Police: Relatives do not doubt suicide theory of French tourist on Koh Tao

[webfact]

Relatives won't doubt French’s death in Koh Tao



SURAT THANI: -- Relatives of a French tourist who hanged himself did not doubt the nature of his death, Surat Thani police said.

Surat Thani police commander Pol Maj Gen Apichart Boonsriroj said the police were in touch with the French embassy after a French tourist, Dmitri Pofv, was found hanged in a rented Bungalow room in Koh Tao on January 1.

The embassy has said relatives did not doubt his death after they were explained of the investigation procedure of the Thai police and the autopsy result.

But the police commander said the relatives have not yet said whether they would fly in to take the body back for religious service, or want the embassy to send the body back home.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/relatives-wont-doubt-frenchs-death-koh-tao


-- Thai PBS 2015-01-08

[Costas2008]

Self deleted.........read properly before you answer......................

[balo]

I think it was a suicide, I remember similar cases , not from Thailand.

[JOC]

Sadly another case where gullible relatives believe the words of the RTP!!

[bapak]

How could anyone believe a statement from Surat Thani RTP?

[KamalaRider]

Because they have faith in and trust the police from their own country?

[slipperx]

Well I think that he died from hanging is probably quite likely. Not all people who die from hanging commit suicide though.

There should be more to an investigation than to see his hands are tied behind his back, his arms bound to his sides and he is suspended from the ceiling with a note close by and simply determine it was s suicide especially given what recently occurred on that very island.

A more thorough investigation would be useful given the circumstances.

[bapak]

As I understand, please correct me if I am wrong, this guy is alleged to have stood on a high railing or the like, and off to hang himself. Granted that there ways to tie hands in front and contort to move bound hands to the back.... but he was alleging drunk and would have found difficult to get on high railing with hands tied behind.

[borisloosebrain]

Misleading headline. No direct quote from the embassy or the relatives.

[Emster23]

Views of mis or uninformed relatives at great distance always trump opinions of criminologists. We all know that....

[EnglishJohn]

Why do we always find out what somebody else thinks from the mouths of Thai officials ?. And funnily enough, they always agree with what the person telling us would like us to believe.

And the media always seem to take it as gospel - with headlines such as this one. Are they as gullible as everyone else, or do they just know what is good for them ?.

Since watching closely for the last few years, I don't trust a single word from a Thai politician or policeman now. What an appalling testimony to a country.

[Alan653]

I think this is a "smoke and mirrors" article.

No statement from the french embassy,

nor the poor guy's relatives.

I don't believe a word of it.

[SOTIRIOS]

....hearsay and conjecture...

...who knows what was said...and what basis it has ......on what 'proof'....

...and what is the family supposed to say.....

...the headline suggests that the family might have expected him to commit suicide....

...people DO NOT go on holiday to commit suicide.....

[HooHaa]

and now we have morons on the interwebs telling the family what to think.

who are you to tell the family how to feel?

[Preman]

In the murder case a few months ago on that same island...... as I remember, an english guy departed that island quickly because he had a threat against him that he would be hanged and that it would look like a suicide.

Any of you remember that.

As I said in an earlier post, - statistically many balcony suicides and many hanging suicides in Thailand.

Are Thais so crazy to think that they can still call Thailand a safe place?

Sure many countries in this world that are unsafe, - but unless Thailand uplifts it's act soon, - its tourism will become less and less.

All it takes is a few websites to start telling people not to go there and give them safer alternatives.

Thailand! Wake Up!

[catweazle]

Exactly the outcome I predicted in another thread.

[luckyman]

If there are any Frenchmen here, then they could check the local french media and see if it's true...

[Tropicalevo]

Exactly the outcome I predicted in another thread.

An interesting footnote Catweazle.

"A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion. (Chinese Proverb) "

And please tell me, what is public opinion saying on this thread?

[ikbenhet]

It could be that he tried suicide a couple of times before in France.

It would make the statement of the family a lot more understandable.

[slipperylobster]

Once had a friend who, according to the police, shot himself with his own pistol. His wife had two stories...first she was in the house when it happened, and the next time she was asked, she was out for a medical appointment. Her "lover" was the son of a local drug lord. Last thing she told me was that he died in his computer room, while on his computer. I went to the house and asked where the computer was. She said that someone broke into the house and stole it.

My friend's father and mother flew in, and had the body cremated.....no autopsy. They assumed he committed suicide. When I asked why, they just shrugged and said, why even try? The damage was already done, so why go any further. It wasn't that they did not care, it was because they were helpless to prove it otherwise. How many cases actually get investigated further, after the family gives up?

[ChrisY1]

IMO, it seems that the RTP are on a PR excercise...as has been mentioned, nothing from the Franch Embassy or the deceased' relatives

[Harrykrabi]

Dmitri Pofv - French ? I doubt that

[InsertUserName]

Something has been lost in translation in this case...

[Tredz]

If there are any Frenchmen here, then they could check the local french media and see if it's true...

absolutly nothing in the french media !!!!!!!!!!!! it seems nobody's care !!

RIP Dimitry !

[annabel]

Self deleted.........read properly before you answer......................

Won't Doubt in the tittle and then Green light .... "Relatives Do Not Doubt Suicide Theory "

... Pfffffffffffff!!!

[tamarak]

Dmitri Pofv - French ? I doubt that

If there are any Frenchmen here, then they could check the local french media and see if it's true...

absolutly nothing in the french media !!!!!!!!!!!! it seems nobody's care !!

RIP Dimitry !

This is very sadly true :,((((((

His name was Dimitri Povse and he was a great, vibrant and erudite guy ! He was born in France, from French parents (with foreign roots, which explains his name) and he grew up here, in a small town. Then he traveled through a lot of countries. He was an adventurer with a big heart. He was not anymore a tourist at Koh Tao, he was working there as a dive instructor. His friends are aware of his death, but there is no news on the local french media, especially after the attempt against Charlie Hebdo and the death of 12 persons.

:,(((((((((

[Tropicalevo]

This is very sadly true :,((((((

His name was Dimitri Povse and he was a great, vibrant and erudite guy ! He was born in France, from French parents (with foreign roots, which explains his name) and he grew up here, in a small town. Then he traveled through a lot of countries. He was an adventurer with a big heart. He was not anymore a tourist at Koh Tao, he was working there as a dive instructor. His friends are aware of his death, but there is no news on the local french media, especially after the attempt against Charlie Hebdo and the death of 12 persons.

:,(((((((((

Sorry for the loss of your friend. Condolences to the family. RIP

[cookee68]

That's just what the RTP have said, I have not seen anything that the relatives have said, and lets be fair, the TRP have an habit of speaking on other peoples behalf

[tamarak]

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This is very sadly true :,((((((

His name was Dimitri Povse and he was a great, vibrant and erudite guy ! He was born in France, from French parents (with foreign roots, which explains his name) and he grew up here, in a small town. Then he traveled through a lot of countries. He was an adventurer with a big heart. He was not anymore a tourist at Koh Tao, he was working there as a dive instructor. His friends are aware of his death, but there is no news on the local french media, especially after the attempt against Charlie Hebdo and the death of 12 persons.

:,(((((((((

Sorry for the loss of your friend. Condolences to the family. RIP

Thank you

That's just what the RTP have said, I have not seen anything that the relatives have said, and lets be fair, the TRP have an habit of speaking on other peoples behalf

I believe the family is just shocked. They learned that their young and vibrant son is dead and moreover in such a way, on the other side of the world. They are probably just broken apart !
Unfortunately, I had not seen him since few years. But I honestly do not see him as someone who would have killed himself. And most of all, not for a girl. This is my personal belief.

The Thai authorities may have interpreted the silence of the relatives as they were not doubting of the suicide thesis. If this is the case, this is just not fair ! Their silence comes most likely from their pain.

[bunuel]

Misleading headline. No direct quote from the embassy or the relatives.

Agree completely! Professional journalism 101 would dictate checking with

French embassy or the family to confirm this assertion by the Surut Thani RTP

BEFORE publishing it. And since the Thai authorities have a very irritating

habit of putting self-serving statements in foreign mouths, all the more reason

to double check.

The fact is, we have no idea what the French Embassy or the family thinks

until we get a first hand statement from them or their representatives.

Until then, this is self-serving hear say, period.