A disturbing story today in the Daily Record in Scotland about a man called William Crook from Glasgow who has a mental age of 12 – who came to Thailand with £4000 for Christmas and New Year – and wanted to come back home but cannot as he has lost his ticket and cash.
Actually lost tickets can be replaced and when the mum says: ‘Every time we spoke, a lady would come on the phone, saying ‘money, money,’ it’s possible his Thai girlfriend was merely asking for money to help him out, though of course there is a good chance of a worse scenario.
Crook, 43, from Shawlands, Glasgow, was found in a bad state in Pattaya and somebody here has been trying to help him. The Daily Record has taken the line that he was the victim of a ‘honey trap’.
The British Embassy says it is offering ‘consular assistance’.
The first question that comes to mind is why was this man issued a passport in the first place. This reminds me of the Irishman, with well documented mental problems, who stepped out of the crowd in the Olympics and grabbed one of the marathon runners. The Olympic marathon runners dreams went up in smoke just because of a governments lack of responsibility in issuing passports. Too often you can find foreigners living in Pattaya on mental disability. Knowing my luck, while walking down the beach I will bump into one of the nutters who decided not to take his meds that day.