The BBC reports on Wednesday that Steve Thomas's family claim insurers Barclays have said they will not bring him home, but the company said it could not discuss his claim without his permission: ''If provided with the relevant permission we would be fully prepared to explain all details and exclusions with regard to the individuals claim.''


PHUKET: Family and friends of a former Royal Marine from Wales are trying to raise money to have him flown home for treatment after he was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash on Phuket last week.

Steve ''Tommo'' Thomas, 39, has been in a coma in the intensive care unit at Bankok Hospital Phuket in Phuket City for a week and his family face a bill of as much as 40,000 pounds (about two million baht) to have him brought home.

His mother Linda, who is now on Phuket, is in a similar predicament to that faced last year by Shane Free's mother Monica Vearer. Shane, badly injured in a motorcycle crash, was flown home and slowly recovered. He will return next month with his mother to Phuket.

The hope will be that Steve Thomas is as fortunate as Shane Free. In the past few days, the South Wales Argus newspaper reports today, he has undergone a six-hour operation to fix a broken jaw and cheek bone and doctors are now trying to remove fluid on his brain.

''To see him lie there buckles your knees every time,'' Linda Thomas told the Argus. ''It's still heartbreaking now when the realisation of what's happened comes to you.

''It's just a really, really tough time. He's been in the Iraq war, he's been in lots of situations but this is by far the worst he has been through.''

Mr Thomas, who was a Lance Corporal with 42 Commando Royal Marines and based in Plymouth, had been in Phuket for three weeks studying Muay Thai.

He now works for a firm called MAST security, travelling on ships to protect them from pirates.

Mr Thomas's Facebook page has 299 supporters who continue to contribute funds and offer regular support to him and him family.

The crash took place last Tuesday but details are sketchy for now. Phuketwan has been able to determine that he was first admitted to Patong Hospital, the transferred to another public hospital, Vachira Phuket in Phuket City, then moved less than a kilometre to Bangkok Hospital Phuket, a private hospital.

He and his family are being helped by the British Embassy and Phuket honorary consul Martin Carpenter.

Angie McCulley, a Royal Marines Association Secretary, posted in an update on Facebook today: ''I have been to visit Steven, Linda and Allan [Allan Gardiner, 61, his step-father] today. Steven is looking loads better than when I saw him on Sunday.

''The swelling from the operation on his face is reducing. The physiotherapist has been in to see Steven and they are doing some exercises with him to keep his arms and legs moving. He is still in a coma, but still reacting to Linda speaking with him, and playing his favorite music.''

Phuketwan supports the Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) road safety awareness campaign and 100 percent helmet usage for motorcycle riders.