66-year-old Australian resident in Chiang Mai found dead

[Thaivisa News]

Chiang Mai:- A 66-year-old Australian man who has been staying alone in Chiang Mai for almost two years was found dead inside his room Wednesday, police said.

Pol Lt Withoon Ruachaitecha, an investigator of Muang Chiang Mai police station, said his station was informed of the death of Boeck Hans at 1 pm.

Withoon, rescue officials from a local foundation and forensic medicine officials of the Chiang Mai Hospital rushed to the boarding house in Tambon Haiya after to check the scene.

They found Hans’s body lying in the toilet room with no clothes on. The heater of the shower was turned on. He was lying face down with his head placed on the toilet room’s floor near the toilet.

Officials checked the room and found some diabetes medicine and anti-platelet medicine in the room. They did not find any trace of fighting and there was no sign of his belongings had been searched through.

Withoon said Hans was staying alone in the room No 314 on the third floor.

The owner of the building told police that a worker was sent to knock Hans’s door at 10 am to collect the rent. The worker did not hear any reply but he heard the TV sound.

When staffs used the spare key to open the room, they found Hans was lying face down so they informed police of the incident.

The building owner said Hans had been staying at the room for almost two years. He had never taken friends or relatives to his room. The man shopped for foods nearby and spent most of his time using Internet in his room.

Police believed Hans accidentally fell when he was about to take shower and his head hit the toilet and was killed. He died about two days before his body was found.

His body was sent to be kept at the Chiang Mai Hospital pending contact by relatives.

[SantiSuk]

Too young to have tat kind of demise. Sad RIP

[retell]

Rip Hans condolences to your family and friends

[stat088]

RIP. I wonder who got his watch. The worker or the Policeman.

[kennalder]

RIP. I wonder who got his watch. The worker or the Policeman.

That kind of comment is really not necessary.

I wonder how many people die on slippery tiles in wet bathrooms. Not a smart combination.

RIP indeed.

[Just1Voice]

RIP. I wonder who got his watch. The worker or the Policeman.

Totally crass and completely uncalled for comment. But, it does show the kind of person you are.

[HeijoshinCool]

The man ... spent most of his time using Internet in his room.

Anyone noticeably absent from TV the last few days?

[worgeordie]

Death by slipping on the bathroom floor,seems to be right up there with falling off balcony's,RIP such a sad lonely death

regards Worgeordie

[EyesWideOpen]

RIP. I wonder who got his watch. The worker or the Policeman.

Totally crass and completely uncalled for comment. But, it does show the kind of person you are.

A bit crass but with an element of truth. Do some research on the bodies pulled from

the Santika pub fire in Bangkok, where parents complained the gold from their children

had been stripped off somewhere along the way to the hospital.

But there is conjecture as well. How does stat088 know the guy had a watch ? Thought

people stopped wearing them.....

[sawati]

Rest in peace...

[kaorop]

Falls in bathrooms are quite possible.

It seems, he only bought one hobby with him

Chok Dee Boeck

[RKASA]

"diabetes medicine and anti-platelet medicine in the room" more likely he just passed out from a stroke or low blood sugar - I know of several people that died in the bath room that way. It is where they head to when they start to feel bad and it catches up to them. Thinking a shower or washing up will make them feel better. When an attack is on set people just often head for the john then fall and get hurt when they fall pry to their illnesses. Living alone has its own hazards at that age if you have medical conditions.

RIP

[Torrens54]

Wonder with that name, if perhaps he was from AUSTRIA and not AUSTRALIA?

Could very well have been from Australia but .... well you know how mistakes can be made!

RIP Hans, wherever you came from.

[WhamBam]

Death by slipping on the bathroom floor,seems to be right up there with falling off balcony's,RIP such a sad lonely death

regards Worgeordie

That's something that occurred to me too - living alone, you slip or have an accident. Cannot call for help and....

Sad way to go.

[Thai Travel Bug]

I was recently cooking up a storm in my kitchen, inadvertently splashed some oil onto the floor tile, and after a couple of ales, slipped and took one almighty spill, slamming my head onto the tiled floor. It was then I realised just how easy this kind of thing can happen, and let me tell you, i didn't land on my knees first, it was feet straight out from under me, and a direct head fall on to tiles. A couple of minutes later and an egg sized lump formed on my forehead near the right temple. I was lucky, but it could have turned out much differently. I also live alone, so if it had of been more serious, I too wouldn't be found for a couple of days. Here one minute, and gone the next....No one knows when or how it will happen, so try to have the best day you can everyday!

[MrBrad]

Death by slipping on the bathroom floor,seems to be right up there with falling off balcony's,RIP such a sad lonely death

regards Worgeordie

That's something that occurred to me too - living alone, you slip or have an accident. Cannot call for help and....

Sad way to go.

On the time or two that I have felt a bit unsure of my condition because of some strange dizziness or something, I make sure that I have my phone close by me when I'm in the bathroom, exactly for situations such as reported in this thread.

I'm not all that old, yet I do live alone. One never knows how quickly a mishap or the onset of an illness can put oneself in desperate and deadly circumstances.

[ChrisY1]

Sad way to go for this, presumably, lonely man.......hope he has some relatives that claim him.

[lucifer666]

Done this myself in my earlier days over here. These slippery showers and a few beers are not a good combination. I woke up the next morning looking like i had fought ten rounds with Tyson, and lost. RIP fella

Edited March 5, 2015 by lucifer666

[godden]

Are non-slip tiles prohibitively expensive in Thailand?

[bruceybonus]

Are non-slip tiles prohibitively expensive in Thailand?

Thais use the cheapest materials they can find

[Centrum]

Wonder with that name, if perhaps he was from AUSTRIA and not AUSTRALIA?

Could very well have been from Australia but .... well you know how mistakes can be made!

RIP Hans, wherever you came from.

Of course it must be Austria. Everyone in Australia is called Bruce, aren't they?

[Daniel Ingalls]

After reading this story, we all should heed this: When at the age of 66 or higher, and living alone. It would to be dressed up like an American

football player with helmet on. This will insure you a protected fall with no sustained injuries. RIP.

[Daniel Ingalls]

Wonder with that name, if perhaps he was from AUSTRIA and not AUSTRALIA?

Could very well have been from Australia but .... well you know how mistakes can be made!

RIP Hans, wherever you came from.

Of course it must be Austria. Everyone in Australia is called Bruce, aren't they?

Not in America in the South we are all called "Bubba"

[tharae]

Wonder with that name, if perhaps he was from AUSTRIA and not AUSTRALIA?

Could very well have been from Australia but .... well you know how mistakes can be made!

RIP Hans, wherever you came from.

Of course it must be Austria. Everyone in Australia is called Bruce, aren't they?

Yes everyone is called Bruce. The current PM is Bruce Abbott and the previous PM was Bruce Rudd, And of course who could forget Bruce Gillard.

[Godders]

Might be worth checking the shower. Electrocution from faulty equipment is pretty common here.

[HooHaa]

RIP. I wonder who got his watch. The worker or the Policeman.

what a complete twunt you are.

truly pathetic.

[Jim walker]

R.I.P Boeck Hans and sincere condolences to his family and friends he was obviously a very private person if he spent all day in his room and at 66 I suppose we have done everything we are going to do and ticked off most of our personal bucket list and time to settle down and wait for our turn to come round to pass away but 66 and taken early via an accident not so good.

[bheard]

Death by slipping on the bathroom floor,seems to be right up there with falling off balcony's,RIP such a sad lonely death

regards Worgeordie

Not so, that combination of slippery tiles and soap and water is a real problem situation. And on the way down the head is likely to bang some pretty hard obstacles, especially in Thailand where the toilet at least is usually close. In my shower I have an anti slip mat (suckers on the bottom surface) to help me in just that situation.

[BB24]

Very sad - RIP.

Same thing happenned to a sad lonely old man who lived in the flat next door to us many years ago (I found him as we hadn't seem him for weeks).

And years later same thing happened to another who lived in a house opposite my work office (police/ambulance showed up one day).

All they did all day was drink eat TV/Internet - never any visitors - didn't want to talk - rarely left their home - very sad to see, and this brings back sad memories.

Take care all you single blokes out there - dont let yourself get old and lonely - am trying my best myself (much cheaper/safer here than when I was back home)

Some of them may be bitches, but get yourself one and find out - you cant live with 'em, but you also cant live without 'em

[Barin]

RIP. I wonder who got his watch. The worker or the Policeman.

That kind of comment is really not necessary.

I wonder how many people die on slippery tiles in wet bathrooms. Not a smart combination.

RIP indeed.

A note to self: always remember about slippery floor while taking a shower in your bathroom.