Thai boy dies from drinking 18 litres of 'holy water'

[webfact]

Boy Dies From Drinking 18 Litres Of 'Holy Water'

By Khaosod Online

BANGKOK: -- A 16 year old boy has died from drinking 18 litres of water, which was claimed to possess magical power, during an exorcist ceremony in Songkhla province.

According to the father of the victim, the boy and his twin brother had joined their family members in a religious ceremony which was held inside the rubber farm owned by the family in Mueang Sadao district on 28 September.

Ms. Karnchana [surname unclear], 36, reportedly led the ceremony, telling the participants that the rituals would cleanse their souls of sinful elements.

The participants are said to have mediated in the morning and afternoon, consumed vegetarian diet in the mid-day, and engaged in an exorcist ceremony in the evening which took place from 16.00 to midnight.

According to the victim′s father, Ms. Karnchana instructed the pilgrims to drink a barrel full of "holy water", 18 litres in capacity, before midnight of each day in order to release the evil spirits from their bodies. The participants were also reportedly instructed to drink the water until they vomited.

The older twin said the victim suffered seizure after he drank the barrel of water on the first night, but the leading necromancer, Ms. Karnchana, managed to revive him and told his relatives that the spirits were attempting to flee from the boy′s body.

On the night of 5 October, the older twin said, the boy suffered another seizure and fainted as he drank the water. He was later revived by other participants, who were convinced that a "tiger ghost" was leaving his body, and forced to drink more holy water once he regained consciousness.

The boy reportedly fainted, and was revived to drink the water, for three times before he eventually lost his consciousness for the final time around midnight. After failed attempts to resuscitate him, the family members finally brought him to hospital at 03.00, where the medical staff pronounced him dead.

The older twin was also sent to hospital for injuries he suffered from the holy water consumption. His father said Ms. Karnchana slipped past the family members to visit the boy, reportedly telling him she had seen his twin brother "dressed in beautiful garments" in heaven.

Doctors at the hospital said the deceased victim suffered from lung flooding and heart failure which was caused by excessive water consumption.

Pol.Cpt. Pawich Ritthamnark of Sadao Police Station told our correspondent he is seeking for further evidence that ties Ms. Karnchana with the boy′s death, in order to issue arrest warrant against her.

He said he had interrogated the necromancer but she had insisted that she did not coerce anyone to drink the holy water throughout the ceremony.

Millions of Thais of Chinese descent are observing the holy season during which they abstain from meat and dairy products, and engage in various religious ceremonies.

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNNE1USXpPREE1TXc9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-10-09

[h90]

horrible story....

[jbrain]

I hope Mr Kanchana will be convicted for premeditated murder.

[wimpey1946]

Religion should be against the law.

[keestha]

Horrible. A simple Google search can teach you that consuming an excessive quantity of water can be lethal. RIP.

[soi41]

Idiots!! All of them!

[Tatsujin]

Religion is the number one cause of deaths worldwide. Ban it. And lock the parents up for a long time for killing their son and being idiots.

[Pimay1]

I am not surprised at this story.

My neighbor said he was being attacked by ghosts in his house at night. His family decided to take him to the local witch doctor who specializes in performing magic clearing out the ghosts and evil spirits from the body. Her other specialty is giving out lottery numbers. Being a curious type of guy I wanted to see this. Five people held this poor old man down on the floor while the witch doctor continually poured buckets of water in his face. He almost drowned. I though he did. They revived him. She declared he is free of ghosts and evil spirits. They took him in the house where he changed all his clothes then they burned the ones he had on during the ceremony while the witch doctor chanted. He came back home and three local monks arrived. They encompassed the entire outside of the house with white strings. Ghosts don't like white strings. The monks asked for candles, water and some kind of food. They stayed up all night expellng all the ghosts from the house. The next morning they declared the house would be free of ghose for five years.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Pimay1

[monkeycountry]

May I just remind all of you that all of the people mentioned in this story are eligible voters or at least soon to be eligible voters. This includes the people in Pimay1's story above my comment. Scary if you ask me

Edited October 9, 2013 by monkeycountry

[chooka]

I am not surprised at this story.

My neighbor said he was being attacked by ghosts in his house at night. His family decided to take him to the local witch doctor who specializes in performing magic clearing out the ghosts and evil spirits from the body. Her other specialty is giving out lottery numbers. Being a curious type of guy I wanted to see this. Five people held this poor old man down on the floor while the witch doctor continually poured buckets of water in his face. He almost drowned. I though he did. They revived him. She declared he is free of ghosts and evil spirits. They took him in the house where he changed all his clothes then they burned the ones he had on during the ceremony while the witch doctor chanted. He came back home and three local monks arrived. They encompassed the entire outside of the house with white strings. Ghosts don't like white strings. The monks asked for candles, water and some kind of food. They stayed up all night expellng all the ghosts from the house. The next morning they declared the house would be free of ghose for five years.

Only 5 years? They should have used more monks.

[Time Traveller]

I hope Mr Kanchana will be convicted for premeditated murder.

Read the story again, it wasn't Mr Kanachana. It was the tiger ghost that killed him.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Time Traveller

[Pimay1]

I am not surprised at this story.

My neighbor said he was being attacked by ghosts in his house at night. His family decided to take him to the local witch doctor who specializes in performing magic clearing out the ghosts and evil spirits from the body. Her other specialty is giving out lottery numbers. Being a curious type of guy I wanted to see this. Five people held this poor old man down on the floor while the witch doctor continually poured buckets of water in his face. He almost drowned. I though he did. They revived him. She declared he is free of ghosts and evil spirits. They took him in the house where he changed all his clothes then they burned the ones he had on during the ceremony while the witch doctor chanted. He came back home and three local monks arrived. They encompassed the entire outside of the house with white strings. Ghosts don't like white strings. The monks asked for candles, water and some kind of food. They stayed up all night expellng all the ghosts from the house. The next morning they declared the house would be free of ghose for five years.

Only 5 years? They should have used more monks.

I thought the same thing. But monks need something to do..

[robblok]

I don't see how this differs from the christian belief.. both are unproven, just an other kind of madness. When there is no proof (and there is none of any religion) and you still believe then you should believe all the religions as they also have no proof. So actually all religious people are equally gullible.

[simple1]

I am not surprised at this story.

My neighbor said he was being attacked by ghosts in his house at night. His family decided to take him to the local witch doctor who specializes in performing magic clearing out the ghosts and evil spirits from the body. Her other specialty is giving out lottery numbers. Being a curious type of guy I wanted to see this. Five people held this poor old man down on the floor while the witch doctor continually poured buckets of water in his face. He almost drowned. I though he did. They revived him. She declared he is free of ghosts and evil spirits. They took him in the house where he changed all his clothes then they burned the ones he had on during the ceremony while the witch doctor chanted. He came back home and three local monks arrived. They encompassed the entire outside of the house with white strings. Ghosts don't like white strings. The monks asked for candles, water and some kind of food. They stayed up all night expellng all the ghosts from the house. The next morning they declared the house would be free of ghose for five years.

Only 5 years? They should have used more monks.

I thought the same thing. But monks need something to do..

helps with the monks cash flow to recycle the ceremony every five years, surprised it wasn't a requirement for every year

[happynthailand]

18L = 4US gal lqd 6.0408US pt lqd

thats a lot of water,for anybody to drink at one time

RIP little guy

[Soutpeel]

Horrible. A simple Google search can teach you that consuming an excessive quantity of water can be lethal. RIP.

I remember reading a similar case from the US some years ago, where in some religious nuts did the same and there was 2 or 3 people killed, if memory serves, consuming something like 7-10 liters in one go can kill you, but struggling to see per the report how the water got in the guys lungs and this was the cause of death, I was always under the impression that it was the dilution of all the salts and minerals in the body, specifically potassium and in effect you have a heart attack.

Could be wrong, not a medical person...

[Spare]

He must be a Muslim.

Shouldn't drink Buddhist holy water.

[Soutpeel]

He must be a Muslim.

Shouldn't drink Buddhist holy water.

Why must he be muslim ?.....nothing in the article to suggest the boy was ?

[Thaddeus]

He must be a Muslim.

Shouldn't drink Buddhist holy water.

What a callous and totally disrespectful post.

[Sunisalom]

I am not surprised at this story.

My neighbor said he was being attacked by ghosts in his house at night. His family decided to take him to the local witch doctor who specializes in performing magic clearing out the ghosts and evil spirits from the body. Her other specialty is giving out lottery numbers. Being a curious type of guy I wanted to see this. Five people held this poor old man down on the floor while the witch doctor continually poured buckets of water in his face. He almost drowned. I though he did. They revived him. She declared he is free of ghosts and evil spirits. They took him in the house where he changed all his clothes then they burned the ones he had on during the ceremony while the witch doctor chanted. He came back home and three local monks arrived. They encompassed the entire outside of the house with white strings. Ghosts don't like white strings. The monks asked for candles, water and some kind of food. They stayed up all night expellng all the ghosts from the house. The next morning they declared the house would be free of ghose for five years.

Ghosts don't like white strings. .

[oshkiki]

He must be die from cerebral oedema

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jaltsc]

Unfortunately most, if not all religions base many of their practices on superstitions and ignore scientific findings. In this case, what was occurring was not the cleansing of the soul but rather dilutional hyponatremia causing an electrolyte imbalance resulting in a disturbance of the functioning of the brain. This has occurred numerous times in hazing rituals of fraternities in America. Many people continue to believe that just because an element is basically harmless, there are no limits to how much of that element can be consumed. This phenomenon is not limited to cults, religions or schoolboy organizations. The medical profession has created a similar situation, albeit one that occurs over a longer period of time, with the overuse of antibiotics. "If one dose is good, ten doses have to ten times better". It's a basic human belief. There is no such thing as too much of a good thing.

[monkeycountry]

I don't see how this differs from the christian belief.. both are unproven, just an other kind of madness. When there is no proof (and there is none of any religion) and you still believe then you should believe all the religions as they also have no proof. So actually all religious people are equally gullible.

It doesn't. But where for example many, if not the majority of, muslims base many of their everyday as well as major life decisions on their religion, 95% of christians only pray when the pilot says "brace for impact". Buddhism is somewhere inbetween.

Edited October 9, 2013 by monkeycountry

[kimamey]

He must be a Muslim.

Shouldn't drink Buddhist holy water.

What a callous and totally disrespectful post.

Whilst not disagreeing with you drinking of holy water from another religion would probably get the same statement in religious groups.

[A1Str8]

Did Mrs Karnchana drink 18 litres of water as well to lead by example??

[Soutpeel]

Did Mrs Karnchana drink 18 litres of water as well to lead by example??

Did Rev Jones drink the koolaid ?

[Tim1980]

People can get so mad at times

[animatic]

Sounds like the poor kid was an undiagnosed epileptic,

and the seizures he occasionally had were labeled evil spirits,

and he had stress induced seizures during the water torture part of the exorcism.

The second caused him to drown. Very sad and ignorant.

Edited October 9, 2013 by animatic

[Soutpeel]

Sounds like the poor kid was an undiagnosed epileptic,

and the seizures he occasionally had were labeled evil spirits,

and he had stress induced seizures during the water torture part of the exorcism.

The second caused him to drown. Very sad and ignorant.

[Toscano]

Thai people should be very wary of religious practice . My wife is a fairly devout Buddhist and quite often consults with Buddhist monks as to the future , her family and what to do for the best . In the last year or so she has been given extremely inacurate information and forecasts . I have had to tell her firmly that what the monks have told her is absolute rubbish , without a grain of truth in it . Very few if any Buddhist monks are visionaries ,sooth sayers or inspired with any heavenly gifts . It is common knowledge to people with any intelligence or education that drinking too much water will kill you , quite apart from flooding the lungs it floods the brain . Religion , despite its good intentions , has done more harm than good , is one of the greatest evils of all time .