reader Posted March 14 Posted March 14 NOTE — I would not be surprised if embassies of US, Euro zone and Canada did not experience similar demand for services. Tourists from these countries were among the first to “discover” Thailand and some went on to become expats. They’re now all part and parcel of Thailand’s aging population. From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Obviously the most publicized cases are the most vulnerable: pensioners such as Des and Mary Byrne, who have dominated the news in the last few days, and dozens of accident victims on Thai roads who run out of money and are unable to pay medical bills. Most of these cases result in complaints, usually from relatives in the UK, that the Bangkok embassy and its bosses in London are not doing enough to help their distressed citizens. It’s worth noting that all embassies in Bangkok play a remarkably similar tune. They say they can contact third parties such as relatives, visit hospitals and prisons and give out a list of attorneys and funeral directors who speak English. What they can’t do is pay personal debts, loan money or intervene in judicial cases – precisely the things most in demand in serious tragedies. The British foreign office maintains one of the most detailed websites for citizens visiting or locating in Thailand. There are even warnings about the risks of investing in or buying property, not to mention urgent pleas to make sure you are properly insured for potential hospitalization. There is no published research on how many travellers actually study and implement the recommendations in advance. Probably not many as it’s human nature to assume that bad luck only happens to other people. Continues at https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/increasing-consular-caseload-for-british-embassy-in-thailand-493817 Quote
reader Posted March 14 Author Posted March 14 From Bangkok Post UK retirees endure legal ‘nightmare’ Two British retirees who were badly beaten by neighbours after a property dispute in Hua Hin have been fined after being charged with assault for defending themselves. Desmond and Mary Byrne, of Middlesborough, pleaded guilty in a local court on Wednesday to assault and causing damage. They were given a suspended 20-day sentence and fined 17,500 baht. They were expected to be given their passports on Thursday so that they could return to the UK. “Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles because the people are known for their hospitality and friendliness,” the British newspaper The Sun quoted Mary as saying. “But our idyllic retirement in paradise has landed us in a living hell.” Desmond, 77, and Mary, 69, moved to Thailand in 2021, using £200,000 of their savings to buy a villa in Hua Hin. A short while later, they returned from a trip to find builders working on their home, and local residents saying that they owned the access road. The couple halted development temporarily after hiring a local lawyer, but tensions rose until December 2023 when events came to a brutal climax. According to UK media reports, a younger couple in their 40s came into the Byrnes’ garden and started pulling up plants and screaming abuse at them in Thai. As they approached them, the pensioners were viciously attacked by the pair, who had Muay Thai training, according to Mary. The male attacker, reportedly from the UK, knocked out Desmond after delivering 22 blows while he was defenceless on the ground. His Thai partner, a woman, punched and kicked Mary until she fell into a flower bed. Mary said her husband, a retired chemical engineer, kicked his leg up at one stage but did not strike anyone. “I strongly believe, 100%, it was in self-defence,” she said. The attack left Desmond with severe facial injuries that required extensive hospital treatment. Mary suffered a broken nose and a brain bleed, and has since been experiencing reduced heart function. The incident was captured on CCTV, but the Byrnes said police seemed to show little interest in pursuing their complaint at first. Eventually they managed to press charges and the other couple were found guilty of assault and told to pay compensation. To the Byrnes’ shock, their attackers subsequently filed a police complaint against them, and they were charged in June last year with causing their neighbours “superficial injuries and mental anguish”. The couple claim that their failure to pay a bribe left them facing a court date and the possibility of jail time. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2979123/uk-retirees-endure-legal-nightmare-in-thailand Ruthrieston and vinapu 2 Quote
