A British tourist has been found dead in Thailand after missing his flight home.
Joshua Kershaw, 21, had flown out to Bangkok, Thailand for a week’s holiday on January 12 when he stopped replying to his mother Jenny’s phone calls.
The young landscaper, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, had told his family that he was travelling to the southern city of Pattaya.
He had visited the city a month before on another week-long holiday to Thailand at the start of December.
On Tuesday night his family revealed that Joshua never made it out of Bangkok as his body was found by staff in the hotel room he was staying in.
The family have said he was found in his bed with a bandage around his arm.
He was found seven days ago on January 14, but because the British Embassy thought he was missing in Pattaya, nobody knew of the discovery for days.
Jenny contacted the police about Joshua on January 17, who then put his case on high alert on January 20 and managed to locate him in Bangkok.
Joshua and his mum Jenny
Joshua’s mum (R) became worried when her son (L) did not answer the phone
They then later confirmed he was found dead.
The family say his cause of death is currently unknown.
Joshua’s aunt Jade Kershaw, 31, has said they cannot return his body home until an investigation into his death and a post-mortem have been completed.
Jade, from Wakefield, said: ‘He was a cheeky chap and so full of joy.
‘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.
‘On the day he arrived, he called home and he was doing fine, talking to Jenny about his journey.
‘He then told her he was going to get some food, and then we hadn’t heard from him since.’
She went on to explain that the family set up a GoFundMe and were planning to travel to Thailand to look for Joshua after his mother became worried when he didn’t answer the phone.
Joshua (pictured) was due to fly home to the UK on January 19 but did not board his flight home
‘Police came round this morning at around 8 am 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.’
In a heartbreaking post on social media Jenny said: ‘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.’
Joshua was due to fly home to the UK on January 19 at 8:30pm landing at London Heathrow on January 20 at 6:25am.
Police officials later confirmed he did not board the flight.
Jade said she drove five hours to Heathrow to check just in case he had boarded the flight home, but she didn’t find him in the airport.
Joshua’s mum says the family have been in contact with the international funeral directors to help bring his body home.
She says it is still currently unknown when Joshua will be returned to the UK.
Jade said the money from the GoFundMe will now go to towards bringing Joshua’s body back to the UK and his funeral cost.