Relatives of an 86 year old British war veteran claim he endured starvation and mistreatment at the hands of his Thai family in Samut Sakhon, central Thailand. After receiving medical clearance, the man was flown home to the UK yesterday on an Eva Air flight.

A report in Thai Visa says the man, named only as “Ron”, was rescued after family members started crowdfunding to get him home. Relatives claim that despite money being taken from his pension fund, Ron only had a bed made from pallets to sleep on and was always starving due to a lack of adequate food and water.

Expat Declan James Theodore, responded to a plea for assistance posted by Ron’s family on an expat forum and went to pick Ron up at the property where he was living. It’s understood the family he shared the house with did not object to him being taken away. Ron was initially taken to a resort in Hua Hin while his family continued to fundraise and obtain the medical clearance needed to get him home. It’s understood he suffers with a serious spinal problem.

Ron’s daughter, Marion Phillips, spoke to Thai Visa about her father, who first moved to Thailand seven years ago following the death of his partner. He was initially living in Udon, northeast Thailand, but moved to Samut Sakhon at the request of a woman he had struck up a relationship with.

“He got friendly with another Thai lady and was happy living in Udon, but she wanted him to move about a year ago and that is when things went very wrong for my dad. He wasn’t cared for very well and was always starving. He would give her his bank card to get food, but he never had enough food or water. He was being very mistreated and lost so much weight. I don’t really know the Thai woman but he never married.”

Meanwhile, Ron says he still loves Thailand.

“I am very relieved and happy to be going home. I’m still crying. I still love Thailand and I want to come back – I have a dog here that I love very much. But I am not going to get involved with any Thai women again”.

SOURCE: ThaiVisa

Alcohol sales are officially banned nationwide as of today, by order of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Permanent Secretary for the Interior Chatchai Promlert made the announcement yesterday. Previously, the decision to ban sales and transport of alcohol rested with provincial governors, all 76 of whom enacted the prohibition, which expired last night. The ban is now a national matter.

Chatchai said the CCSA confirmed the ban extension to avoid any confusion.

“The alcohol sales ban is one of the Covid-19 containment measures being extended under an order by the CCSA, which means no sales of alcohol are allowed until further notice.”

The secretary-general of the National Security Council, in his capacity as the head of the central coordination office of the CCSA, says the NSC will hold talks with the Interior Ministry, provincial governors and the related agencies about a formal announcement requiring provinces nationwide to strictly follow the alcohol ban. That announcement is expected to be issued in the next two to three days.

He says the announcement is required for the sake of clarification after the CCSA decided to extend all key Covid-19 containment measures, including the alcohol sales ban.

The ban was first imposed before the cancelled Songkran holidays and was later extended on April 20.