Singaporean, 59, dies of heart attack while holidaying in Bangkok

A 59-year-old Singaporean man, surnamed Wu, died after having a heart attack while holidaying in Bangkok with some friends last Monday (Feb 27). 

His widow told Shin Min Daily News that she received the news of her husband's death from the daughter of one of his friends. 

Upon hearing about her husband's untimely demise, Mrs Wu booked a flight to Bangkok to find out what happened. 

"According to our friend, the group had just gotten off the plane and were on their way to dinner, when he felt some pain in his chest. 

"While returning to the hotel, he had a heart attack and fell to the ground. His friends tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him and called for an ambulance," she said. 

Wu was also given CPR en route to the hospital, but it was too late. 

Over in Bangkok, Wu's widow was informed that her insurance company would need a few days to transport her husband's body back to Singapore. 

"I couldn't wait, so I decided to pay for the transportation out of my own pocket. I'll have to wait and see if the insurance company can cover the cost," she said. 

News of her husband's sudden death came as a shock to her, as she described him as someone who was very healthy — he loved exercising and swam ten laps every day. 

"Apart from some thyroid issues, he had no other medical problems." 

Before leaving for Thailand, Wu appeared to be well. Doctors at the Thai hospital said that he was in good health and that the heart attack came out of the blue. 

'Excited' about becoming grandfather

Wu, who was the sole breadwinner of his family, leaves behind three daughters. His eldest daughter is pregnant, and his youngest daughter is currently in university. 

"He was very excited about becoming a grandfather. He planned to sell his car and buy a seven-seater so he could bring his grandson out. 

"Everything happened so suddenly, it's such a pity, I hope that others will pay attention to their health, and seek medical attention if they feel unwell," said his widow. 

Singaporean man dies in Johor road accident

On Tuesday, a 57-year-old Singaporean man died in a road accident in Mersing, Johor when his Nissan van crashed into a 10-tonne HINO lorry. 

Mr Megat Omar Ismail, 57, died at the scene, said Mersing Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Mohamed Zainuddin Ahmad.

His companion, Md Shash Mohd Said, 60, was seriously injured. It is not known if he is Singaporean. 

The lorry driver, Mr Muhamad Fazli Bahri, 48, was unhurt, Mr Zainuddin said in a statement.

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claudiatan@asiaone.com