Young boxer left fighting for his life after tuk tuk fall in Thailand

By CLAIRE ELLIOT, SCOTTISH GENERAL NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:33, 15 June 2026 | Updated: 19:33, 15 June 2026 A talented Scots boxer is fighting for his life in hospital after an accident while on holiday in Thailand. Colin Cairney is understood to have been travelling back to his hotel on the island of Phuket when he ‘fell from the back of a moving tuk tuk’ in the early hours of Sunday. Local police believe the 22-year-old, who was crowned the Commonwealth International Welterweight Champion only last month, got into a dispute over payment with the driver who then failed to stop to drop him off. Officers said Mr Cairney, who did not have travel insurance, sustained a severe head injury after he ‘lost his balance’ and fell from the back of the moving vehicle. He was taken to Patong Hospital and then on to Vachira Phuket Hospital where he remained in a coma in intensive care. Mr Cairney’s family was too upset to speak, but he is reportedly ‘critically ill’. Two fundraising pages have now collected more than £48,000 combined in a matter of hours to help pay for his medical bills and ‘arrange for his safe return home’. One page, set up by family friend Gary Taylor, reads: ‘We are reaching out with heavy hearts to ask for help for our son, who has been seriously injured in an accident while in Thailand. Colin Cairney, a champion boxer, was injured in an accident in Phuket ‘What began as a normal trip has turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. Following the accident, he has required urgent medical treatment and remains far from home, family, and the support network he desperately needs during his recovery.’ It adds that they are ‘incredibly grateful for the care he is receiving’, but states that the costs associated with medical treatment, accommodation, travel, and arranging for his safe return home are ‘overwhelming’. Another gofundme page set up by his boxing club 1314BC, said it was ‘an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time for everyone who knows and loves him’ and was ‘raising funds to help support Colin’s ongoing treatment, due to him not having travel insurance’. It adds: ‘Your support, kindness, and prayers mean more to us than words can express during this incredibly difficult time.’ The boxer, from Stirling, was reported to have been found injured on the road and initially officers believed he had been assaulted. But after reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to witnesses they concluded his injuries were consistent with having fallen from a vehicle. An investigation is now ongoing amid reports that the owner of the identified red tuk tuk told police it was rented out to another driver. A hotel security guard told police that Mr Cairney attempted to exchange money using his bank card but was unable to and needed to get cash from an ATM. He is then understood to have got back in the tuk tuk, but instead of stopping, the driver kept on going. Cairney had travelled to Phuket with family and friends on holiday Police Major Surachat Thongyai, investigating officer at Patong Police Station, told the Phuket News: ‘The vehicle should have turned into the hotel to drop off the passenger. Instead it continued on without regard for the passenger. ‘The vehicle was travelling at speed, but there was no sudden acceleration. The injured person was positioned near the rear of the vehicle and fell off.’ He told the publication that blood tests had also been ordered to establish if Mr Cairney was ‘intoxicated or had any substances in his system at the time of the fall’. Mr Cairney, who is believed to have been at an ‘entertainment venue’ before returning to his hotel, had travelled to Phuket with family and friends on holiday while also attending boxing training camps. The boxer held an unbeaten professional record of 10 victories from 10 fights and also won the WBO International Youth Welterweight Title last year. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed supporting the family of a British man in hospital in Thailand. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.