Mr Thomas was in Phuket on August 26 when torrential rains hit and flooded Bangla road in Patong.
He decided to seek refuge under the roof of department store Ocean Plaza Patong. The floods were so high that he inadvertently touched a live socket and was killed instantly from its power surge.
Upon hearing the evidence, South Manchester deputy coroner Joanne Kearsley returned a verdict of ‘accidental death’.
The Daily Mail reported that she said, “Cases like this are just an absolute tragedy. Charlie was a young man, from a loving family, enjoying his summer break. There is nothing he could have seen or done to know what was going to occur, in just seconds.”
Father Anthony Thomas said their son was a quiet and kind man who loved to travel. He said, “'He touched the lives of many people and will be missed by all his family and friends.'