Tourist in Thai hospital can't pay bill

• Tweet

KENT, England, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- A 29-year-old British man is in a Thai hospital after having a serious heart attack while on vacation and his family is raising money for his bill.

Gareth Harnett from Ramsgate, England, suffered a massive heart attack Saturday while vacationing in Thailand. Friends traveling with him said he collapsed in the hotel and was taken to a hospital.

The friends later found Harnett sitting on a bed with some Thai men who appeared extremely ill, and there were stray dogs in the wards, so they took him to another hospital, KentOnline.com reported Tuesday.

Patrick Dyett, also on vacation in Thailand, said he paid the almost $9,500 for the initial fees, but Harnett had no travel insurance and his hospital bill is about $3,600 a day. It is estimated it will be least three weeks before any further healthcare decisions can be made.

Harnett's friends and family are raising money in England via social media and have raised almost $12,000, KentOnline.com said.

Harnett is out of a coma and hooked up to life support machines, but his friends and family said the fact that strangers were contributing money for his hospital bill has restored their faith in human nature.