German man dies in apparent suicide

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok:- A 43-year-old German resident in Bangkok was found dead at his Lard Prao house Wednesday afternoon after he told his Thai wife to go to a temple to make merit on Makha Bucha Day.

The wife, Kanyakorn Huadbamrung, 21, told police that she returned home from a temple to find Helmut Alfred Breidenaged had already killed himself by covering his head with a plastic bed and lying down on his bed. She said her husband was under tension after he had financial difficulty.

Pol Lt Chol Yingmaenwad, an investigator of Chokechai police station, was alerted of the death at 5:30 pm. He rushed to the scene with scientific crime detection officials, a forensic doctor from the Police Hospital and Portektueng Foundation rescuers.

They found Breidenaged lying inside a bedroom on the second floor of a 3-storey townhouse on Soi Lad Prao 71 in Lad Prao district. He was wearing a t-shirt in saffron color with black strips and black trousers.

His head was covered with a black plastic bag that was tied around his neck with adhesive tape.

Police did not find any trace of fighting or theft. A note in handwriting was found in front of the dressing mirror, saying: “Som, I love you and the kids. You are the best in my life. I am sorry. Joe”.

The wife told police that she has been living with the German man for four years. She has two children from the old marriage and he took good care of them as well.

She said Breidenaged has broken up with his first Thai wife whom he also had a child. He has also been paying supporting allowance to his child and his first Thai wife.

Kanyakorn said her husband was a computer programmer and had a firm with friends in Germany. But recently, he complained that the firm had financial difficulty. She said he gave his last Bt200 in cash to her to make merit at the temple.

[bkkjames]

Sad. Not really news is it. More like posting something, anything at anyone's expense.

[Briggsy]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

[ratcatcher]

As the above poster says, a sad story, played out frequently here in the LOS.

[zaphod reborn]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

Sorry, this has not been my experience. Many Thai women have asked me for money to make merit. Poor guy. Probably gave up his last Euros to her. It can be hard to tell them "no".

Edited March 5, 2015 by zaphod reborn

[Briggsy]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

Sorry, this has not been my experience. Many Thai women have asked me for money to make merit. Poor guy. Probably gave up his last Euros to her. It can be hard to tell them "no".

Your experiences surprise me. They are contrary to mine. Gifts of cash then used to make merit make no merit for the recipient of the gift. Even the least educated of Thais know this and adhere to it.

[Costas2008]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

Sorry, this has not been my experience. Many Thai women have asked me for money to make merit. Poor guy. Probably gave up his last Euros to her. It can be hard to tell them "no".

Your experiences surprise me. They are contrary to mine. Gifts of cash then used to make merit make no merit for the recipient of the gift. Even the least educated of Thais know this and adhere to it.

Just tell me this.

Where is the Thai wife going to find the money to make merit if she hasn't got any income?

Must be from the husband as money don't grow on trees.

[hanno]

It seems that in Thailand, and Thailand only, people do not commit suicide; there is always foul play involved

[BKKSnowBird]

The wife is 21, divorced with two kids, but they had been together for 4 years?

[bruceybonus]

Can't believe nobody has commented on how he committed suicide!! What does "covering his head with a plastic bed and lying down on his bed" mean <deleted>??

[HooHaa]

The wife is 21, divorced with two kids, but they had been together for 4 years?

and the guys name was alfred, but signed the suicide note "Joe".

Does my head in, i can only imagine how he felt.

[winstonc]

either really bad reporting or im missing something in this...???

[apetley]

The wife is 21, divorced with two kids, but they had been together for 4 years?

It happens. One of our neighbours in the village has a young daughter. Two kids and two husbands by the time she was sixteen.

[Sviss Geez]

Can't believe nobody has commented on how he committed suicide!! What does "covering his head with a plastic bed and lying down on his bed" mean <deleted>??

Can't believe that you criticised an obvious typo then ended with a profanity.

[Pimay1]

The wife is 21, divorced with two kids, but they had been together for 4 years?

and the guys name was alfred, but signed the suicide note "Joe".

Does my head in, i can only imagine how he felt.

Hopefully an autopsy will be done on Alfred, I mean Joe with cause of death determined.

[Lupatria]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

Sorry, this has not been my experience. Many Thai women have asked me for money to make merit. Poor guy. Probably gave up his last Euros to her. It can be hard to tell them "no".

Your experiences surprise me. They are contrary to mine. Gifts of cash then used to make merit make no merit for the recipient of the gift. Even the least educated of Thais know this and adhere to it.

Just tell me this.

Where is the Thai wife going to find the money to make merit if she hasn't got any income?

Must be from the husband as money don't grow on trees.

It does - in Greece.

[Briggsy]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

Sorry, this has not been my experience. Many Thai women have asked me for money to make merit. Poor guy. Probably gave up his last Euros to her. It can be hard to tell them "no".

Your experiences surprise me. They are contrary to mine. Gifts of cash then used to make merit make no merit for the recipient of the gift. Even the least educated of Thais know this and adhere to it.

Just tell me this.

Where is the Thai wife going to find the money to make merit if she hasn't got any income?

Must be from the husband as money don't grow on trees.

You need to read the story. The claim is that the husband gave her 200 Baht and told her to go and make merit.

In order to make merit, the money should be hers (if need be out of her monthly allowance) and not gifted to her to make merit.

You need to learn more about this, Costas, seriously.

Back on topic, this is a very odd story and follows in a very long line of implausible suicide conclusions by the Thai police.

[BKKSnowBird]

I also don't think you can kill yourself with a bag alone. You would also need something to knock yourself out.

[soalbundy]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

Sorry, this has not been my experience. Many Thai women have asked me for money to make merit. Poor guy. Probably gave up his last Euros to her. It can be hard to tell them "no".

Your experiences surprise me. They are contrary to mine. Gifts of cash then used to make merit make no merit for the recipient of the gift. Even the least educated of Thais know this and adhere to it.

In Isaan they will take anything,even a cheque.

[soalbundy]

The wife is 21, divorced with two kids, but they had been together for 4 years?

and the guys name was alfred, but signed the suicide note "Joe".

Does my head in, i can only imagine how he felt.

Maybe Joe is the name of the new boyfriend,he wrote the note and mistakenly signed with his own name, but more likely is that joe was his nickname as Alfred is a bit difficult foe Thai's to pronounce.

[ourmanflint]

Another f8cked up story purporting to be suicide. It is impossible to purpsely suffocate yourself with a bag and sticky tape, even if you tried you would be thrashing about the room while you tried to breathe. Another murder covered up as suicide.

[shaurene]

The wife is 21, divorced with two kids, but they had been together for 4 years?

Obviously she married quite young, they been married 4 yrs so she was 17 when she married him not counting any time they were courting. Very sad he only young man really.

[uptheos]

I also don't think you can kill yourself with a bag alone. You would also need something to knock yourself out.

Absolutely correct or panic would set in and you'd rip the bag off.

It's all in the amount of drugs, size of the bag, timing and a guarantee no-one will come back.

Most plastic bag suicides have a rehearsal, with the bag fastening technique.

Often a rehearsal with sleeping drugs takes place too (no plastic bag of course)

[thedude82]

Signed Joe...his name was Alfred Helmut...who the hell kills themselves with a plastic bag duct taped around your neck? This story doesnt add up. Either its the absolute PISS poor thai journalism or the lady is lying through her crooked teeth.

[Baerboxer]

I also don't think you can kill yourself with a bag alone. You would also need something to knock yourself out.

You could - quite easily. That's why in most countries plastic bags now must have holes and some danger warnings too. Many children playing with discarded plastic bags got them on their heads and suffocated by accident.

However, the natural reaction when suffocating is to grab the bag and pull it off or rip it to let air inside. An adult has more success at this than a child. Those committing suicide in this way would look to restrain their hands in some way to prevent this.

[lust]

RIP. Sad story.

[uptheos]

I also don't think you can kill yourself with a bag alone. You would also need something to knock yourself out.

You could - quite easily. That's why in most countries plastic bags now must have holes and some danger warnings too. Many children playing with discarded plastic bags got them on their heads and suffocated by accident.

However, the natural reaction when suffocating is to grab the bag and pull it off or rip it to let air inside. An adult has more success at this than a child. Those committing suicide in this way would look to restrain their hands in some way to prevent this.

Sounds like you've seen The Life of David Gayle.

[emilymat]

The story seems odd to me. What I don't understand is that he's a young man (by my standards) and a computer programmer.

Surely, whilst you might be down on your luck at times, at that age and with a very much sought after trade, why would you top yourself?. Weird and sad.

[Johnny S]

Another suicide that was probably not a suicide but with an ignorant policeforce anything goes ...

[timendres]

No Thai woman would accept money as a gift to make merit. No merit is gained this way. Something is not right with this story.

Sorry, this has not been my experience. Many Thai women have asked me for money to make merit. Poor guy. Probably gave up his last Euros to her. It can be hard to tell them "no".

Your experiences surprise me. They are contrary to mine. Gifts of cash then used to make merit make no merit for the recipient of the gift. Even the least educated of Thais know this and adhere to it.

They were husband and wife. It was "their" money. You cannot seriously suggest that no Thai wife has ever made merit with baht handed to her by her husband.