Norwegian man's death: He had prostate cancer and wanted to stop treatment, Thai media

 

Picture: Pattaya News

 

Thai media reported that the 69 year old Norwegian man found hanging from a Pattaya condominium said in a suicide note that he wanted to stop treatment for cancer. 

 

Pattaya News reported that he was suffering from prostate cancer. 

 

Part of a suicide note translated from Norwegian suggested that he wanted to stop help from tubes for breathing and feeding. 

 

A will has left possessions to Max Holden's Thai wife. She was in Chiang Mai at the time of his death. Police are calling it suicide. 

 

There had been no arguments before she left for Chiang Mai, said Pattaya News. 

 

Mr Holden stayed in room 2305 on the 23rd floor of Northshore Condominium in Soi 5 of Pattaya Beach Road.

 

He was found hanged from the top of the building on Wednesday. A selection of knives and cutters and two bloodstained chopping boards were found at the scene. 

 

He was earlier reported to have shot himself with a homemade gun. 

 

Source: Pattaya News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-11-15

Very sad, but at least it seems he went on his own terms.

 

could of been a little discrete as a last gesture,  children viewing the spectacle would be quite upset I would think.

1 minute ago, from the home of CC said:

could of been a little discrete as a last gesture,  children viewing the spectacle would be quite upset I would think.

 

Indeed - tragic that someone feels the need to take such measures.... But, imposing this image on the scores of innocents many of whom would be young children is plan wrong and not the legacy anyone should want to leave behind. 

Hard to understand why he didn't just jump.

I wonder if it would have made a difference if he had the same access to palliative medicines and hospice care as do Western nations?  Given that pathetic lack of end-of-life resources, access to palliative medicine in the amounts needed to adequately alleviate severe pain, given the seeming total lack of compassion or assistance for those at the end of their lives here in Thailand by the government, the doctors or the medical community - short of dying in agony, the only other option is checking out via suicide.  With the aging expat community, suicide to end suffering will probably become more and more commonplace. 

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Indeed - tragic that someone feels the need to take such measures.... But, imposing this image on the scores of innocents many of whom would be young children is plan wrong and not the legacy anyone should want to leave behind. 

Perhaps he was making a statement?  I truly feel for this man's suffering.  I can empathize and understand.  Rest in Peace Max Holden. 
May you be free from suffering.  Sadu, sadu, sadu.

Edited November 15, 20187 yr by connda

To die in such a macabre  spectical I was sure he was making a statement to someone or about something...sad

Didn’t Thailand just legalize medicinal marijuana? Cannabis oil saved my mums life, could have possibly saved his too.

I don't know about this theory. When I see zip ties, it's a dead ringer for foul play.

5 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

could of been a little discrete as a last gesture,  children viewing the spectacle would be quite upset I would think.

After medical treatment, chemo and such, many patients suffer not only depression but also mental derangement, such that they are no longer thinking in a responsible manner. The manner of his exit suggests this. Poor feller. Docs do not always mangage this properly, and many are even unaware.

if your life is over, dont kill yourself immediately .

In the short time you still have , do something real good.

Wipe out some real bad guy( e.g.Hitler, Pol Pot,.......) , you will be remembered for it. 

5 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Hard to understand why he didn't just jump.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/factors-influencing-the-decision-to-use-hanging-as-a-method-of-suicide-qualitative-study/EB259F432B70A1B4C71E1B842CC13347

2 hours ago, connda said:

I wonder if it would have made a difference if he had the same access to palliative medicines and hospice care as do Western nations?  Given that pathetic lack of end-of-life resources, access to palliative medicine in the amounts needed to adequately alleviate severe pain, given the seeming total lack of compassion or assistance for those at the end of their lives here in Thailand by the government, the doctors or the medical community - short of dying in agony, the only other option is checking out via suicide.  With the aging expat community, suicide to end suffering will probably become more and more commonplace. 

Having seen my own Father die of this in a  "western country" and the lack of decent  or effective pain relief there leaving him screaming with pain every 2-3  minutes for 12  months I plan to end it too if I get Prostate cancer that cant be stopped by removal ( likely)

Morphine did nothing to help the pain just made him hallucinate.

Its  certainly not  nice.

1 hour ago, lucjoker said:

if your life is over, dont kill yourself immediately .

In the short time you still have , do something real good.

Wipe out some real bad guy( e.g.Hitler, Pol Pot,.......) , you will be remembered for it. 

A member of the Jack Ruby fan club?

2 hours ago, connda said:

Perhaps he was making a statement?  I truly feel for this man's suffering.  I can empathize and understand.  Rest in Peace Max Holden. 
May you be free from suffering.  Sadu, sadu, sadu.

 

Agreed - RIP...  

 

But can you really understand?... you can understand why someone would hang themself of a public building for all to see the result in its fully grotesqueness?

 

I'm not sure the parents of the kids who saw him hanging like that can understand... 

 

Yes, this is an unpopular and harsh opinion juxtaposed from the usual sensitive, RIP comments... its not that I'm unsympathetic, but, if this man wished to take his life in his own home at minimal impact to others it would be tragic and many posters sentiments would be mirrored by myself, but this is not the case here. 

 

The deceased chose this course of action for as much publicity as possible... Its very strange, what kind of mental state does someone have to be in to act like this (rhetorical question). 

6 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Hard to understand why he didn't just jump.

fear of landing on someone would be my guess?...RIP bloke.

2 hours ago, OmarZaid said:

After medical treatment, chemo and such, many patients suffer not only depression but also mental derangement, such that they are no longer thinking in a responsible manner. The manner of his exit suggests this. Poor feller. Docs do not always mangage this properly, and many are even unaware.

As part of his treatment he will at some time, almost certainly have received Hormone Therapy.  HT has wide ranging affects on a patient's mental state and emotional state and can last for years afterwards.  That together with how other parts of his treatment may have affected his potency and general 'male feeling', will have had a severe affect on his mental well being. Having had HT, I know very well how it can affect you - thankfully I got through and out the other side.

 

Thankfully, HT doesn't affect everyone in the same way or we'd be hearing stories like this regularly.

Edited November 15, 20187 yr by KhaoYai

3 hours ago, connda said:

I wonder if it would have made a difference if he had the same access to palliative medicines and hospice care as do Western nations?  Given that pathetic lack of end-of-life resources, access to palliative medicine in the amounts needed to adequately alleviate severe pain, given the seeming total lack of compassion or assistance for those at the end of their lives here in Thailand by the government, the doctors or the medical community - short of dying in agony, the only other option is checking out via suicide.  With the aging expat community, suicide to end suffering will probably become more and more commonplace. 

 

Whatever happened to that Great Health Insurance Scheme for FERANGS?

You know the one, intrduced by the last ELECTED THAI P.M., it worked very well. Many FERANGS dropped their Off-Shore Health Cover, in favour of the one offered here.

 

Not long after the last, “ELECTED PM” was DITCHED, the FERANG HEALTH CARE Facility was also DITCHED, leaving those who took the policy in Good Faith to.....HANG OUT TO DRY ! 

2 minutes ago, Torrens54 said:

 

Whatever happened to that Great Health Insurance Scheme for FERANGS?

You know the one, intrduced by the last ELECTED THAI P.M., it worked very well. Many FERANGS dropped their Off-Shore Health Cover, in favour of the one offered here.

 

Not long after the last, “ELECTED PM” was DITCHED, the FERANG HEALTH CARE Facility was also DITCHED, leaving those who took the policy in Good Faith to.....HANG OUT TO DRY ! 

I doubt that there ever was a plan to provide long term medical care to farangs with cancer.  Prostrate cancer can sometimes take 20 years to kill.

That  for sure stopped the treatment. checked out on his own terms. RIP

Quote:- "wanted to stop help from tubes for breathing and feeding". Why not just remove these rather than go to such macabre efforts to end his life. RIP.

7 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Hard to understand why he didn't just jump.

Didn't want to go mainstream...

If you like to live 

Stay away from country like this 

They kill people for less money then this man had 

1 hour ago, suzannegoh said:

A member of the Jack Ruby fan club?

A SUPERMEMBER of TVF...

I feel he should have chosen a less lurid way to kill himself out of consideration for family and friends. Nevertheless I wish him RIP.

1 hour ago, suzannegoh said:

I doubt that there ever was a plan to provide long term medical care to farangs with cancer.  Prostrate cancer can sometimes take 20 years to kill.

correct my Dad got it aged 66 died aged 85, i plan to have it removed at 60 as my Grandad also died the same way and age.

3 hours ago, kannot said:

Having seen my own Father die of this in a  "western country" and the lack of decent  or effective pain relief there leaving him screaming with pain every 2-3  minutes for 12  months I plan to end it too if I get Prostate cancer that cant be stopped by removal ( likely)

Morphine did nothing to help the pain just made him hallucinate.

Its  certainly not  nice.

Agreed, if the cancer is at such a stage he needed help with breathing & eating then medication to alleviate the symptoms are almost non-existent.

Time to have a beer, a bottle of pills and say goodbye... 
I don't think I'd go on the end of a rope from the outside of a building though.

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Agreed - RIP...  

 

But can you really understand?... you can understand why someone would hang themself of a public building for all to see the result in its fully grotesqueness?

 

I'm not sure the parents of the kids who saw him hanging like that can understand... 

 

Yes, this is an unpopular and harsh opinion juxtaposed from the usual sensitive, RIP comments... its not that I'm unsympathetic, but, if this man wished to take his life in his own home at minimal impact to others it would be tragic and many posters sentiments would be mirrored by myself, but this is not the case here. 

 

The deceased chose this course of action for as much publicity as possible... Its very strange, what kind of mental state does someone have to be in to act like this (rhetorical question). 

Westerners have a completely different concept of death than Thais.  I'd say most Thai kids I know see dead bodies on a regular basis.  Village funerals can be literally a weekly affair where I live.  Westerners on the other hand shun death. hide it, consider it morbid, don't wish to deal with it, shield their children from the natural states that are unavoidable, and generally fear it. 
Those of you who keep referring to shielding the children are really just expressing your own cultural biases as well as your Western non-acceptance of death being an integral part of living right to the point of missing the significance of the pain of suffering surrounding this man's death.  The 'children' will handle it fine.  This is not the West.

5 minutes ago, connda said:

The deceased chose this course of action for as much publicity as possible... Its very strange, what kind of mental state does someone have to be in to act like this (rhetorical question). 

I'd mentioned it before.  Maybe he was completely lucid and making a statement.  End of life care in Thailand is virtually non-existent.  Options for dying in dignity are nil.  If that's the case, then he brought attention to something that desperately needs to have attention and action.