Tata Motors MD Slym Dies After Fall From Hotel in Bangkok

[MMarlow]

He "fell" from the 22nd floor of the Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok as reported in Bloomberg business news. Tata will be checking details and have the Thai DSI on their toes checking if he had insurance policies, cause of death..etc. The "fall" in a five star supposedly secure top hotel raises issues about safety and security in Thai five stars.

"The "fall" in a five star supposedly secure top hotel raises issues about safety and security in Thai five stars."

In this kind of incident what is "supposedly secure" about a 5-star hotel as opposed to a less prestigious hotel.

[belg]

not good PR for a so called 5 * hotel

[umbanda]

In the US 90 cm is the normal high for railing...and most Americans are tall people. I do not remember to ear about so many falls from balconies in the US....

Auto maker in India making big profit? Ex CEO of General Motors? Low cost products? Competition to the BIG ones?........

Conspiracy it is more common in this world that peoples think....

[kotsak]

I just measured my balcony railing height. It is 82 cm. Visitors have commented about it being on the low and thus dangerous side.

Yup.

As a guide the minimum top rail height for scaffolding and fall protection for construction sites in the UK is 910mm.

150 / 470 / 910 (toe board / mid-rail / top rail).

My condo's balcony railing here in BKK stands almost 110 cm from the floor..

Edited January 27, 2014 by kotsak

[searcherkind666]

Anyone notice they used a 2010 photo dated may 13 , the number given to the devil , yep , illuminati .

[Bluespunk]

Can't help but think someone will try to tie this incident with the recent incident in India with the PM's wife there.

what incident?

[MMarlow]

How do you just fall?

Are the banister height all for midgets?

Haven,t you ever experienced being Drunk and going one step forward and 6 sideways, Not only are there a lot of short Balustrades to contend with but what Tradesman, and I use the term Liberally, installed it.

You're right, the person installing the railings must be to blame for the design of the hotel he was contracted to work on.

If you are suggesting that the installation of the railings was not up to standard then you must be privy to information nobody else has.

[peterbkk9]

This is shocking news. Going to a conference in Bangkok and having an accident like that.

Sincere condolences to his loved ones

[Lex Talionis]

The Telegraph reports he lost his balance. For them to know that there must have been someone in his room (the wife? too distraught to be interviewed) or the police had access to cctv. I imagine the wife will have some critical details to share when she comes around.

[saakura]

My question would be why does Tata, an Indian company, need to have meetings in Bangkok? Nice way to get the company to pay for a foreign holiday if you ask me.

Tata Motors has a big base here under Tata Motors(Thailand) and the article does say that he was the boss here too.

[silent]

There's a helluva lot of these ' unfortunate accidents ' and Pattaya must hold the world record.

Try reading before posting - nothing to do with Pattaya

I am well aware of that but it's part of just how many of these incidents there are.

Please don't pick me up before I fall and I don't mean from a balcony. Try something more productive than just being picky.

How's commenting on your mentioning of a totally unrelated place in a post being picky? I see there was a bomb went off in Iraq yesterday, same as Bangkok!

Truly the best defence is a good offence, but lets not go from picky to subjective pomposity.

[saakura]

Can't help but think someone will try to tie this incident with the recent incident in India with the PM's wife there.

What are you on about, what incident?

Edit : ok, that was the wife of a junior minister who alledgely died of a medical drug overdose in a hotel in Delhi.

Edited January 27, 2014 by saakura

[MMarlow]

I have stayed at this hotel several times, and find it hard to believe that one could "accidentally" fall over the balcony railings, even when very intoxicated.

Very sad end and R I P

You are being far to polite, I have also stayed there and entertained business colleges there and unless Mr Slym was over 2.2 mts tall he did NOT fall, what happened I will not speculate as it does no good, the case will be buried as usual and that will be the end of it. RIP and condolences to family.

"...he did NOT fall,"

"...what happened I will not speculate..."

Contradicting yourself a little there.

[MMarlow]

I just measured my balcony railing height. It is 82 cm. Visitors have commented about it being on the low and thus dangerous side.

Yup.

As a guide the minimum top rail height for scaffolding and fall protection for construction sites in the UK is 910mm.

150 / 470 / 910 (toe board / mid-rail / top rail).

Useful information for anyone erecting scaffolding in the UK.

[MMarlow]

My question would be why does Tata, an Indian company, need to have meetings in Bangkok? Nice way to get the company to pay for a foreign holiday if you ask me.

Thankfully, no-one was asking for your ill-informed opinion.

[MMarlow]

Condolences to the guy's loved ones.

I suspect a balcony railing lower than he was expecting. Many places I've stayed in Thailand have balconies significantly lower than any back home, including my own apartment.

Anyone know why the OP file photo of this Tata guy has a Chevy in it?

Because he also worked for GM at some stage in his career.

[IAMSOBAD]

I love all the HOTEL booking ads between each post.

Irony at its best.

[siddv]

I doubt very seriously that membership into the Bangkok Flying Club has anything to do with the height of balconies in apartments, condos or hotels in LOS. Don't kid yourselves.

[Khonper]

How many farang executives or celebrities have died in Thailand recently ? wow

I was visiting someone in a 5 star hotel near to the Shangrila on the river recently. I noticed that the windows appeared to have no latches at all .

You couldn't fall out unless someone wanted you to take a dive!

The shangrila has large balconies so how the heck do you fall off?

Was there somebody in the room when he fell? Where's the CCTV footage.

I don't think they will publish CCTV footage on ThaiVisa forum.

[saroq]

A fall?

There's a helluva lot of these ' unfortunate accidents ' and Pattaya must hold the world record.

It would be interesting to get statistics from other countries to compare. Of course Thailand is a noted party place so that may increase the chances of "accidents" but there are so many of them it is suspicious

[marios]

Is there any information whether he was robbed or not? If yes, then of course foul play is a certainty and if this is true I would not preclude a carnal component to this tragic story. The providers of the sex partner knew who he was and planned it. Of course, this theory might be plausible if robbery had taken place. I do not want to be disrespectful to the deceased. We are all humans, full of weaknesses.

This is only a theory, not an effort to smear one's reputation.

[webfact]

UPDATE:
Thai police rule out murder in death of Tata Motors' manager

BANGKOK: -- Thai police on Monday eliminated murder as the cause of death of Tata Motors' Managing Director Karl Slym, who fell from the 22nd floor of a Bangkok hotel over the weekend.

"We can rule out murder in this case," said Police Lieutenant Somyot Boonyakeow.

"We are still investigating his death."

Slym, 51, fell early Sunday morning from the 22nd storey of the Shangri-la Hotel, Somyot confirmed.

-- The Nation 2014-01-27

[rogerdee123]

UPDATE:

Thai police rule out murder in death of Tata Motors' manager

BANGKOK: -- Thai police on Monday eliminated murder as the cause of death of Tata Motors' Managing Director Karl Slym, who fell from the 22nd floor of a Bangkok hotel over the weekend.

"We can rule out murder in this case," said Police Lieutenant Somyot Boonyakeow.

"We are still investigating his death."

Slym, 51, fell early Sunday morning from the 22nd storey of the Shangri-la Hotel, Somyot confirmed.

-- The Nation 2014-01-27

surprise! surprise !

[mrtoad]

UPDATE:

Thai police rule out murder in death of Tata Motors' manager

BANGKOK: -- Thai police on Monday eliminated murder as the cause of death of Tata Motors' Managing Director Karl Slym, who fell from the 22nd floor of a Bangkok hotel over the weekend.

"We can rule out murder in this case," said Police Lieutenant Somyot Boonyakeow.

"We are still investigating his death."

Slym, 51, fell early Sunday morning from the 22nd storey of the Shangri-la Hotel, Somyot confirmed.

-- The Nation 2014-01-27

How can something be ruled out, if they are still investigating?

[atyclb]

A fall?

There's a helluva lot of these ' unfortunate accidents ' and Pattaya must hold the world record.

Try reading before posting - nothing to do with Pattaya

I perceived that as his personal side comment far from a "left field remark" since it is true there seem to be many falls in pattaya.

[GreenSnapper]

How many farang executives or celebrities have died in Thailand recently ? wow

I was visiting someone in a 5 star hotel near to the Shangrila on the river recently. I noticed that the windows appeared to have no latches at all .

You couldn't fall out unless someone wanted you to take a dive!

The shangrila has large balconies so how the heck do you fall off?

Was there somebody in the room when he fell? Where's the CCTV footage.

I don't think they will publish CCTV footage on ThaiVisa forum.

Even if you are drunk, you wouldn't fall from these balconies - instincts are stronger.

Unless you are being pushed.

[buhi]

Due to arthritis I always stay on the ground floor of any hotel, perhaps that is why I am still alive!

Edited January 27, 2014 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[NCFC]

Farangs coming to Thailand probably subconsciously assume the railings to be higher than they are because they are used to higher railings in the west. I don't know many people who upon entering a hotel room for the first time measure the balcony railing height, run checks on the electrical wiring or inspect the bathroom tiles for slipperyness. That's why accidents happen.

[crazydrummerpauly]

This is what balconies look like at Shangri la BKK.

Hmm

I'd say from that view, that most peoples' centre-of-gravity would be well below that, and make it impossible to accidentally fall over that top rail.

[likewise]

unless you're standing on the concrete bit.