Teacher in coma after Thailand assault to return to UK

Adam Pickles has lived in Thailand for seven years and has a baby son

A former teacher from West Yorkshire left in a coma after an assault in Thailand is to be flown back to the UK.

Adam Pickles, 40, was hit on the head with a metal bar in an attack in the city of Pattaya on 17 May.

Friends have raised more than £50,000 through a Facebook page to pay for the cost of his care and repatriation.

Mr Pickles's condition is described as stable and his parents said they would now fly him back to the UK to continue his treatment.

Bedside vigil

Mr Pickles has lived in Thailand for seven years and worked as an English teacher at a local college.

Andrew and Adele Pickles have maintained a vigil at their son's hospital bed since flying out to Thailand from Leeds following the attack.

The couple have also been helping to care for Mr Pickles nine-month-old son, Benjamin.

They said they had been "completely overwhelmed" by the level of donations to help pay for their son's care.

A close friend of Mr Pickles, Katie Jones, said she had been "blown away" by people's generosity.

Ms Jones said: "The news that he is due to come home is just incredible and we will continue to hope and pray for his recovery.

"We will keep fundraising until we have managed to raise the money needed to pay for his repatriation and his care whilst in Thailand which has now topped over £100,000."

The Bangkok insurance firm that covers Mr Pickles through his job has now paid out but the sum is less than 10% of his care costs, friends said.

The attack on Mr Pickles is still under investigation by the Thai authorities.