A 73-year-old man from Scotland is fighting for his life in a hospital in Thailand, with his family urgently working to bring him back to the UK. Alexander Parker, a former Royal Fleet Auxiliary serviceman who served in various conflict zones, had been residing in both the UK and Thailand, where he worked as a teacher before falling ill five months ago.

After experiencing stomach pain and collapsing in May, Parker was hospitalized in Thailand, where he was diagnosed with ulcers on his spleen and liver. Despite receiving treatment, his condition deteriorated, leading to his family’s discovery that he had been hospitalized without their knowledge in August.

Upon finding him in a dire state in a local hospital, Parker’s daughters took immediate action to transfer him to a better-equipped facility. He was moved to a larger hospital in Chanthaburi, where he was admitted to intensive care due to a suspected case of lymphoma.

With no significant improvement in his condition after three weeks, Parker’s family is struggling to cover the high medical costs in Thailand, where they have to pay £500 per day for his care. They are seeking repatriation to the UK for NHS treatment, but the cost of a medical flight is estimated at £30,000.

Despite efforts to involve the British Embassy and raise funds through a GoFundMe page, Parker’s family remains concerned about the challenges they face in navigating the healthcare system in Thailand and ensuring his safe return to the UK for necessary treatment. Local authorities and charitable organizations have shown support for the family’s cause, emphasizing the urgency of the situation and the need for swift action to facilitate Parker’s repatriation.