A veteran British magazine editor died in a car accident in Thailand on Monday afternoon.
Colin Hastings, editor of English lifestyle magazine ‘Big Chilli’, crashed his car into a residential wall in Chonburi province on April 29.
Doctors and first responders removed the 73-year-old man from his Toyota Vios, where the airbags had deployed, and attempted to revive him with CPR, but to no avail.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:15 p.m.
Colin’s Thai daughter Angie Hastings, a former actress, posted a photo of her father on Instagram with a brief caption: “I lost my dad; we are still in shock.” I just need some time.’
Angie appeared in several Thai television series and films between 2000 and 2016 and earned a BA in Media Studies from Kingston University.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) wrote in a tribute: “Colin, a veteran British journalist with Fleet Street experience, arrived in Bangkok in 1973 and worked on numerous publications for the Bangkok Post and Media Transasia.”
Colin’s wrecked car is seen in front of a house in Chonburi province, Thailand, following the accident. You can see oil leaking from the damaged car.
Doctors and first responders removed the 73-year-old man from his Toyota Vios, where the airbags had deployed, and attempted to revive him with CPR, but were unsuccessful.
Colin’s Thai daughter Angie Hastings, a former actress, posted a photo of her father on Instagram with a brief caption: “I lost my dad; we are still in shock.” I just need some time’
Colin Hastings, 73, from Kingston, was the editor of English lifestyle magazine ‘Big Chilli’ in Thailand.
Police Lieutenant Santichon Hoomart from Sattahip police station said: ‘The car may have been traveling at high speed before the collision. The driver was found to have an underlying medical condition. We are investigating whether this caused the accident.’
The police officer said the homeowner called the police when the car crashed into the wall.
The officer added: “It is not believed that the victim was drunk.” There was no smell of alcohol. There are no other charges in the case and no one is under suspicion of any crime.
‘It was an accident. The driver’s insurance will cover any damage caused to the wall.
Colin’s body was taken to the Bangkok Police Hospital Institute of Forensic Medicine for a post-mortem examination.
Since then, tributes to the beloved journalist and editor have flooded social media.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) wrote in a tribute: ‘Colin, a veteran British journalist with Fleet Street experience, arrived in Bangkok in 1973 and worked on numerous publications for the Bangkok Post and Media Transasia.
‘He became Thailand Tatler’s first editor in 1991, and in 1999 launched his own expat-focused publication, Big Chilli, which he managed to keep afloat while print media around the world went bankrupt.
«Colin, a magnificent squash player, was an exceptional all-round athlete. He served on the board of directors of the British Club and moved as easily in Thai society as he did in foreign circles.
“The FCCT will publish a fuller tribute to Colin in the coming days, along with details of the arrangements for his funeral.”
The BigChilli said in a statement on its Facebook page on April 29: “It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Colin Hastings this afternoon due to a tragic car accident. We are deeply saddened by this loss.
‘More details will be shared as soon as we receive them. Please keep Colin’s family and loved ones in your thoughts during this difficult time.”
Staff at Colin’s local pub, The Royal Oak Bangkok, paid tribute to their “much loved” regular.
Colin was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:15 p.m.
Colin forged a storied career in journalism, working at numerous publications including Bangkok Post, Thai Tatler and Media Transasia, before starting his magazine, Big Chilli, in 1999.
They said: ‘All staff at The Royal Oak are deeply shocked by the tragic news of the passing of our dear friend Colin Hastings.
‘Firstly, we would like to extend our deepest condolences from every one of us at Oak to Colin’s family and friends at this difficult time.
‘Colin had frequented these facilities long before most of the staff were born. In all that time I doubt he will find anyone who has anything bad to say about him, let alone our staff, whom he always treated with the utmost respect.’
The tribute continued: ‘Colin was a member of our Sunday club, an informal group of long-term expat residents who meet every Sunday afternoon in Oak. I’m not sure Sunday will be the same again.
“Our small, close-knit community has been greatly affected by the loss of our dear friend Colin and we will pay him our well-deserved tribute in due course.”
Colin was a long-time member of the FCCT, arriving in Bangkok in 1973, shortly before the fall of Saigon in the Vietnam War two years later.
He forged a storied career in journalism, working at numerous publications including Bangkok Post, Thai Tatler and Media Transasia, before starting his magazine, Big Chilli, in 1999.
The magazine has an estimated monthly circulation of 35,000 and is distributed in Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Rayong, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Phuket.
