Pattaya: Elderly German man fatally shoots himself after TB diagnosis

[rooster59]

Pattaya: Elderly German man fatally shoots himself after TB diagnosis

 

Image: Ruk Siam News

 

An elderly German man in Pattaya fatally shot himself after recently being diagnosed with tuberculosis.

 

The body of the 75 year old man was found in a room he rented at a resort in Naklua. 

 

Police said the man had fired a gun into his mouth, with the bullet exiting his skull and hitting the ceiling above.

 

Police said a 9mm automatic pistol was found in the deceased man’s left hand, while a spent bullet case was found on the floor.

 

A note written in German was also found at the property. In the note the man thanked a Thai lady for looking after him.

 

A friend of the German man said he had lived in Pattaya for 13 years after he retired from being a taxi driver in Germany.

 

The German had recently been ill and had been diagnosed with tuberculosis, the friend told police. However, the diagnosis did not seem to be of much concern to him, the friend said.

 

The friend said he went to visit the German man on Saturday morning but when there was no answer at the door, he got a caretaker to let him into the room which is when the body was found.

 

Police are treating the death as suicide. The German man’s body has been sent for autopsy to establish an official cause of death.
 

Source: Ruk Siam News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-02-09

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[RJRS1301]

Will they contact trace all those who have been in close contact with him for either immunity or infection?

RIP, but seems like on his terms.

Hope those who found him get counselling.

[daveAustin]

^^^ Likely he caught it from them (very common in Thailand) and of course it's on his terms!

[saakura]

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

[edwinchester]

37 minutes ago, saakura said:

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

No idea where he got his gun from but if I wanted to buy one it is not difficult at all as Thailand is awash with illegal firearms. In our village just about every household owns one and does nothing to hide the fact.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, saakura said:

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

All the Thai taxi drivers have one!

I thought TB was quite curable......

[legend49]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

All the Thai taxi drivers have one!

I thought TB was quite curable......

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks.Dec 18, 2019

 

One wonders how many have been in close contact with the Thai 70 y old taxi driver who was a coronavirus positive patient now has TB?

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

All the Thai taxi drivers have one!

I thought TB was quite curable......

It is very curable, however it can take a long time (many months) and a different cocktail of antibiotics/drugs to do the job.

 

There appears to be an antibiotic resistant strain of TB, so dealing with that would be a whole different ballgame.
 

[Time Traveller]

4 hours ago, saakura said:

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

Probably the same way virtually everyone else who has a pistol, by buying it.

Edited February 9, 2020 by Time Traveller

[Gweiloman]

I feel sorry for him,  RIP. 

 

But at the same time, rather inconsiderate and selfish to take his own life in someone else’s property and cause such inconvenience and distress for the owner. I may get flamed for this comment but if you were a property owner, would you want someone to commit suicide in your property?

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, saakura said:

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

My gf says ask a policeman.

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

All the Thai taxi drivers have one!

I thought TB was quite curable......

Not if you're 75.

[steven100]

and nobody heard a gun shot at the time he did it  ?  they are quite loud.

[Beggar]

5 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Will they contact trace all those who have been in close contact with him for either immunity or infection?

RIP, but seems like on his terms.

Hope those who found him get counselling.

It is almost everywhere in Asia and perhaps you might have it already. It might be latent.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/general/tb.htm

[Beggar]

4 hours ago, saakura said:

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

7-Eleven? 

[KC 71]

7 minutes ago, steven100 said:

and nobody heard a gun shot at the time he did it  ?  they are quite loud.

9mm can make just a small clap sound

[fvw53]

5 hours ago, saakura said:

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

Good question

[tom223]

53 minutes ago, steven100 said:

and nobody heard a gun shot at the time he did it  ?  they are quite loud.

We are living at the same resort, his apartment is just across from us. I didn't hear a thing. He prepared well, wrapping his head and the gun in towels. Not considerate of the resort staff though, who had to clean up after him.

[steven100]

12 minutes ago, tom223 said:

We are living at the same resort, his apartment is just across from us. I didn't hear a thing. He prepared well, wrapping his head and the gun in towels. Not considerate of the resort staff though, who had to clean up after him.

hmmm ..... very sad indeed, he was 75 so he was getting on a bit in life, however i could think of easier ways to go than a gun shot that's for sure. 

[oobar]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

All the Thai taxi drivers have one!

I thought TB was quite curable......

Not if you're 75.

Unless it's MDR (Multi Drug Resistant), it's curable, even at 75.

[IAMHERE]

Where he bought a gun doesn't concern me half so much as where he acquired the TB. 

Do those paper facemask protect you from TB ?

Edited February 9, 2020 by IAMHERE
spelling

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, oobar said:

Unless it's MDR (Multi Drug Resistant), it's curable, even at 75.

I'm 65 and I can't see the point of going on even though I live in a nice house and have a family and enough money.

75 and living in a bedsit with a nasty and expensive disease to cure, when you're broke, why would you want to carry on?

 

Usually caught from someone you live with, I'd be testing the Thai lady that looked after him for the past 14 years.

Edited February 9, 2020 by BritManToo

[Burma Bill]

Very sad, maybe he did not have a BCG vaccination earlier in life. I did as a young lad, when it was compulsory back in those days in the UK.

Quote:-

The BCG vaccine protects against tuberculosis, which is also known as TB.

The BCG vaccine stands for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine.

[Don Mega]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

and nobody heard a gun shot at the time he did it  ?  they are quite loud.

The mouth/head prolly worked as a silencer.

[tifino]

2 hours ago, KC 71 said:

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

and nobody heard a gun shot at the time he did it  ?  they are quite loud.

9mm can make just a small clap sound

... and with his 7kg organic Silencer hanging over the muzzle...

[Scot123]

11 hours ago, saakura said:

Retired German taxi driver living in Pattaya since 13yrs, where did the get a 9mm automatic pistol from?

Simply ask a Thai. So many legal/illegal guns in Thailand. 

[Scot123]

6 hours ago, fvw53 said:

Good question

Why? Do you actually live in Thailand? Because its as easy as buying a loaf of bread if you want one. From a homemade shotgun cartridge firing hand gun (seen many) to a nice Glock. 

[Dap]

10 hours ago, jacko45k said:

All the Thai taxi drivers have one!

I thought TB was quite curable......

I have read on several occasions (over the past 10 years or so) of a strain of TB in Thailand that is anti-biotic resistant.

Edited February 9, 2020 by Dap

[Isaanbiker]

8 hours ago, legend49 said:

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks.Dec 18, 2019

 

One wonders how many have been in close contact with the Thai 70 y old taxi driver who was a coronavirus positive patient now has TB?

There are two types of it. Latent TB doesn't cause symptoms and it isn't contagious. 

 

It shows how easy it is to have a gun here. RIP. 

 

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that typically affects the lungs, though it can also involve other body parts. When it affects the lungs, it’s called pulmonary TB. TB outside of the lung is called extrapulmonary TB.

It can also be categorized as being either active or latent. Active TB is contagious and causes symptoms. Latent TB, on the other hand, doesn’t cause symptoms and isn’t contagious.

 

   Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-tuberculosis

Edited February 9, 2020 by Isaanbiker

[fhickson]

sorry you went out this way, man.