Australian man’s haunting final post before death in Thailand

An Australian man who tragically died at a popular tourist spot in Thailand made a final Facebook post not long before he was found unconscious.

Edward Alchin has been identified as the Australian man who died at Thailand’s Tiger Cave Temple. Picture: Ed Alchin/Facebook

An Australian man who died after hiking to a popular tourist attraction in Thailand made a post on Facebook before the tragedy that read: “Just 1000 more stairs.”

Edward Alchin has been identified as the 70-year-old Australian who died at the Tiger Cave Temple near Krabi Town on Friday.

Emergency responders and a doctor took more than an hour to climb 1200 stairs to reach an unconscious Mr Alchin and tragically attempts to resuscitate him failed, The Phuket Expressreported. His body was then carried down the stairs.

Mueang Krabi Police told the publication he was travelling alone and his motorbike was parked at the temple, with a passport inside a bag.

A doctor at the scene was reported to have suspected Mr Alchin suffered a cardiac arrest, but his exact cause of death is not known.

Edward Alchin has been identified as the Australian man who died at Thailand’s Tiger Cave Temple. Picture: Ed Alchin/Facebook

He posted a picture on Facebook of his climb up to the summit where he was later found unconscious. Picture: Ed Alchin/Facebook

Mr Alchin, originally from NSW, started a YouTube channel in 2020 about his life as a retired Australian living on Koh Lanta island in Thailand, and he posted his latest video just a week before his death.

But his final post on social media was a Facebook post from the steps of the Tiger Cave Temple where he died.

It included a photo looking up the stairs and another of the view, with the caption: “Just 1000 more stairs.”

In a tribute post, Mr Alchin’s daughter Mae Powell said her “heart was hurting” and that she had only recently received a message from her dad about how much he loved her.

She shared the message where Mr Alchin said he would die with a smile on his face and a peaceful heart knowing that she knew what his family meant to him.

Tiger Cave Temple, also called Wat Tham Suea, is a sacred site and the challenging climb to the summit involves 1260 winding steps. A huge golden Buddha sits at the top.