Family of British man who died suddenly in Udon Thani appeal for help in paying for his funeral

 

Image: Swindon Advertiser

 

The family of British man who collapsed and died suddenly in Udon Thani are seeking financial help for his funeral.

 

Nathan Blake, 48, first travelled to Thailand in 2013, the Swindon Advertiser reported. 

 

A well known member of the expat community in Udon Thani, where he lived with his Thai wife and child, Mr Blake was reportedly on his way to hospital last week after complaining of chest pains but sadly died in the ambulance after medics had been unable to resuscitate him.

 

Mr Blake’s two daughters from a previous marriage who both live in the UK have spoken of their grief after being told their father had passed away.

 

Daughter Megan, 20, told the Swindon Advertiser: “He had pain in his chest and passed away in the ambulance and they couldn’t resuscitate him”.

“I never expected in a million years to get a phone call to say Dad’s dead.”

 

While a family member stepped in to pay for Mr Blake’s body to be returned to the UK, Megan and her sister Lucie,16, still need funds to help arrange a funeral for their late father.

 

The sisters now set up a Go Fund Me page to help them cover the costs of organising the unexpected funeral and are asking for help.

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-01-24

Too young to pass away.  Condolences to the family.

that must have cost a tidy sum, wonder why he wasn't buried/cremated in this country as he has family here, when i lived in SPAIN my ex, wanted this, first there was a special coffin, then the dam plane would land up north (she came from dorset) then a coffin transfer, then a long road trip to Dorset.lives in Dorset now i think very handy to the graveyard. another narrow escape for me.. lol

Why was he not cremated here by his Thai wife, his ashes then could have been sent to his UK home if required.

Looked a bit older than 48

After living in Thailand a long time you ageTIT

Looks 68,  RIP...should,alway have

burial insurance.

2 hours ago, mercman24 said:

that must have cost a tidy sum, wonder why he wasn't buried/cremated in this country as he has family here, when i lived in SPAIN my ex, wanted this, first there was a special coffin, then the dam plane would land up north (she came from dorset) then a coffin transfer, then a long road trip to Dorset.lives in Dorset now i think very handy to the graveyard. another narrow escape for me.. lol

Your ex wanted it for whom? You? Or herself?

Rip to Mr Blake. should he not have 400,000 baht in a thai bank.

2 hours ago, DGS1244 said:

Why was he not cremated here by his Thai wife, his ashes then could have been sent to his UK home if required.

cos thats the smart way to do it. RIP

4 minutes ago, oldgent said:

Rip to Mr Blake. should he not have 400,000 baht in a thai bank.

WHAT ABOUT SOME INSURANCE ?

1 hour ago, Sooo Upto Me said:

Looked a bit older than 48

thats what having young kids at his age dose to people. having kids is a young mans sport.

My sympathies to the relatives but his daughters in the UK can apply to their local authorities for a hardship grant to bury their father which will cover the basics of the funeral in the UK, any undertaker or Citizen's Advice Bureau will be able to help them with this.

Maybe the family wants a "real" autopsy made to rule out that he was killed...

41 minutes ago, oldgent said:

Rip to Mr Blake. should he not have 400,000 baht in a thai bank.

Why should he have? I am married to a Thai, and have never had 400.000Bt in a Thai bank.

The title of the gofundme page is Get Dad Home.  With a wife and child here in Thailand I would submit that as far as old dad is concerned he already was and is home. Perhaps the daughters should consider a low priced remembance service and let his current family grieve via cremation etc.

2 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Why should he have? I am married to a Thai, and have never had 400.000Bt in a Thai bank.

i was under the impression that marriage extensions required this, maybe i am wrong

i was under the impression that marriage extensions required this, maybe i am wrong

There is also the monthly income option per a letter from one's embassy.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

3 minutes ago, brianj1964 said:

i was under the impression that marriage extensions required this, maybe i am wrong

The extensions do, but not all farangs married to a Thai have them.

3 minutes ago, SpokaneAl said:

 

There is also the monthly income option per a letter from one's embassy.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

this is true, which would suggest he had money, so why do a go fund me to bring him home, his thai wife should have a say

2 hours ago, Sooo Upto Me said:

Looked a bit older than 48

He looks even older now. What is so important about a body, he is dead, cremate him here and have done with it, too late now you have the body but why should anyone else pay for the funeral.

Come on, they're distraught, give them some money.

 

2 minutes ago, Chicog said:

Come on, they're distraught, give them some money.

 

They look as if they want something

I'm having difficulty feeling sorry for the poor guy and his "kids" in the UK after reading the   Swindon Advertiser  report

Five years ago my son died in Thailand, he was 28. The whole local community came by the temple to pay their respect and most of them had an envelop with some money in it. It was heartwarming to see how the so often (wrongly!) maligned Thai people where there... Paying their respect to my son and me. They gave enough money to provide for a decent cremation and burial of my sons ashes.. He left this place with dignity, mainly thanks to the local people.... 

12 minutes ago, SamuiAxe said:

Five years ago my son died in Thailand, he was 28. The whole local community came by the temple to pay their respect and most of them had an envelop with some money in it. It was heartwarming to see how the so often (wrongly!) maligned Thai people where there... Paying their respect to my son and me. They gave enough money to provide for a decent cremation and burial of my sons ashes.. He left this place with dignity, mainly thanks to the local people.... 

That is the tradition in Thailand.

But not Swindon as far as I know.

4 hours ago, mercman24 said:

that must have cost a tidy sum, wonder why he wasn't buried/cremated in this country as he has family here, when i lived in SPAIN my ex, wanted this, first there was a special coffin, then the dam plane would land up north (she came from dorset) then a coffin transfer, then a long road trip to Dorset.lives in Dorset now i think very handy to the graveyard. another narrow escape for me.. lol

Yes, cremation here makes sense to some, but others want the corpse buried in the family plot.  However, I think you need to be able to afford your preferences instead of expecting others to pay for them.

 

 

17 minutes ago, SamuiAxe said:

Five years ago my son died in Thailand, he was 28. The whole local community came by the temple to pay their respect and most of them had an envelop with some money in it. It was heartwarming to see how the so often (wrongly!) maligned Thai people where there... Paying their respect to my son and me. They gave enough money to provide for a decent cremation and burial of my sons ashes.. He left this place with dignity, mainly thanks to the local people.... 

In my village and probably throughout Thailand we have an insurance for ones funeral for a small amount of money each quarter. This pays for the cremation and for the feasting afterwards and money is left over for the period of adjustment for the family. People still bring money to the feast in envelopes as a sign of respect.

11 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Why should he have? I am married to a Thai, and have never had 400.000Bt in a Thai bank.

are you of thai nationality ? if not then by law you are required  to have 400,000 if married

to a thai lady to be able to stay in the kingdom. are you staying here illegally ? 

10 minutes ago, oldgent said:

are you of thai nationality ? if not then by law you are required  to have 400,000 if married

to a thai lady to be able to stay in the kingdom. are you staying here illegally ? 

or a retirement visa showing an income of 65k a month