PHUKET: A British soldier, badly injuried in what was thought to be a motorcycle crash, now believes he was the victim of a vicious robbery on Phuket.
Two years on and still recovering from a massive blow to the head, Steve Thomas has spoken for the first time about the Phuket incident.
''They said I had a bad accident,'' the 41-year-old told WalesOnline. ''But I was attacked.''
Other similar one-rider motorcycle crashes on Phuket over the years are also feared to have been the result of attacks.
Often, with serious head injuries, the victim cannot remember precisely what happened.
Steve Thomas was discovered lying in a Phuket road near Wat Chalong on September 5, 2011, His eye socket was wrecked.
A fracture ran from it, over the top of his head, and to the back of his skull. His neck was broken.
After the incident he suffered three brain haemorrhages and was left with severe brain damage and permanent partial paralysis.
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.
His mother Linda was ''numb and devastated'' when she heard what had happened but caught a flight to Phuket as soon as possible to find Steve in a deep coma.
With the help of Steve's step-father, Allan, funds were raised to help cover the cost of the care at Bangkok Hospital Phuket and a flight home.
Today, talking and walking are difficult. His right hand is weak. He is blind in his right eye.
''My speech is not very good but my brain is working all the time, a hundred to the dozen,'' Steve told Walesonline
''I'm working on that and have speech therapy once a week. It's very good.
''Only time will tell if it will make a difference. I'm feeling fine about it because I'm lucky to be alive.''
He returned to Britain on October 20, 2011, and left hospital on March 16 last year.
''They said I would be in a vegetative state,'' he said. ''I put my recovery down to my fighting spirit. And my mother, my children and my close team.''
The family hold little hope of catching his attackers.
''We have spent our time moving forward rather than going back and wasting money trying to find someone we may never find,'' Linda said.
Ath the time, she said: ''To see him lie there buckles your knees. 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.''
Another British mother, Monica Vearer, who flew to Phuket to help her son Shane Free recover from a similar crash, is planning to write a book to help others deal with long recoveries.
Phuketwan supports the Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) road safety awareness campaign and 100 percent helmet usage for motorcycle riders.
Two years on and still recovering from a massive blow to the head, Steve Thomas has spoken for the first time about the Phuket incident.
''They said I had a bad accident,'' the 41-year-old told WalesOnline. ''But I was attacked.''
Other similar one-rider motorcycle crashes on Phuket over the years are also feared to have been the result of attacks.
Often, with serious head injuries, the victim cannot remember precisely what happened.
Steve Thomas was discovered lying in a Phuket road near Wat Chalong on September 5, 2011, His eye socket was wrecked.
A fracture ran from it, over the top of his head, and to the back of his skull. His neck was broken.
After the incident he suffered three brain haemorrhages and was left with severe brain damage and permanent partial paralysis.
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.
His mother Linda was ''numb and devastated'' when she heard what had happened but caught a flight to Phuket as soon as possible to find Steve in a deep coma.
With the help of Steve's step-father, Allan, funds were raised to help cover the cost of the care at Bangkok Hospital Phuket and a flight home.
Today, talking and walking are difficult. His right hand is weak. He is blind in his right eye.
''My speech is not very good but my brain is working all the time, a hundred to the dozen,'' Steve told Walesonline
''I'm working on that and have speech therapy once a week. It's very good.
''Only time will tell if it will make a difference. I'm feeling fine about it because I'm lucky to be alive.''
He returned to Britain on October 20, 2011, and left hospital on March 16 last year.
''They said I would be in a vegetative state,'' he said. ''I put my recovery down to my fighting spirit. And my mother, my children and my close team.''
The family hold little hope of catching his attackers.
''We have spent our time moving forward rather than going back and wasting money trying to find someone we may never find,'' Linda said.
Ath the time, she said: ''To see him lie there buckles your knees. 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.''
Another British mother, Monica Vearer, who flew to Phuket to help her son Shane Free recover from a similar crash, is planning to write a book to help others deal with long recoveries.
Phuketwan supports the Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) road safety awareness campaign and 100 percent helmet usage for motorcycle riders.
Could be what he now thinks is what happened, could be that was initially though is what happened. Should be, or have been easy to see on the bike what really happened.
"Other similar one-rider motorcycle crashes on Phuket over the years are also feared to have been the result of attacks."
Feared by who?
Posted by stevenl on August 25, 2013 18:32