Bangkok:- A Canadian tourist died when he fell from the 15th floor of a hotel in Bangkok’s Rajdamri area Wednesday morning.

Pol Col Decha Promsuwan, chief investigator of Lumpini police station, said the Canadian apparently committed suicide. He was identified by documents in his hotel room as William Calas James.

Staffs of the well-known hotel, which is located on Soi Mahatlek Luang 1, told police that the tourist fell down at about 9 am. He was staying on the 15th floor.

His body was found in blue t-shirt and grey shorts. His body was sent to the Police Hospital’s Forensic Medicine Institute, pending contact by his relatives.

Jumping from a building seems to be a common means of commuting suicide among male foreigners.

On January 24, Thomas Edward, 70, an American who was a principal of an international school in Bangkok, jumped from the rooftop of an 8-floor condominium on Soi Sukhumwit 71. He had been living in Thailand for 15 years. He left a suicide note, saying he had health problem.

On November 5 2014, a 52-year-old American, Douglas Rex Reinhart, jumped to his death from the 27 floor’s balcony of the View Thalay 6 condominium in Pattaya. He left a suicide note, saying he had run out of money and his passport had also expired. He said he did not want to leave Pattaya.

On March 18, 2014, a 58-year-old American, Nigel Greg, jumped from his room on the 29th floor of Sathorn Garden condominium to the tennis lawn on the sixth floor and was killed.

It's that time of month again.

RIP

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

What a dumb remark, and you've never been there. Where you're from - any Western country is better than making a jump. The guy, if he jumped, had other serious problems. Let's show some respect for the man.

RIP and condolences to friends and family.

So they public ally release his name and send the body to the hospital whilst they wait to contact family. What the, why not contact the family 1st and get permission to release his details. I wouldn't be happy if I read about a loved one in the media before I was informed. Totally insensitive.

I have noticed that every hotel I have stayed in has a lower railing than most. I have leaned against them and am above the tipping point..... Men's mass is above the waist where women have their mass located lower. Probably help to add another rail....

a lot of people suffer from depression and there is not much help in Thailand. also a lot of suicides are very questionable

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

What an inane ridiculous comment from an admitted member of the uninformed !

Coming to the conclusion based on what?

The standard 'my friend told me' or 'I saw it on TV'.

Scary to say the least!

I have noticed that every hotel I have stayed in has a lower railing than most. I have leaned against them and am above the tipping point..... Men's mass is above the waist where women have their mass located lower. Probably help to add another rail....

Exactly! Low railings are the norm in Thailand so when foul play is not suspected, you can most likely blame low railings. When will these builders get a clue. It also makes foul play easier when a simple push will cause a certain plunge.

Depression is a sure killer. Especially if you're a long way from home. High rise buildings would be a good place to get it.

When the realities hit home and you're stuck in a box, way above the glittering facades of pay for cheap sex, and the promise of relationships that don't happen.

The black dog is quietly padding the hallways of condos looking for victims.

Some of us would be better devoting our lives to helping others when we think we're beyond help ourselves.

There is always an angle for the dangle.

Depression is a sure killer. Especially if you're a long way from home. High rise buildings would be a good place to get it.

When the realities hit home and you're stuck in a box, way above the glittering facades of pay for cheap sex, and the promise of relationships that don't happen.

The black dog is quietly padding the hallways of condos looking for victims.

Some of us would be better devoting our lives to helping others when we think we're beyond help ourselves.

There is always an angle for the dangle.

"The black dog is quietly padding the hallways of condos looking for victims"...

Sad but nicely put and if bitten then....Talk to somebody ...don't suffer......can happen to anyone...anytime......

Agree about the height of railing on balconies but what to do... cadge in every condo...put bars on the windows....lock roof accesses with steel doors....?

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

Ah never been there so you're the expert. Brilliant deduction, Holmes.

I feel really sad for the guy. The OP says he left a note and he had health problems. He was only 70. I can see certain health problems that I wouldn't want to live through so I can't judge the guy. Maybe he felt all alone in the world and I don't know if he could afford to go back to his home country. I just don't know what happened.

Canada is a great country and Canadians are some of the nicest people I run across. Canada had help for him. I wish I could have talked to him on that day to see if something could have been done.

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

North America has some wonderful places, the main reason people don't want to go back from here is basically the same reason people from other countries don't want to go back and that could include a variety of personal reasons, but I doubt if any of them are about their country more about the 'extras' they can get here and don't want to lose/leave them.

The odds are with all the people who fall from buildings in Thailand that one or more of them was murder and yet I've never heard one incident where it was proved to be murder. People can be made to write suicide notes under duress and yet the police in this country never seem to be bothered to investigate. As long as there is even a hint it's a suicide then that's how they write it up, CASE CLOSED!

I have noticed that every hotel I have stayed in has a lower railing than most. I have leaned against them and am above the tipping point..... Men's mass is above the waist where women have their mass located lower. Probably help to add another rail....

Exactly! Low railings are the norm in Thailand so when foul play is not suspected, you can most likely blame low railings. When will these builders get a clue. It also makes foul play easier when a simple push will cause a certain plunge.

I have stayed in quite a few hotels in BBK and found quite a few have the door to the balcony perminantly looked which is a good thing. Also the builders just follow the plans from the architect to the hight of the rail

So they public ally release his name and send the body to the hospital whilst they wait to contact family. What the, why not contact the family 1st and get permission to release his details. I wouldn't be happy if I read about a loved one in the media before I was informed. Totally insensitive.

But at least they are sensitive enough to not to release the name of the hotel??? TIT

The odds are with all the people who fall from buildings in Thailand that one or more of them was murder and yet I've never heard one incident where it was proved to be murder. People can be made to write suicide notes under duress and yet the police in this country never seem to be bothered to investigate. As long as there is even a hint it's a suicide then that's how they write it up, CASE CLOSED!

The balconies here are much lower than they are in the west and many farangs are taller so this puts the height of the railing below our center of balance thus making it very easy to fall. I am sure some of these are in fact suicides but many are accidents and many may be assisted as well.

I feel really sad for the guy. The OP says he left a note and he had health problems. He was only 70. I can see certain health problems that I wouldn't want to live through so I can't judge the guy. Maybe he felt all alone in the world and I don't know if he could afford to go back to his home country. I just don't know what happened.

Canada is a great country and Canadians are some of the nicest people I run across. Canada had help for him. I wish I could have talked to him on that day to see if something could have been done.

Never sure....

The World needs more people like you... Compassionate....

Suicide with no thoughts about killing someone below.

It's not that I am sayng people do not jump from balconies to commit suicide here is LOS, it is simply that the law jumps to conclusions so quickly, and with very little apparent effort, priot to labeling these events a suicide... whilst elsewhere they can successfully track down four men from witnesses testimony and CCTV footage who beat a dog to death in the rural parts of town more than five (5) months after the fact.

My skepticism remains fast.

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

What a dumb remark, and you've never been there. Where you're from - any Western country is better than making a jump. The guy, if he jumped, had other serious problems. Let's show some respect for the man.

RIP and condolences to friends and family.

thanks for that confirmation. yes from reading here i knew that already: north america gives guys serious (mental) problems. confirmation noted

Not again!

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

Go get some prof help - you really need it mate ....

north america horrible place no one wants to go back to there. i never been there either, just reading between the line. sure aint going either. cant even sell the passport.

you are what in the west is called a "tard" , little or no education & no abaility to improve. yep thats you :-)

this jealousy of yours springs from your mental problems, no?

thats enough. find your own solutions. outta here.

The article implies suicide is an unusual occurrence. Even in the UK where many effective support systems are in place for people with depression and chronic or terminal illness, suicides still account for just under 2% of all male deaths in the UK, with the rate much higher amongst lower age groups. This dwarfs the murder rate. Add in the fact here, many westerners cannot access mental health services or hospices, if they even exist and the figures are not surprising at all.

Would be an idea to have a support group for ex-pats in Bangkok. If there isn't one already.

The lack of hospices and access to painkillers strong enough to dull the agony of a terminal illness could explain why some unfortunate people end their lives so tragically.

It's a lesson for Westerners to always keep enough money handy for a one-way air ticket back to their home country where a serious medical condition WILL be taken care of, even if the patient has burned family bridges and is regarded as a charity case.

wow, seems the ambulance & rescue guy's have had a busy couple of months.

TV Editor,

Was this error tongue in cheek:- "Jumping from a building seems to be a common means of commuting suicide among male foreigners."

Wh.en you jump do you commit or commute?