British tourist dies and his girlfriend in hospital after ‘drinks are spiked’ in Thailand
A British tourist has died and his girlfriend is seriously ill after a suspected drink spiking in Thailand.
Tom Pardhy, 38, and Naomi Raksha, 31, had spent six weeks travelling around Thailand before they reached the country’s capital, Bangkok.
But on March 6, Tom, a yoga teacher and music promoter from east London, suddenly passed away.
His cause of death has not been disclosed publicly, but his family described it as ‘sudden, accidental and unexpected’ in a social media post.
Naomi’s mother reportedly posted on Facebook that the couple were ‘given spiked drinks in Bangkok,’ according to the Daily Mail.
Naomi was reportedly rushed to the hospital in a tuk-tuk, where she was intubated to save her life.
Her brother, Jonathan Raksha, has set up a GoFundMe page to help with her mounting medical and travel expenses.
Jonathan said: ‘On Friday, March 6, our family received news my sister Naomi was intubated in ICU.
‘In addition, roughly 24 hours later we learned her loving boyfriend Tom was found unresponsive.
‘Naomi is now in a treatment centre recovering physically, mentally & spiritually.’
Tom’s mum, sister and Naomi wrote on an Instagram post on his profile:
‘We know this will come as a terrible shock to all his many friends.
‘He was an absolute beacon of light in his East London community and beyond. From the festival circuit, to his beloved yoga community, we know he will be dearly missed by so many.
‘Our breaking hearts go out to you all.
‘We are keeping what we know about the circumstances of his death within our close family and friends, and ask that any questions about exactly what has happened are not asked here. Please respect our privacy at this time.
‘We are deeply comforted in the knowledge that his last month in Thailand with his love Naomi was truly the happiest of his life.’
Metro has contacted the Foreign Office for a comment.
Drink spiking and poisoned alcohol have claimed lives at holiday hotspots in Asia and elsewhere.
In November 2024, Simone White, from Kent, was one of seven people who fell ill after drinking allegedly laced shots in Laos.
The 28-year-old lawyer fought for her life, but later died of the suspected poisoning.
In Rio de Janeiro, a British tourist was allegedly drugged and robbed after being given a cocktail on the beach, leading him to fall unconscious before his bank account was drained of £16,000.
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