Elderly German woman, 71, dies in rented Phuket home, thought to have fallen off ladder

Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: Police do not suspect foul play in the death of an elderly woman who was found this morning by her brother on the floor of a home she rented in Thalang.

Police Major Nattaya Suphanpong of Thalang Police Station was alerted at 12.15pm today of a death of a foreigner at a rented house in the Moo 10 locale of Thalang's Thepkrasattri sub district.

Arriving to the scene police met a German man who identified himself as Mr Helmut Hein, 69, who led them inside to the body of a woman he identified as his sister, named as Ms Helga Irmgard.

On the floor of a cooridor, Ms Irmgard's corpse was clothed in red pajamas and blue flipflops, lying on its back next to a stainless steel ladder with a light fixture hanging out from the ceiling above.

Police proceeded to inspect the house and did not find any signs of a struggle or any missing valuables.

"It appears that she had broken her neck, after falling off the ladder while trying to change or check the light fixture," said Pol Maj Nattaya, who suspects the body had been deceased for no less than 2 hours.

Nonetheless, "The body has been transported to Thalang hospital for a post mortem examination," she added.

According to the woman's brother, who lives in a house nearby, Ms Irmgard had been renting the house for more than a year at a rate of B19,000 per month.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/elderly-german-woman-71-dies-in-rented-phuket-home-thought-to-have-fallen-off-ladder-54094.php

-- Phuket News 2015-09-13

Sad...

Sad...

She was 71 and hopefully had a fulfilling life behind her.

We all have to go.

Closing the chapter with an unexpected death within seconds is not so bad I think

If it's true what the(Thai) police say ...

Difficult to beleive that a 71 yr old lady will be climbing a ladder to check on a ceiling light. All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call for such matters.

At her age, she was a much better home repair person than I am (10 years younger). I stay off of ladders because of my joints (ankles, knees and hips). Changing light bulbs with ladders is for the more limber people. Perhaps she was not plagued with joint pain, and stiff knees.

This is something that a young person can do better. I have my wife hop on a table or chair...while I hold it. She is twenty years younger and climbs like a monkey.

Sorry for her, and the brother that found her.

Sorry for her... memo to myself ..... stop clambering up ladders at my age. I suppose we oldies just want to think we can still function as per our youth ... how stupid we are.

A solid wood step ladder would be the only way to go.

The aluminum ladders I've seen on offer here are ripe for falls.

Wood only..

19 thousand a month for a that dog box in moo 10. Boy oh boy was she being ripped off.

Did the brother owe her any money?

19 thousand a month for a that dog box in moo 10. Boy oh boy was she being ripped off.

Did the brother owe her any money?

"Did the brother owe her any money?" - was the brother named in her will????

Sorry for her... memo to myself ..... stop clambering up ladders at my age. I suppose we oldies just want to think we can still function as per our youth ... how stupid we are.

Just be sure to not "clamber" up a ladder when the Thai missus is around.

You never know when "LIK" can be "converted" to cash in the bank.

Of course, it will be a tragic "accident."

....19.000 a month and she had to be maintaining her light fixtures too..

.....the owner should be held accountable in some way....

Difficult to beleive that a 71 yr old lady will be climbing a ladder to check on a ceiling light. All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call for such matters.

My mother, (81) has a 4 step ladder in her kitchen that she uses regularly to access the upper

shelves of cupboards. As she is 5 feet tall she can only access the lower shelf in a kitchen

cupboard. Every time I visit and see this it sends shivers up my spine. I just can't get her to stop.

She keeps the most used/needed stuff low down and in reach but not everything. As for

changing a light bulb in the ceiling, I think she would know better and call for help.

71 is not old, RIP

Difficult to beleive that a 71 yr old lady will be climbing a ladder to check on a ceiling light. All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call for such matters.

Some ppl still believe they can do tasks that appear to be simple like in years past. A neighbour here in his 70's had a heart attack shovelling snow last year. Some ppl just don't want to come to the conclusion that they should not be doing certain tasks.

Difficult to beleive that a 71 yr old lady will be climbing a ladder to check on a ceiling light. All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call for such matters.

Some ppl still believe they can do tasks that appear to be simple like in years past. A neighbour here in his 70's had a heart attack shovelling snow last year. Some ppl just don't want to come to the conclusion that they should not be doing certain tasks.

Increasingly the elderly will have to care for themselves. The majority of Americans have less than 100K in retirement savings. They won't have the money to hire handymen.

Difficult to beleive that a 71 yr old lady will be climbing a ladder to check on a ceiling light. All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call for such matters.

"All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call..."

Do they really, all buildings in Thailand? More bizarre nonsense from daft conspiracy theorists.

19 thousand a month for a that dog box in moo 10. Boy oh boy was she being ripped off.

Did the brother owe her any money?

Idiotic remarks.

Difficult to beleive that a 71 yr old lady will be climbing a ladder to check on a ceiling light. All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call for such matters.

Quite normal for a German woman bold enough to go live in Thailand.

Difficult to believe that a 71 yr old lady will be climbing a ladder to check on a ceiling light. All buildings in thailand have a handyman on call for such matters.

Nothing unusual at all. I am 71 and I still do things like that, plus using a petrol strimmer for 1 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week, doing all the plumbing work, riding a motorbike, driving the pickup truck.

Do you believe taht there is a magic age when we elder people just stop working and vegetate?

We do what we feel comfortable in doing and we are old enough to know when to stop doing some things but still carry on with others.