A 25-year-old British man, Liam White, passed away under mysterious circumstances while in Thailand after a night out. White, a resident of Maghull in Merseyside, had been residing at a hostel in Bangkok at the time of his demise. The inquest revealed that he had been out the previous night before being discovered deceased at Hostel 24 Backpackers 50 in Bang Chak, Bangkok, on January 13 of this year.
According to the inquest findings at Bootle Town Hall, White had made a reservation at the hostel three days before and was sharing a dormitory with several other individuals. Following his death, two post mortems were conducted, each providing conflicting opinions on the cause of death.
The initial post mortem in Thailand attributed his death to natural causes – cardiac failure in conjunction with infective pneumonia, as detailed in the inquest record by assistant coroner Elizabeth Wheeler. Conversely, a post mortem in the UK suggested that his cause of death could not be determined.
Wheeler stated that discrepancies existed between the Thai and UK post mortem reports. The Thai examination noted cerebral edema and brain hemorrhage without linking them to the cause of death. Additionally, while the Thai report indicated the presence of morphine and codeine in the bloodstream, the concentrations were unspecified. These substances, when combined, could lead to respiratory issues, particularly in the presence of a chest infection.
Due to the uncertainties and inconsistencies in the medical evidence, a definitive conclusion regarding the cause of death for White could not be reached. As a result, Wheeler recorded an open conclusion following the inquest. White’s funeral reportedly occurred at West Lancashire Crematorium in Burscough on January 31 after his repatriation. Subsequently, a GoFundMe campaign was initiated, raising £5,000 to assist White’s family with repatriation expenses.