A British couple whose Thailand retirement dream turned into a nightmare are back home and say they “couldn’t be happier” as they prepare to rebuild their lives.

“I wish we’d never gone to Thailand but we can’t turn the clock back and Des and I are going to have a wonderful retirement together,” Mary Byrne, 69, told the BBC.

She and her husband Des, 77, were badly beaten by two neighbours after a property dispute in Hua Hin, where they had purchased a villa. They said they acted in self-defence but feared they would be jailed when Thai authorities said they and their assailants would all face charges.  

The incident took place in December 2023 but the charges were not laid until June last year. The couple’s passports were seized and they had a months-long wait to learn of their fate.

Last month the couple finally appeared in court, where they were fined and had their passports returned to them.

They have now abandoned their plans to retire in Thailand and are instead looking at houses in Middlesbrough, England.

“Being back in Middlesbrough and seeing the fabulous countryside, it’s absolutely wonderful,” Mrs Byrne told the BBC. “We couldn’t be happier.”