Ryan is shown here with his wife Joanne and first baby. A British husband from Rossendale, in northern England, enrolled in a Bangkok Thai boxing academy only to die here of unrelated reasons. 30 year old Ryan O’Connor is believed to have obtained a Destination Thailand Visa which offers a variety of soft power learning opportunities such as Thai boxing or cookery. Ryan collapsed in his hotel room, suffering from intense diarrhea and stomach pains, and was attended by paramedics who resuscitated him briefly before a fatal heart attack occurred. The cause of death is thought to be food poisoning, but the Thai autopsy report will be released to the family. His British wife, maths teacher Joanne, gave birth to their second child on July 6 in Rossendale and is said to be distraught at the unexpected tragedy. Ryan had told friends he was keen to acquire a qualification in Thai boxing before the latest expected baby Maya would make long-distance foreign travel difficult. The couple already have a three-year old son. A GoFundMe account to raise money for emergency medical costs, including a life support machine, repatriation of remains and allied costs, has already raised almost the target of 50,000 pounds or 2 million baht. Ryan is said to have been a popular and active member of the Rossendale community with a lifelong interest in Muay Thai or Thai Boxing martial arts. Ryan had a lifelong passion for Thai martial arts. Friends of the deceased told the UK press that uninsured Ryan thought he was covered by a Thai government policy to take care of medical expenses for foreign tourists. Although such a policy has been mooted here in return for a Thai government tax on all foreign arrivals, there has been no implementation and the entry tax has not been introduced. Sometimes the Thai authorities do offer compensation, on a discretionary basis, for major disasters such as minibus crashes or boats sinking with significant loss of life. British government advice on the internet to all foreign travellers is to obtain adequate medical insurance in advance. Inpatient care costs in Thailand’s private hospitals have risen steeply in recent years.