British man found dead in Bangkok hotel may not have died of drugs overdose as Thai authorities claim, coroner tells family

The family of a British man found dead in Bangkok has criticised the Thai authorities for claiming he died of a drug overdose.'Health fanatic' Aaron Campbell was discovered in his hotel in March last year when he failed to check out ahead of a flight back to the UK.It's thought Mr Campbell had been dead for at least two days, after messaging a friend to say he was going back to his room because he felt 'sick' after drinking a bottle of beer.Following an inquest today, Mr Campbell's mother said she believed the 27-year-old may have had his drink spiked – and branded the Thai authorities' conclusion that he died from an overdose as 'insulting'.Coroner Helena Gallagher was today told that a post-mortem examination carried out in the southeast Asian country said morphine had been found in Mr Campbell's urine, and listed his cause of death as an overdose.But at the hearing in Nottingham, Ms Gallagher said she rejected the finding, as the Thai report didn't contain any information about the level of the drug in Mr Campbell's system, or whether it had been a therapeutic or fatal amount.She told the hearing that a post-mortem conducted after the traffic management worker's body had been repatriated to the UK also detected morphine, as well as the strong painkillers Tapentadol and Tramadol - but that none were discovered in 'excessive concentration'.Ms Gallagher added the doctor who undertook the examination was unable to find a cause of death - saying it was 'unascertained'. Aaron Campbell, 27, was discovered in his hotel room in March last year after he failed to check out Mr Campbell was a keen traveller and planned to save up for a future trip to Japan once he returned home to NottinghamshireTurning to Mr Campbell's family, including his parents Paul and Moira and sister Natalie, the coroner said she was 'sorry' she was 'unable to give them answers' as to why he died, and recorded an open conclusion.Speaking after the inquest at Nottingham's Council House, Mrs Campbell said her son would 'never touch' illicit drugs.She added he was so health-conscious he even carried a medical kit in his backpack, and described how officials in Bangkok had refused to cooperate when the family tried to learn more about the death of Mr Campbell, of Retford, Nottinghamshire.The 68-year-old said she believed Mr Campbell may have had his drink spiked with drugs, and pointed out there had been similar cases of British tourists falling ill or dying after being targeted in bars.Mrs Campbell said: 'We've got to accept we are not going to find out what happened to him.'The coroner has been excellent, and has pushed and pushed, but the Thai authorities just want it out of the way. Because he isn't there anymore, they aren't bothered.'When a local reporter tried to find out some answers and even gave the authorities Aaron's passport number, they slammed the phone down on him.'We were so insulted when they said he died of a drug overdose, and I was relieved when the coroner here said that wasn't the case. He didn't do drugs, he wasn't even a big drinker - he loved hiking, walking, and running. They found energy drinks in his belongings. Mr Campbell was staying at the Sukawadee Hotel in the Phra Nakhon area of Bangkok Mr Campbell's mother described him as a 'really caring young lad' who had planned his trip with 'military organisation''Aaron was not a risk-taker. He was quiet. He was by far the most sensible of his four siblings. His trip was planned with military organisation - he had everything printed off, and booked and paid for well in advance. He wasn't your typical Brit abroad.'We didn't accept their conclusion from day one. I have always believed his drink may have been spiked in a bar with a view to robbing him - it has happened to a lot of people before, and I think the British Government should warn tourists about it.'The inquest heard 'adventure-loving' Mr Campbell flew out to Thailand in December 2024, and travelled around the country, visiting attractions including waterfalls and festivals.By March 23 last year, he was back in Bangkok, and staying at the Sukawadee Hotel in the Phra Nakhon area of the city.Ms Gallagher said evidence showed he texted a friend at 7.45pm that night to say 'felt a bit sick' after drinking a beer, and was going back to his room, adding he thought he had 'caught something on the Khao San' - the main strip for backpackers in Bangkok.However, the hearing was told that was the last anyone heard from him. He was found dead on his bed two days later after failing to check out. Messages sent to him from family and friends were unread.Ms Gallagher said the reason for the presence of morphine - a prescribed drug in Thailand - in Mr Campbell's system was 'not clear'.She added that checks with Mr Campbell's GP had revealed he'd never suffered from mental health issues or drug abuse.In returning her conclusion, Ms Gallagher said: 'Sadly we do not tend to get as much information as we would like when there is a death abroad.'Invited by Ms Gallagher to describe her son, Mrs Campbell said: 'He was a really caring young lad. He cared about his family, and taking his nan out for dinner - that's who Aaron was.'In March this year, British events organiser Tom Pardhy died and his girlfriend was hospitalised after their drinks were allegedly spiked on holiday in Thailand.Mr Pardhy, 38, had been travelling around the Asian country for six weeks with his girlfriend Naomi Raksha, 31, when he tragically passed away in the country's capital, Bangkok.The cause of his death was not disclosed at the time but Ms Raksha's mother later posted on Facebook that the couple 'were given spiked drinks in Bangkok'.