Friends bid to repatriate body of killed Briton Sam Austin

[Ulysses G.]

Very sad case, but, IMO, it is the family who should pay, if they want the corpse back. I understand that it is traditional to hold a funeral, but he is dead and gone and sending it to England is not going to change that.

[wooloomooloo]

Sorry friend but if you think travel insurance is a small cost then you know nothing about it at all.

If you are going somewhere for a 2 week holiday it is expensive enough but after that you can say goodbye to your testicles, wallet and watch.

Don't travel abroad then if you can't afford the cost of adequate insurance and expect others to foot the bill when it goes belly up.

There are parents out there that have had to re-mortgage their house to bring their injured and uninsured kids back to the UK. What's the cost of a few hundred pounds policy compared to repatriation fees, if you're lucky to survive, of over GBP 30k+? Or do you want me to foot the bill?

[glassdude007]

Apart from the fact that some Travel insurance is null and void here due to the coup and martial law which many seem to have forgotten ?

As my sister is traveling out to Thailand at Christmas would be appreciated if you could identify which Insurers are declaring that Thailand is not covered in their travel policies.

Thanks in advance.

http://www.worldnomads.com/

very good this one all online pay with credit card

[godden]

What ever you do don't tell the truth we need the money, TAT

[Suradit69]

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" !

Sorry for him, his family and friends, but people. even young British people, die everywhere in the world, whether through misadventure, accident or for health reasons. Aside from having every tourist or foreign resident escorted 24/7 by a bodyguard and medic, what do you expect to be "actually done?" If he had died back in Britain would his death be any less sad or tragic?

I've lived in various places around the world any never expected my embassy to provide me with any special protection or consideration other than the usual consular services regarding passports and notarized documents. On the two occasions I was offered embassy promoted evacuation ( at rates in excess of normal airfare) I refused. I made the decision to live and work where I did, so I assume personal responsibility for the consequences.

A death away from home and family may seem especially tragic, particularly for someone so young, but the expectation that either the Thai or British government can insulate everyone from harm is not realistic.

[loongdavid]

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'm British and I don't expect my embassy to give a flying fig about my corpse once I've carked it. What does it matter where a body is finally laid to rest? I'd rather my family (or indeed my country) kept the money (and its expensive to fly the deceased home - it's not the same as finding them an aisle seat - there are health regulations to be met, coffins to be found to hold the body, etc.) rather than moved my no-longer-in-the-remotest-bit-concerned flesh around the world.

There just happen to be many, many folk with completely different ideas to those expressed above. I am certain that the next-of-kin and/or relations would have something to say regarding repatriation of the deceased. It matters a great deal to them. If the British Embassy decided to act arrangements would all be completed by this evenings flight to Heathrow.

[jacksam]

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'm British and I don't expect my embassy to give a flying fig about my corpse once I've carked it. What does it matter where a body is finally laid to rest? I'd rather my family (or indeed my country) kept the money (and its expensive to fly the deceased home - it's not the same as finding them an aisle seat - there are health regulations to be met, coffins to be found to hold the body, etc.) rather than moved my no-longer-in-the-remotest-bit-concerned flesh around the world.

Geez pal you take the cake....And point of your rant is?

[SanSaiExPat]

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

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

Who's money? Yours?

[Card]

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'm British and I don't expect my embassy to give a flying fig about my corpse once I've carked it. What does it matter where a body is finally laid to rest? I'd rather my family (or indeed my country) kept the money (and its expensive to fly the deceased home - it's not the same as finding them an aisle seat - there are health regulations to be met, coffins to be found to hold the body, etc.) rather than moved my no-longer-in-the-remotest-bit-concerned flesh around the world.

Agreed. At least someone should arrange a cremation and then the ashes can be sent by courier or first class post. That's in my will.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Card

[dcutman]

A German man stealing 280 baht from a temple gets national news, and a Brit national being killed gets nothing here in Thailand anymore? I would think the local papers would be all over this. If they would have known.

A great point!

I can only assume either the police are under strict orders not to report any UK resident deaths or the media is being gagged on the subject. Maybe both.

[Briggsy]

The story has been presented as a story about travel insurance and the cost of repatriating a body.

I think there should be much more focus on how a healthy 20-something met his death and why his mother has received no details regarding the way he died.

The Thai authorities' track record of burying news which may negatively affect the tourist dollar means it falls to other parties to press for information.

[alanrchase]

I hate it when dodgy stuff gets covered up

Until an autopsy is performed and the findings published, and as it stands, there is no evidence, whatsoever, of anything dodgy.

And back in the real world....

A Thai neighbor drowned in the river this afternoon while gathering shellfish. Police were there fairly quickly. 15 minutes later a "rescue pickup" arrived. 30 minutes later an ambulance arrived with hospital staff to officially pronounce him dead. 30 minutes more and the casket was delivered. No autopsy, no investigation. Seems that is how it works here.

[wooloomooloo]

Departing from the UK.

Don't want her pitching up with a duff policy. Don't think she has arranged anything at the moment, but I could be wrong as she has already bought her ticket.

First things first.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand

As long as the FCO do not advise against all travel or all but essential travel to Thailand (or any other country) then you're on fairly safe territory when it comes to travel insurance.

The latest FCO advice for all but essential travels covers Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla on the Thai-Malaysia border and has been for many a year. Obviously, avoid these areas and those detailed in the above link.

Thereafter, check with your travel insurance provider for the finer detail. Also bear in mind that you get what you pay for.

I purchase annual coverage with BUPA. It's not cheap at £140 a year but I won't be a burden on my family and friends if I am injured or die whilst abroad.

Finally, check the small print in the policy before you purchase.

[Briggsy]

A Thai neighbor drowned in the river this afternoon while gathering shellfish. Police were there fairly quickly. 15 minutes later a "rescue pickup" arrived. 30 minutes later an ambulance arrived with hospital staff to officially pronounce him dead. 30 minutes more and the casket was delivered. No autopsy, no investigation. Seems that is how it works here.

Indeed, I am confident that in the case of your neighbour the family was told he had drowned as he had.

In this case, however, no information has been released regarding his death. The total silence from the Thai authorities is suspicious given their track record of not wishing to negatively impact tourism.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Briggsy

[Prbkk]

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.

At 26 these kids believe they are indestructible. It's not a matter of being irresponsible, just youthful ignorance. I doubt that the national accounts would suffer too greatly from the use of a compassionate fund to cover cases such as this.

[larsjohnsson]

So many mystery deaths on the islands in the south

[ezzra]

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....

[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.

[Briggsy]

So many mystery deaths on the islands in the south

Indeed, without real investigations, deaths remain mysteries.

[metisdead]

A flame post has been removed.

[mrtoad]

The usual Thai apologists and trolls out in force. Sad.

Sorry, the stats of deaths are starting to add up.

[JOC]

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!!

[alanrchase]

The usual Thai apologists and trolls out in force. Sad.

Sorry, the stats of deaths are starting to add up.

Accept your point but statistics generally prove very little without context. Road deaths here are very high compared to western countries but the number of motorcycles on the road here far exceeds a western country so cannot be compared. Likewise the number of possibly disillusioned people with their homeland who believe Thailand to be cheap and the women to be plentiful but arrive without thinking through a realistic budget are possibly greater than in the west. Tragedy unfortunately can follow.

[enufsaid]

Thesiemreaper, wait until it's some one you really care about & I'm not talking about the "bit" u picked up at the bar

[wooloomooloo]

It would appear that the majority of TV posts are embroiled in the effect with little concern for the cause. A young man has died under suspicious and as yet unreported circumstances and that should be cause for the British Embassy to investigate through the Thai authorities and clarify. Why has there been a potential news blackout on this.Where did it happen and how did it happen are significantly more serious than pontificating on travel insurance. Are we all getting conditioned into accepting that life is cheap and irrelevant in this country ?

Strange that family and friends haven't mentioned anything about suspicious circumstances in either news article and nothing doing on the fundraising page either.

No one is pontificating about travel insurance. It's something your ordinary international traveller purchases prior to travelling abroad and saves a great deal of additional pain for those left behind in the unlikely event of a tragedy. In this instance it wouldn't have been mentioned had it already been in place.

Save the conspiracy theories until there's incontrovertible evidence of foul play.

Edited November 22, 2014 by wooloomooloo

[bangkokfrog]

It would appear that the majority of TV posts are embroiled in the effect with little concern for the cause. A young man has died under suspicious and as yet unreported circumstances and that should be cause for the British Embassy to investigate through the Thai authorities and clarify. Why has there been a potential news blackout on this.Where did it happen and how did it happen are significantly more serious than pontificating on travel insurance. Are we all getting conditioned into accepting that life is cheap and irrelevant in this country ?

I couldn't agree more ! Many people here are criticizing the British Embassy for not helping with repatriating the body, which should be none of their concern. However, they should be all over this, demanding that information of what is known so far about the death is made public to give some assurance to the family that there is no cover up and justice is being served. In how many other countries would this information be withheld from the grieving families for so long? Insensitive (as in don't care) Thai police and British Embassy. RIP young man.

[4737 Carlin]

RIP to this young man but moving to Thailand to 'find work' is a bit naive - not to mention illegal for most industries. Thailand is for the tourist, the retired or very wealthy.

[JOC]

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............

[slipperylobster]

Surely one of his friends would know what happened. However, perhaps his mom requested privacy in the matter.

[DoDoey]

As my sister is traveling out to Thailand at Christmas would be appreciated if you could identify which Insurers are declaring that Thailand is not covered in their travel policies.

From which country is your sister departing?

Departing from the UK.

Don't want her pitching up with a duff policy. Don't think she has arranged anything at the moment, but I could be wrong as she has already bought her ticket.

This is a typical TVF myth. Travel insurance policies are still valid, but death as a result of a coup are not covered, not now, and not before. Just like any other listed exclusion. Scuba diving, parachuting, driving under the influence, and overdosing are other typical exclusions. Acts of war, and coups are usually not covered.

Look at it like this, if she gets a typical policy and comes over and gets in a car accident, she will likely be covered. Or, if she gets sick (non-excluded illness) she will be covered.

Now, if she comes over here and street fighting breaks out and she finds herself in the crossfire, she's most likely on her own. Every policy has a list of exclusions, and if she's not sure, call the company and ask them directly, or go to their website.

Edited November 22, 2014 by DoDoey