‘It’s taking every bit of strength to post this … I lost the love of my life, my best friend.’

A Central Coast family’s annual holiday with friends has ended in heartbreak after a father died suddenly in Thailand, just days before his birthday.

Cameron Degan, a 44-year-old supervisor at a mining company, was found unresponsive by his wife Kylie at a resort in Phang Nga about 4am on Sunday.

Despite efforts to revive him, he could not be saved.

Kylie, Degan’s wife of 19 years, shared the devastating news in a social media post.

“It’s taking every bit of strength to post this,” she wrote.

“In the early hours of Sunday 12th April on our Thailand holiday, I lost the love of my life, my best friend. And Charlotte and Jack have lost the best dad in the world.

“He passed in his sleep, and after working on him for an hour, the ambulance finally arrived, but we could not save him.”

Bec Mullineaux, a close friend who was holidaying with the family, said the situation “spiralled” after she received a frantic call from Kylie screaming for help.

Mullineaux told 7NEWS.com.au the three families had been close for decades and made a tradition of travelling together each year.

They had planned to stay from April 7 to 15, but the trip was cut short by Degan’s sudden death.

Mullineaux said Degan had worked extra hours to help pay for what was meant to be “the best holiday ever”.

“The day before, we went and did a tour, and his daughter actually said, this is the best holiday she’s ever been on,” Mullineaux said.

She described Degan as a devoted husband, loving father and “the most loyal friend you could ever find in your entire life”.

Mullineaux said Degan shared a close bond with his children, with his 16-year-old daughter “a daddy’s girl” and his 12-year-old son often joking with him.

She said Degan and his wife Kylie had been together for nearly two decades and were “still so in love”.

“I do not know another couple that have been together for so long that love each other so much,” she said, adding the sudden loss has left Kylie “in a million pieces”.

Degan worked long hours to support his family, often leaving home in the early hours of the morning and returning late at night.

Mullineaux said he was also a lifelong Canterbury Bulldogs supporter, rarely seen without club gear, and loved playing golf.

She said Degan considered his close friends family, and would “do anything for them”.

“Cameron was such an instrumental person in all of our lives,” she said.

“Cameron was the definition of a great friend and a great dad and a great husband.

“There will never be anybody like him ever again.”

Friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help bring Degan home to Australia and support his family with funeral and immediate costs.

“We are fundraising to support them through the significant financial challenges resulting from this tragedy, including the costs associated with Cameron’s repatriation to Australia, funeral arrangements, and other immediate expenses,” the page reads.

“Any donation, no matter the size, will help ease the financial burden and allow the family to focus on healing and being together during this incredibly difficult time.”