THE sister of a Brit tourist who died in a eerily similar way to Towie’s Jordan Wright has opened up about why she is still fighting for answers.
Regan Kelly, 28, was found dead in the sea in Thailand last January – and although police say he drowned, his family fear foul play.
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Laurie is still trying to find out what happened in Regan’s final moments Credit: Supplied
Police at the scene after Regan’s body was found Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress
But in the 16 months since, his devastated sister Laurie Blackall says she has grappled with “a lack of support” from authorities – while facing the burden of grief.
The mum-of-one said she has felt at times like a “nuisance” for asking questions as she tries to uncover exactly what happened to Regan.
Inspired by her ongoing battle, she has started a petition calling for an upheaval of how the UK deals with the deaths of its citizens abroad.
Laurie told The Jattvibe: “Since my brother died, I just feel like there’s been no support, absolutely nothing.
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“When something like a tragic death happens here [in the UK], people are appointed a family liaison officer or somebody who can help you, even just for support.
“But when somebody goes abroad and dies, you [their family] come back and it just feels like there’s an eerie silence.”
Regan, from Selsdon, South London, vanished in the early hours of January 3, 2025 – days into his trip to the island of Phuket with a friend.
Final CCTV footage from a hotel near the seafront showed Regan running after he left the bar of the Mad Monkey Hotel, where he was staying.
CCTV shows Regan heading towards the beach before he was found dead Credit: Supplied
Laurie’s campaign poster Credit: Laurie Blackall
Building surveyor Regan’s body was found by a watersports instructor at around 10am, hours after he was last seen on CCTV leaving the hostel, and it remains unclear what happened after he reached the beach.
The man who discovered his body told Laurie he was naked – apart from one sock, a tiny detail that has haunted her ever since.
It is among the clues Laurie believes point to foul play, as Regan was “spiritual” and there was “no way he would go in the sea with socks on”.
But Laurie said she feels that she has had to “become the investigator” – and has struggled to get hold of the relevant paperwork.
“Don’t get me wrong, to a degree you want to oversee everything because it’s so personal,” she said.
“But when you’re in a state of shock and trying to deal with everything else, you want to feel like everything is handled the right way here.
“I feel like it just doesn’t go through the right channels and people don’t communicate with each other.
“Where’s the information, the clear guidance, the clear pathway of what to do?”
“If you have your loved one repatriated, it doesn’t just stop there.
“You’re still in touch with the FCDO (UK’s Foreign Office] because you want to try and get the police reports etc, whatever information you can sent back to the UK or to the relevant officials within the UK.
“I think there were two or three occasions where I’d sent an email and then it bounced back and they say ‘sorry I don’t work in that department anymore’ or ‘sorry I can'[t help you’ or ‘I’ve forwarded it over to this person, someone will get back to you’.
“Nobody does. So that’s what is so frustrating, because while you’re trying to grieve you’re also trying to get all the relevant documentation because the UK can’t do anything, you feel like you’re the investigator.”
Jordan Wright, 33, was also found dead in Phuket Credit: instagram
Laurie is calling for the government to improve transparency, give families a dedicated liaison support officer, ensure access to all information on their loved one, and introduce an independent review process.
Thousands of Brits die abroad every year – and one that resonated with Laurie this year was that of Towie star Jordan Wright.
Like Regan, the 33-year-old was seen on CCTV running, also in Phuket.
Jordan was then mysteriously found dead in a drainage canal on March 14 – and his family hope an inquest scheduled for later this year will shed light on what happened.
Laurie said: “When I shared my petition on Facebook, loads of other families commented and sharing their experiences.
“They were all saying the same thing, that they come back and it’s literally nothing – it’s either poor communication, lack of support, not being updated or feeling fobbed off, which I can relate to.
“I know there’s so much in this country that needs looking into, but this is a personal thing to me and many other families.
“And it’s a huge, huge thing because they are British nationals – but they’re seen as just another number.”
So far, more than 1,500 people have signed Laurie’s petition.
Claire Couthino, Laurie’s local MP in East Surrey, told The Jattvibe: “The loss of any family member is deeply distressing, but when this happens unexpectedly overseas it can be even harder for families to navigate the bureaucracy that follows.
“Bereaved families deserve clear communication and a compassionate approach, so it is concerning to hear that may not always be what they receive.”
The FCDO’s consular teams provide support to British nationals overseas 24/7, and information on the support they can provide is supplied on the agency’s website.
A FCDO spokesman told The Jattvibe: “Our thoughts are with Laurie and her family following the death of her brother last year.
“We provided support to them at the time and were in contact with the family and the local authorities.
“Each embassy tries to tailor support for families of British Nationals across the globe who need help.”
