recently, but you have to remember that quite a few Brits retire here and retired people do generally die at some stage of their retirement

You been attacked several times recently? Please expand. Where, what time, by whom.

[12DrinkMore]

500.000 baht for transporting a body from Thailand to the UK??

Even in a tragedy there is clearly money to be made!! Humanity?? My backside!!

It was Robert Burns, the scottish poet, who I believe coined the phrase ",Tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good"

Nope,

It was John Hayward,l 1546.

"An yll wynde that blowth no man to good, men say"

[JOC]

Oh the irony!!

Remember a while back, the Thai government suggested a compulsory insurrance to be bought by entering the Kingdom?? The poster response here was very negative (to say it mildly).

If that insurrance had been in place, it would have saved a lot of headache for the family of this young man!!

[bkkcanuck8]

Not sure a 26 year old lad would know all of the intricate dangers and details needed to cover all of his bases. I believe it's the government's responsibility to warn and educate these young people on the best course of action before travelling to these countries.

He is not a child, just an irresponsible adult.

Supposedly adults are suppose to be responsible for their actions....

Now you have the UK government required to educate people before they travel? Now that is a nanny state. There is lots of information on the internet (which I assume that being 26 years old he would know how to google) for people to educate themselves before they travel. Next you will want people to attend mandatory courses before they get their passport for travel. Or you want the government to provide all sorts of services through their embassies for people that were not responsible. These cost money, so I would expect them to raise the cost of the passport to a couple of thousand GBP to cover the cost of all these non-essential services to people that may or may not pay UK taxes.

I guess the same could be said for the tragic deaths of David and Hannah when their irresponsible actions brought them to the island of Koh Tao.

And where did I say his responsibility lead to his death in this case. When you travel outside of your country though you are taking yourself outside of your countries jurisdiction and into another independant country. And as much as people don't want to admit it, Thailand is not a colony of the UK.... Once you leave the country you enter another, and it is their jurisdiction. If you don't trust that jurisdiction - don't visit there.... When I left Canada, I left their jurisdiction, and they have no responsibility for me. I don't pay taxes there, and if I die under "suspicious circumstances" (which for someone young to die - is always termed suspicious until known) Canada still has no responsibility for me.

Now I was responding to someone earlier and he was indicating that the 26 year old was young and not irresponsible (burdening others for expenses) because he was too young and saw himself as indestructible. That the government should set up a fund to cover the costs like this. Well if a 26 year old not personally responsible and the fund has to step in and cover costs for it death.... then that 26 year old is also not responsible for hospital bills because of the lack of insurance because he was young and indestructible. So now you have this fund having to cover those costs. This fund has now grown to cover pretty-well all of what travel insurance is suppose to cover. An earlier poster was saying, he did not buy it because he was travelling and travel insurance was too expensive it is not cheap. So now this fund has to pay for all those costs since a majority of the cost of insurance is paid out in expenses.... which means you have to create a version of public health and death benefits to cover travellers which add up and if it is restricted to just having those that use a passport - will increase the cost of the passport to thousands of GBP to cover the expenses .... because this is not cheap and it has to cover the length of the passport on average.

Sorry, not buying it.

[Baerboxer]

Sam Austin ! Much be a new arabic surname.

Please keep your racist slur out of this thread!!

The important point is that a young man died, and the reporting here seems to be very lacking, as does any information regarding where it happened and the circumstances. Almost as if there is a desire to keep it out the news.

Unfortunate that a thread about someone dying draws a racist remark. And an incorrect one too. The linked reports reveal the deceased mother's name, which is a common Indian first name.

[Finlaco]

more as a fyi than specific to this case -- if u cremate the body first, then the repatriation costs are significantly reduced

[murphya33]

500.000 baht for transporting a body from Thailand to the UK??

Even in a tragedy there is clearly money to be made!! Humanity?? My backside!!

I don't think you know anything about what is required to send a corpse on a plane

[12DrinkMore]

more as a fyi than specific to this case -- if u cremate the body first, then the repatriation costs are significantly reduced

Especially if you release them to the winds.......

[skippy]

Sam Austin ! Much be a new arabic surname.

Please keep your racist slur out of this thread!!

The important point is that a young man died, and the reporting here seems to be very lacking, as does any information regarding where it happened and the circumstances. Almost as if there is a desire to keep it out the news.

Unfortunate that a thread about someone dying draws a racist remark. And an incorrect one too. The linked reports reveal the deceased mother's name, which is a common Indian first name.

Nothing racist about by comment.

[harrycallahan]

Parent(s) fly to Thailand, view body, talk to police establish what is known etc. Body is cremated, at 3rd world price, and flys home as cabin luggage.

[dcutman]

Not sure a 26 year old lad would know all of the intricate dangers and details needed to cover all of his bases. I believe it's the government's responsibility to warn and educate these young people on the best course of action before travelling to these countries.

He is not a child, just an irresponsible adult.

Supposedly adults are suppose to be responsible for their actions....

Now you have the UK government required to educate people before they travel? Now that is a nanny state. There is lots of information on the internet (which I assume that being 26 years old he would know how to google) for people to educate themselves before they travel. Next you will want people to attend mandatory courses before they get their passport for travel. Or you want the government to provide all sorts of services through their embassies for people that were not responsible. These cost money, so I would expect them to raise the cost of the passport to a couple of thousand GBP to cover the cost of all these non-essential services to people that may or may not pay UK taxes.

I guess the same could be said for the tragic deaths of David and Hannah when their irresponsible actions brought them to the island of Koh Tao.

And where did I say his responsibility lead to his death in this case. When you travel outside of your country though you are taking yourself outside of your countries jurisdiction and into another independant country. And as much as people don't want to admit it, Thailand is not a colony of the UK.... Once you leave the country you enter another, and it is their jurisdiction. If you don't trust that jurisdiction - don't visit there.... When I left Canada, I left their jurisdiction, and they have no responsibility for me. I don't pay taxes there, and if I die under "suspicious circumstances" (which for someone young to die - is always termed suspicious until known) Canada still has no responsibility for me.

Now I was responding to someone earlier and he was indicating that the 26 year old was young and not irresponsible (burdening others for expenses) because he was too young and saw himself as indestructible. That the government should set up a fund to cover the costs like this. Well if a 26 year old not personally responsible and the fund has to step in and cover costs for it death.... then that 26 year old is also not responsible for hospital bills because of the lack of insurance because he was young and indestructible. So now you have this fund having to cover those costs. This fund has now grown to cover pretty-well all of what travel insurance is suppose to cover. An earlier poster was saying, he did not buy it because he was travelling and travel insurance was too expensive it is not cheap. So now this fund has to pay for all those costs since a majority of the cost of insurance is paid out in expenses.... which means you have to create a version of public health and death benefits to cover travellers which add up and if it is restricted to just having those that use a passport - will increase the cost of the passport to thousands of GBP to cover the expenses .... because this is not cheap and it has to cover the length of the passport on average.

Sorry, not buying it.

Not asking you to buy anything.

Unless you know this young man personally and the specifics of his demise you should not be spouting of about "He is not a child, just an irresponsible adult".

Lets assume he was most irresponsible, and his family or friends have no means of getting him home. You would be ok with just letting one of your own countrymen be left in a foreign country? Really?

Now consider how so much of your tax payments are spent on the most ridiculous things.

I for one would not have a problem spending some tax dollars repatriating one of my countrymen when their family has no means to do it.

I can respect your opinion, but it is truly heartless.

efore you go spouting off about how irresponsible this guy was, maybe gets some facts first.

[murphya33]

Not many people aware of it, but last year there were nearly 400 fatalities of British people alone

in Thailand, and that's says it all....

"and that's says it all......"

Yes but maybe not the way you intended!!

For half the numbers of visitors to Thailand last year Swedish fatalities was about 100.

So the mortality rate amongst the Brits are twice that of the Swedes.

Makes you wonder why!! Maybe Thailand is not to blame alone............

not saying theres not a lot of violence in Thailand at the moment, Ive been attacked several times myself recently, but you have to remember that quite a few Brits retire here and retired people do generally die at some stage of their retirement

You've been attacked several times eh? Oh you poor guy. Let me guess. You had been drinking and started getting loud and aggressive or refused to pay a bill so somebody put you in your place. Maybe its time to take responsibility for your own actions and stop blaming others for everything. .

[rhondda]

What about the British Embassy for once doing the decent thing??

Get the poor guys body home and worry about the monetary aspects later!!

I have worked in a large Bangkok private hospital for the last 10 years and the number of tourists who are foolish enough not to take out insurance is legion, not just Brits but other nationalities too. If the British government paid to repatriate those who are uninsured, whether dead or maimed, then the costs would be excessive.

Just think that this happens in all countries where Brits travel and not just in Thailand do you think that the UK government should pay for everyone who is uninsured. And what about those who find themselves in hospital without the ability to pay, should the government stump up for their considerable bills too (and in every other country).

I deal with many embassies in Bangkok and none of them pay to repatriate their nationals.

[paz]

You've been attacked several times eh? Oh you poor guy. Let me guess. You had been drinking and started getting loud and aggressive or refused to pay a bill so somebody put you in your place. Maybe its time to take responsibility for your own actions and stop blaming others for everything. .

What if you guessed wrong? By your attitude you don't seem to have enough balance to make educated assumptions.

[green job]

One thing that it easy to reconise,by the nature of most of these posts is.....That Thai-ness must be catching.

[Carrerakiss]

RIP.

I hate it when people don't buy insurance, don't arrange self-insurance -- then expect the taxpayer to "do the right thing". The right thing is not to be a burden on others. I have told my sister that if I die here - that the cheapest option is the best option and whatever remains in the estate should be used to help out friends of mine (which she has been introduced to) from time-to-time. If there is an option to "feed me to the fishes" at a discount rate - then so be it.

The embassy is not there to be a social service... that is not it's function.

I hate it when dodgy stuff gets covered up

Agreed. The issue of getting a the body home, whilst an emotional issue for the family, is not THE issue. The big thing is, why are there NO details of the death. Not even where it happened.

The only assumption I can make is that the press have been told not to report deaths of tourist foreigners so as not to cast a pall over the upcoming tourist season. I know this guy wasn't a true tourist, but in doubt he had a work permit or a wife, so probably counted as a tourist.

I may be completely wrong, but what other possibility is there?

[dcutman]

What about the British Embassy for once doing the decent thing??

Get the poor guys body home and worry about the monetary aspects later!!

I have worked in a large Bangkok private hospital for the last 10 years and the number of tourists who are foolish enough not to take out insurance is legion, not just Brits but other nationalities too. If the British government paid to repatriate those who are uninsured, whether dead or maimed, then the costs would be excessive.

Just think that this happens in all countries where Brits travel and not just in Thailand do you think that the UK government should pay for everyone who is uninsured. And what about those who find themselves in hospital without the ability to pay, should the government stump up for their considerable bills too (and in every other country).

I deal with many embassies in Bangkok and none of them pay to repatriate their nationals.

What do the hospitals do with the deceased ones? Dump in the nearest trash bin? Just asking because I just saw the article about the amputated leg found in a landfill from a hospital.

[alanrchase]

One thing that it easy to reconise,by the nature of most of these posts is.....That Thai-ness must be catching.

Please explain Thainess. Is it wrong if your opinion happens to follow a supposed Thai way of doing things. Should each foreigner who in some people's opinion show signs of "Thainess" be sent to western re-education camps?

[Tokyo 90]

Car720, travel insurance in Thailand for me for a year, but only a maximum of 50 days visits a time, is less than 90 GBP. That is not much at all.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Tokyo 90

[alanrchase]

Car720, travel insurance in Thailand for me for a year, but only a maximum of 50 days visits a time, is less than 90 GBP. That is not much at all.

Agreed. Not too sure if it is still the case but if you pay for travel with certain credit cards insurance used to be included.