Death of billionaires in Koh Tao: Couple changed hotels, CCTV around pool not working, say police

[thecyclist]

What billionaire in his right mind would visit Death Island, unless they have a death wish. So could be

suicide by murder. 

[thaipo7]

First read that this was a 5 star resort and the CCTV not working?  Never seems to be working when crimes are committed.

[Dumbfounded]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that the relatives were not suspicious of the couple's deaths as they had underlying health conditions. The local police would continue their investigation. 

Yes, maybe being filthy rich is very dangerous for your health. Koh Tao-19, still no cure

 

[natway09]

If the forensic pathologist has not been compromised he will know even now if they drowned or not.

[whaleboneman]

9 hours ago, Bundooman said:

For a pool that has been closed 'for some time', it looks exceptionally clean.

 

If it was closed, why were the two guests 'swimming' there?

 

But no-one else was around. no maintenance was beking carried out.

 

So how come the pool has: no leaves, no algae, no usual windswept clutter - in fact, it looks immaculate!

 

Doesn't it?

It's a five star hotel isn't it???

[pacovl46]

14 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Or we could go for a solution that makes sense. They are in the pool together with no one in attendance. She strays into deeper water and not being a strong swimmer (or maybe not at all) gets into difficulty.

 

He goes to help her but he is not trained in water rescue and also gets into difficulties. (Attempting a rescue even with training can be hazardous) After a struggle he manages to pull her to the steps (although she maybe unconscious by now) and climbs out. But he is exhausted and, as pointed has health issues, he collapses and dies on the poolside.

 

Drowning victims don't always die instantly by the way. They can take water into their lungs which causes breathing difficulties resulting in unconsciousness and death a short while after they have, apparently been saved.

 

Nothing suspicious here. Just another tragic accident. 

I covered that with point one “some sort of accident!” The electric current was just an example for an accident. 
 

I’m assuming that this was definitely not their first time in a pool and the pool seems to be quite small. Getting someone back to the safety of the shallow side shouldn’t be a problem, even for someone who’s not trained. 
 

You can die hours or even days after having gotten water into your lungs. It’s called secondary drowning. It’s caused by the water “washing away” the mucus or whatever it’s called that covers the inside of your lungs and normally keeps your lungs from sticking together, which then causes you to suffocate.
 

All options mentioned, yours as well as mine, make sense. It could be any of them. To dismiss mine just because you assume that’s not what happened doesn’t hold any water, at least not in my book. 

[nausea]

Really need to wait for the autopsy which, hopefully, will reveal all regarding cause of death. Still, very weird, and happens on Koh Tao of all places.

[Venom]

19 hours ago, Old Croc said:

and therefore the CCTV was not working due to a lack of maintenance. Sounds plausible to me.

Yes, I've got CCTV and can tell you they need constant maintenance or they stop working. ????

[Kinnock]

21 hours ago, Surelynot said:

This has to be one of the most cretinous statements I have ever read.

".... had underlying health conditions" - must be COVID then, case solved.

[Kinnock]

17 hours ago, rwill said:

How about checking CCTV cameras where the son said he was taking a walk?

CCTV on this island only work in Burmese.

 

And the recently very rich son could not have done such a thing.

[brianthainess]

19 hours ago, Sametboy2019 said:

That maybe but both dying at the same time. 

Dual heart attacks or drowning. Seems unlikely. Feel electrocution could be possible.

So how come rescuers were not electrocuted.

[IraqRon]

19 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Oh, come on, what are the chances of the spontaneous death of a husband and wife with 'underlying health conditions' at exactly the same time ? 

 

 

Yes, good point.  I rarely comment on these crimes as not a detective, read a few books though, and was interested about the son after the first post.  Is he an only child? Is he in line for a big inheritance?

Why would he be so quick to say the "family" was not concerned with it being foul play? Is he the one that recommended or booked this hotel for his parents.?

I know a lt.col. in the police and dealt with the chief of police in our amphure and talked with many others and I found them all to be quite smart and clever about thai people and their motivations, etc.  Not fools at all as many on here assume!!!

The police are probably looking at the relative motive and investigating all this and more.

After all , inter family murders for money are not uncommon here or any country I can think of.  

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

I covered that with point one “some sort of accident!” The electric current was just an example for an accident. 
 

I’m assuming that this was definitely not their first time in a pool and the pool seems to be quite small. Getting someone back to the safety of the shallow side shouldn’t be a problem, even for someone who’s not trained. 
 

You can die hours or even days after having gotten water into your lungs. It’s called secondary drowning. It’s caused by the water “washing away” the mucus or whatever it’s called that covers the inside of your lungs and normally keeps your lungs from sticking together, which then causes you to suffocate.
 

All options mentioned, yours as well as mine, make sense. It could be any of them. To dismiss mine just because you assume that’s not what happened doesn’t hold any water, at least not in my book. 

Firstly, let me tell you that rescuing someone in difficulty in a pool is a lot harder than people think. I've had a lot of training and know that a rescuer can easily become a victim it they are not aware of the dangers.

 

That aside, here are the 3 options that you proposed:

 

''1. Some sort of accident, like an electrical current

2. Double suicide

3a. Someone murdered them

3b. One murdered the other and then committed suicide afterwards''.

 

Please explain to me how you think that, following any of these scenarios, the husband managed to climb out of the pool.

 

Bear in mind also the the police found no injuries on either of the victims.

 

[Jeffr2]

5 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Firstly, let me tell you that rescuing someone in difficulty in a pool is a lot harder than people think. I've had a lot of training and know that a rescuer can easily become a victim it they are not aware of the dangers.

 

That aside, here are the 3 options that you proposed:

 

''1. Some sort of accident, like an electrical current

2. Double suicide

3a. Someone murdered them

3b. One murdered the other and then committed suicide afterwards''.

 

Please explain to me how you think that, following any of these scenarios, the husband managed to climb out of the pool.

 

Bear in mind also the the police found no injuries on either of the victims.

 

And as we know, the police on that island are corrupt to the core.  Not sure we'll ever know the truth.

[Rampant Rabbit]

19 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

The fact that relatives aren’t surprised should be very surprising because the chances of both of them dying at the exact same time of underlying health issues is equal zero, and I’d be very surprised and suspicious if someone told me my relatives died at the same time and it wasn’t a car crash or something along the lines! 
 

Essentially it’s one of three options:

 

1. Some sort of accident, like an electrical current

2. Double suicide

3a. Someone murdered them

3b. One murdered the other and then committed suicide afterwards

 

3c  Aliens

[brianthainess]

Why are we not told what they were wearing ? With most falang deaths here we are normally informed. Full Indian dress for her? I can't imagine a middle aged Indian lady wearing a swim suit. If he was a Sikh then maybe a Turban.

  '' What's that down there''    ''It's called a swimming pool officer and meters are a bit like a yard''

[Moonlover]

22 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Why are we not told what they were wearing ? With most falang deaths here we are normally informed. Full Indian dress for her? I can't imagine a middle aged Indian lady wearing a swim suit. If he was a Sikh then maybe a Turban.

  '' What's that down there''    ''It's called a swimming pool officer and meters are a bit like a yard''

I'd not seen this picture before. It's obvious what she is pointing out to the office, the 2 meter mark and the drop off into deep water, which is clearly visible.

 

The victims were found in and recovered from the deep end, behind the police officer. (see photo)

 

That, to me lends extra weight to my theory of accidental drowning in the deep area of the pool.

 

 

[Jeffr2]

Some pics of the pool, from Booking.com.

 

[Jeffr2]

[chalawaan]

I am sorry, but based on the usual crappy reporting, I can't see two adults who supposedly can't swim, going near a pool. Also, are we to seriously believe there were absolutely zero staff in the pool area, to wait hand and foot on these obviously crazy-rich indians?

Surely one of the victims would have screamed for help if it was an accident?

Why wouldn't the CCTV work? It's essential to prevent late-night misuse of the facilieties, surely?

 

It's beyond a joke what goes on here, and always has, example: If you google the story of Charles Sobraj, the famed hippie serial killer/con artist, now dying in a Nepalese jail, the Thai police let him freely leave Thailand, to scam and kill several more victims,  knowing who he was and what he had done, to "protect Thailands image" don't tell me that anything about KT or the RTP in the long history of unsolved or scapegoat cases, is anything but rotten to the core.

[Old Croc]

A few more observations for the sleuths to theorise about.

The hotel seems to have a relationship with a nearby dive company and the pool does have a deep end designed for dive training.

In the picture in the OP you can clearly see the pool depth slope down where the tile pattern changes. You can also see markings on the edge indicating a depth of 2.20 M. just where the lady is pointing. The pool could be even deeper further towards the end.

There doesn't appear to be any ropes, barriers or other indications that the depth drops suddenly if a user fails to see the markings on the edge.

Most pools have a deep end at about shoulder depth for an adult. If unaware this pool was deepened for diving, a non-swimming guest could be surprised by the drop-off and find themselves over their heads and panic. A spouse could try a rescue and also get in difficulty.

 

Either that or the Death Island killers, in conjunction with heirs and crooked police, conspired to commit murder!

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, Old Croc said:

A few more observations for the sleuths to theorise about.

The hotel seems to have a relationship with a nearby dive company and the pool does have a deep end designed for dive training.

In the picture in the OP you can clearly see the pool depth slope down where the tile pattern changes. You can also see markings on the edge indicating a depth of 2.20 M. just where the lady is pointing. The pool could be even deeper further towards the end.

There doesn't appear to be any ropes, barriers or other indications that the depth drops suddenly if a user fails to see the markings on the edge.

Most pools have a deep end at about shoulder depth for an adult. If unaware this pool was deepened for diving, a non-swimming guest could be surprised by the drop-off and find themselves over their heads and panic. A spouse could try a rescue and also get in difficulty.

 

Either that or the Death Island killers, in conjunction with heirs and crooked police, conspired to commit murder!

I'm going for the latter......

[Old Croc]

9 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

I'm going for the latter......

You're probably right. The murderous conspiracy was planned, hatched and carried out in the few hours after the victims arrived on the Island and even took into account a sudden change of resort!

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, Old Croc said:

You're probably right. The murderous conspiracy was planned, hatched and carried out in the few hours after the victims arrived on the Island and even took into account a sudden change of resort!

Son funded the whole thing........!!!

[Old Croc]

2 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Son funded the whole thing........!!!

Great planning by the son, if only he had given himself a better alibi!

[Surelynot]

Just now, Old Croc said:

Great planning by the son, if only he had given himself a better alibi!

Yes....a walk on the beach...bit weak.....unless of course it turns out there were one or two incidents on the beach designed for people to recall him......but still iffy.

[pacovl46]

5 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Firstly, let me tell you that rescuing someone in difficulty in a pool is a lot harder than people think. I've had a lot of training and know that a rescuer can easily become a victim it they are not aware of the dangers.

 

That aside, here are the 3 options that you proposed:

 

''1. Some sort of accident, like an electrical current

2. Double suicide

3a. Someone murdered them

3b. One murdered the other and then committed suicide afterwards''.

 

Please explain to me how you think that, following any of these scenarios, the husband managed to climb out of the pool.

 

Bear in mind also the the police found no injuries on either of the victims.

 

If she drowned and he tried to rescue her and then got water in his lungs as well he might have made it back out of the pool before he drowned himself. It takes three minutes of oxygen deprivation to die.

 

Same goes for if he drowned her on purpose and got water in his lungs.

 

Someone might have poisoned them or given them any type of medication that makes them fall unconscious and the husband managed to make it out of the pool in time and she didn’t. 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, pacovl46 said:

If she drowned and he tried to rescue her and then got water in his lungs as well he might have made it back out of the pool before he drowned himself. It takes three minutes of oxygen deprivation to die.

 

Same goes for if he drowned her on purpose and got water in his lungs.

 

Someone might have poisoned them or given them any type of medication that makes them fall unconscious and the husband managed to make it out of the pool in time and she didn’t. 

I completely agree with you regarding your first paragraph. It's almost exactly what I've been saying all along!

 

The police found no signs of a struggle so your 2nd option seems unlikely. 

 

Poisoning is the least likely. They switched hotels at the last minute, so no one knew they were staying there and surely the son would not be so brazen as to try that old trick.

 

So how's about we settle on your 1st option and await the final police verdict.

 

Enjoy your day.

[Kinnock]

15 hours ago, brianthainess said:

So how come rescuers were not electrocuted.

They were not billionaires 

[FarangJon]

I ve heard thai police said it was suicide.

These guys were known to be bored billionairs.

Hell yeah, thank you thai police for the super cops investigestions.

Now you can go back to the office and do what you always do.