Alexander Parker, 73, is in intensive care in Thailand with suspected lymphoma and his family are desperatley trying to have him repatriated to the UK for NHS treatment
06:15, 25 Sep 2025Updated 06:16, 25 Sep 2025
Alexander Parker fell ill five months ago
A Scot is battling for his life in a Thai hospital as his family desperately try to bring him back to the UK. Alexander Parker, 73, is in intensive care with suspected lymphoma.
The former Royal Fleet Auxiliary serviceman, who served in the Falklands, the Gulf, Bosnia, and Iraq, had been dividing his time between his home in the UK and Thailand where he worked as a teacher before falling ill five months ago.
Jayne Simpson, 47, from Helensburgh, said: “My dad lives in Thailand and comes home the rest of the time.” She added: “He and is retired from the military and retired from teaching last year.
“The first sign of trouble was when he complained that his stomach was sore. He was given acid-reflux medication.” Jayne continued: “Then, in May, he collapsed and was admitted into a local hospital. They found two ulcers, on his spleen and liver. He was put on an intense course of intravenous antibiotics and discharged.”
Alexander Parker dad stranded in Thailand
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However, alarm bells rang when he failed to contact the family in August, reports the Daily Record.
Jayne revealed: “We found out he had been taken into hospital.” She and her two sisters flew out to Thailand and were shocked at what they found.
“Myself and my two sisters flew out to Thailand and we found him in a hospital in a really poor, dire state. He was unconscious and unresponsive. He was in a community hospital on oxygen but with very little care.” Jayne described the conditions: “There were no machines. He had a saline drip but he wasn’t being fed.”
The family reached out to the British Embassy to get him transferred to the King Prajadhipok Memorial Hospital in Chanthaburi, Thailand.
Jayne Simpson daughter of Alexander Parker who is stranded in hospital in Thailand
She revealed: “He has since been intubated and placed in intensive care. His spleen is so large that his lung has collapsed which has to be drained every day. The doctors say there’s an 80% chance he has lymphoma, but tests have come back as inconclusive.
“We spent three weeks in Thailand and there has been no improvement.”
She alleges that the British Embassy’s attempts to reach out to the Thai hospital are being disregarded. The family are hoping for his repatriation to the UK for NHS treatment, but a medical flight will set them back by £30k.
As her father lacks health insurance, the cost of treatment is burdening the family with £500 per day, plus thousands more for biopsies and surgeries.
Alexander Parker who served in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Jayne expressed: “He’s extremely distressed. It’s been a very traumatic experience. The health system in Thailand is extremely different from the UK. The families are expected to handle a lot of the care and responsibilities in hospitals, such as learning how to feed through a tube because the doctors just come out and check the vitals twice a day.
“My dad is desperate. It is his wish to return to the UK and see his family and his grandchildren and get the treatment that he needs. He was in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary for 30 years. Royal British Legion have put us in touch with a Medvac company, which obviously is quite a lot of money for us to try and get him back home.”
Alexander Parker is stranded in Thailand
The family have also reached out to the Foreign Office for help and established a GoFundMe page. Local MSP Jackie Baillie expressed her concern, stating: “I was very sorry to hear of Mr Parker’s ill health and the devastating situation facing his family.
“Time is of the essence and the battle is on to return Alexander to the UK for the treatment he desperately needs. I will do everything in my power to support Jayne and her family at this difficult time.”
A GoFundMe page has managed to raise £4,500, with additional contributions coming from forces charities.