Appeal to help man seriously injured in Thailand

Andy Davis had been setting up places for British people who wanted to teach English abroad

An online appeal has raised more than £11,000 to support a British man who was injured in a crash while working in Thailand.

Andy Davis, 33, from Walton in Staffordshire, had been teaching English to children in the country for a number of years and was injured on an island off Krabi.

His friend Mike Pugh said one of his legs had been crushed and had to be amputated, and he had suffered a shattered pelvis and a torn bladder, all of which would require treatment on the mainland.

But, he said the medical transfer and the treatment would be costly.

Mr Pugh said it was hoped medical insurance would pay for some of his treatment, but it could cost more than £30,000 to fly him to Bangkok for specialist care and then back to the UK.

He said before his injury, his friend had planned to return home for Christmas and if more money could be raised, that might still be possible.

However, a further amputation might be needed, because Mr Davis's leg and pelvis have become infected, while his torn bladder was a "real concern", Mr Pugh said.

Andy Davis has been receiving care on the island of Krabi

Mr Davis's parents have flown to Thailand to help out, and Mr Pugh said his friend was unable to arrange his own care or sort out insurance, because he was in and out of consciousness.

The pair have known each other since meeting at school 20 years ago and Mr Pugh described his friend as "incredibly laid back" and "a genuinely nice guy".

He believed the number of donations he had received so far were "a measure of what he's like as a person" and also noted there had been donations from overseas, in places where he had taught.

Mike Pugh said the response to the online appeal had been "heartwarming"

Mr Davis started teaching English as a foreign language abroad in 2016, travelling to Thailand, Peru, Mexico and Ecuador.

Most recently, he had been working to set up teaching positions for other Brits to travel and teach English as a foreign language.

Mr Pugh said his friend's injuries would be "life-changing" and added that he and other friends had wanted to do anything possible to help him and his family.

He said he had not expected a big response, but had been amazed by the number of people getting in touch, including many school friends who he had not heard from in years.