Malaysian forgery suspect found hanged in Thai prison

BANGKOK: -- A Malaysian national was found hanged in a Thai police detention cell eight days after being arrested for credit card forgery, media reports said Sunday.

Boontai Tan, 27, was found dead Saturday shortly after midnight with a belt around his neck hanging from a toilet beam in a police station detention cell in Pathumwan, a Bangkok suburb.

He had been arrested on February 9 on charges of credit card and document forgery, and interrogated Friday prior to his alleged suicide, the Bangkok Post reported.

Tan was the second foreigner to allegedly commit suicide under detention last week.

German national Helmut Nehls, charged with raping a minor, was found Wednesday at a prison in the north-eastern city of Udon Thani with his wrists slashed and a sock stuffed down his throat.

Police arrested Nehls, 64, who was from Zeppernick in the eastern German state of Sachsen-Anhalt, on February 10 on charges of raping and abducting a minor.

-- DPA 2007-02-18

Two "suicides" while in detention this week. Great average boys. What professionalism! What professionalism?

Maybe they're competing with the bus drivers and their fatal road accidents.

Edited February 18, 200719 yr by Tony Clifton

Will independent autopsies be carried out?

Did these suspects have information that could have embarrassed the police?

Were the alleged suicides feasible?

Two "suicides" while in detention this week. Great average boys. What professionalism! What professionalism?

Maybe they're competing with the bus drivers and their fatal road accidents.

If you were 64 and guilty as charged, it seems the lessor of two evils. Better to be dead than spend the rest of his life in Thai prison. Why blame the police???

Two "suicides" while in detention this week. Great average boys. What professionalism! What professionalism?

Maybe they're competing with the bus drivers and their fatal road accidents.

If you were 64 and guilty as charged, it seems the lessor of two evils. Better to be dead than spend the rest of his life in Thai prison. Why blame the police???

<deleted> is a guy still wearing his belt after spending 8 days in a cell? He was 27, the other lad was 64.

Do you trust the police 100% here? I rate them at 10%.

How do you know policemen were not somehow involved with any of the crimes , even if it only meant being aware of an old man raping a young girl but not doing anything about it until someone formally complained, that's usually when they get their a55es in gear. They commit more crimes themselves than any other organization simply with the tea money collection, done every day, year round.

Not counting all the others we never hear about, Burmese illegals or workers, etc. A search for a missing lawyer's bones produced other unidentified victims bones found in water and garbage dumps. What are the odds of that? Many have disappeared, some die in detention, never without some strange circumstances.

Edited February 18, 200719 yr by Tony Clifton

Two "suicides" while in detention this week. Great average boys. What professionalism! What professionalism?

Maybe they're competing with the bus drivers and their fatal road accidents.

If you were 64 and guilty as charged, it seems the lessor of two evils. Better to be dead than spend the rest of his life in Thai prison. Why blame the police???

<deleted> is a guy still wearing his belt after spending 8 days in a cell? He was 27, the other lad was 64.

Do you trust the police 100% here? I rate them at 10%.

How do you know policemen were not somehow involved with any of the crimes , even if it only meant being aware of an old man raping a young girl but not doing anything about it until someone formally complained, that's usually when they get their a55es in gear. They commit more crimes themselves than any other organization simply with the tea money collection, done every day, year round.

Not counting all the others we never hear about, Burmese illegals or workers, etc. A search for a missing lawyer's bones produced other unidentified victims bones found in water and garbage dumps. What are the odds of that? Many have disappeared, some die in detention, never without some strange circumstances.

if you are implying that they were murdered, then, who do you think is responsible? ..it can't be thaksin. because he is out of the picture. using your previous logic, it must be the coup leaders?

The boys in brown make up their own rules, even though there are laws, procedures and conduct codes. Hence their almost total lack of professionalism and ethics.

You'd better behave.

German national Helmut Nehls, charged with raping a minor, was found Wednesday at a prison in the north-eastern city of Udon Thani with his wrists slashed and a sock stuffed down his throat.

a sock stuffed down his throat?

Two "suicides" while in detention this week. Great average boys. What professionalism! What professionalism?

Maybe they're competing with the bus drivers and their fatal road accidents.

If you were 64 and guilty as charged, it seems the lessor of two evils. Better to be dead than spend the rest of his life in Thai prison. Why blame the police???

Because the Police should be responsible for their 'safety'

Immaterial as to whether they were murdered or they did indeed commit suicide. When a prisoner is taken into custody, he should be relieved of ALL property including articles that could be used to harm themselves or others. Belts/shoelaces are common sense articles which should NEVER be allowed to be kept by the prisoner.

This is at best complete incompetence by the Police