Ricky Eury, 39, had been in Thailand since February for Thai boxing training, at Cookie Muay Thai gym. He was hit at high speed by a motorbike while walking across Saiyuan Rd at about 12:30pm on Saturday (Mar 15). He suffered severe injuries upon impact.
Mr Eury was rushed to Dibuk Hospital and later transferred to Bangkok Hospital Phuket, in Phuket Town, where he remains with multiple skull and rib fractures, a shattered nose and bleeding on the brain. His injuries have been described as “potentially life-threatening”.
Two individuals riding an XMAX motorcycle were arrested at the scene.
Mr Eury’s friend, Solomon Wilkinson, has launched a fundraising campaign to help cover mounting medical expenses. “He is a fighter and has pulled through the first 36 hours, which are crucial with severe head injuries,” Mr Wilkinson said.
The GoFundMe page aims to raise £45,000 to support Eury’s recovery, stating, “The hospital is positive about his recovery, but it is likely to be a long and difficult road, as well as an expensive one.”
Mr Wilkinson added that they are still trying to confirm Eury’s insurance status, but medical costs are expected to reach tens of thousands of pounds. “Times are tough for many people, but even a small contribution is powerful when we come together as a community, which is something that Ricky has always been passionate about creating.”
Mr Eury’s parents, George and Annette, his brother Joey, and his girlfriend Hannah Ryan flew out to Thailand as soon as they received the devastating news.
Ms Ryan, 39, expressed her anguish, telling MailOnline, “My whole world has collapsed. When I heard what had happened to Ricky, I worried that he wasn’t going to be alive when we got there.”
His father, George, described the moment they learned of the accident: “We found out Ricky had been hurt at 8am on Saturday morning – I was totally devastated. I could hear Ricky screaming in the background in pain when his friend was on the phone to us. His friend said we needed to get out there quick. He told us that Ricky had suffered severe head injuries. We didn’t know if he was going to live or die.”
Mr Eury is known for running Gorilla Thai Kitchens in Bristol, which were nominated for Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year in 2024.
The fundraiser organiser, Mr Wilkinson, described Eury as “one of the kindest, most generous, and loyal friends we know”, and urged people to donate or share the fundraising appeal to help relieve the financial burden on the family.
Donations to the GoFundMe campaign will go toward Eury’s medical costs and his long road to recovery.