Can Pattaya Police Removing Articles from A Dead Person's Condo?

[Banana7]

A friend recently died in a Pattaya hospital. The Pattaya Police and the dead man's embassy were informed of his death. The cause of death, was organ failure (cancer and another disease), and  involved no criminal activity, drugs or violence. The Police visited the dead person's condo room multiple times. I understand that it is the Police's responsibility to secure a dead person's assets.

 

Is there any reason why police would remove articles, such as musical instruments, from a dead person's room, in this case?

 

What should happen legally, to the dead person's possessions and room contents?

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by Banana7

[aussiexpat]

I thought police only had access to a condo if the person died there, or if death was suspicious...

 

Did he have a Will, if so the Executor should be the only one allowed access to his assets...maybe tell his embassy what is going on?

 

Edit: I just did my Thai Will last week and my Executor is definitely in charge of all my Thai assets immediatly upon my passing

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by aussiexpat

[ezzra]

Grey area really but if the embassy people accompanied by the police accessed the apartment i guess that it is somehow legal or made to be legal...

[Whale]

Was the unit rented and up to date in payments?

[aussiexpat]

5 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Grey area really but if the embassy people accompanied by the police accessed the apartment i guess that it is somehow legal or made to be legal...

OP didn't say embassy visited the apartment, just the police multiple times. I would think Embassy staff also not allowed in condo unless asked by the family to help out

[Banana7]

10 minutes ago, Whale said:

Was the unit rented and up to date in payments?

It was owned and up-to-date on condo fees.

[Ohyesuare]

2 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

It was owned and up-to-date on condo fees.

Can you get into contact with his family and let them know? If there is anything left and you have access, maybe try and document it/take photos incase things go missing. I didn't know police would even need to be involved if someone just died of illness.

[Banana7]

14 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

OP didn't say embassy visited the apartment, just the police multiple times. I would think Embassy staff also not allowed in condo unless asked by the family to help out

There are no reports that embassy staff visited the dead person's condo.

[Banana7]

4 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

Can you get into contact with his family and let them know? If there is anything left and you have access, maybe try and document it/take photos incase things go missing. I didn't know police would even need to be involved if someone just died of illness.

His father, who lives in Europe, is aware of his death. Father communicates in German, so another friend does the communication with the father, I don't understand German.

 

I don't have access to the room. Room and vault keys and phone were given to the police. I'm not sure what happened to his bank and credit cards.  I did see his bank books, before they were given to the hospital (as collateral) , which had balances of about a million baht.

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by Banana7

[scubascuba3]

Maybe police treat it as a jumble sale and have a rummage around for anything good, if that's not the case why would they take anything

[oxo1947]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

Grey area really but if the embassy people accompanied by the police accessed the apartment

The embassy people---if he came from the UK, it would be safe to say that if the apartment was more then 50 yards away, they wont be visiting it.

[aussiexpat]

If police entered his condo and took away assets then this is really disgusting. Shows the depth of Thai police corruption 

 

 

[TheScience]

Embassy staff? Joking right.

[Leaver]

 

Were you present when the police were in the condo removing items?

 

It's understandable police go to the condo to get his passport and other documents for the purposes of identification.

 

If you were not present, perhaps a third party has removed these items and are blaming police. 

[jacko45k]

Yes they can.....

Second hand information but I heard when a friend died in hospital, they were round at the condo removing the safe contents quickly. 

[LarrySR]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Yes they can.....

Second hand information but I heard when a friend died in hospital, they were round at the condo removing the safe contents quickly. 

Shocking. I would only expect that sort of behavior from a criminal organization….

[Guderian]

Something similar happened to a German guy living in the village here who suffered a fatal heart attack in his home a few months ago. He was living with a Thai lady who I guess was his GF du jour, he'd had a number of them over the years. When his death was reported, the authorities turned up at his house (he was a renter, not the owner) and took the body away. I was told that they tested him for Covid and he was positive, so the GF was also presumably carted away to a hospital or other medical isolation facility. I was quite shocked when I passed his house about 3 hours after he died and saw that his car and motorbike had both been removed. That had to be the cops, and I assumed they'd taken them for safekeeping, though it's more than a decade since we had a burglary in this village. I assume they also took his money and other valuable possessions into custody for safekeeping. I must ask someone on the committee about this when I see them next, it's been bugging me a bit.

[Will B Good]

They can remove them from a living person's condo......a dead one is going to be even easier.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Will B Good

[NoshowJones]

10 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

Were you present when the police were in the condo removing items?

 

It's understandable police go to the condo to get his passport and other documents for the purposes of identification.

 

If you were not present, perhaps a third party has removed these items and are blaming police. 

 That's a good possibility, but due to the RTPs and their fancy ranked senior officers reputation of money grabbing, they have to make up for what they paid for their ranks, it cannot be overlooked. 

Joe Ferrari immediately springs to mind.

[RJRS1301]

2 hours ago, LarrySR said:

Shocking. I would only expect that sort of behavior from a criminal organization….

It was

[RandiRona]

Safeguarding country's assets...Courts would agree!

 

 

[Banana7]

11 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

Were you present when the police were in the condo removing items?

 

It's understandable police go to the condo to get his passport and other documents for the purposes of identification.

 

If you were not present, perhaps a third party has removed these items and are blaming police. 

No I wasn't present when the items were removed but a neighbour saw the the police with the articles in hand leaving the condo. The condo was locked and the police had the keys to the condo. Passport, credit cards, wallet, bank cards were at the hospital, provided as collateral for payment of services rendered.

 

My concern is police accountability. If something is removed, a receipt should be provided by police and maybe also photographic evidence. What is the proper legal process for accounting of confiscated property by police?

[Ohyesuare]

46 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

No I wasn't present when the items were removed but a neighbour saw the the police with the articles in hand leaving the condo. The condo was locked and the police had the keys to the condo. Passport, credit cards, wallet, bank cards were at the hospital, provided as collateral for payment of services rendered.

 

My concern is police accountability. If something is removed, a receipt should be provided by police and maybe also photographic evidence. What is the proper legal process for accounting of confiscated property by police?

You never answered if he had a will. Since the death was not an accident and he knew it was a possibility while being very ill in the hospital, it seems likely he would have one in which case whoever he deemed executor of his estate should be managing his property and making sure nothing goes missing. Just disgusting what goes on here sometimes in the background that people, me included, just keep their head in the sand about.

 

As someone with no significant other in the country or will, this thread is a bit of a wake up call as the last thing I want is my belongings and money going to some Joe Ferrari type if I pass suddenly one day.

[Banana7]

Just now, Ohyesuare said:

You never answered if he had a will. Since the death was not an accident and he knew it was a possibility while being very ill in the hospital, it seems likely he would have one in which case whoever he deemed executor of his estate should be managing his property and making sure nothing goes missing. Just disgusting what goes on here sometimes in the background that people, me included, just keep their head in the sand about.

 

As someone with no significant other in the country or will, this thread is a bit of a wake up call as the last thing I want is my belongings and money going to some Joe Ferrari type if I pass suddenly one day.

I don't know if he had a Will.

 

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, LarrySR said:

Shocking. I would only expect that sort of behavior from a criminal organization….

Got it in one.....

[treetops]

In a recent case near me a guy (also German) died in his condo and on arrival the police removed the friends who had found the body from the room while they took first choice of the contents.  No sort of receipt was offered.

[PJ71]

On 4/16/2022 at 5:49 AM, aussiexpat said:

I just did my Thai Will last week and my Executor is definitely in charge of all my Thai assets immediatly upon my passing

Where did you do this?

 

Thx

[aussiexpat]

3 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Where did you do this?

 

Thx

Magna Carta Law, 5000 baht for 3 copies in Thai and English. They keep one of the copies in their fireproof safe.

[PJ71]

3 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Magna Carta Law, 5000 baht for 3 copies in Thai and English. They keep one of the copies in their fireproof safe.

Thank you.

[scubascuba3]

3 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Magna Carta Law, 5000 baht for 3 copies in Thai and English. They keep one of the copies in their fireproof safe.

The police will have a rummage around your belongings first, take what they want then if you're lucky they might follow the will instructions i.e. contact the lawyer

Edited April 19, 2022 by scubascuba3