Ella Scott
A British tourist has died, and another has been discharged from intensive care after their drinks were allegedly ‘spiked’ on holiday in Thailand.
38-year-old Tom Pardhy, a yoga teacher from east London, had spent six weeks travelling with his partner, Naomi Raksha, 31, before reaching Bangkok.
It’s understood that Raksha fell ill during a night out in the capital city. She was rushed to a nearby hospital by Pardhy in a tuk-tuk, as per The Sun.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by her brother, Jonathan Raksha, she was initially incubated in the ICU.
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24 hours after her family was told of her illness, the Rakhshas learned that her ‘loving boyfriend’ had been found unresponsive.
Pardhy’s death on 6 March has been described as ‘sudden, accidental and unexpected’.
The Foreign Office confirmed his death, saying: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Raksha’s mum, Heather, has travelled to support her daughter as she continues to ‘recover physically, mentally, and spiritually’ in a rehabilitation unit, according to the GoFundMe.
The Daily Mail reported how Heather took to Facebook to claim that Raksha and her late boyfriend had been ‘given spiked drinks in Bangkok’.
She alleged that the beverages were laced with a combination of ‘cocaine and heroin’, the publication reported.
In a statement, Pardhy’s family wrote: “It is with indescribable grief and sadness that we are writing to tell you of the sudden, accidental and unexpected death of our dear Tom in Bangkok last Friday 6th of March.
“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…”
They alleged that the traveller, who previously worked as an event organiser, would be ‘dearly missed’ by those on the festival circuit and the yoga community.
“Our breaking hearts go out to you all. We will share here when we have more information about a gathering to celebrate Tom’s life," they added.
The family said that they wanted to keep what they knew about the circumstances of their son’s death within their ‘close family and friends’.
“[We] ask that any questions about exactly what has happened are not asked here. Please respect our privacy at this time," they explained.
“We are deeply comforted in the knowledge that his last month in Thailand with his love Naomi was truly the happiest of his life.”
Raksha, who is currently receiving treatment for grief, PTSD and trauma, said that she suffered a heart attack and died ‘multiple times’ following the alleged drink spiking incident.
In a social media post, she claimed: “By every medical measure, the odds of surviving weren’t in my favour— yet somehow, I am still here.
“I am beyond grateful to have been given another chance at life… but that gratitude exists alongside profound grief, guilt, and remorse.
“Tom’s mission was to save the life of the woman he loved- and he accomplished that. It’s one of the only truths that keeps my head above water.”
The influencer, who has 17,100 followers on Instagram, went on to call her late partner her ‘best friend’ and her ‘biggest fan’.
“I loved him like I’ve never loved anything before, and the past six weeks we had together were magic," she said. "That’s what I’m holding onto to get through this.”
The GoFundMe set up to help the Raksha family with hospital bills and medical expenses is currently at just shy of $10,000. You can donate here.