Corrections Dept chief rejects foul play in prisoner's death

[Lite Beer]

Corrections Dept chief rejects foul play in prisoner's death
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Early autopsy finding: internal bleeding

An autopsy on a man accused of killing a protest leader during a rally against the Yingluck Shinawatra government early this year showed he had gastrointestinal bleeding and thrombocytopenia, a doctor said yesterday.

The Corrections Department said on Friday that Surakrit Chaimongkol succumbed to illness while being held at Bangkok Remand Prison.

Surakrit was remanded over charges that he fatally shot Sutin Taratin in Bang Na in Bangkok in January while the victim was leading a rally to try to stop advance voting at a polling station.

Aree Chaimongkol, Surakrit's mother, had requested Dr Salaktham Tochirakarn, of the Police General Hospital, jointly conduct the post-mortem on her son's body at the hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine yesterday.

She said she did not believe her son had diabetes because he was young and strong. The Department of Corrections said a preliminary finding by doctors had determined Surakrit had diabetes.

Aree believed he died mysteriously, as he had told her he was the target of an attack.

She called on relevant agencies to investigate his death. She said she would not cremate his body until the truth prevailed.

Speaking after the autopsy, Salaktham said that the heavy gastrointestinal bleeding could have resulted in him suffering shock and dying because he also had thrombocytopenia - the drop in the platelets in his blood.

He could not determine if the death was the result of an asthma attack because he had not seen his treatment records.

As for the bruises on Surakrit's body that his mother regards as suspicious, Salaktham said he would wait for the results of tissue tests before making a comment on that. Those results would be available in a fortnight.

Department of Corrections director-general Withaya Suriyawong said he was informed on Thursday morning - the day Surakrit died - that the suspect had a fever and was admitted to Bangkok Remand Prison's hospital.

He said that after being given medication, Surakrit was sent back to detention. In the afternoon, he had difficulty breathing and was exhausted.

He was sent to the emergency care unit at the Medical Correctional Hospital. Pictures of him were taken before he was admitted.

Withaya said doctors' primarily found that Surakrit had diabetes. He might not have known he suffered from diabetes and did not inform the department about the illness.

Withaya said doctors had determined he had internal bleeding and thrombocytopenia. The bruises on his body might have been the result of thrombocytopenia.

He insisted the department would not have had Surakrit assaulted and was ready to provide information for the investigation.

As Surakrit had died while in custody, the department had a duty to keep the body so it could be examined for circumstantial evidence.

The body would be sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine to determine the cause of death.

Investigators would submit the autopsy findings for a court to rule on the cause of death, Withaya said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Corrections-Dept-chief-rejects-foul-play-in-prison-30242166.html

-- The Nation 2014-08-31

[wprime]

Why suspect foul play? If he was innocent they have no need to kill him, if he was guilty he would face the death penalty anyway.

[onlycw]

..."Results...in a fortnight" ?! By then, most people will have forgotten the whole affair.

Moreover, how do labs in other countries work? surely, it would be possible to get these results within 24 hours?!? Just wondering.

[Chris Lawrence]

Sounds like this needs to be investigated, but if so can it be reported on? The ban on free press may dictate the way in which a report is discussed in the press? Guilty or not guilty, treatment of a person in a dignified way should always be taken seriously.

[DrLom]

"Salaktham said he would wait for the results of tissue tests payment, before making a comment on that."

Dear Doctor, (assumed MD)

You find initial death from thrombocytopenia (as the platelet count was prob in the 30,000 range), with internal bleeding, but you can't conclude whether or not death came from asthma?

<deleted> me, some Doctor you are!

"As Surakrit had died while in custody, the department had a duty to keep the body so it could be examined set up for circumstantial evidence supporting accidental death."

The ghost stories get better and better per month nowadays, not year upon year. As soon as the word 'Thai police' is involved... forget it in this country. No matter what the army does, it won't beat that corruption great bunch of service men.

[Prbkk]

The doctor conducting the post-mortem has not seen the patient's treatment notes. Much more investigation required in this matter.

[DrLom]

The doctor conducting the post-mortem has not seen the patient's treatment notes. Much more investigation required in this matter.

Have you visited 2 hospitals yet, and seen records of your treatment at both interactively linked? Nope... TIT.... there are no notes in public hospitals - caret initio et fine!

There are also no notes held on computers in private hospitals transferred, as they are all private businesses. This aint the NHS you know.

I use Vhiphavadi Hospital, and the service is excellent. Everything is computerised and records are held for years. If you want to access them when somewhere else, at anon private hospital.. forget it... that's against BUSINESS policy.

The doc had no chance of visiting previous records......... but I'm sure they'll be created and chopped soon enough.... to cater for the cover-up.

[PS2]

Why suspect foul play? If he was innocent they have no need to kill him, if he was guilty he would face the death penalty anyway.

Well, now nobody will know who gave the orders for the hit.

Dead birds don't sing.

[ramrod711]

Withaya said doctors had determined he had internal bleeding and thrombocytopenia. The bruises on his body might have been the result of thrombocytopenia.

Or vice versa, bruising could be a sign of being beaten, which could very well cause internal bleeding. Something not quite right here.

[sweatalot]

Withaya said doctors had determined he had internal bleeding and thrombocytopenia. The bruises on his body might have been the result of thrombocytopenia.

Or vice versa, bruising could be a sign of being beaten, which could very well cause internal bleeding. Something not quite right here.

you are not a doctor

bruises don't make thrombocytopenia but thrombocytopenia makes bruises

[metisdead]

A flame post has been removed.

[sanuk711]

"honest Gov, he kept beating himself round the head while shouting...... You got me...Its a fair cop"...........

[me313]

Why suspect foul play? If he was innocent they have no need to kill him, if he was guilty he would face the death penalty anyway. hopw

That's such a lame, lame excuse offering exoneration of law enforcement and prison brutality. exemplified by a suspicious death of known political target while being held in prison, as if prisons really do respect prisoners rights and rape, torture and murder is never forced on prisoners by wardens or other officers or their "rats in the can" who perform evil deeds for those in power. The most slimy excuses are always used to do this, like KY Jelly.

Edited August 31, 2014 by me313

[Dogmatix]

Clearly no foul play involved. It is normal Corrections Department practice to swing a heavy weight onto a restrained prisoner's torso until internal bleeding occurs.

Personally I would have greatly preferred to see him stand trial but there must be a number of people who stood to lose a lot by being implicated in crimes of murder and terrorism by him, if he taken the stand, and were prepared to pay good money to ensure he didn't.

[sweatalot]

Clearly no foul play involved. It is normal Corrections Department practice to swing a heavy weight onto a restrained prisoner's torso until internal bleeding occurs.

Personally I would have greatly preferred to see him stand trial but there must be a number of people who stood to lose a lot by being implicated in crimes of murder and terrorism by him, if he taken the stand, and were prepared to pay good money to ensure he didn't.

" It is normal Corrections Department practice to swing a heavy weight onto a restrained prisoner's torso until internal bleeding occurs."

How do you know this?

Until proven I regard this as a blatant lie

And btw: inner bleeding is normally caused by violent force / heavy impact. - What would be the use of making a death appear to have been caused by violence ??

gastrointestinal bleeding is NOT caused by violent force but by blood coagulation failure or gastrointestinal ulcer or liver disease.

You are wrong all over, you do not know what you are talking about but you are happy to throw shit against a government that you do not favour - right?

Edited August 31, 2014 by sweatalot

[bangrak]

When the Correction Dept Chief would have declared that 'didn't suspect, but couldn't reject the eventuality of, foul play at this point of the inquiry', and that 'the most modern techniques of research and analysis will be used in order to establish the cause of death with certainty, and the full report will be made public', maybe I could have believed there was no ongoing cover-up, but here it sounds and smells like a 'Chalerm special', all wrapped up before the investigation starts, and we know what that means... Who is Correction Dept Chief Withaya, and who did he get the job from?

Edited August 31, 2014 by bangrak

[recycled]

Clearly no foul play involved. It is normal Corrections Department practice to swing a heavy weight onto a restrained prisoner's torso until internal bleeding occurs.

Personally I would have greatly preferred to see him stand trial but there must be a number of people who stood to lose a lot by being implicated in crimes of murder and terrorism by him, if he taken the stand, and were prepared to pay good money to ensure he didn't.

" It is normal Corrections Department practice to swing a heavy weight onto a restrained prisoner's torso until internal bleeding occurs."

How do you know this?

Until proven I regard this as a blatant lie

And btw: inner bleeding is normally caused by violent force / heavy impact. - What would be the use of making a death appear to have been caused by violence ??

gastrointestinal bleeding is NOT caused by violent force but by blood coagulation failure or gastrointestinal ulcer or liver disease.

You are wrong all over, you do not know what you are talking about but you are happy to throw shit against a government that you do not favour - right?

Say what? It appears the wit of sarcasm is something from the past.

[surangw]

a case of reject it or have the same fate ?

[seabass69]

Withaya said doctors had determined he had internal bleeding and thrombocytopenia. The bruises on his body might have been the result of thrombocytopenia.

Or vice versa, bruising could be a sign of being beaten, which could very well cause internal bleeding. Something not quite right here.

you are not a doctor

bruises don't make thrombocytopenia but thrombocytopenia makes bruises

I certainly hope not. 'Doctor Ramrod' doesn't sound too appealing.

Also, try and read again what Ramrod said, but this time take your time and let the words sink in.

[siampolee]

Perhaps it should be remembered that the deceased was in a position to name others which could indeed have been detrimental to their well being and possibly that possibility of speaking out led to the fatality of the accused.

Truth of the matter is that the true facts regarding this sad situation being revealed are as likely to be about as successful as ''herding cats.''