CHANTHABURI – Alexander Parker, a 73-year-old British veteran of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, is in intensive care at a Thai hospital with a suspected aggressive lymphoma, prompting a desperate fundraising effort by his family to repatriate him to the United Kingdom. Mr. Parker, who served in conflicts from the Falklands to Iraq, is facing medical bills of £500 per day, costs his family is struggling to meet.

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The former officer, who had been working as a teacher in Thailand, first fell ill five months ago with stomach pain. Initially diagnosed with acid reflux, his condition worsened significantly. He was eventually found to have ulcers on his spleen and liver and was admitted to a hospital in critical condition by August. His family was alarmed to discover him in a local community hospital with limited resources before he was transferred to the better-equipped King Prajadhipok Memorial Hospital.

His medical situation remains grave. His spleen has enlarged to the point of collapsing a lung, requiring a painful drainage procedure to be performed daily. While tests suggest an 80 percent likelihood of lymphoma, a definitive diagnosis is still pending. The staggering cost of a medical evacuation to the UK, estimated between £30,000 and £85,000, is far beyond the family’s means, compounded by the lack of comprehensive health insurance.

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A GoFundMe campaign has been launched, raising over £8,000 with support from forces charities and the public. However, the Royal British Legion has confirmed it cannot pay medical bills directly. Local MSP Jackie Baillie is now assisting the family, underscoring the urgency of the situation and Mr. Parker’s own wish to return home. His case highlights the severe financial and medical risks faced by British nationals abroad without adequate insurance, a predicament increasingly leading to crowdfunding appeals in Thailand, often with limited success. The family continues their race against time to bring the ailing veteran home.

-Thailand News (TN)