Japanese Man Dies like a Samurai In Surat Thani

A 30-year-old Japanese tourist visiting Surat Thani apparently committed a ritualistic hara-kiri suicide by stabbing himself in the stomach in his hotel room. Police believe he had been pickpocketed, and speculated that the disturbed foreigner decide to die by the traditional way of the Samurai.

SURAT THANI – November 22, 2012 [PDN]; a report of a foreign tourist killing himself in his hotel room was received by Pol. Lt. Col. Sirichai Suksatt, the detective officer of Muang police station in Surat Thani.

He went to check the scene with Pol. Col. Suwat Suksri, director of detective forces; along with the forensic police; a medical team from Surat Thani hospital; and a rescue team from the Kusol Satta foundation.

Police arrived at the scene on the 3rd-floor room of a 5-story hotel. They discovered the body of Mr. Kosai Konagachi, 30 years old, from Japan. He was lying face down on the floor in a pool of blood. He was wearing black shorts and a blue, short-sleeved T-shirt.

There was a big wound in his stomach that looked like it had been slashed open with a knife. Police could see his intestines, and there was a knife dropped nearby. They expected that it was the hara-kiri knife, and the foreigner had committed the ancient Japanese ritual of suicide by stabbing his abdomen and disemboweling himself.

Police checked the room, which showed no traces of a struggle. They found a wristwatch, a clothes bag containing a set of clothes, and a wallet with 4,150 baht cash, and 180,000 yen.

Police also found a department store receipt for a T-shirt, a knife and a bottle of milk. The police took all the recovered property to give to the relatives of the deceased.

When questioned, the hotel staff told police that Mr. Kosai had checked into his room on November 21. Then he came down to ask the staff about the entertainment spots in Surat Thani. Later in the evening, Mr. Kosai went out to the nearby mall. But after returning, he never left his room after that.

Full story: http://www.pattayada...in-surat-thani/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2012-11-23

In ritualistic hara-kiri if you do not die or pass out the first stab or cut. You have to stab yourself again.. And again

This 30 year old guy was hardcore!

Huh? Did they run finger prints off the knife?

I'm sorry, but who comes up with these "it may have been" speculations? This has to be the most imaginative one yet.

Regardless, sad way to go if true.

I'm sorry, but who comes up with these "it may have been" speculations? This has to be the most imaginative one yet.

Regardless, sad way to go if true.

I think the young Korean sisters that bound their own hands together and beat their own heads on the rocks before drowning themselves was pretty imaginative.

I am sure the very talented police force will find out in no time what really happened in that room ......

I'm sure the red ronin wouldn't have the same courage.

They push the knife up in the heart, not down in the stomach !!!

LOS Land of shockers

Hmmm it said at the top of the report he had been pickpocketed ,and then later in the story they found a wallet containing 4,150Bt and 180,000 yen ! plus a recipt for a T shirt and a knife oh and a bottle of milk all of which will be returned to the relatives of the deceased ! minus the money of course which was stolen when he was pickpocketed .

I thought the correct term was Seppuku, not hari kari - lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku

They push the knife up in the heart, not down in the stomach !!!

Wrong. See post #11. Konichee wa.

So no part/full body tatoo's? Maybe some disgrace back home and only way out was to do it somewhere else...very very speculative. But otherwise sounds too hard line solution to end life, even if young people do lot of crazy stuff nowdays and we talk about Japanese...RIP

"See Surat Thani and die"

Amazing Thailand and may the Japanese chap have found what he seems to have wanted

always easy for the Thai BIB to say it's accident or suicide, Jeez imagine how many "crimes" in Thailand are unsolved, Make two lists , The official Police unsolved ones and the ones that aren't deemed crimes

I feel for the family of the deceased(my sincere condolances)

It must be extreme painful to understand what is been published.

No matter what sort of incident in Thailand, police rush to the scene,then rush to conclusions...then rush to the press...then rush home and in case of mishap rush to go public themselfs.

rat race Thailand style.

I thought the correct term was Seppuku, not hari kari - lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku

Hara is the soul in Japanese and is situated two fingers beneath the belly button but you are correct,Seppuku is the act of ritual suicide.

They push the knife up in the heartp...[

No, they don't!

I thought the correct term was Seppuku, not hari kari - lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku

A link that makes compelling reading...Thanks!

Is it me or am I picking up a whole lot of mostly indifference to this as it was Japanese, plus add in the cracks about the Koreans. Different reaction to a westerner, hmmm? Ritual suicide is a painful way to go that would take a hell of a lot of fortitude, plus also believe there are aspects of honour added in, very sad for a young guy to feel he needs to do that.

I thought the correct term was Seppuku, not hari kari - lol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku

A link that makes compelling reading...Thanks!

I agree.

Also it's a shame Thai's have not embraced this for certain people even though they are nowhere near the level of a Samurai....''obligatory seppuku, used as a form of capital punishment for disgraced samurai, especially for those who committed a serious offense such as unprovoked murder, rape, robbery, corruption, or treason.''

Banzai.......

One commits hara kiri because they get pickpocketed? Hardly great shame or embarassment is it? Pure speculation by the BiB on this one.

Huh? Did they run finger prints off the knife?

And the receipt? Check store cctv perhaps?

Never, ever, fails:

They find a scene, speculate based on visual clues, and post it for the public to read as if there had been an investigation.

Oh, and of the very few facts they ever include, at least 2 will contradict each other. (pick-pocketed, but had a wallet full of cash)

At least they're consistent.

local girl stabs japanese tourist to death.... japanese tourist stabs himself to death.............. Thailand still popular destination for Japanese.

Police also found a department store receipt for a T-shirt, a knife and a bottle of milk. The police took all the recovered property to give to the relatives of the deceased.

I am sure his family will be very happy to receive also the bottle of milk.

He's been pick-pocketed but the B.I.B. have his wallet and cash and so on. What genius came up with the theory he had been pick-pocketed, a deed so disastrous to save face he commits ritual suicide.

So what's with the "Samurai" title?

The Yen's been released on bail.