Italian hotel owner, 46, found dead in Patong room

[rooster59]

Italian hotel owner, 46, found dead in Patong room

Darawan Naknakhon

PHUKET: Police and doctors have yet to pinpoint the cause of death of a 46-year-old Italian national who was found dead at a hotel he ran in Patong early this morning (April 24).

Pol Capt Ying Yong Chuaikit of Kathu Police responded to a call at about 7am from a small hotel on Phra Metta Pung Mueang Sai Kor Rd and reprted to the scene – room number 216 in a three-storey shophouse – accompanied by fellow investigators, Kusoldham rescue workers and Dr Suchada Vichutanon of Patong Hospital.

Inside the room, authorities found the body of a 46-year-old Italian national named as Nicola Russo [transliterated], who was reportedly found on the bed, wearing only boxers and in a “partially sitting, partially lying down” position.

Next to his body, there was a note written on a sheet of A4 paper, which authorities said was in Italian and English languages, but declined to elaborate further of the note's contents.

Authorities did not note any signs of a struggle or foul play, in the room or on the man's body, which was estimated to have been dead for no less than two hours and subsequently transported to Patong Hospital for further examination.

Police questioned a 15-year-old minor who was identified as an adopted daughter of the deceased, who reported last seeing the deceased at around 8.30pm on Friday (April 22), when she said Mr Russo had asked her to help him look after the hotel's service counter in his place so that he could go up to his room and rest.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/italian-hotel-owner-46-found-dead-in-patong-room-57158.php

-- Phuket News 2016-04-24

[laolover88]

"Cervical Surgery"?????

[bamukloy]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

[AlexRich]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

[thaiduncankk]

"Cervical Surgery"?????

Pertaining to the neck.

He could have had cervical spondylosis caused by an accident or injury.

[bamukloy]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

Granted, it was a bit of an assumption to hint that his demise had something to do with the business.

Being broke, depressed or mental illness possibly, but having said that, ones owning a business in Thailand could certainly bring on, or aggravate those conditions tenfold.

d

[AlexRich]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

Granted, it was a bit of an assumption to hint that his demise had something to do with the business.

Being broke, depressed or mental illness possibly, but having said that, ones owning a business in Thailand could certainly bring on, or aggravate those conditions tenfold.

d

I agree. Setting up a business normally involves investing a great deal of funds and partnering up with a local ... with all the risks that entails. It has just reminded me of a conversation that I overheard last year in a cafe in Chiang Mai Nimman area. An Australian guy (I think) was having an informal meeting with a couple of Thai lawyers about a fraud connected to a business he owned ... if I remember correctly he had been voted off the Board, and was no longer in control of the business. He had a loud voice so I couldn't help but overhear ... but for me, another lesson learned through someone else's experience.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

Granted, it was a bit of an assumption to hint that his demise had something to do with the business.

Being broke, depressed or mental illness possibly, but having said that, ones owning a business in Thailand could certainly bring on, or aggravate those conditions tenfold.

d

I agree. Setting up a business normally involves investing a great deal of funds and partnering up with a local ... with all the risks that entails. It has just reminded me of a conversation that I overheard last year in a cafe in Chiang Mai Nimman area. An Australian guy (I think) was having an informal meeting with a couple of Thai lawyers about a fraud connected to a business he owned ... if I remember correctly he had been voted off the Board, and was no longer in control of the business. He had a loud voice so I couldn't help but overhear ... but for me, another lesson learned through someone else's experience.

Easy to remedy if Corp. setup properly with unequal voting rights. A minority shareholder can have majority voting rights.

[lostinisaan]

Sad is that we'll never find out what the reason of his death was. In a country where I can get a contract killer for 25 K+ or less, shops that give me a fake bill over a purchase that I've never made and cops who change the police report in favor of the person who pays the most money.

Money is too important and the three Chinese monkeys come to mind.... .

[Jeremy50]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

Granted, it was a bit of an assumption to hint that his demise had something to do with the business.

Being broke, depressed or mental illness possibly, but having said that, ones owning a business in Thailand could certainly bring on, or aggravate those conditions tenfold.

d

I agree. Setting up a business normally involves investing a great deal of funds and partnering up with a local ... with all the risks that entails. It has just reminded me of a conversation that I overheard last year in a cafe in Chiang Mai Nimman area. An Australian guy (I think) was having an informal meeting with a couple of Thai lawyers about a fraud connected to a business he owned ... if I remember correctly he had been voted off the Board, and was no longer in control of the business. He had a loud voice so I couldn't help but overhear ... but for me, another lesson learned through someone else's experience.

The lesson remains constant - only invest in Thailand what you can afford to lose.

[mihalis]

RIP, they reply by some people make me laugh !

[SOTIRIOS]

....R.I.P. ....

[mesterm]

P.S. Just wondering who the new hotel owner will be?

[ghworker2010]

Sad is that we'll never find out what the reason of his death was. In a country where I can get a contract killer for 25 K+ or less, shops that give me a fake bill over a purchase that I've never made and cops who change the police report in favor of the person who pays the most money.

Money is too important and the three Chinese monkeys come to mind.... .

contract killer advice from mr lost in issan. Next he will be giving dental advice like a month or two ago. He has no idea what he is talking about.... ha

[uthaithanirules]

Sad is that we'll never find out what the reason of his death was. In a country where I can get a contract killer for 25 K+ or less, shops that give me a fake bill over a purchase that I've never made and cops who change the police report in favor of the person who pays the most money.

Money is too important and the three Chinese monkeys come to mind.... .

Yes

Although with this one does sound like there is a fair chance it was just about a medical condition

[joebrown]

ound

Sad is that we'll never find out what the reason of his death was. In a country where I can get a contract killer for 25 K+ or less, shops that give me a fake bill over a purchase that I've never made and cops who change the police report in favor of the person who pays the most money.

Money is too important and the three Chinese monkeys come to mind.... .

contract killer advice from mr lost in issan. Next he will be giving dental advice like a month or two ago. He has no idea what he is talking about.... ha

Sounds like you should get out more and stop smelling the roses in your garden.

'lostinisaan' isn't far off the mark with his 25k contract figure. When I lived up north central Thailand (not Isaan), my Thai g/f told me about 10 years ago the price was 20k. Factor in a bit of inflation and the member you are mistakenly ridiculing is talking more sense than you... ha

Edited April 25, 2016 by joebrown

[grumpyoldman]

Colonel Mustard, in the hotel room, with the candelabra, yeah, that's it !

Gotta love CSI Thaivisa

Even at 46 you can have underlying health issues (cardiac) that's why physicals are important and here they are relatively cheap. I just did a pretty good one at the International hospital for 4800thb. A friend of my father's at about the same age passed away from a brain aneurysm. Granted, that would be hard to detect in a physical but the circumstances were similar as he told someone he felt really tired, had a headache, went to bed, didn't wake up.

Anyway, RIP Mr. Russo.

[cyberfarang]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

When Farlangs do make investments in Thailand under Thai names they think they`re unseen that could end up being their downfall and beneficial to the Thai names if the Farlang conveniently dies under mysterious or unknown circumstances. Work it out for yourself.

[Kabula]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

[gandalf12]

Forgetting all the would be subterfuge written on these pages maybe Thailand should carry a government health warning as a lot seem to exit this world here. That is not necessarily any comment against Thailand but maybe is a statement about the people who believe Thailand is the land of gold and everything is done correctly.

Note: No country is paradise

[bamukloy]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

"For all the world to see" is a bit strong isnt it?

I would suggest only people that search out the topic and have a personal interest in Thailand will ever see these posts.

Last time i heard that old chestnut bandied around often was the Kho Tao case, and every person i talked to in my own country has never heard of it.

What you state as negativity, i would consider as being realistic.

If you know anything about the law here you will know that having property and business (legally) as a foreigner means having the deck stacked heavily against you (with good reason i might add)

What you failed to mention was that many of these business arrangements are simply illegal or obviously skirting around Thai laws.

"Owning a business without shareholders" is the subtle hint that you seemed to have missed.

The facts are ( and im talking in general, not neccesarily just in this case) most of these small enterprise type businesses run by foriegners are breaking several laws, the most trivial of which is working without a work permit, and just that can get you in the doo doo if someone has a beef against you.

In Thailand unfortunately, when others see you so obviously skirting around several laws, they consider you as fair game, as of course you have no recourse with the police or the law.

All the Thais i know pretty much have the same outlook i might add, not good for farang to have business here, so you are apologising for the already preached im afraid

[NamKangMan]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

An investigator of 25 years should know that, hypothetically, to go from a rice farm in Issan to the owner of a hotel in Patong is quite a big jump - therein lays, "motive."

The same can be said of property ownership, cash at bank, business ownership, and any other variety of valuable assets foreigners hold here.

I am not saying murder has occurred in this particular case, however, it would be an unwise investigator of 25 years that would believe ALL the so called "suicides" here are just that, "suicides." I have no doubt that some have got away with murder here.

In many cases, an individual falls in love in Thailand, or I should say, lust. He then sells up everything in his home country and moves to Thailand. Some take short cuts and place everything in the Thai girl's name, others try their best to do things properly. That said, for whatever reasons, in many cases a large part of their life savings ends up out of their own asset base, and into the Thai family's.

Eventually, when his money runs out, the girl leaves him, then, confronted by the reality that his relationship with solely based around his money, depression, and in many cases embarrassment, sets in, causing many here to suicide. Basically, they have lost their live savings to a Thai con artist.

So, whilst the Thai girl may not have fired the bullet, so to speak, she certainly loaded the gun.

Has she committed murder - no. Has she committed a crime - in general, no. However, has she created a set of circumstances that bought on the individual's financial loss, and depression - yes.

So, my point is, even as a genuine case of suicide, in many cases, a Thai girl has had a big role to play in it.

Edited April 25, 2016 by NamKangMan

[Jai Dee]

A potentially libelous post and replies have been removed from this thread.

In an updated report from the Phuket News, the woman's name has been removed for privacy reasons.

See updated report here.

[luckyman]

Sorry for the Italian, but once again i fear it is a case of a farang (maybe successfully) running a business in a country where there are so many poor jealous zenophobes.

For goodness sake, if you have money, then invest it in the west (or at least somewhere safe) and live UNDER the radar in Thailand.

The last one was a farang nightclub owner who jumped off a building in BKK.

Lost count of the number of real estate agents, guest house owners, bar owners and the like who have come to grips here.

RIP Poor guy, but seriously When will they learn?

I don't think there is enough information, at the moment, to tell if your theory is correct. But I do agree with the point that it is better to invest in a way that is unseen. I would never invest in a business in Thailand or have substantial assets here.

You both are being a bit paranoid here I believe, maybe stay of the TV forum for a while and look around using your own eyes and ears. People die, sometimes at a too early age, anywhere in the world. RIP Nicola.

Edited April 25, 2016 by luckyman

[abrahamzvi]

Sad is that we'll never find out what the reason of his death was. In a country where I can get a contract killer for 25 K+ or less, shops that give me a fake bill over a purchase that I've never made and cops who change the police report in favor of the person who pays the most money.

Money is too important and the three Chinese monkeys come to mind.... .

Just a very simple and to me logical question: If this country is such an awful place to live in as you describe, why are you living here??

There is no perfect place in this world, but even if I had a very limited choice, I wouldn't live in a country as bad as you describe. I do live here and with all its imperfections, I very much enjoy it.

[luckyman]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

An investigator of 25 years should know that, hypothetically, to go from a rice farm in Issan to the owner of a hotel in Patong is quite a big jump - therein lays, "motive."

The same can be said of property ownership, cash at bank, business ownership, and any other variety of valuable assets foreigners hold here.

I am not saying murder has occurred in this particular case, however, it would be an unwise investigator of 25 years that would believe ALL the so called "suicides" here are just that, "suicides." I have no doubt that some have got away with murder here.

In many cases, an individual falls in love in Thailand, or I should say, lust. He then sells up everything in his home country and moves to Thailand. Some take short cuts and place everything in the Thai girl's name, others try their best to do things properly. That said, for whatever reasons, in many cases a large part of their life savings ends up out of their own asset base, and into the Thai family's.

Eventually, when his money runs out, the girl leaves him, then, confronted by the reality that his relationship with solely based around his money, depression, and in many cases embarrassment, sets in, causing many here to suicide. Basically, they have lost their live savings to a Thai con artist.

So, whilst the Thai girl may not have fired the bullet, so to speak, she certainly loaded the gun.

Has she committed murder - no. Has she committed a crime - in general, no. However, has she created a set of circumstances that bought on the individual's financial loss, and depression - yes.

So, my point is, even as a genuine case of suicide, in many cases, a Thai girl has had a big role to play in it.

Maybe, but the biggest role must have been the victim's ignorance and stupidity, I believe. And that won't bring one's demise just in Thailand. These scenarios happen in Africa, South America in fact everywhere even in one's home country...

[luckyman]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

Nice 1, Kabula, 100% agreed.

Human nature at work, pfffff

[NamKangMan]

The negative written opinions for the world to see about Thailand based on a news report without knowledge of all the facts, especially the medical examiner's report is quite amusing and annoying. In fact a Thai citizen reading these comments could be offended. And we wonder why more tourists are getting beat downs?

Having been an Investigatir for 25 years and in the news from time to time myself on business related matters I discovered the following. Most news is written in a negative manner with some factual information omitted to create sensationalism for more Internet and television viewing. The higher the numbers the more profit. Especially, when negative comments pile on causing hate and discontent which contributes to more family suffering.

In prior cases, when the medical examiner determines the cause of death to be from natural causes all the trolls look pretty dumb, but the person they pointed to as a suspect has the burden to defend themselves for many years as the In many cases the wriiten Internet content gets captured by Google and is there forever. In most cases Google has refused to delete the opinions and misinformation garbage. Many of the alleged suspects worldwide have committed suicide over the comments. Many lives and businesses have suffered from thoughtless, uncaring individuals posting nonsense.

An investigator of 25 years should know that, hypothetically, to go from a rice farm in Issan to the owner of a hotel in Patong is quite a big jump - therein lays, "motive."

The same can be said of property ownership, cash at bank, business ownership, and any other variety of valuable assets foreigners hold here.

I am not saying murder has occurred in this particular case, however, it would be an unwise investigator of 25 years that would believe ALL the so called "suicides" here are just that, "suicides." I have no doubt that some have got away with murder here.

In many cases, an individual falls in love in Thailand, or I should say, lust. He then sells up everything in his home country and moves to Thailand. Some take short cuts and place everything in the Thai girl's name, others try their best to do things properly. That said, for whatever reasons, in many cases a large part of their life savings ends up out of their own asset base, and into the Thai family's.

Eventually, when his money runs out, the girl leaves him, then, confronted by the reality that his relationship with solely based around his money, depression, and in many cases embarrassment, sets in, causing many here to suicide. Basically, they have lost their live savings to a Thai con artist.

So, whilst the Thai girl may not have fired the bullet, so to speak, she certainly loaded the gun.

Has she committed murder - no. Has she committed a crime - in general, no. However, has she created a set of circumstances that bought on the individual's financial loss, and depression - yes.

So, my point is, even as a genuine case of suicide, in many cases, a Thai girl has had a big role to play in it.

Maybe, but the biggest role must have been the victim's ignorance and stupidity, I believe. And that won't bring one's demise just in Thailand. These scenarios happen in Africa, South America in fact everywhere even in one's home country...

I agree, however, in my opinion, the foreign ownership laws here exacerbate the situation, but as you say, the main blame lays with those who are "ignorant and stupid" to the fact that many before them have been fleeced, and the fact that "their girl might not be different."

[bamukloy]

Just for the record, my posts didnt accuse or imply that anything underhand happened here.

(although its hard to miss the not so subtle inferrence in the way the article was written).

My point was, the implications of having a business here opens you up to more problems than what its worth IMO.

[masvil]

46-year-old Italian national named as Nicola Russo [transliterated]

Correct name is Nicola Rauseo.

Edited April 25, 2016 by masvil