Man 'forced to sleep with rats' after Scottish bank cancels credit card during Thailand trip

A man has claimed he has been forced to sleep in abandoned buildings with rats and cockroaches on holiday in Thailand after his debit card was cancelled in error by a Scottish bank.

By Jane Bradley Monday, 22nd April 2019, 3:07 pm Updated Monday, 22nd April 2019, 6:59 pm

Alberto Perez says he had to sleep on the streets after his credit card was cancelled.

Alberto Perez was on a two-month holiday on a Thai island when he discovered his debit card had been stopped. When he contacted Bank of Scotland customer, he was told it was due to a new card being sent out to his home in Edinburgh while he was away and that the old card could not be used.

Mr Perez, 42, who works in front of house at a vegetarian restaurant in Edinburgh, says he is now working in a restaurant in Thailand in return for meals and has nowhere to stay for the remaining two weeks of his holiday - forcing him to sleep on the streets and in disused buildings.

Sign up to our daily newsletter The i newsletter cut through the noise Sign up Thanks for signing up! Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting...

He said: “Nearly a week ago, I realised that my credit card had been cancelled. I phoned my bank - Bank of Scotland. They told me that the the cause was because my credit card is about to expire when this is absolutely wrong.

“I am on an island in Thailand with no money. I didn’t eat anything for the first 48 hours and I had to beg for water in the restaurants. This is my sixth night sleeping on the streets or in abandoned houses or restaurants.

Mr Perez said that the credit card he has with him has an expiry date of April 2021 and that he had visited his branch in Edinburgh to check his banking facilities were in order before his trip. He has contacted the bank by phone, as well as through an online chat facility, but says a number he was given to phone to try to have his card reactivated has not worked.

He said: "The bank sent me a new one at home but obviously no one is at home - and I didn’t get any message to explain to me what is going to happen. I didn't ask for a new credit card. They ruined my holidays because I am stuck on this island and my flight back is in two weeks, so I have no idea how to get through this situation."

He added: "I've been bitten by 100 mosquitoes at least. I had to sleep with rats and cockroaches or slum dogs and on my second day sleeping on the streets I woke up feeling sick - very weak and with fever. I was so worried about of dengue fever because of the mosquito bites."

After a trip to a local hospital, Mr Perez was given the all-clear for dengue.

A Bank of Scotland spokesman said the bank would send money to Mr Perez through Western Union and would then investigate the situation.