Body of missing Swiss tourist washed ashore, Thai police say

[webfact]

Body of Missing Swiss Tourist Washed Ashore, Police Say
By Khaosod English

CHUMPHON — Thai police say they have found the body of the Swiss tourist who went missing in the Gulf of Thailand nearly two weeks ago.

According to police, the body of Hanspeter Suter, 44, washed ashore on a beach in Chumphon province this morning, 80 km from the island of Koh Tao where he was last seen. Suter appears to have been dead for 10 days, police say.

Suter was reported missing on Koh Tao in Surat Thani province on 8 November. Prior to his disappearance, Suter was seen snorkeling "in the shallow area" of the sea, on the same day that a heavy rainstorm hit Koh Tao and other southern provinces.

The body has been sent to Surat Thani Hospital for autopsy.

Source: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1416287828


-- Khaosod English 2014-11-18

[South]

RIP Swissman.

So if he washed up in Chumphon, who was it that was found floating in the water between Koh Tao and Koh Phangngan and who was it that was washed up in Khanom?

[RustBucket]

Seems to be a lot of strange activity with farang deaths at the moment on Kho Tao.

Can't believe how strange all the circumstances seem to be with each death. Nothing seems straightforward there.

Probably because there is something grisly going on there?

I wouldn't expect anything other than a cover up no matter what the actual reasons for all these people's deaths over the past year which I believe is now about 6 people. Totally disproportionate for a tiny island compared with other islands all over the world.

KT is surely 'Death Island'.

[RustBucket]

RIP Swissman.

So if he washed up in Chumphon, who was it that was found floating in the water between Koh Tao and Koh Phangngan and who was it that was washed up in Khanom?

If you remember the police interrogators told the Burmese kids they would be killed and thrown into the sea.... They obviously know the modus operendi in Kho Tao.

[siampolee]

Now I seem to recall about 7 days back another body was found floating in the waters off of Koa Tao and it was presumed at the time to have been the missing Swiss tourist.

There were according to the reports at that time wounds to the body.

Now do we see yet another mysterious death from Kao Tao island in the earlier case?

Beginning to look like sudden unexplained deaths could be an epidemic outbreak on Kao Tao.

[tingtongtourist]

RIP Swissman.

So if he washed up in Chumphon, who was it that was found floating in the water between Koh Tao and Koh Phangngan and who was it that was washed up in Khanom?

if going by the reliabilty of media and the total contempt that the police seemingly have on the rights if foreigners im sure they will have us believe all of them are one and the same person.

In reality who would know, its a bit of a lottery id say

[NeverSure]

RIP Swissman.

So if he washed up in Chumphon, who was it that was found floating in the water between Koh Tao and Koh Phangngan and who was it that was washed up in Khanom?

Probably some poor souls who weren't quality tourists.

RIP

[siampolee]

One is led to wonder whether ''exitinternational '' has a local representative office on Kao Tao?

http://www.exitinternational.net/

[Briggsy]

They seem to have found the body 3 times, many miles apart on each occasion.

[webfact]

Missing Swiss tourist body washed ashore in Chumphon beach

CHUMPHON: -- The body of Swiss tourist, Hanspeter Suter, 44, who went missing since November 8 from Koh Tao and believed drowned was found on shore in Lang Suan district of Chumphon this morning.

Lamare station police said villagers at Lamare beach found the body of a foreigner being washed ashore on Lamare beach.

All identifications on the dead body matched those being given earlier to them by the police in Phangan Island who sought their help to look for missing Swiss tourist from Koh Tao since November 8.

They said identifications such as tattoo on the back, a gold teeth on upper jaw, wearing orange shorts and black shoes matched with the body on the beach.

They said the body of Mr Hanspeter was being sent to Surat Thani hospital for forensic examination this afternoon.

One of his friends Michael Phillip Klissing will also go to the hospital to identify the body.

Earlier, Koh Tao tourist police said Hanspeter Suter, 44, had just completed a dive master scuba course on the tourist resort island.

Three days before he went missing, he was told by a doctor that he should not swim because it could lead to blindness.

Police said Mr Suter was under stress and did not have any money.

He rented snorkelling gear from a shop on the beach late Saturday.

He left his passport and personal items there, but did not take a life jacket with him. He did not return to the shop since then.

Sairee Beach is the same area where two British tourists, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, were murdered in September.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/missing-swiss-tourist-body-washed-ashore-chumphon-beach


-- Thai PBS 2014-11-18

[iReason]

"Three days before he went missing, he was told by a doctor that he should not swim because it could lead to blindness."

"Police said Mr Suter was under stress and did not have any money."

So, he decided to take a dive master scuba course...

Edited November 18, 2014 by iReason

[slipperylobster]

Sure the body was washed to shore.... we know that it did not swim there.

[orange31]

Now I seem to recall about 7 days back another body was found floating in the waters off of Koa Tao and it was presumed at the time to have been the missing Swiss tourist.

There were according to the reports at that time wounds to the body.

Now do we see yet another mysterious death from Kao Tao island in the earlier case?

Beginning to look like sudden unexplained deaths could be an epidemic outbreak on Kao Tao.

There could be a serial killer still on the loose in Koh Tao. Best avoid it...

[Briggsy]

It would be best not to go to Koh Tao. Too many suspicious deaths, murders and total lack of law enforcement.

[Mole]

I have a hard time believing the body floated by currents all the way from Tao to Chumpon.

[SOTIRIOS]

....what about the 2 bodies that they retrieved in the same general area....in the interim....???

[Mole]

It would be best not to go to Koh Tao. Too many suspicious deaths, murders and total lack of law enforcement.

But good news for everyone! They are planning to make Tao a smoking (of tobacco I presume) free island. No worries and happy days again. Please everybody come, come! Just the mere news of this has already made my head explode, and starting to forget about any rapes and murders has ever happened.

[Madison blue]

I don't believe his body washed up in chumphon after floating for ten days. something is amiss with this story. as a doctor and an island resident for 15 years, I'm too familiar with "floaters" and I feel very strongly that something is very wrong with this story...

[emilymat]

I don't believe his body washed up in chumphon after floating for ten days. something is amiss with this story. as a doctor and an island resident for 15 years, I'm too familiar with "floaters" and I feel very strongly that something is very wrong with this story...

I know absolutely nothing about currents etc. this guy drifts 50 miles in ten days, 5 miles a day. Is that unusual? I can imagine a piece of driftwood, but a waterlogged body?

[Madison blue]

well... depending on the current, it's plausible that a body could drift even further... currents do interesting things in the gulf, but I find it more interesting that the body exactly followed the lompraya high speed ferry boat route; which is not based on seasonal currents... perhaps I should not have expressed my opinion as I don't have all required facts, but... I am certain that there is something wrong with this story! for whatever that is worth, which is nothing I suppose. depending on how he drowned, if that is what happened, and how much water he took into his lungs and stomach; he would have sunk for 24 to 72 hours before the decomposing of his body produced enough gases for him to rise to the surface and travel with the top layer of currents. however, if his body had somehow been punctured this would dramatically change things as the gases would have an exit portal from his system and would not build up in the same manner. but after ten days in an unseasonably warm ocean his skin and underlying tissue would simply "melt off" with any kind of contact. if, for instance, a net were used to retrieve his body most of the tissue would be lost as it would ooze through the net. I'm not someone who believes in conspiracy theories and the fact that he was last seen on koh tao is not what causes me question. although it actually does make it appear suspicious by default! if someone had accurate current charts for the past ten days then I could certainly give a far more educated guess or nullify the stated story. it was written that his tattoos were intact and easily identifiable and I do not believe that if he were really in a warm ocean for ten days. it also stated that his friend would view the body to identify him but he would not be identifiable after ten days. it doesn't take sharks to eat a body. small fish do more deconstruction. the face and the belly are the softest parts and would have been rapidly consumed and he, therefore, would not have a face or ears remaining to identify... it was also stated that police said his body appeared to have been in the water for ten days and I believe that if it were there would not be intact tattoos and a face to identify. obviously, I don't possess all the required facts to back up my opinion, but... there is something very wrong with this story!

[Doc46]

well... depending on the current, it's plausible that a body could drift even further... currents do interesting things in the gulf, but I find it more interesting that the body exactly followed the lompraya high speed ferry boat route; which is not based on seasonal currents... perhaps I should not have expressed my opinion as I don't have all required facts, but... I am certain that there is something wrong with this story! for whatever that is worth, which is nothing I suppose. depending on how he drowned, if that is what happened, and how much water he took into his lungs and stomach; he would have sunk for 24 to 72 hours before the decomposing of his body produced enough gases for him to rise to the surface and travel with the top layer of currents. however, if his body had somehow been punctured this would dramatically change things as the gases would have an exit portal from his system and would not build up in the same manner. but after ten days in an unseasonably warm ocean his skin and underlying tissue would simply "melt off" with any kind of contact. if, for instance, a net were used to retrieve his body most of the tissue would be lost as it would ooze through the net. I'm not someone who believes in conspiracy theories and the fact that he was last seen on koh tao is not what causes me question. although it actually does make it appear suspicious by default! if someone had accurate current charts for the past ten days then I could certainly give a far more educated guess or nullify the stated story. it was written that his tattoos were intact and easily identifiable and I do not believe that if he were really in a warm ocean for ten days. it also stated that his friend would view the body to identify him but he would not be identifiable after ten days. it doesn't take sharks to eat a body. small fish do more deconstruction. the face and the belly are the softest parts and would have been rapidly consumed and he, therefore, would not have a face or ears remaining to identify... it was also stated that police said his body appeared to have been in the water for ten days and I believe that if it were there would not be intact tattoos and a face to identify. obviously, I don't possess all the required facts to back up my opinion, but... there is something very wrong with this story!

Yes I agree there could be something wrong,what we do now is speculate what that wrong could be without any proof /evidence,maybe the found bodies could have been persons that did't cooperated with certain investigations ?

[siampolee]

There is one factor that is perhaps an avenue of speculation.On Terra firma we are on the top of the food chain .In the marine world we are on the bottom of the food chain.

Can anyone explain convincingly just why there was a body left.I saw a few cadavers dragged up from rivers and canals in my younger plod days and they were indeed a sorry mess.

Somehow the finding of this body seems to kick start a train of thought that perhaps the truth has been or is being adapted to suit some other person or persons agenda.,

[Strangebrew]

Must be those land sharks on KOH TAO you know the one at a certain bar, who are well connected Oh not me I was in Bangkok at the time. Besides my DNA will not be a match.

[Estrada]

Another death in Koh Tao that appears to be a cover up. Original police story was that he went snorkling wearing a swim fin, yet he was found with his clothes and shoes on. Never heard of someone snorkling with their shoes on.

[mijako]

the brother of a friend is fisherman and died in he sea as well. They have found his boat (empty) but never found his body. The fishermen who know the sea and the current say it's possible they go very far BUT a snorkeling guy with black shoes!!?? I did a lot of snorkeling with fins, never with shoes. This is very strange.

And my nephew died in the sea as well (in Chaweng, Koh Samui). We found him the next day and the half of his face was already eaten by fishes. I wish good luck to the man who has to identify him after 10 days.

[Number 3]

A case of farang who knew too much or perhaps sprouted off that he was

willing to spill the beans. There will be a reason for this poor blokes demise, of which we will never know.

If I were Burmese right now I d be hiding in bushes coming out to find food every so often. Lie low lads !

[Number 3]

Seems to be a lot of strange activity with farang deaths at the moment on Kho Tao.

Can't believe how strange all the circumstances seem to be with each death. Nothing seems straightforward there.

Probably because there is something grisly going on there?

I wouldn't expect anything other than a cover up no matter what the actual reasons for all these people's deaths over the past year which I believe is now about 6 people. Totally disproportionate for a tiny island compared with other islands all over the world.

KT is surely 'Death Island'.

Death is putting this too lightly. Murder island more apt, no?

[Number 3]

"Three days before he went missing, he was told by a doctor that he should not swim because it could lead to blindness."

"Police said Mr Suter was under stress and did not have any money."

So, he decided to take a dive master scuba course...

Mate, name me an illness whereby one swims and becomes blind. Please.

[Number 3]

It would be best not to go to Koh Tao. Too many suspicious deaths, murders and total lack of law enforcement.

But good news for everyone! They are planning to make Tao a smoking (of tobacco I presume) free island. No worries and happy days again. Please everybody come, come! Just the mere news of this has already made my head explode, and starting to forget about any rapes and murders has ever happened.

Smoke free. I give it two days max.

Regardless stupid press release that treats us all as idiots who are easily distracting but the bright and pretty new new toy. Wheeeeeee........

[Madison blue]

in regards to "swimming" causing blindness: I'm assuming that it should read "diving" instead. I'm not a diver but, it is feasible that diving could increase his inter cranial pressure and/or his intraocular pressure, or pressure on his optic nerve which could lead to vision loss if he had some kind of underlying condition or prior trauma to his eye.

I did see some photos of his body and I am now far more certain than I was in a prior post that he was NOT in the water for ten days. absolutely not!

I offer my condolences to his family and friends and I sincerely hope that none of them have ever seen or heard about TVF or CSI LA.