'Debt-ridden' Austrian 53, found hanged in Phuket apartment parking lot

[Shermanator]

Those last lonely hours must have been so painfull. So very sad. I hope when life stops it just stops so all the pain and worry is gone.

Sorry for the pain his family will feel.

Sorry to disappoint you, minikev, but by experience (I went briefly to the other side and came back) I can tell you that when you pass over, you take a good portion, respectively everything you experienced in your life with you to the other side. In a "life review" you will live through everything that happened to you again and you will feel not only pain that was inflicted to you by others, but also the pain others felt when you were the cause. This said, Chris' dad will also feel the pain and agony his son is going through right now and after as well. There is no easy way out, suicide will not end the pain, it just increases the pain and hardship, especially for others, i.e. friends and family. Suicide is not an answer to any problem in life, really. I would advise anyone who thinks about killing himself, "DON'T DO IT!" You will repeat a similar life under similar circumstances until you've made it to the end. You simply can't fool god.

[LeungKen]

Off topic post removed

[amykat]

Utterly tragic.

Reading his note brings a lump to my throat. Heaven knows what kind of desperation he must have felt to subject himself to this painful and frightening 'solution'

It takes guts to do this. However bad his situation was, it is sad that the courage he needed to kill himself was not enough to go out and seek help instead,

One also wonders whether his debts will now become the responsibility of his next of kin, who might have otherwise baled him out before he decided to do this?

That would be doubly tragic.

RIP to this troubled soul, and condolences to all those he left behind.

It often takes way more courage to live than it does to kill oneself.

Herbal Ed,

This is one of those standard "sayings" about suicide that really say nothing other than you think you are superior. It didn't even take any original thought to come up with it. Are you one of those (many) people who cannot understand that we don't all have equal experiences in life, equal opportunities, equal health issues ...the same brains, the same hormones, the same anything???

Sad Herbal Ed ...can you tell me what herbs enhance people's empathy???

[amykat]

If I would have given up any time I was at about that same stage in my life, I would have been dead three times by now. Although I find this story very sad, especially for his son, I'll never get my head around the fact that people kill themselves about financial debts.

Shermanator ...this is just speculation from a newspaper (called that lightly ...a gossip rag written by ...??) You should assume that isn't the real reason ...that was maybe one complication in his life. And/or he very well could have had several $100 thousand dollars in the bank for his son.

How were you at the "same stage as him" in life? If you are talking about financial problems, being broke for a period, I think most adults have suffered this at some time also and it isn't a spectacular achievement that we didn't commit suicide!! If it was a standard answer to that problem, I guess we could say that about 1/3 of the world population would/should commit suicide because they area all totally broke other than getting enough calories per day to stay alive!@!

[gigman]

It was not only a debt pushing this fellow to end his life.

Always you will find other reasons where debt is just last straw and the final decision comes where you have no real friends to help you survive or give more chance to think .

I have some rights to have this opinion because I have experienced some very bad days which I nearly decided the same but also and last thing you want is to beg for help from your country where lately citizens in Australia are just more and more depressed by economic situation and government just does not care much anymore.

Family ...??? this is last thing you need.....

Remember , never ever one thing bring you to drastic decision.

Always is something else.....

First of all is loneliness which is the worst personal enemy......and you just waiting for some bad news about health ...then that's ii.

I know the feeling how to be alone ....really alone...

Debt is ..... just last straw.

Edited September 7, 2015 by gigman

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

I'm going to stop pitying people who commit suicide and start pitying those countless people who struggle everyday just to exist in this bitch. Like some once told me "Get to living or get to dying"

[starky]

I'm going to stop pitying people who commit suicide and start pitying those countless people who struggle everyday just to exist in this bitch. Like some once told me "Get to living or get to dying"

You hadn't just watched Shawshank by any chance had you

[PCA]

I'm going to stop pitying people who commit suicide and start pitying those countless people who struggle everyday just to exist in this bitch. Like some once told me "Get to living or get to dying"

the one who told you that has a serious nervous system disorder in common with yourself.

[mordicae schnable]

Being me and always suspicious I would have dusted the beer bottles for prints to see who else had handled them. Perhaps he was hung by a disgruntled person he owed money to.

he wrote a suicide note so your theory can be ruled out

[ALFREDO]

Another news site states this guy is Austrian,

For thais Austrian and Australian is same - even thai teachers tell that to students. We have also heard it on thai news ...

RIP whatever country

IMHO the note clearly shows English is the guy's first language = Australian

RIP

The -son- can be a Thai- Austrian mix, who speaks and reads better English and Thai then German. No?

Edited September 13, 2015 by ALFREDO

[ALFREDO]

Name Edhchfer Walter suggests Austrian rather than the previously reported Australian.

True, but "Edhchfer" is I believe lost in translation, that name is not right.

[Old Croc]

Name Edhchfer Walter suggests Austrian rather than the previously reported Australian.

True, but "Edhchfer" is I believe lost in translation, that name is not right.

It's been confirmed the guy was Austrian.

I don't know why the thread title hasn't been amended.

[NamKangMan]

Another news site states this guy is Austrian,

For thais Austrian and Australian is same - even thai teachers tell that to students. We have also heard it on thai news ...

RIP whatever country

IMHO the note clearly shows English is the guy's first language = Australian

RIP

The -son- can be a Thai- Austrian mix, who speaks and reads better English and Thai then German. No?

The son maybe can, but it's the deceased father who wrote the document.

Are you suggesting the father, that is, the deceased, was also "Thai-Austrian" and who can also "speak and read better English?"

I don't think so.

[NamKangMan]

Being me and always suspicious I would have dusted the beer bottles for prints to see who else had handled them. Perhaps he was hung by a disgruntled person he owed money to.

he wrote a suicide note so your theory can be ruled out

"he wrote a suicide note" - did he????

And you can prove that he wrote it - right????

Edited September 13, 2015 by NamKangMan

[ALFREDO]

For thais Austrian and Australian is same - even thai teachers tell that to students. We have also heard it on thai news ...

RIP whatever country

IMHO the note clearly shows English is the guy's first language = Australian

RIP

The -son- can be a Thai- Austrian mix, who speaks and reads better English and Thai then German. No?

The son maybe can, but it's the deceased father who wrote the document.

Are you suggesting the father, that is, the deceased, was also "Thai-Austrian" and who can also "speak and read better English?"

I don't think so.

The father wrote it possibly in English, as the son who the letter was addressed too, is more good in reading English than in German. Now clear?

I have 3 mixed boys and taught them no German - I am Austrian, speak only English with them and in school they learn now some English in writing too.

So, I would have to write that letter in English, if I want they can read him.

[ALFREDO]

Circumstances surrounding that tragic death seem to proof, I knew the man well.

Was a friendly bloke and long in the German speaking community established.

He was known in Patong as =Jailhouse Walter= as he had a Bar named =Jailhouse= near Soi Bangla

and parallel to the Soi Sansabai - today is the Jung Ceylon Complex there, in the late 90is and early new Millenium years.

The construction of the Jungceylon Shopping Complex, took the Bar place away from him and he never got really ground under his feet after that.

He had some smaller jobs and last he was a dive guide, instructor?

His Austrian-Thai mixed son, should be now around 16-18 years young. The relationship with the Thai mother of the boy failed after some years, he had at least two other longer time relationships after that.

We are the same age and we have, had the same problems, so I can understand his problematic situation.

He was with the boy at least once in Austria, so he should have some connections friends-family there.

Why he choose not to go back to Austria, but to commit suicide is maybe on his phone as a message to his son.

Last I met him in the Austrian K-Hotel Restaurant on Patong Rathutit Road 2-3 years ago, where he used to eat at that time regularly.

Edited September 19, 2015 by ALFREDO

[NamKangMan]

@ ALFREDO

I have read the post you made after this one I am replying to. You must remember, at the time of my post, I did not have the information you have supplied.

Never the less, I will reply.

Obvious questions for investigators should be:

Is the son "Austrian-Austrian" or "Austrain-Thai?"

Is the son living in Austria, or Thailand?

It may have been possible "someone" confused Austria, a non-English speaking nation, with Australia, an English speaking nation.

Now, you say you are "Austrian" and have an Italian TV username, and use the word, "bloke." Mmmm, could you be that "someone?"

Edited September 19, 2015 by NamKangMan

[ALFREDO]

@ ALFREDO

I have read the post you made after this one I am replying to. You must remember, at the time of my post, I did not have the information you have supplied.

Never the less, I will reply.

Obvious questions for investigators should be:

Is the son "Austrian-Austrian" or "Austrain-Thai?"

Is the son living in Austria, or Thailand?

It may have been possible "someone" confused Austria, a non-English speaking nation, with Australia, an English speaking nation.

Now, you say you are "Austrian" and have an Italian TV username, and use the word, "bloke." Mmmm, could you be that "someone?"

I have no idea what you mean!?

"Could I be that someone?" = Who confused Austria with Australia?

I can absolutely not follow your conclusions.

Just before I wrote my long mail about -Walter Edhofer- that is the real name of the man I know since 15+ years, I found out that that thaivisa thread is in reality about my very good acquaintance.

Yes, I am Austrian, my username = because my name, Alfred was not free anymore and bloke, I use because I am on an International forum.

All my conclusions before my long posting from 19.9. were based on common sense and experience as I have my own couple of Thai-Austrian children.

I never doubted that that the sorry man who committed suicide was Austrian as that was mentioned in the thread before and in other media.

[NamKangMan]

@ ALFREDO

I have read the post you made after this one I am replying to. You must remember, at the time of my post, I did not have the information you have supplied.

Never the less, I will reply.

Obvious questions for investigators should be:

Is the son "Austrian-Austrian" or "Austrain-Thai?"

Is the son living in Austria, or Thailand?

It may have been possible "someone" confused Austria, a non-English speaking nation, with Australia, an English speaking nation.

Now, you say you are "Austrian" and have an Italian TV username, and use the word, "bloke." Mmmm, could you be that "someone?"

I have no idea what you mean!?

"Could I be that someone?" = Who confused Austria with Australia?

I can absolutely not follow your conclusions.

Just before I wrote my long mail about -Walter Edhofer- that is the real name of the man I know since 15+ years, I found out that that thaivisa thread is in reality about my very good acquaintance.

Yes, I am Austrian, my username = because my name, Alfred was not free anymore and bloke, I use because I am on an International forum.

All my conclusions before my long posting from 19.9. were based on common sense and experience as I have my own couple of Thai-Austrian children.

I never doubted that that the sorry man who committed suicide was Austrian as that was mentioned in the thread before and in other media.

Well, it is tragic, and my condolences.

How old is the son?

[ALFREDO]

How old is the son?

The son was born in the late 90is or early new Millenium, so is now between 14 and 18 years young, I cannot say it definitely. Cannot remember.

My last information is just now, that the son was (temporary) monk when the suicide happened, can be that

Walter used that period alone in his rented appartement to commit the suicide.

He had debt with many people, acquaintances and friends.

That went on since long, he, as I remember asked me too already long time ago (3 years ago?) also for money, but I was at that time in no position to lend money to others, as I was short myself with finances.

I only surprised, that he did not try to go home to Austria and getting help in our social system.