4-year-old Swedish boy walks into glass door while holidaying in Thailand, receives 239 stitches

Boy receives 239 stitches after walking into glass door during family holiday in Thailand

What was meant to be a long-awaited family holiday in Thailand took a traumatic turn when a four-year-old Swedish boy suffered severe injuries after walking into a glass door at his hotel.

Source: Aftonbladet

According to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the incident occurred on 21 Dec 2025, just two days after the family arrived on the island of Koh Lanta.

The boy, identified as Adrian, had been looking forward to the trip for more than a year, as it was meant to include Christmas, New Year, and his upcoming fifth birthday.

Trip to the restroom ends in serious injury

Adrian’s mother, Sarah Hedström, said the family had just returned to the hotel after lunch on the beach when her son needed to use the toilet.

As he was about to enter the bungalow, Adrian failed to notice that the glass door was closed and walked straight into it.

“It only took a few seconds. I heard a crash and then he started screaming,” she told Aftonbladet.

The impact caused multiple cuts, prompting Ms Hedström to shout for help and ask for an ambulance to be called.

Source: Aftonbladet

By coincidence, a nurse anaesthetist from Stockholm and a firefighter from Denmark were also staying at the hotel at the time.

They rushed over and provided first aid while waiting for emergency services to arrive.

4-hour surgery & lengthy recovery

Adrian and his mother were first taken to a nearby clinic, where his largest wounds were temporarily stitched.

He was later transferred to a larger hospital in Trang on the mainland, where he underwent surgery lasting around four hours.

In total, Adrian received 239 stitches. He remained hospitalised for several days before being discharged.

Source: Aftonbladet

Although the family has since returned to the hotel, the holiday has continued under markedly different conditions.

Adrian remains in pain and struggles with the heat, which has meant spending much of his time indoors in an air-conditioned room.

His wounds are itchy and swollen, and he has little energy to take part in activities with his older brother and relatives.

Safety concerns raised

Raising concerns about hotel safety, Ms Hedström questioned how a child weighing around 20kg could walk straight through what she described as an ordinary glass door.

Following the incident, other hotel guests reportedly began placing paper and markings on their glass doors to make them more visible, out of concern that a similar accident could happen again.

The family plans to remain in Thailand until 10 Jan. While Adrian’s fifth birthday is approaching, his mother said the immediate focus is on his recovery, with the family taking things one day at a time.