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It is suspected that a hospital refused to treat an ailing Thai chef on the grounds that he lacked money and identification documents, resulting in his death on a street in Cambodia.
According to Thai media 'The Thaiger', a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Thailand branch posted on Facebook that he found a seriously ill 24-year-old Thai man named Meen collapsed on a street in Cambodia. It is understood that Meen could not seek medical help on his own due to severe abdominal pain, and the member hoped to use Facebook to help locate the man's family.
When the member took the man to the hospital, hospital medical staff refused to provide treatment on the grounds that the man could not present identification documents or pay for medical expenses.
The man's 49-year-old mother later contacted the IMF. The family lives in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand. The mother said she had lost regular contact with her son since he started working on a cruise ship.
She said her son once worked as a chef for an international cruise line on a nine-month contract, traveling to various places during his employment. The family had no idea how he ended up in Cambodia.
"My son used to send me photos and messages via Facebook Messenger, but it’s been over a year since I last heard from him."
The family suspects that after his contract ended, the man might have been lured to Cambodia for work, only to have his papers confiscated and be mistreated by his employer.
At the same time, the family worries that the man may have tried to escape the harsh environment, but was unable to return to Thailand or contact his family.
The IMF attempted to arrange to send the man back to Thailand for treatment, but unfortunately he died on the street on the night of October 7.
Currently, caring organizations are coordinating efforts to transport the man’s body back to his hometown for funeral arrangements.