'suspicious Circumstances' Surround Death Of Pawana Chanajit, The 'pearl Of Asia'

[webfact]

'Suspicious circumstances' surround death of Pawana Chanajit, the 'Pearl of Asia'

THE NATION

NAKHON PATHOM: -- In her roles in many classic movies, former actress Pawana Chanajit often played a girl in love with much older men. But the 'Pearl of Asia' was living with a younger man until her body was found yesterday in a pond at her Nakhon Pathom home.

The 69-year-old actress was found by her boyfriend after she briefly went missing, police said.

Relatives believe she died in suspicious circumstances and cited Pawana's massive wealth and relationship troubles in recent months.

The boyfriend, Natthaphong Luangsirikul, 55, told police Pawana disappeared from her home, located on a 16-rai plot, at about 9pm on Sunday. He and two servants looked for her till he found a slipper floating in a 2-metre-deep pond around 3am yesterday.

Pawana's brother-in-law Phanyos Ratchadaphornwanich told police he came to the house to help find Pawana, and heard a gunshot, before seeing Natthaphong carry a pistol, and walk closely to Phanyos' wife Hatthaya, who is Pawana's sister.

"Natthaphong wanted to know where two briefcases belonging to Pawana were being kept by her adopted son, Aphicha. I think they contain some documents Natthaphong wanted," Phanyos told police.

Pawana, whose legal Thai name was Aranyaphorn Laosaengthong, had around Bt2 billion in assets, including Bt4 million through a land sale in Nakhon Ratchasima, Pol Lt-Colonel Chaiyos Mukdaharn, a senior officer at Nakhon Chasri police station, which has jurisdiction over the case, said.

Another senior investigator, Pol Lt-Colonel Sanit Chinjorhor, said police have not concluded the cause of her death as drowning. An initial forensic study found no wounds on her body. A crime scene investigation aimed to simulate her movement before she possibly plunged into the pond, judging from where a slipper was found at the scene.

An unnamed servant was quoted in news reports as saying that Natthaphong drew his pistol and chased people who came to the house to help find Pawana. The servant claimed to have seen Natthaphong "wai" Pawana's body after he found her and shouted to everyone.

"He rushed to the pond and gave a wai to her body. For what reasons I don't know," the servant said.

At the height of her acting career in the 1960s and '70s, Pawana was known as the "Pearl of Asia" for her many roles in Hong Kong action movies, including "Duel of Fists" (1971), the Shaw Brothers' Bangkok thriller starring David Chiang and Ti Lung and directed by Chang Cheh.

Fluent in Cantonese, Pawana, whose Cantonese name is Lau Lan Ying, was the head of a hierarchy of heroines during her time making films in Hong Kong.

She made her film debut in 1960 with "Saeng Soon", featuring Mitr Chaibancha and Amara Assavanonda, for which she won a Tukata Thong (Golden Doll) award for best supporting actress.

-- The Nation 2012-09-11

[theblether]

It's almost as if it's illegal to die a natural death in Thailand.......

[Stokakrishna]

"Pawana's brother-in-law Phanyos Ratchadaphornwanich told police he came to the house to help find Pawana, and heard a gunshot, before seeing Natthaphong carry a pistol..."

interesting, is he a forensic worker officer?

[Payboy]

RIP

Going to be many theories due to the estate involved. Remember the Hangthong case?

[asiawatcher]

The few billion is enough motive for anyone. Time will tell. Sad.

[TomTao]

This should make some juicy food for the gossip hounds. RIP the poor lady, I hope the police and coroner find the cause of death soon to cut off all the rumours that will abound.

[GaoYuk]

2 Billion baht..2 BILLION in assets.That's £40 million.Where the hell did that come from?

[davejones]

2 Billion baht..2 BILLION in assets.That's £40 million.Where the hell did that come from?

Work and investment.

[davejones]

It's almost as if it's illegal to die a natural death in Thailand.......

It is. Anyone caught dying naturally can be charged and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. Oh hang on, that's the thaivisa version of the law.

[Payboy]

2 Billion baht..2 BILLION in assets.That's £40 million.Where the hell did that come from?

The other paper reports that she had a stall selling pomelos outside her house.

[uptheos]

It's almost as if it's illegal to die a natural death in Thailand.......

Only foreigners can die a natural death, e.g. gunshot to head whilst hands tied behind back.

[trainman34014]

It's almost as if it's illegal to die a natural death in Thailand.......

Only foreigners can die a natural death, e.g. gunshot to head whilst hands tied behind back.

Or 'falling' from a Hotel balcony on the 6th floor whilst girlfriend/wife is standing right behind them !

[robblok]

Nice role reversal on screen in love with older guys and for real living with a much younger bf. Seems not only guys like their partners to be younger.

He might have drowned here carrying a gun around is not a sign of good character. I hope they get this sorted out and that the killer does not benefit from her death, and gets punished harshly. There is a lot of money involved wonder if it really ever will be solved. Scaring off people that want to help does not sound good.

[ThaidDown]

It's almost as if it's illegal to die a natural death in Thailand.......

Only foreigners can die a natural death, e.g. gunshot to head whilst hands tied behind back.

No, that would be called 'suicide'.

[uptheos]

It's almost as if it's illegal to die a natural death in Thailand.......

Only foreigners can die a natural death, e.g. gunshot to head whilst hands tied behind back.

No, that would be called 'suicide'.

That's right......."natural death by suicide while balance of mind not correct"

[jerrysteve]

There seems so be a Lot Of Suspicious Deaths in Thailand...It must have been the IBUPROFEN pills found in close proximity approximately

20 kilometers away; I betcha!

or the PenisErectus foot prints and the droppings near the area.

Edited September 11, 2012 by jerrysteve

[jerrysteve]

Will the BUTLER Take the Fall? Edited September 11, 2012 by jerrysteve

[jerrysteve]

The News in Thailand and around the world is just like the Watching an Listening to a SOAP OPERA.

One could not read or see a soap opera for a 1000 years, and not miss a thing, murders, corrpution, lies, rapes, people taking the fall etc etc etc

ad infinitum

[zzdocxx]

Seriously, if this was a westerner who had died, wouldn't you all be saying "RIP" instead of cracking jokes about it?

[pacovl46]

"Pawana's brother-in-law Phanyos Ratchadaphornwanich told police he came to the house to help find Pawana, and heard a gunshot, before seeing Natthaphong carry a pistol..."

interesting, is he a forensic worker officer?

What's that supposed to mean? Since when does anyone have to be a forensic worker to identify a gunshot?

[Chonburiram]

...carrying a gun around is not a sign of good character...

Be careful what you are saying, this is an USA based website...

[dddave]

It is undoubtedly good policy never to be of more value dead than alive.

[webfact]

Autopsy shows Pawana drowned

The Nation

NAKHON PATHOM: -- An autopsy showed that former actress Pawana Chanajit drowned in the pond in her house, a senior police officer said Tuesday.

Pol Col Pornchai Suthirakul, deputy commander of the Forensic Medicine Institute, said the autopsy found water in Pawana's lungs so it showed that she was still breathing when she fell into the pond.

Pornchai said there were no traces of physical attacks on her body so it was unlikely that she was physically harmed by someone.

Doctors also found that she suffered blood clotting in her heart veins.

Doctors are still waiting for toxic tests on foods leftovers in her stomach, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-09-11

[indyuk]

Very likely a tragic accident. Poor woman all that wealth and a grand home in happy retirement after a glittering career. I respect genuine high achievers, especially here in Thailand. Now her magnificent retirement fund will fall to another I really do hope that person loved her and will eulogize the Pearl of Asia's achievements as an important artisan of Thailand. R.I.P.

[katana]

Bit in Khaosod about it. Her adopted son (as do her other relatives) think her bf murdered her.

http://www.khaosod.c...9PQ==&subcatid=

Here's her Wikipedia page.

http://th.wikipedia....irc;ิต

One of her first acting roles was in the 1960 Thai film SAENG SOON.

I couldn't work out if this is her or not, since it looks quite modern:

http://youtu.be/FzkTkyBisOY?t=7m35s

Edited September 11, 2012 by katana