Swedish found hanged in deserted building

[Neeranam]

It would be good to know the facts before jumping to conclusions!

Why floor 43? Was the love of his life a bargirl who wore a '43' tag? Or is it 4+3 = 7? There is no end to speculation is there!

What a highly insensitive, inappropriate, stupid thing to say about the deceased. Not all visitors to Thailand are whoremongers.

[Neeranam]

https://www.google.com/search?q=sathorn+unique&oq=sathorn+unique&aqs=chrome..69i57.7243j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

That link gives a lot of information about that particular building. It was to be called the "Sathorn Unique". Entry is not nearly as simple as bribing a guard. In fact, I think 'guarding' is pretty informal and done by the transients. To access the building, you can't just go in the lobby and climb up. You need to climb up an adjacent parking structure 6 floors and walk across the roof of a gangway. That alone looks pretty scary. The guy who took this picture didn't go across.

Hard to believe the developers weren't able to finish this place. Could be bought for a song, and probable finished on the cheap. But good luck getting any Thais to move in there if it is believed to be haunted.

RIP Swedish man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUoGi_KGDbM

Some people crossing it.

[lust]

I highly doubt anyone would walk willingly up 43 flights of stairs to be executed. I mean, if someone was going to force me into an abandoned tower, I would be kicking, scratching, screaming, the whole way up.

I can't imagine any Thai carrying a farang up 43 flights of stairs to stage a suicide either.

I would call this one what it is...

If I were to commit suicide by hanging I wouldn't climb to the 43rd floor.

The 3rd or 4th would do fine

I wouldn't, I would go to the top, watch a nice sunset, and then depart. However, I would be doing a swan dive. The only thing that bothers me about the dive is the impact on the poor souls that have to witness it (no pun intended), and the people who have to come mop you up which is very selfish.

[Gentmartin]

The guy who found the body tried in vain to contact the police?

He posted a message on a website seeking help from other posters?

What am I missing here?

Bloody sad way to go .

My wife was actually following this story on Pantip on Friday. (This is his story) The Thai guy who had seen the body when he went into the building to take his photographs rushed home upset and in a panic and then called the police, he couldnt get through at first and when he eventually did, they told him they couldnt do anything and report it to the police in the area of the building. Again he couldnt get a response so went on Pantip to get help and then was advised to call the radio station to get them to push the police to take action. On Pantip, as my wife showed me, there was huge Thai outcry over the police behaviour.

Anyway, sad story, RIP Swedish guy.

[Squeegee]

'Ghost Tower'?

Land owners are fracked, it'll never sell unless they allow foreigners to buy the land....

-

So a 24 year old man from Sweden comes all the way to Thailand, rents a room and after 2 or 3 weeks goes to some place most long term expats don't even know about to climb 40-odd flights of stairs to kill himself? In a place that a local goes to pay a bribe to get in for whatever reason, yet this 24 year old in Thailand for just a few weeks or less chooses to go there, gets in, and with just credit cards but no cash reported in his pockets....

Nevermind the inability for it to be reported and initially dealt with....

There's almost nothing about this story that isn't odd.

Poor guy.

More hysterical nonsense - this building DOMINATES the whole area !

How can you not know about this place ? The 'long term expats' probably don't know about it as they rarely venture from their bar stool !

Can I just issue a small statement that may help the Mrs Marples out there - when 99.9% of people commit suicide, they are not thinking straight, they are depressed, they are not rational - so you trying to second guess what an irrational person is up to is just making you look stupid !

Do yourselves, and everyone else a favour and bore people elsewhere, though you've probably been banned from the local for boring the shit out of the regulars ?!

Wow how obnoxious are you?

Just because one building in the vast sprawling city of BKK dominates the skyline in one particular area doesn't mean anyone who hasn't heard of it only goes to bar areas. I would say my post was not second guessing anything, merely observing what the news is apparently saying and my only real comment was that everything was odd. Thus, neither was i playing Miss Marple.

Since you are clearly the hysterical one, with all your insults, and your utter hypocrisy in being irrational and "second guessing" other people's lifestyles I would suggest you calm down before you embarrass yourself further.

[vogie]

Farang with a box of rice?

why would he bring one; looks like staged in a very Asian way

Welcome to the TV conspiracy section, we always need more members

[Traxster]

The lonliest place you can be

is in the middle of a crowd

[HerbalEd]

The writer is being one of the worse I have see in a while. And yes, since it is coming from the English news source I can be critisising the standerd of English used.

You're joking, right. You should use better English before you criticize others of using bad English.

[SOTIRIOS]

......and how has he been identified as a 'backpacker'.....

...and how can the police not be interested in a dead person......

...backpackers generally are 'free spirits'....seeking travel and adventure....why would one commit suicide.....

...is the 'backpacker designation' supposed to have any other significance....???

...is nobody going to investigate further....???

.....whom or what did he 'kill himself' for......???

...are we supposed to be unconcerned........because..........'he was a backpacker'......???

[Docno]

Another one found dead.

R.I.P. whatever the cause, hanging or suicide. Neither of which is a pleasant way to die.

How do you know?

Have you died previously this way?

Do I need to have died this way previously to understand it is a very unpleasant way to die?

What a pathetic comment ND.

Do I have to eat hot chilli to know they are hot, or travel at the speed of light to know that is pretty damn fast?

Engage your brain a little more ND

Ok, people keep having a go, I will respond.

There's literally thousands of ways to die. Hanging is a lot quicker and more pleasant way to go than say burning to death and probably a lot nicer than having a brain tumor and slowly dying with all the respective treatment that goes on.

When someone hangs they either a.) break their neck and loose consciousness instantly or in the case where the neck isn't broken b.) loose consciousness within a few minutes after the hanging commences.

Once the person looses consciousness, the evidence (& I've seen it been given in court) suggests the person feels nothing. I'm not saying that wouldn't be unpleasant, but it's far from the worst scenario that springs to mind.

So on the grand scale of things, if you've got to go, it sure beats been entrapped in a car and slowly dying in agony whilst your rescuers try and cut you from the wreck. It beats being stung to death by hornets or dying slowly with cancer.

Do you get it?

Everyone has to die at some point, when id go, I'd rather the option of a couple of minutes of pain as opposed to months of it.....that's for sure.

Anyway, flame away and try and engage your brain before responding again.

Not sure it's quite as 'pleasant' as that. You're right that, in the 'ideal', the neck is broken and the individual dies almost immediately. But this requires accurate calculation of the length of drop. Too much of a drop and the head will be ripped clean from the body (as happened at the execution of one of Saddam's henchmen)... but that's a quick death too, I suppose. More likely is that the drop will not be long enough, and the person will end up doing the 'gallows dance' or 'Tyburn jig'. This means that the person suffers a slow strangulation. Now, in the old days (before the intent of hanging was to break the neck), the victim's hands would be tied behind their back (or in the case of the Dutch, in some instances, the hands would be amputated) ... this would prevent the victim from trying to hold on to the rope to reduce the strangulation. In a suicide, the person's hands are free to reach for the rope. Just imagine that you are being strangled by the rope - you would probably automatically clutch at it to reduce your suffering, which would only the prolong it (and the accompanying terror). You would not be able to release yourself nor would you likely keep your hands peaceably at your sides. It would not be pleasant.

[jayceenik]

Saddened by this tragic event.

But still, police couldn't be contacted ? They was too busy ? Had to use the internet ? What if it was you who phoned the police, and there was no answer ?

And the building itself. A victim of the Asian economic crisis ? What, the one that hit Thailand back in 1996/97 ? The building has been in this state since then ? Nearly two decades ?

And, on the Skytrain, between Nana station and Asoke station, and maybe a bit beyond as well, are the partly-built buildings still there ? I take it those were also buildings were construction stopped during the building process, due to lack of money for wages and materials.

The abandoned one near Nana BTS on Sukhumvit (Post Office side) was pulled down a few years ago. It's a big open space now.

Further up is the Times Square U-shaped complex which was built decades ago and left unfinished for many years. It was finally finished some years back and seems to be doing well.

The big one at the corner of Sukhumvit and Asoke (going to the Convention Center) was also finally done for occupancy after years being left unfinished.

As for the sky-high monster where the unfortunate farang was found hanged I've looked at it over the years every time I've been to Saphan Taksin BTS and wondered why such an attractive-looking high-rise in such a prime BKK location could have been left so close (apparently) to termination. An insurance-unacceptable flawed safety design in the fire-escape stairwells ?

It's not good for such buildings to be left open to the weather for so many years. Rain waster will eventually get in the concrete and the re-bars will rust and crack the concrete. I was surprised to see the long-abandoned Times Square building being resuscitated !!

[how241]

Poor guy, only 24 years old.... R.I.P.

+1...sad story, whatever the truth behind his death is.

[HooHaa]

The writer is being one of the worse I have see in a while. And yes, since it is coming from the English news source I can be critisising the standerd of English used.

yes the "standerd of English"[sic] is abysmal.

i dont suppose you took the time to read your own post did you?

sigh.

Edited December 7, 2014 by HooHaa

[ToddinChonburi]

Suicide was first believed to be the cause. what do they think now ?

Swedish back packer found HANGED !!!! Would not that mean he was murdered or does this writer really suck at what he does ?

[CharlieH]

overly negative post removed

[anon022]

Come to think of it, why would anyone who is suicidal walk up 43 floors before jumping and then... hang himself instead? Guess there is a first for anything. RIP, and may you reincarnate a happier man.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Impossible

[anon022]

Saddened by this tragic event.

But still, police couldn't be contacted ? They was too busy ? Had to use the internet ? What if it was you who phoned the police, and there was no answer ?

And the building itself. A victim of the Asian economic crisis ? What, the one that hit Thailand back in 1996/97 ? The building has been in this state since then ? Nearly two decades ?

And, on the Skytrain, between Nana station and Asoke station, and maybe a bit beyond as well, are the partly-built buildings still there ? I take it those were also buildings were construction stopped during the building process, due to lack of money for wages and materials.

The abandoned one near Nana BTS on Sukhumvit (Post Office side) was pulled down a few years ago. It's a big open space now.

Further up is the Times Square U-shaped complex which was built decades ago and left unfinished for many years. It was finally finished some years back and seems to be doing well.

The big one at the corner of Sukhumvit and Asoke (going to the Convention Center) was also finally done for occupancy after years being left unfinished.

As for the sky-high monster where the unfortunate farang was found hanged I've looked at it over the years every time I've been to Saphan Taksin BTS and wondered why such an attractive-looking high-rise in such a prime BKK location could have been left so close (apparently) to termination. An insurance-unacceptable flawed safety design in the fire-escape stairwells ?

It's not good for such buildings to be left open to the weather for so many years. Rain waster will eventually get in the concrete and the re-bars will rust and crack the concrete. I was surprised to see the long-abandoned Times Square building being resuscitated !!

You're right. Look at this one, zoomed in from space.

[Alwyn]

if he found the body why didnt he find the security card and tell him?

good question but he was probably down the local 7-11 spending his 100 baht on Hong Thong or lo Khao

[Alwyn]

RIP Stig

[katana]

Some photos of inside the building from November of this year:

http://pantip.com/topic/32882669

[jaywalker]

Saddened by this tragic event.

But still, police couldn't be contacted ? They was too busy ? Had to use the internet ? What if it was you who phoned the police, and there was no answer ?

And the building itself. A victim of the Asian economic crisis ? What, the one that hit Thailand back in 1996/97 ? The building has been in this state since then ? Nearly two decades ?

And, on the Skytrain, between Nana station and Asoke station, and maybe a bit beyond as well, are the partly-built buildings still there ? I take it those were also buildings were construction stopped during the building process, due to lack of money for wages and materials.

The abandoned one near Nana BTS on Sukhumvit (Post Office side) was pulled down a few years ago. It's a big open space now.

Further up is the Times Square U-shaped complex which was built decades ago and left unfinished for many years. It was finally finished some years back and seems to be doing well.

The big one at the corner of Sukhumvit and Asoke (going to the Convention Center) was also finally done for occupancy after years being left unfinished.

As for the sky-high monster where the unfortunate farang was found hanged I've looked at it over the years every time I've been to Saphan Taksin BTS and wondered why such an attractive-looking high-rise in such a prime BKK location could have been left so close (apparently) to termination. An insurance-unacceptable flawed safety design in the fire-escape stairwells ?

It's not good for such buildings to be left open to the weather for so many years. Rain waster will eventually get in the concrete and the re-bars will rust and crack the concrete. I was surprised to see the long-abandoned Times Square building being resuscitated !!

I was thinking the same in regards to the rebar not being worth a hoot after almost 2 decades of monsoon weather.

Kinda makes one wonder at the safety/structural integrity of those other buildings you mentioned.

[Squeegee]

Some photos of inside the building from November of this year:

http://pantip.com/topic/32882669

Thanks for that link.

Old buildings always seem to hold a fascination. Probably something about all the old ghosts (in our sense of memories and past lives, rather than the Thai superstitious sense). I find the gallows humour ("This place needs more decoration") and 'philosophical thoughts' ("You can't get lost if you don't know where you are") scrawled onto these places can be quite interesting sometimes too.

When I was a teenager my best friend and I used to explore old derelict housing before it got demolished. Of course it's dangerous, but that's part of the thrill for kids. We used to find tatty old letters from some law firm nearly 40 years old and at that age, you felt like you'd found something really special. It was truly stepping back in time to see your home town as it was in a previous era. I remember we'd find sets of cutlery and all sorts of weird nick-knacks that were rubbish to anyone else but to us kids they were something special, the treasures that reward the brave or foolhardy.

Just a shame it couldn't always be like that, rather than sometimes just being about the dirty old condoms and glue-sniffers' bags. That too though, was part of the danger: whereas for the Thais it might be the spirits of the dead, for us it was a potential meeting with the local riff-raff; or a frightening, mad old tramp usually only ever truly appearing in the imaginings of fourteen year old boys.

Edited December 7, 2014 by Squeegee

[steffi]

Over the years there's been quite a few blog posting featuring Sathorn Unique.

http://www.justonewayticket.com/2012/12/13/exploration-of-an-abandoned-skyscraper-in-bangkok-the-sathorn-unique-building/

http://desertedplaces.blogspot.com/2014/02/sathorn-unique-bangkoks-ghost-skyscraper.html

Some photos of inside the building from November of this year:

http://pantip.com/topic/32882669

Thanks for that link.

Old buildings always seem to hold a fascination. Probably something about all the old ghosts (in our sense of memories and past lives, rather than the Thai superstitious sense). I find the gallows humour ("This place needs more decoration") and 'philosophical thoughts' ("You can't get lost if you don't know where you are") scrawled onto these places can be quite interesting sometimes too.

When I was a teenager my best friend and I used to explore old derelict housing before it got demolished. Of course it's dangerous, but that's part of the thrill for kids. We used to find tatty old letters from some law firm nearly 40 years old and at that age, you felt like you'd found something really special. It was truly stepping back in time to see your home town as it was in a previous era. I remember we'd find sets of cutlery and all sorts of weird nick-knacks that were rubbish to anyone else but to us kids they were something special, the treasures that reward the brave or foolhardy.

Just a shame it couldn't always be like that, rather than sometimes just being about the dirty old condoms and glue-sniffers' bags. That too though, was part of the danger: whereas for the Thais it might be the spirits of the dead, for us it was a potential meeting with the local riff-raff; or a frightening, mad old tramp usually only ever truly appearing in the imaginings of fourteen year old boys.

Edited December 7, 2014 by steffi

[berybert]

Someone would make serious money being paid to knock that building down. Demolition is a money maker.

[shaggy851]

What a tragedy. Wonder what the significance of the abandoned building was. In this sea full of people sometimes i guess you can still feel so alone. This city is not kind to many. Keep your hopes up high and your head down low. Rip

[katana]

Some photos of inside the building from November of this year:

http://pantip.com/topic/32882669

Thanks for that link.

Old buildings always seem to hold a fascination. Probably something about all the old ghosts (in our sense of memories and past lives, rather than the Thai superstitious sense). I find the gallows humour ("This place needs more decoration") and 'philosophical thoughts' ("You can't get lost if you don't know where you are") scrawled onto these places can be quite interesting sometimes too.

When I was a teenager my best friend and I used to explore old derelict housing before it got demolished. Of course it's dangerous, but that's part of the thrill for kids. We used to find tatty old letters from some law firm nearly 40 years old and at that age, you felt like you'd found something really special. It was truly stepping back in time to see your home town as it was in a previous era. I remember we'd find sets of cutlery and all sorts of weird nick-knacks that were rubbish to anyone else but to us kids they were something special, the treasures that reward the brave or foolhardy.

Just a shame it couldn't always be like that, rather than sometimes just being about the dirty old condoms and glue-sniffers' bags. That too though, was part of the danger: whereas for the Thais it might be the spirits of the dead, for us it was a potential meeting with the local riff-raff; or a frightening, mad old tramp usually only ever truly appearing in the imaginings of fourteen year old boys.

Yeah, we used to do that as kids as well. There was an old giant disused dairy near us which we used to explore. The 30' high roof was only made of thin asbestos-like corrugated sheeting which we would clamber all over. Quite how it never gave way I don't know. There were also a couple of abandoned safes there (probably empty!) which we tried to get into but could never guess the combination.

Next door to the dairy was an old Anderson shelter from World War II where the local populace would shelter when the Luftwaffe paid a visit. Decades had since passed but it was still standing, despite the corrugated sheeting it was made from having rusted over. Inside was still a rusty old bed and oil lamp which would have been used by the people taking shelter there at the time.

In the days before the internet and computers, kids spent a lot more time playing outside I guess.

I hadn't been aware of the old abandoned building in Sathorn which is the subject of the OP in this thread. Looks tempting to go there to take some video footage or photos although it will probably be a lot harder to get into now. Apparently the owners of the building have been called in by the local police and given a warning to improve security after what's just happened.

[poweratradio]

He (Nattawut) paid a 100-baht service fee to a security guard to get access to the building.

Did the Swedish guy pay a fee? Did the security guard not notice he did not ever come down. Climbing 43 floors (no elevator) seems like a lot of work to commit suicide. As for hanging, it is a slow death if you don't break your neck in the process. This is one of the strangest suicides I've read about. In any case, condolences to the family and friends and RIP, Swedish guy.

p.s. I just read the updated version. Why didn't the photographer, who had a camera with him, take a photo to prove his story?

Oh contraire!... Hanging is a very fast and painless death regardless of what you stated. Soon as the blood is stopped to the brain the person is unconscious and knows no more. Many have accomplished the act sitting on the floor with the noose tied to a door knob. ( As for hanging, it is a slow death if you don't break your neck in the process)

Edited December 7, 2014 by poweratradio

[poweratradio]

Poor guy, only 24 years old.... R.I.P.

Article says 30

[poweratradio]

....if that is all it takes to bribe a security guard......

...besides the fact that he did not seem to have been making his rounds....

...R.I.P.......another stranger in a strange land......

...like someone said......'lonely in a city full of people'......it says it all......

...if you are of no use to someone....or no longer of any use to someone....you are definitely alone.....it is a terrible feeling.......so far from home.....

....who knows what he gave...or what he lost..........or how.....to end up that way.....

The DEPRESSION following a run on Yaba can cause the user without any yaba to do many strange things including suicide or worse something to someone else thats unfriendly to say the least.

[poweratradio]

'Ghost Tower'?

Land owners are fracked, it'll never sell unless they allow foreigners to buy the land....

-

So a 24 year old man from Sweden comes all the way to Thailand, rents a room and after 2 or 3 weeks goes to some place most long term expats don't even know about to climb 40-odd flights of stairs to kill himself? In a place that a local goes to pay a bribe to get in for whatever reason, yet this 24 year old in Thailand for just a few weeks or less chooses to go there, gets in, and with just credit cards but no cash reported in his pockets....

Nevermind the inability for it to be reported and initially dealt with....

There's almost nothing about this story that isn't odd.

Poor guy.

30 years old Swede