The family of a young British tourist are facing unimaginable grief after his body was discovered in a Bangkok hotel room, following his failure to board a scheduled flight home to the United Kingdom.
Tragic Discovery in the Thai Capital
Joshua Kershaw, a 21-year-old landscaper from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, had embarked on a week-long holiday to Thailand, arriving in Bangkok on January 12. His mother, Jenny, became increasingly concerned when he stopped responding to her phone calls after initially reporting a safe arrival and discussing his journey.
The young man had informed his family he was travelling to the southern city of Pattaya, a destination he had visited just a month prior during another holiday in early December. This information initially directed the search efforts away from Bangkok.
A Devastating Sequence of Events
On Tuesday night, his family revealed the heartbreaking news that Joshua never made it to Pattaya. Hotel staff discovered his body in the room he was occupying in Bangkok. He was reportedly found in his bed with a bandage around his arm.
Disturbingly, the discovery was made on January 14, seven days prior to the family's announcement. However, because authorities had been alerted that he was missing in Pattaya, the connection to the body found in Bangkok was not immediately made.
His aunt, Jade Kershaw, 31, from Wakefield, explained the bureaucratic and emotional hurdles now facing the family. "We cannot return his body home until an investigation into his death and a post-mortem have been completed," she stated.
Desperate Search and Official Response
Jenny contacted police about her missing son on January 17. Authorities subsequently placed his case on high alert on January 20 and managed to locate him in the Bangkok hotel. Police officials later confirmed that Joshua did not board his scheduled return flight to the UK on January 19.
Joshua was due to fly from Bangkok to London Heathrow, with a departure at 8:30pm on January 19 and an arrival at 6:25am on January 20. In a poignant detail, Jade revealed she drove five hours to Heathrow to check if he had somehow made the flight, but found no trace of him at the airport.
A Family's Heartbreak and Remembrance
The cause of Joshua's death remains unknown, pending the results of the post-mortem examination. His family describe him as a joyful and adventurous young man.
"He was a cheeky chap and so full of joy," Jade recalled. "He was always happy and there were never any bad moments with him. He leaves behind his four little sisters, who all love him so much. He just loved to travel. He would go on holiday, come back and work for a couple of months, and then head back out."
In a heartbreaking social media post, his mother Jenny wrote: "As much as my heart is breaking right now, we have now located Josh, but unfortunately he was not alive. We are now trying to get his body back to the UK."
Ongoing Efforts to Bring Joshua Home
The family had set up a GoFundMe page to fund a trip to Thailand to search for Joshua after his disappearance. Those funds will now be redirected towards the considerable costs of repatriating his body and his funeral expenses.
Joshua's mother confirms the family are in contact with international funeral directors to facilitate the complex process of bringing him back to British soil. However, it remains unclear how long the Thai investigation and bureaucratic procedures will take.
"Police came round this morning at around 8 am to Jenny's house today, and told her he has passed. She is absolutely devastated by the news," Jade added. "Hopefully, the post mortem won't take long as we want him back home."
The family now faces an agonising wait for answers and for the return of their loved one, as authorities in Thailand work to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic loss of a young life abroad.
