Actor David Carradine Dead in Bangkok

[sabaijai]

The Last Days of David Carradine

by Mark Ebner

Maxim, September 2009

At first the reports said it was a suicide. On June 4 actor David Carradine, 72, had died in a Bangkok hotel room—naked, alone, and hanging in a closet—apparently by his own hand. Almost immediately, though, other theories began to surface: Carradine wasn’t the type to take his own life; he must have died from autoerotic asphyxiation, just a sad case of solo sex-play gone wrong. No, others speculated,

Carradine had been murdered. Celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos went on Larry King Live at the behest of the Carradine family and seriously proposed that Carradine might have died at the hands of kung <deleted> assassins—ninjas!—threatened by his noted work in exposing their ancient secrets. When a color photo appeared in the Thai newspaper Thairath showing a man—Carradine, the paper said—with his hands tied over his head dangling from a hanging rod in the closet of a tiny hotel room, a woman’s red negligee crumpled on the bed, Geragos threatened to sue any U.S. publication that took the bait and reprinted it. That didn’t stop countless Web sites from hosting the grisly images. How someone could get himself into that position on his own was difficult to imagine. But follow-up reports in the Thai media of a thin black cord looped around his neck, wrists, and scrotum convinced the prurient press that the beloved star of Kung <deleted> and Kill Bill had a major sideways sex jones.

Still, even at a distance of 10,000 miles, it was apparent that the slight torso and short black hair of the victim in the photo was at odds with the paunchy, road-traveled, silver-maned Carradine.

The photograph raised a number of questions about the scion of a Hollywood dynasty who boozed and brawled his way through a four-decade career. Was Carradine, the screen icon who personified Zen stoicism as Caine in the ’70s series Kung <deleted>, actually more of a sexual than spiritual seeker? Was the grizzled veteran whom Quentin Tarantino called “one of Hollywood’s great mad geniuses” in fact a tortured soul ready to check out? And wasn’t it a little too convenient that such a sordid suicide should take place in Bangkok, the sex capital of the world?

I wanted to know, which is how I came to be standing in a secluded corner on the grounds of the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel—a five-story, five-star establishment—having just spent 23 hours in a cramped China Airlines 747, followed by a teeth-rattling cab ride through the smog-choked, sweltering squalor of metro Bangkok, dodging rickshaws and limbless sidewalk cripples begging for change. I’ve come here to follow in Carradine’s steps and try to reconstruct his final days.

In a tranquil garden on the hotel’s grounds, a handful of locals gaze down in quiet reverie, like cemetery mourners on a Sunday afternoon. Except that everywhere around me, sprouting at odd angles and thrusting skyward, are not tombstones but penises—hundreds of them. The Nai Lert Park hotel is home to Bangkok’s largest penis shrine, the spreading bouquets of phalluses left over the years for the fertility goddess, Phra Mae Tuptim. Clearly, Thailand, like the death of its most recent famous victim, has more to it than meets the eye.

A city of eight million, Bangkok is a teeming hodgepodge where native Thais rub elbows with Chinese and Indian immigrants, as Western sexual tourists explore the city’s seamy underbelly. Traffic and pollution are endemic, the cuisine is sublime, and capitalism runs rampant—no more so than in a red-light district populated by barely legal streetwalkers, rapacious con men, and alluring lady-boys. “As Calcutta smells of death and Bombay of money, Bangkok smells of sex,” wrote Paul Theroux, the poet laureate of exotic locales. It was David Carradine’s kind of town.

According to the police, the actor checked into room 352 on May 31 in the company of a French producer from the film Stretch, in which he had a small part—one of the estimated 50 roles he has taken since Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, Volumes 1 and 2 in 2003 and 2004 reinvigorated his career. The production filmed that day at the hotel, and Carradine completed several scenes. For days he was a visible presence—drinking in the bar, entertaining guests on flute and piano, joking with the staff. He spent the better part of the afternoon of June 3 drinking and playing piano in the lobby for a group of children. He returned to his room in the early evening and was supposed to meet the cast and crew for a late dinner after shooting wrapped. He never showed. After calls the next morning failed to rouse him, a maid was dispatched to his room. The police believe Carradine had been dead at least 12 hours. After reviewing hotel security tapes, they insisted that he was alone when he died.

For all practical purposes, room 352 has disappeared, the number plate pried off the locked wooden door. The locals say it’s common to rip up the carpets and repaint a room when someone dies in it—some prescriptive combination of Buddhism and black magic. Keying into my own standardized room, I take stock of the king-size bed, the flat-panel TV, and a closet that a dwarf would have trouble standing up in, let alone the 6'1" Carradine. If Carradine’s closet was anything like this one, he would have had to fold his body in half while sitting on the shoe bench and then fall forward to intentionally hang himself. Bending the flimsy aluminum rod with two fingers, I could easily snap it in two.

cont'd here:

http://www.maxim.com/movies/articles/84030...-carradine.html

[Arkady]

Interesting post Sabaijai. The Thai Rath picture was obviously fake, A disgrace for any newspaper to publish a picture like that knowing it to be fake but it is gutter press. If the wounds were as described in this story, it must have been murder and it is quite likely that Carradine brought a "friend" or "friends" back to his room. It is impossible to discount the theory that this was a murder committed by a sex worker thief or theives that the government decided to cover up in the national interests. It would certainly not be the first time that evidence at a murder scene in Thailand had been deliberately misinterpreted and/or tampered with.

[MaiChai]

Its just so sad that finding the truth about what actually happened is less important to the BiB than saving the face of Thai tourism. The BiB just want to explain any foreigner death as either an accident or suicide. Ladyboys can and regularly get away with drugging and robbing foreigners, and very little is done about deterring them. So if they get away with it once, then they will do it again, and again and again. Thailand is becoming very dangerous for foreigners, especially if you are rich. My advice is if you are rich, make sure no one finds out about it!!!

[sabaijai]

Interesting post Sabaijai. The Thai Rath picture was obviously fake, A disgrace for any newspaper to publish a picture like that knowing it to be fake but it is gutter press. If the wounds were as described in this story, it must have been murder and it is quite likely that Carradine brought a "friend" or "friends" back to his room. It is impossible to discount the theory that this was a murder committed by a sex worker thief or theives that the government decided to cover up in the national interests. It would certainly not be the first time that evidence at a murder scene in Thailand had been deliberately misinterpreted and/or tampered with.

According to acquaintances who have been following the story closely, the motivation for the cover-up comes from the hotel and the film production company and involves insurance coverage for the death. Suicide or AEA would absolve both the hotel and the producers of any liability, while murder or manslaughter (if another person was involved and just went too far - which is probably the most likely explanation) would not.

[geriatrickid]

I think the pre-existing mindset of the author is tipped through the use of a unflattering imagery. It's nuanced but you can easily see where the article is headed a paragraph in. What kind of image does a paragraph like this create;

I wanted to know, which is how I came to be standing in a secluded corner on the grounds of the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel—a five-story, five-star establishment—having just spent 23 hours in a cramped China Airlines 747, followed by a teeth-rattling cab ride through the smog-choked, sweltering squalor of metro Bangkok, dodging rickshaws and limbless sidewalk cripples begging for change. I’ve come here to follow in Carradine’s steps and try to reconstruct his final days.

It's not false, but for those of us that have visited BKK, it's just not the real picture. Yes there may be limbless sidewalk cripple or two (btw not very PC is it to use the term cripple is it?), yes there is choking smog but that's not really BKK is it? I dislike BKK and avoid it as much as possible, but even I can see that the use of the negative imagery is intended to lay the foundation to make the allegations. In the words of Sgt. Friday, Just give us the facts m'aam.

Edited September 18, 2009 by geriatrickid

[brahmburgers]

Interesting post Sabaijai. The Thai Rath picture was obviously fake, A disgrace for any newspaper to publish a picture like that knowing it to be fake but it is gutter press. If the wounds were as described in this story, it must have been murder and it is quite likely that Carradine brought a "friend" or "friends" back to his room. It is impossible to discount the theory that this was a murder committed by a sex worker thief or theives that the government decided to cover up in the national interests. It would certainly not be the first time that evidence at a murder scene in Thailand had been deliberately misinterpreted and/or tampered with.

Well stated. I agree. There are some dangerous katoy out there. Thank Bob I don't live in a part of Thailand where the annoying/dangerous types are endemic. A trend that you'll never hear TAT mention: a significant # of Thai men are katoy, and the % is growing year by year. From personal observations, I'd say between 11 and 15% of all boys between 11 and 15 are either full blown katoys or leaning that way. That's some serious sh!t if nearly a quarter of a generation of boys want to be girls.

I think the pre-existing mindset of the author is tipped through the use of a unflattering imagery. It's nuanced but you can easily see where the article is headed a paragraph in. What kind of image does a paragraph like this create;

I wanted to know, which is how I came to be standing in a secluded corner on the grounds of the Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel—a five-story, five-star establishment—having just spent 23 hours in a cramped China Airlines 747, followed by a teeth-rattling cab ride through the smog-choked, sweltering squalor of metro Bangkok, dodging rickshaws and limbless sidewalk cripples begging for change. I've come here to follow in Carradine's steps and try to reconstruct his final days.

It's not false, but for those of us that have visited BKK, it's just not the real picture. Yes there may be limbless sidewalk cripple or two (btw not very PC is it to use the term cripple is it?), yes there is choking smog but that's not really BKK is it? I dislike BKK and avoid it as much as possible, but even I can see that the use of the negative imagery is intended to lay the foundation to make the allegations. In the words of Sgt. Friday, Just give us the facts m'aam.

The author didn't portray himself as a detective on a case. It's more of an expose, and I think the imagery fits well with the story.

If it was up to me, the picture I'd paint of Bangkok would be a lot less poetic and a lot more nitty gritty. Last time I was in Bangkok, about 2 years ago, I almost died waiting for a bus. I jest not. Each minute standing at the bus stop was sheer torture, as the fumes from vehicles was horrible. How anyone can stand to try to exist in such an 'ellhole is mind boggling. If I was offered a job paying $3,000/day which required residing in Bkk, I'd turn it down.

[TAWP]

If I was offered a job paying $3,000/day which required residing in Bkk, I'd turn it down.

I have lived in BKK for several years and have no problems...sensitive much?

[brahmburgers]

If I was offered a job paying $3,000/day which required residing in Bkk, I'd turn it down.

I have lived in BKK for several years and have no problems...sensitive much?

yes, I am sensitive - physically and in other ways. Physically, I feel adverse affects from pollution and loud sounds. I have often thought that, if the human species were to split again, as it did between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens, the split would have to do with those who've adapted to big cities and those who didn't. Those who did, would have to have specialized lungs for surviving on foul air - not unlike the Ginko tree which, because it survived through volcanic epochs, has toughened up to bad air, and is widely planted in inner cities.

I'm also sensitive to pollen, dust, MSG, and sprayed chemicals in foods - which is an endemic problem with nearly all foods in Thailand. Even items marked 'organic' are often not. Similarly, many restaurants which claim to not use MSG actually do, whether wittingly or not (all their dozens of bottles by the stove have MSG).

I'll be the 1st to admit that being sensitive to chemicals and loud noises is a stone drag, especially for someone who chooses to reside in Thailand, where environmental considerations are nearly nil. However, I trudge though and try to make the best of it, tissues and all. Not surprisingly, I reside in the countryside, which is comparatively better - but there's sure a lot of pollen.

[DP25]

After reading the full article on Maxim it seems quite obvious that the author of the piece has never even been to Thailand.

[sabaijai]

Posts disrespectful of the deceased have been deleted.

[aussiejosh]

If I was offered a job paying $3,000/day which required residing in Bkk, I'd turn it down.

I have lived in BKK for several years and have no problems...sensitive much?

yes, I am sensitive - physically and in other ways. Physically, I feel adverse affects from pollution and loud sounds. I have often thought that, if the human species were to split again, as it did between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens, the split would have to do with those who've adapted to big cities and those who didn't. Those who did, would have to have specialized lungs for surviving on foul air - not unlike the Ginko tree which, because it survived through volcanic epochs, has toughened up to bad air, and is widely planted in inner cities.

I'm also sensitive to pollen, dust, MSG, and sprayed chemicals in foods - which is an endemic problem with nearly all foods in Thailand. Even items marked 'organic' are often not. Similarly, many restaurants which claim to not use MSG actually do, whether wittingly or not (all their dozens of bottles by the stove have MSG).

I'll be the 1st to admit that being sensitive to chemicals and loud noises is a stone drag, especially for someone who chooses to reside in Thailand, where environmental considerations are nearly nil. However, I trudge though and try to make the best of it, tissues and all. Not surprisingly, I reside in the countryside, which is comparatively better - but there's sure a lot of pollen.

You should live in a bubble sir, perhaps we could split between bubble people, and people. ? no?

[nasajsc]

What was the result of the Carradine investigation? Any ideas what he was doing,

why he was wearing what he was wearing, was there another person in the room,

etc, etc....

[sharecropper]

What was the result of the Carradine investigation? Any ideas what he was doing,

why he was wearing what he was wearing, was there another person in the room,

etc, etc....

I admire your doggedness, but you may as well start a thread (and why not) titled "Updates on Thai Police investigations".

I guarantee the thread will be one of TV's shortest ever.

[Buchholz]

David Carradine's Ex-Wife Still Investigating His Death

Tragic actor David Carradine's ex-wife is determined to uncover the truth about the "Kill Bill" star's bizarre 2009 death and she's hoping the information she's beginning to get after releasing her memoirs will offer up major clues. Marina Anderson, who was married to Carradine from 1998 to 2001, refuses to believe her ex died alone, performing a solo sexual act with a shoelace in a Bangkok, Thailand hotel room - and she has been looking for answers ever since the tragedy. But she says Thai authorities, who listed accidental asphyxiation as the cause of death, have seemed reluctant to help and would rather the matter was left alone.

In an upcoming BlogTalkRadio.com interview, she says, "I just didn't believe that he was by himself. I still do not buy that... I didn't want that to be the last memory in the public of him. I just thought that was so wrong. I did my own investigation into his death. I wanted it to turn out right for him and it still hasn't turned out right yet. I made phone calls and I did call the police department and there were anonymous sources in Thailand who did talk to me and gave me incredible pertinent information to the point of them reading the autopsy report to me." "Even now I start shaking because it's incredibly disturbing. My conclusion is I totally believe this was not an accident by himself, that there had to be other people in the room with him.

Continues:

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0006212.html

World Entertainment News Network - September 11, 2010

[wintermute]

So she's still chasing the Chinese triads and Thai ninjas conspiracy angle that so many expats were sh*tting the thread up with when this happened. Why is it so hard to believe maybe he was just a dirty old man who screwed up? Autoerotic asphyxiation deaths are pretty common.

[Bobr]

So she's still chasing the Chinese triads and Thai ninjas conspiracy angle that so many expats were sh*tting the thread up with when this happened. Why is it so hard to believe maybe he was just a dirty old man who screwed up? Autoerotic asphyxiation deaths are pretty common.

It's all about money. Movies with a man who was murdered by some kind of secret Ninja cult are much more appealing and will make much more money than movies made by a man who died the way he really did. Like most American women, she's a parasite who wants to live a wealthy life on the royalty payments from her dead husbands movies. She's also suing the movie company he was working for at the time of his death for not providing enough security. Only in America!