Memorial service planned to remember Wirral millionaire whose death in Thailand still remains a mystery

Sep 5 2012 by Helen Hunt, Heswall News

THE daughters of a Wirral millionaire whose death still remains a mystery are organising a memorial service for him.

Lois and Nikki Farrell saw their dad David Farrell cremated in an emotional three-day funeral ceremony in Thailand after the 72-year-old’s body was found in his luxury apartment in a quiet fishing village south of Pattaya.

Fulfilling the final arrangements he documented in his will, they will now hold a memorial service in Wirral, where he grew up.

It will be open for all those who knew him to attend and the sisters plan to scatter his ashes in four different places chosen by the Wallasey businessman.

Lois said: “Dad was cremated in Thailand in a Buddist ceremony. In his will and when I spoke to him before he passed away he asked to be cremated in Thailand and then for us to bring his ashes home.

“He wants his ashes in four different places – Anglesey, where a good friend comes from and where he spent a lot of time; Palma in Majorca in Spain, again where he spent a lot of time and was going to live; Redcliffe House in Wellington Road, New Brighton, which was his grandparents’ home and our family home; and with his brother Walter in Rake Lane Cemetery in Liscard. His brother was 25 when he died in an accident.”

Lois said the memorial service, which will be held at St Nicholas’ Church in Wallasey, would be an “emotional” day but the arrangements had given them something to concentrate on while they awaited answers over their dad’s death.

Police in Thailand are currently probing Mr Farrell’s death to establish whether he was murdered or the victim of a tragic accident.

Lois and Nikki are convinced their dad’s death is suspicious but they, like the police, are awaiting the results of a post mortem examination and forensic tests.

Police from Sattahip police station, in Chonburi province, were said to have been notified of Mr Farrell’s death at around 2.30pm on Monday, July 30.

Mr Farrell lived in the Baan Bang Saray market area of Pattaya in a three-storey house with a swimming pool.

Nikki said an early morning phone from his ex-wife Koranit Chuangchai, 33, gave her the devastating news.

She said: “It was 6.45am here, about 1pm in dad’s part of Thailand. It was from his ex-wife to say he had been found dead.

“I was violently sick,’’ Nikki added. ’’I could not speak. It was a big shock.”

The sisters said that their dad’s body was discovered by an English friend and neighbour, who like others had become concerned that they had not seen Mr Farrell as they usually did on a Saturday.

Mr Farrell made his money from property and was the son of Walter Farrell. who ran Wallasey roofing company W.H. Farrell Roofing and Building, liked to scour auctions on Saturdays but neighbours had not seen him out.

When the neighbour knocked and again got no answer on Monday he climbed over a wall and discovered Mr Farrell on the floor.

His daughters said Mr Farrell fell in love with Thailand after going there on holiday with a friend he worked with at Liverpool’s Stanley Dock market.

The memorial service takes place at 1.30pm at St Nicholas’ Church in Wallasey on Friday, September 14.