Why Do Foreigners Commit Suicide Rather Than Returning Home?

[drronnie]

The problem is that some people do not understand that by changing location their problems will not go away. After years of bad situations with European women I hoped that my luck would change in Thailand.

No girl regardless European or Asian likes a loser. If you are a shy guy you will be unsuccessful anywhere on the world. However the loser forgets this and "dreams" that everything is going to be better in Thailand. And when that does not happen then they do something stupid.

This is just an example....

[dinthailand]

Now we have two cases of Europeans committing suicide within a week.

I am just wondering why there are foreigners who rather commit suicide in Thailand than return to their native countries in Europe.

What is going through their minds?

what is your source for saying two suicides

The Italian Man who jumped from the bridge last week and yesterday night an young Irish man jumped from the 4th floor at the Suwanphumi Airport.

in other words the police and the media

[samuibeachcomber]

Suicide is normally a permanent answer to a temporary problem.

sometimes,other times when reaching this crisis you cant see the wood from the trees.i think also "the thailand or asia factor"comes into play,like a sensual hypnotic women"you just cant bear to leave it.

"you can check out anytime but you can never leave" hotel california",and we are in hotel CALIFORNIA ON A GRAND SCALE LIVING HERE IN THAILAND IMHO.

[neverdie]

The problem is that some people do not understand that by changing location their problems will not go away. After years of bad situations with European women I hoped that my luck would change in Thailand.

No girl regardless European or Asian likes a loser. If you are a shy guy you will be unsuccessful anywhere on the world. However the loser forgets this and "dreams" that everything is going to be better in Thailand. And when that does not happen then they do something stupid.

This is just an example....

dronnie,

Perhpas you should of ended this post by saying "This is just one theory".

People commit suicide for many reasons.

So other people here specify that some past suicides here in thailand seem too odd to be suicide or the way in which they occurred was too difficult & I can tell you that I've seen dozens of suicides first hand & many of them were alot more bizzare than those described. Nothing surprises me.

[Geekfreaklover]

I have known only one person who commited sucide in Thailand. A rich Thai woman 25 years old. Very independant, spoke good English. Wealthy western husband. Outgoing personality, a good social prescence. No obvious problems. It took everyone by surprise.

Am not sure there is a typical suicide personality.

Hunter Thompson and Ernest Hemmingway being two examples that spring to mind. These were not shy weak men. Maybe Frustration and anger were the driving emotions in those two cases.

[neverdie]

Suicide is normally a permanent answer to a temporary problem.

sometimes,other times when reaching this crisis you cant see the wood from the trees.i think also "the thailand or asia factor"comes into play,like a sensual hypnotic women"you just cant bear to leave it.

"you can check out anytime but you can never leave" hotel california",and we are in hotel CALIFORNIA ON A GRAND SCALE LIVING HERE IN THAILAND IMHO.

Hey SBC, I've often thought to myself if I hear that song Murdered one more time in Thailand.....I will neck myself OR the pathetic muso playing it....if that counts

[samuibeachcomber]

Suicide is normally a permanent answer to a temporary problem.

sometimes,other times when reaching this crisis you cant see the wood from the trees.i think also "the thailand or asia factor"comes into play,like a sensual hypnotic women"you just cant bear to leave it.

"you can check out anytime but you can never leave" hotel california",and we are in hotel CALIFORNIA ON A GRAND SCALE LIVING HERE IN THAILAND IMHO.

Hey SBC, I've often thought to myself if I hear that song Murdered one more time in Thailand.....I will neck myself OR the pathetic muso playing it....if that counts

Its my favourite song love the lyrics and it really relates to the thailand scene in places like pattaya,bangers etc.and thats the point i was trying to make when relating to the causes of many suicides in thailand by farang,the places gets into their blood,they just dont want to leave even when their time is up financially speaking.these places are just huge whorehouses and for some its like drawing a moth to a light.and i have had my wings singed,but managed to escape.so i checked out but i did n't leave.

[lovelaos]

Perhaps they couldn't face another visa run to nowhere for nothing. Why oh why do foreigners insist on living in a country which doesn't want them?? Keep smiling

[Jingthing]

Each case is unique. There is probably some commonality of reasons for many cases, some Thailand related, some not.

-- clinical depression

-- financial stress

-- relationship trauma

-- old age and/or disease, time to go

-- Thailand is an "end of the road" destination for many like San Francisco, there is always a higher suicide rate in such places when the "geographic cure" does not bring the sought after happiness (wherever you do, there you are)

-- nothing to go back to, where ending it feels better than running back to nothing

-- scarcity of mental health help here for westerners in crisis, suicides often can be prevented with professional intervention

My feeling is that suicide is very tragic for young people. Young people often don't have the capacity to see bad events in a larger context. However, for older people who often have some rational reasons why they don't wish to go on, it is somewhat less tragic. More like a choice.

Edited February 27, 2009 by Jingthing

[Maizefarmer]

Now we have two cases of Europeans committing suicide within a week.

I am just wondering why there are foreigners who rather commit suicide in Thailand than return to their native countries in Europe.

What is going through their minds?

To save the money of an airfare, to avoid facing whatever problems it is they are reluctant to face (back home) ................... its a means to an end, and quite frankly if you are going to committ suicide, so long as you have a method you are comfortable with, what differance does it make where you carry it?

[NaiGreg]

For the insurance money.

[neverdie]

For the insurance money.

Yes, I kill myself then when the claim comes thru, Im stinking rich

[najman]

Now we have two cases of Europeans committing suicide within a week.

I am just wondering why there are foreigners who rather commit suicide in Thailand than return to their native countries in Europe.

What is going through their minds?

If they blew themselves up to kill themselves, then, their <deleted> would be going through their mind at the time

Sorry, Couldn't resist.

Seriously only they know. Maybe their gf was a bar girl and gave them HIV. Maybe they lost too much face. Maybe the idea of going back to farang land is just so upsetting?

[Pattaya46]

Hi,

Now we have two cases of Europeans committing suicide within a week ...

Why should suicide rate in Thailand be different than in our country ?

In Europe suicide rate is about 20 suicides/year/100.000 for males in 2008. Ref WHO

How many European are living in Thailand ?

PS: In many countries people/media don't speak too much about suicide,

but in my country (France) by example there are 3 times more deads by suicide than by road accidents !

[wasabi]

I felt near suicide when I was living in Farangland. I was lonely bored and stuck in a mediocre life. I had made many trips to Thailand and officially had become infected with Thailand Fever. There I was able to meet women, there was no boss breathing down my neck, there were spices drifting in the air. I was convinced for every wrong with the USA there was a rectifying right in Thailand. Deep down I suspected I was being overly optimistic, that part of the pleasure had to do with being on holiday, but I believed it nevertheless. Being at least somewhat prudent I saved up for years before pulling up the anchor with a course set for Thailand to find a better life. I made many sacrifices to achieve my dream of coming here and my success living here and ability to navigate the ups and downs is due to that careful planning.

As some of my posts reveal and as one could expect everything has not been as great as I imagined. However most key is that I prepared myself with sufficient finances to last me through my journey.

I was very firmly in the Thailand rocks, the western world is dead camp. There is a certain satisfacation to saying, 'screw you and all you stand for' to the place you were born and are most familiar with. By thinking this you can comfortably believe, 'Gosh darnit, it was their fault I'm not who I want to be.' I am shocked that I have left this camp and now see Thailand as in many ways lacking and not quite so charming as it was to me. Through my own realizations I have developed a renewed respect for my home country. I have realized a big part of the problem was me, not where I was. But there is no doubt that Thailand and the USA are very different places and that there are unique opportunities be they romantic or occupational in each. I don't think it's wrong to think someone who is unhappy in either place might feel happier in the other. That they may become the person they always wanted to be once freed from some of the shackles either country possesses. There is some truth to there being a geographic solution. And for every suicidal Farang there may be another who is living the dream.

I think you need to take it case by case, expectations and preparation are key. For me the frustrations here have been, racism, instability, lack of quality, cleanliness and efficiency and just the occasional TIT moment.

The good things are it is very stimulating, there are indeed many friendly beautiful and approachable women! The food is delicious, the weather is warm, the culture is not too serious in many aspects.

For me it has been good, It hasn't been painful to realize Thailand is not the panacea I thought it was. I used to feel like if I didn't have Thailand I had nothing, but that just isn't true, there is a whole world out there, I would suggest really examining what the source of the problem is if you find yourself thinking Thailand is the last hope and/or that those frosty Farang women back home are the only thing holding you back.

Edited February 27, 2009 by wasabi

[lazygourmet]

Suicide at home: who cares...

Suicide abroad: tomorrow in the papers and tonight on T.V.

Maybe looking, as Andy Warhol used to claim, for their (last) 15 minutes of celebrity?!?

Sad anyway...

[scottyd]

If I were to commit suicide i'd do it abroad, and in the most creative way possible to keep people thinking how I managed it, and why I did it. Somehow I would incorporate an asphyxi-wank with a high speed crash, with a large fall, with fireworks, with cheeseburgers, with a balloon, and somewhere there would be an animal involved, there will be more, but I haven't finished planning it yet.

Watch this space.

[BSJ]

Up to 10% of the global population have mental trauma to deal with at any onetime. The outcomes are very different for some, as recently witnessed with the Italian man hanging bodiless from the bridge.

For most guys the problem is they don't know how to deal with emotional drama. So when we have too once or twice in a lifetime we don't handle it well. And woman think "they have all the problems"!

[nohab]

I have thought about this and obviously a lot of people are running away from something at home and can't bear to go back so suicide is the easy way out.

Another reason it may appear that there is a huge amount of suicides is they are just not reported in western countries unless the person is famous. I think this is done to discourage copy cats or people that would think about doing it.

Not only do you hear about every single farang suicide in the thai media but with full a description of how it was done including photos. That would never happen in Australia, all that is reported if it happens in a public place is "A deceased man was found outside the town hall building this morning. Police say there are no suspicious circumstances"

[tw25rw]

in other words the police and the media

There's no doubt about the Irishman. And little reason to doubt that the Italian hung himself either.

[soundman]

Too many people making fun of a serious issue, one that we are very hesitant to let run in the first place, here at Thai Visa.

Closed.