Thai Police Search For Clues In Actress' Drowning: Death Of Pawana

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DEATH OF PAWANA

Police search for clues in actress' drowning

THE NATION

NAKHON PATHOM: -- Former actress Pawana Chanajit drowned, medical examiners said yesterday, and police, looking for more clues about her death, have ordered the draining of the pond where she was found.

Pawana, 69, was a prominent actress in the 1960s and '70s. The award-winning leading lady starred in dozens of films, including Hong Kong productions, earning her the title "the pearl of Asia".

Her live-in boyfriend, Natthaphong Luangsirikul, 55, vowed yesterday to fight for the rights to her assets, which police say amount to Bt2 billion.

Pol Lt Gen Phirapong Damapong, the commissioner of the Forensic Crime Detection and Investigation Bureau, visited Pawana's house in Nakhon Pathom yesterday to inspect the scene with other senior officers from his bureau. He ordered the draining of the pond where her body was found in a further search for clues.

Phirapong said he suspected that Pawana might have fallen into the pond and that her head hit something, knocking her unconscious and causing her to drown.

He said forensic investigators have been at the scene since Monday but have not detected any evidence of foul play.

Autopsy results released yesterday confirm that Pawana drowned.

Pol Col Pornchai Suthirakul, deputy commander of the Police Forensic Medicine Institute, said the autopsy found water in Pawana's lungs, indicating that she was still breathing when she entered the water.

Pornchai said there were no traces of physical attacks on her body.

There were "minor bruises" on Pawana's face and body and a "shallow bruise" on her neck but none were severe enough to indicate that she had been struck, Pornchai said, adding that the bruising likely occurred when she fell into the pond.

BLOOD CLOTS

"We cannot tell whether it was murder or not. It's duty of investigators to establish so. The condition of the body only told us that she was still breathing a little bit so water went into her lungs, causing them to swell," Pornchai said.

"Her medical records showed that she was suffering from several ailments, including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol," he said. "Doctors also found blood clots in her heart veins."

He said doctors also took tissue samples from the bruises to check whether there were traces of another person's DNA. Results would be known in about two weeks, he added.

Doctors are also awaiting results of toxicology tests on the contents of her stomach.

Natthaphong yesterday insisted that he did not cause the death of Pawana and that he was not at home at the time she is thought to have fallen into the pond.

He said he returned home at 11pm on Sunday and was surprised to find several relatives and rescue workers in the house. He said the doors had been secured with locks and chains, preventing him from entering, and that the relatives had taken away a bag of Pawana's that contained Bt200,000 in cash and some gold ornaments.

He added that Pawana's sister had called him a "pimp", so he became angry and took out his gun and fired it into the air to intimidate the relatives to leave.

After they left, Natthaphong said he found the body of Pawana in the pond at 3am on Monday.

He said he would file a complaint with police if the relatives do not return the bag of cash and gold.

He said although Pawana adopted a son of her sister, the son would not be a beneficiary of all her assets.

Natthaphong said he had also been working with Pawana to earn the assets and he would fight a legal battle with anyone who sought to deprive him.

Pawana's relatives have stated they believe she died under "suspicious circumstances", citing relationship troubles and the actress' wealth as motives for a crime.

-- The Nation 2012-09-12

[BookMan]

Her live-in boyfriend, Natthaphong Luangsirikul, 55, vowed yesterday to fight for the rights to her assets, which police say amount to Bt2 billion.

Obviously still deep in grief

[FOODLOVER]

"Natthaphong said he had also been working with Pawana to earn the assets and he would fight a legal battle with anyone who sought to deprive him".

Inconsolable.

[asiawatcher]

I am not sure - let me see, he came home at 11pm, the house was chained and locked presumeably from the outside, found them stealing money, gold whatever, (not stated if inside or outside), fired a gun in the air and then found the body at 3:00am - 4 hours later? Then forensics found bruises on her neck etc and she was still breathing at the time she was in the water thus drowning? So if anything about this is essential in solving this - the clues should lie in the DNA tests of the bruising. Sounds to me like she was held underwater (bruises on her neck etc) and then drowned. The boyfriends immediate claims to her wealth - nah - there is no motivation here for murder...

[bunnydrops]

What am I missing-- he comes home to find relatives stealing money and rescue workers at 11 pm, but finds the body at 3 am. If she had not been found, what were the rescue workers doing?

[clockman]

As usual, all smoke and mirrors!

[Arkady]

"Natthaphong said he had also been working with Pawana to earn the assets and he would fight a legal battle with anyone who sought to deprive him".

Inconsolable.

If she didn't marry this character, she presumably didn't want him to have statutory inheritance rights, if she predeceased him. So respect her wishes.

[DoctorG]

What am I missing-- he comes home to find relatives stealing money and rescue workers at 11 pm, but finds the body at 3 am. If she had not been found, what were the rescue workers doing?

Yes, I could not understand the time-line either. Very strange!

[cup-O-coffee]

The replies in that article give a whole new meaning to spin-doctoring.

Pornchai said...

Well, that is the problem, right there. In developed countries (i.e. a place where there are developed minds), police keep their mouths shut because they face going before a judge to explain why they are saying things that influence the investigation and the public view prior to any forensic evidence.

What a bunch of schmucks! The police here need to stick to enforcing laws, collecting evidence, and documenting crime scenes and <deleted> outside of that.

[SOTIRIOS]

........ to fight for the rights to her assets.............I guess he doesn't give a hoot why or how she died.....

[bigbamboo]

Thailand is becoming more like Midsomer every day.

[DLock]

This doesn't look at all suspicious.