British Pensioner Rescued From Abusive Thai Family

A British WWII veteran is now safe at home in the UK with his daughter and extended family after being abused and ill-treated by his Thai partner.

Only known as ‘Ron’ in media reports, the 86-year old pensioner moved to Thailand seven years ago after his then partner’s death and was currently living in the central Thailand province of Samut Sakhon after forming a relationship with a Thai woman and her family. According to his British family, he had only pallets to sleep on and was starving due to the lack of food and water, even although the Thais were taking cash from his pension fund.

Due to concern about Ron’s health especially as he suffers from a spinal problem, his UK family posted on a well-known Thailand-based expat forum as well as starting a crowdfunding page aimed at getting him back to the UK. Their appeal for help was noted by Declan Theodore, another expat living in the neighbourhood, who immediately went to the house, picked up the pensioner and took him to a Hua Hin resort to await repatriation after his UK family had arranged medical clearance. The Thais he’d been living with had no objection to his leaving and, after getting the required medical clearance, Ron was flown home last Sunday.

According to his daughter, he’d first lived with a Thai woman in Udon Thani until she wanted him to move, at which point everything went wrong. According to his daughter, he’d lost a lot of weight in spite of allowing another woman he was by then living with the use of his bank card. In spite of his ordeal, Ron told reporters he’s missing Thailand as well as a dog he’d left behind, adding he’d never get involved with a Thai woman again.