The family of a Dunedin man found dead in a Thai apartment complex are distraught and angry they learnt of his death through radio reports yesterday, rather than from police.
Alan Patrick Mouncey (38) was found dead with a head wound in the bathroom of his apartment at P Place Apartments in Pattaya, a tourist city on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, on Monday night.
The Dunedin-born British passport holder was discovered in the third-floor apartment by a housekeeper.
Thai news agencies reported Mr Mouncey's body was sent to the Police Forensic Institute in Bangkok for a postmortem examination, and Thai police were speculating Mr Mouncey may have suffered an acute medical problem which caused him to collapse.
It was thought he was able to recover but the head injury suffered in the fall may have caused his eventual death, reports said.
A person had been with him in the room earlier in the evening, but had left. No-one else went into the apartment until his body was discovered by housekeeping staff.
Mr Mouncey's uncle, Keith Harper (73), of Dunedin, said he learnt of his nephew's death on an early morning radio news report yesterday.
''I heard it on the 5am news on my [radio alarm clock].
''I was still in a daze - I had just woken up and I thought I heard Alan's name on the radio.''
Mr Harper said he went to the Otago Daily Times where he worked and confirmed the person named in the news report was his nephew.
He then called Mr Mouncey's mother, Carol Clarkson, who at the time had not been notified by New Zealand police.
Mrs Clarkson was still coming to terms with the news and declined to comment.
''It's hard to come to terms with it,'' Mr Harper said.
''I'm angry family found out like this. We were distraught.
''We're questioning how it could happen like this.
''Why didn't police contact us? What a strange thing.''
A Dunedin police spokeswoman said police were not able to comment about the case yesterday.
Mr Harper described Mr Mouncey as an academic, quiet with a good sense of humour, humble, and when he spoke, everyone listened.
He was a keen sportsman and lived a healthy lifestyle, Mr Harper said.
''He was a really healthy guy - gyms, healthy food - he was right into it.
''He was his own guy. He did things his way.''
Mr Harper said Mr Mouncey had been travelling alone on an overseas excursion in London, working for British Rail.
He was visiting China and Thailand on his way back to live in Dunedin.
