Police Unpersuaded by Fallen Abbot’s ‘Suicide Note’
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


Wat Saket, aka The Golden Mount, in a 2012 file photo. Photo: Jason Eppink / Flickr

BANGKOK — Police say they will continue investigating the death of the former abbot of Bangkok’s Golden Mount Temple, despite the discovery of what his relatives insist to be the monk’s suicide note.

Phra Phromsuthi, who was found hanged in his monk residence on Jan. 25 at Wat Saket, has been the subject of an inquiry by Royal Thai Police investigators seeking to determine whether his death was indeed a suicide.

Although Phra Phromsuthi’s family believes the monk committed suicide and gave to police a note he purportedly wrote, investigators are still working the case because of the former abbot’s “notable” history, as Bangkok police commander Songpol Wattanachai put it.

“He was a high-ranking monk, and there are many notable issues,” Maj. Gen. Songpol said Tuesday.

Songpol was referring to a 2013 investigation launched into Phra Phromsuthi, then temple abbot, by the Office of Auditor-General for allegedly misusing 64 million baht in state funds. The monk was later cleared of wrongdoing but was removed from his position as abbot as a result.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1454413809&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2016-02-03

Yet the French man who wrote his suicide note in English on KT while hanging with the hands tied behind his back didn't get questioned at all.

Strange.

Many embarrassing and awkward situations has been resolved and ended with the sudden death

in jail or ' suicides ' of the questionable people.... problem solved....

Yet the French man who wrote his suicide note in English on KT while hanging with the hands tied behind his back didn't get questioned at all.

Strange.

Funny... Every foreigners suicide is accepted even it physically impossible. Remember David Carradine aka Kung-<deleted> death ruled as self asphyxiation by Thai police even though it was impossible to do the way he was bound. I'm sure there are more thais who committed suicide then the government wants to admit. It is the ultimate saving of face.

Edited February 3, 201610 yr by Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere

Yet the French man who wrote his suicide note in English on KT while hanging with the hands tied behind his back didn't get questioned at all.

Strange.

Why would a French man not write his suicide not in English. If i kill myself i would write it in English too given that people here understand English more as Dutch.

i made a post about this subject on a different occasion i dont think the police are really interested in the monks death as such i think they want to shake the tree find out how much money can be recovered from the 64 million baht that was supposedly misused .

i made a post about this subject on a different occasion i dont think the police are really interested in the monks death as such i think they want to shake the tree find out how much money can be recovered from the 64 million baht that was supposedly misused .

Yet the French man who wrote his suicide note in English on KT while hanging with the hands tied behind his back didn't get questioned at all.

Strange.

Why would a French man not write his suicide not in English. If i kill myself i would write it in English too given that people here understand English more as Dutch.

A suicide note would be an intimate thing, i would think, aimed perhaps at family and friends, as much as any one else, and with the nuances of language being capable of being lost in translation, it would seem to me that writing in your native tongue would be more natural, as it would be easier to properly express your thoughts and feelings.

So IMHO... Writing a note such as this, in a second ( or even third) language, is suspicious, if nothing else

As an example, and with due respect, I would refer directly to your own post above, were you kind of botch your posting with poor punctuation and wording (please excuse me here, as my intent is not to critise, but to point out that using a second language is easily left open to confusing the issue for those left behind)

And.... It would probably give investigators a better chance at doing handwriting comparisons to confirm the true author, especially in cases were the man was found with his hands tied behind his back.

Edited February 3, 201610 yr by farcanell

Yet the French man who wrote his suicide note in English on KT while hanging with the hands tied behind his back didn't get questioned at all.

Strange.

Why would a French man not write his suicide not in English. If i kill myself i would write it in English too given that people here understand English more as Dutch.

A suicide note would be an intimate thing, i would think, aimed perhaps at family and friends, as much as any one else, and with the nuances of language being capable of being lost in translation, it would seem to me that writing in your native tongue would be more natural, as it would be easier to properly express your thoughts and feelings.

So IMHO... Writing a note such as this, in a second ( or even third) language, is suspicious, if nothing else

And.... It would probably give investigators a better chance at doing handwriting comparisons to confirm the true author, especially in cases were the suicidee (?) is found with his hands tied behind his back.

That is your view.. i would write one in English to make sure they are not looking for a murder.

You also don't know how good the Frenchmen was in English, for me it would not matter to write in Dutch or English.

As for the hands behind the back, i have read that has been done before too.. to make sure survival reflexes don't take over and spoil the decision.

All the proof is just circumstantial and as we were not there we are just speculating.

Yet the French man who wrote his suicide note in English on KT while hanging with the hands tied behind his back didn't get questioned at all.

Strange.

Why would a French man not write his suicide not in English. If i kill myself i would write it in English too given that people here understand English more as Dutch.

A suicide note would be an intimate thing, i would think, aimed perhaps at family and friends, as much as any one else, and with the nuances of language being capable of being lost in translation, it would seem to me that writing in your native tongue would be more natural, as it would be easier to properly express your thoughts and feelings.

So IMHO... Writing a note such as this, in a second ( or even third) language, is suspicious, if nothing else

And.... It would probably give investigators a better chance at doing handwriting comparisons to confirm the true author, especially in cases were the suicidee (?) is found with his hands tied behind his back.

That is your view.. i would write one in English to make sure they are not looking for a murder.

You also don't know how good the Frenchmen was in English, for me it would not matter to write in Dutch or English.

As for the hands behind the back, i have read that has been done before too.. to make sure survival reflexes don't take over and spoil the decision.

All the proof is just circumstantial and as we were not there we are just speculating.

Quite true... But it seems to me that most TV posters are actually speculating, which is OK, because in so doing , we are questioning, and as I was always taught, the unasked question is the stupid question

But please do read my edited origional post, as it further attempts to explain my point of view, by adding an extra paragraph

...Apparently....as often is the case.....'a lot more to the story'.....and 'dead men cannot talk'.......

...even in T.V. shows they always ask: 'Who had to gain from his 'removal'?' ....

...and yes...this applies to EVERY John Doe that has 'committed suicide'.....

...people have been killed for 'a fistful of dollars'....or....'a bottle of booze'.....or....'because you looked at them'.....

...in this case...the stakes were much higher...

...'no sign of a struggle' seems an inadequate response...

.....every death warrants investigation....otherwise.....are we even human.....???

Why do i not read that the Thai police have not required the service of a penmen expert. Compare samples of his writing style on suicide note to other writing samples that they have from him. They are expert in this matter but why that no one of the great Thai police force mentions this. Hire a expert and 20 minutes later they will tell you if it was his hand writing! Case closed Watson!

About time for the thai police to get up to the best suicide note real writer or not. Make his relative give hand writing samples along the the monks who have the most to gain!

Edited February 3, 201610 yr by Nobb

Yet the French man who wrote his suicide note in English on KT while hanging with the hands tied behind his back didn't get questioned at all.

Strange.

Police were not able to question him as he was dead.

Use the finite approach. TRACK THE MONEY !

i made a post about this subject on a different occasion i dont think the police are really interested in the monks death as such i think they want to shake the tree find out how much money can be recovered from the 64 million baht that was supposedly misused .

I would guess that the Saffron Mafia has already "tidied up" any loose ends .....

You guys never disappoint, predictable to the last.