Distressed man appeals to PM, kills himself

[webfact]

Distressed man appeals to PM, kills himself

By The Nation

 

 

A 42-YEAR-OLD man who committed suicide after losing out in a shady loan deal, left a suicide note asking Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to make sure his family received justice.

 

Praiwan Saelee, who came from Hat Yai in Songkhla province, was last Friday found dead after burning charcoal in a Samut Prakan apartment room.

His family have told police that his problems began in January last year when he sought a Bt140,000 loan through a money lender in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district so he could expand his mobile phone business.

 

In order to secure the loan he gave the man his four-year-old Mazda pick-up truck worth about Bt1 million as collateral and said he’d repay the money within a month.

 

In fact two weeks later, according to his mother in law, Praiwan won Bt200,000 in the lottery and tried to contact the money lender to repay the loan and get back his truck. There was no answer on the phone number he had, however, and the truck has never been seen again.

 

When Praiwan reported the truck as stolen with Chokchai police in Bangkok, he was allegedly instructed to pay a Bt5,000 investigation fee but the probe got nowhere, resulting in stress and finally, desperation that drove him to commit suicide. 

 

Rescue workers found two suicide notes – one was addressed to Prayut, recounted his frustration with police and appealed for the Prime Minister’s help in getting him justice; the other was addressed to the rescue foundation staff and contained his request to be cremated. Praiwan left behind his 29-year-old wife and two children. 

 

His 54-year-old mother-in-law, in whose name the truck was bought, is now struggling to pay the 36 remaining monthly instalments of Bt10,423 and she fears being sued for the outstanding money. 

 

“I hope police can get the truck back for us,” she said.

 

Praiwan’s accusation has landed Pol Lt-Colonel Pratuan Malaengtab of Chokchai police in trouble but the officer, who has been transferred to the Metropolitan Police Division 4 pending the result of an internal; inquiry, maintains he has done nothing wrong. 

 

Police deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Patanacharoen said Metropolitan Police Division 4 commander Pol Maj-General Teerapong Wongratpitak had ordered a fact-finding probe against Pratuan. He has further vowed to impose disciplinary and criminal code punishments against him if it turned out he did indeed benefit personally in the truck inquiry. 

 

Police summoned several suspects for questioning about the missing truck but only one showed up, so police would soon apply for arrest |warrants for the other suspects, Krissana said. 

 

A police source said that one of those was Nonthaburi man Weerawat Sripidok, who was already wanted in five separate fraud cases.

 

Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Sutthipong Wongpin said the investigation against Pratuan was ongoing and that the accused officer had admitted both a delay in its progress and his failure to report its progress to the family. 

 

Sutthipong said a meeting would be held later yesterday for city police investigators to remind them how to follow the correct regulations in future.

Chokchai superintendant Pol Colonel Chakkapan Chantara-uthai said a new police team would take over the truck theft case and pointed out that Pratuan had never been the subject of bribe complaints before. 

 

He also confirmed that Pratuan would be questioned about the reasons for the lack of progress in the investigation and the failure to report back to the victim. 

 

Praiwan should have been told by Pratuan that one suspect had already been arrested in February over the alleged truck theft case, he added.

 

Pratuan has told reporters he didn’t demand any money and had conducted the investigation in accordance with police regulations. In Roi Et’s Chaturaphak Phiman district, Praiwan’s mother-in-law Sanong (last name withheld) said Praiwan’s widow and two children were now in shock and grieving over his suicide. 

 

“He was a good and diligent man so four years ago, I used my name to help him purchase the truck via a Thanachart Bank car finance contract that required 84 monthly instalments for his use in expanding his mobile phone-selling business in Bangkok,” Sanong recalled. 

 

The missing vehicle is a bronze-grey Mazda pick-up truck with the licence plate number Kor Tor 6723 Roi Et – if anyone spots it they are asked to contact Chokchai police in Bangkok.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369006

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-08

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

The charity Samaritans is available around the clock for people who want to talk.

If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health services, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791 (English), 02713-6793 (Thai) or Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai).

http://www.samaritansthai.com/news/samaritans-of-thailand-english-hotline/

[unamazedloso]

Sad, little careless but you think the pm cares?

[mok199]

The vultures continue to circle...

[cornishcarlos]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

four-year-old Mazda pick-up truck worth about Bt1 million

 

Wow, my truck didn't hold it's value like a Mazda !!

[colinneil]

So praiwan left a note asking Prayut to see his family get justice.

Total waste of time, no photo op for Prayut, so it will be binned.

[robblok]

8 minutes ago, colinneil said:

So praiwan left a note asking Prayut to see his family get justice.

Total waste of time, no photo op for Prayut, so it will be binned.

Maybe you should take time to read the article more slowly and see that progress is already been made. The police chief is being replaced, a new team is investigating. So things are changing in his advantage. Not that i directly see the PM his hand in this but the suicide and news are forcing people to act. Sad that it takes this much to get people to do a real investigation.

 

The police should do a lot of better work.

[neeray]

"Returning Happiness to the People" Huhh !

[colinneil]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

Maybe you should take time to read the article more slowly and see that progress is already been made. The police chief is being replaced, a new team is investigating. So things are changing in his advantage. Not that i directly see the PM his hand in this but the suicide and news are forcing people to act. Sad that it takes this much to get people to do a real investigation.

 

The police should do a lot of better work.

Maybe you should take time to read my post, i never mentioned the police, just it was a waste of time asking Prayut to help.

[robblok]

8 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Maybe you should take time to read my post, i never mentioned the police, just it was a waste of time asking Prayut to help.

Just him asking (think that killing himself had more to do with it) has already resulted in changes for the better. Prayut probably did not do a thing himself or he might have nudged someone we don't know. But fact remains things are changing for the better. But your probably right that Prayut had nothing to do with it personally.

[soalbundy]

suicide seems a little extreme in this case, perhaps he was not a happy camper mentally to begin with. I'm glad that the police are being investigated but for them this will just be a blip on the radar screen. 

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

suicide seems a little extreme in this case, perhaps he was not a happy camper mentally to begin with. I'm glad that the police are being investigated but for them this will just be a blip on the radar screen. 

'suicide seems a little extreme'?

Hmm, I don't think you be any more extreme.

[RobMuir]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Maybe you should take time to read my post, i never mentioned the police, just it was a waste of time asking Prayut to help.

In your rush to post you didn’t really read the article did you?

[jonclark]

I am wondering if the reason the investigation went so slowly was that the investigating officers were part of or linked to the loan shark operation. 

[Vacuum]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

he sought a Bt140,000 loan through a money lender

 

In order to secure the loan he gave the man his four-year-old Mazda pick-up truck worth about Bt1 million as collateral

Something is missing in this story. There are several legal 'pawn shops' who would've been happy to lend him 140k in exange for the blue book and a copy of the car keys.

[geoffbezoz]

Just now, Vacuum said:

Something is missing in this story. There are several legal 'pawn shops' who would've been happy to lend him 140k in exange for the blue book and a copy of the car keys.

He didn't have the Blue book. It was in his Mothers-in-Laws name so possibly doing something underhand. It was not his or her car legally anyway as it was on finance.  And since when has a 4 year Mazda pick-up been worth 1 million ?

[Vacuum]

5 minutes ago, geoffbezoz said:

He didn't have the Blue book. It was in his Mothers-in-Laws name so possibly doing something underhand. It was not his or her car legally anyway as it was on finance.  And since when has a 4 year Mazda pick-up been worth 1 million ?

Correct, my bad. I didn't read the link.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Vacuum

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

Maybe you should take time to read the article more slowly and see that progress is already been made. The police chief is being replaced, a new team is investigating. So things are changing in his advantage. Not that i directly see the PM his hand in this but the suicide and news are forcing people to act. Sad that it takes this much to get people to do a real investigation.

 

The police should do a lot of better work.

Shouldn't need to commit suicide to get action or justice... Thailand is in a mess with Prayut at the helm.

[james.d]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Shouldn't need to commit suicide to get action or justice... Thailand is in a mess with Prayut at the helm.

About 20 yrs ago, my managers appt was burgled and the police wanted a fee and use of a company vehicle with fuel to investigate.  

Any prime minister cannot and will not make a difference IMHO.

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

Wow, my truck didn't hold it's value like a Mazda !!

If in good condition pick-ups will hold their value. I own and drive a 20 YEARS old Nissan King Cab. It cost me around 450,000 baht when new. It has a full service record over 20 years (yes, really) and I have recently been offered 100,000 baht cash for it but "no sale".

[cornishcarlos]

17 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

If in good condition pick-ups will hold their value. I own and drive a 20 YEARS old Nissan King Cab. It cost me around 450,000 baht when new. It has a full service record over 20 years (yes, really) and I have recently been offered 100,000 baht cash for it but "no sale".

 

That maybe true, however a top of the range Mazda pickup would be 1 mil max new.. It certainly wouldn't still be worth 1 mil after 4 yrs....

[trainman34014]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Shouldn't need to commit suicide to get action or justice... Thailand is in a mess with Prayut at the helm.

Errrr; slight correction....Thailand is in a mess whoever is running it !

[trainman34014]

53 minutes ago, james.d said:

About 20 yrs ago, my managers appt was burgled and the police wanted a fee and use of a company vehicle with fuel to investigate.  

Any prime minister cannot and will not make a difference IMHO.

Yup; had a nearby neighbour who was burgled and when she rang the Cop Shop and explained they said  ''How much will you pay us to investigate the burglary ? '' !

[justin case]

shady story... what about a bank ...or they would have denied lending money...what mobile phone operation businesS? must be more to the story

 

leaving a 4 year old truck for a 14O.OOO baht loan ? kinda dumb

 

and police needing money to do their job, TIT & TAT

Edited May 8, 2019 by justin case

[oldrunner]

RIP young man, sympathy to family.

[wreckingcountry]

Giving a vehicle worth a million as collateral for a loan of 100k to some loan shark ! Some folk are desperate ! Thais screw and cheat each other as much or more than they do to farang !


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Reigntax]

I misread with hope.

Distressed man appeals to PM to kill himself.

If only true would be fully supported by the majority!!!!!

[tifino]

 

Life can oh so much easier

if one can take step back count backwards from ten

and take some nice big breaths...'

 

 

 

 

just make sure it is oxygen