Brit found dead in Chiang Mai hotel with plastic bag over his head, inquest hears

[smotherb]

"Robert Harris, who was living in London at the time of his death..." Is there a "Hotel Chiang Mai" in London? Does anyone proof read this stuff? Think I know the answer already...

I realize adding logical reference to reading is difficult for some, but it appears the author believes a tourist does not live in his tourist destination, he still lives in his home place; Bristol, I believe.

[smotherb]

Joke all you like until it happens to you. Some shameful people troll these forums.

Pot kettle black. its beyond evil wishing this death on someone else . Should I die for my comment?

Joking is how I deal with grief..Its just the way I roll. Happen to me? unlikely I have an upscale condo in Bangkok and no money worries so nah. How bout you?

Oh, I wasn't aware that suicide is caused by scale of condo, I thought it was a manifestation of mental illness, you learn something everyday.

Suicide does not have to be the result of mental illness; a rational person with a terminal disease or an insufficient quality of life may choose to die rather than continue suffering and wasting whatever assets may be left to loved ones.

[mesterm]

RIP good sir - who knows what demons plagued you.

Perhaps a Thai gf.

I wondered how long it would take!

Same to you!

[KamalaRider]

Suicide or one of those weird Tory Party-style sex things

Nah mate, just wait for all the idiot knowalls why will state categorically that the cops did it, or girlfriend.

It's a recommended in many books as a surefire method of suicide along with sleeping pills, if not disturbed.

If people do the research instead of making crass comments, they will see.

Very sad but I guess he was suffering in one way or another and it is (was) his life and his decision.

Nothing to do with anyone else.

Why not ask a coroner first before uttering such nonsense. Taking pills and then holding a plastic bag around your neck and squeezing it until death. BS, I have a relative who seriously tried to kill himself by drowning himself, he failed, why?, because of the human natural reflexes of the body want to stay alive. THERE'S NO THING AS committing suicide when you have a choice to stop it. Sure, swallow a number of sleeping pills, throw yourself from a balcony, stab yourself in the heart by direct hit to it, but most suicides are still a silent cry for help. They don't want to die. That's it. They want someone to care and in minimum cases, they really want to die. Are so many of you so really out of touch with human reflexes and care? Edited June 2, 2016 by KamalaRider

[ozyjon]

It's been a bit thin on the suicide front lately.

[F4UCorsair]

Using a plastic bag to commit suicide is common and effective. The bag was not tied tightly around his neck as has been suggested, giving suspicion to him having been a victim of foul play. It doesn't need to be tight to restrict the availability of oxygen.

It's a natural reaction to want to stay alive, and when carbon dioxide is being breathed, that instinct kicks in, BUT.....as I read it, he was all but comatose from the effects of alcohol, therefore quite incapable of reacting.

Looks like a simple case of suicide, but I've never been into conspiracy theories.

As for why he'd travel to Thailand to kill himself?? I don't know either, but the availability of cheap women and booze before checking out may be a reason?

[steven100]

Best room in hotel is $14. Nothing to take from this guy, suicide for sure..possibly when he saw the room

Big spender. The Hotel will likely be keeping the key deposit as the room probably wasn't paid up to date.

[Keesters]

Oh, I wasn't aware that suicide is caused by scale of condo, I thought it was a manifestation of mental illness, you learn something everyday.

You conveniently missed the bit about no money worries. I would go as far as to say that the vast majority of suicides are money related. Look at this poor guy, died in what amounts to a a 1 star room. Now go do some research and see how many suicides happen at Hilton hotels and how many happen in shitty 1 star motel rooms ?

Its always about the money or consequences arising from the lack of it like the mrs leaving ..

lets us know how you get on

http://business.time.com/2012/11/08/why-suicides-are-more-common-in-richer-neighborhoods/

A new paper from the San Francisco Federal Reserve shows that, all else being equal, suicide risks are higher in wealthier neighborhoods, a morbid demonstration of the folly of trying to “keep up with the Joneses.”

The rich or well-off are NOT immune from suicide.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/11/top-10-rich-people-who-committed-suicide-2826080.html

Top 10 Rich People Who Committed Suicide

[anto]

Not easy to commit suicide with a plastic bag, I would suggest he was helped. As for the room being locked from the inside if it's like most rooms you only need to press in the button on the lock and close the door (Hey presto locked from the inside) then post the Do Not Disturb sign.

Prey tell how you put the do not disturb sign up after locking the door ? David coperfield has nothing on you .

[akentryan]

Original post of this in the reference article was May 24. If all this happened back in November why is it just now making the news? What am I missing here with the dates?

[sahibji]

what a sorry end.

is it karma or brought upon himself by some wrong moves.

in any case RIP

[pieeyed]

If he was living at the time of his death in London he would not be dead in Thailand. R.I.P

[thaiduncankk]

You book into a Chiang Mai guest house for 19 days with the intention of committing suicide? So one would think if it was suicide then it was triggered by something that happened while he was there. There were two empty vodka bottles in the room but they could have been consumed over a period of days so that doesn't say much. Everything was neat and tidy in the room as if he was in a calm state of mind. Why didn't he leave a suicide note?

I am not making any assumptions, I will leave that to the theorists. Without knowing more about him everything is speculation. RIP

Not making any assumptions ?

I must have read it wrong !

[D3030]

Joke all you like until it happens to you. Some shameful people troll these forums.

Doubt I'd commit suicide...

[luckyman]

Don't the newspapers love a headline like that?

Might very well be sm-sex game gone wrong...

[jacko45k]

Joke all you like until it happens to you. Some shameful people troll these forums.

Aha, so you think it was murder too!!!

[LUSHGOAT]

We will never know for sure what happened but if he did commit suicide its sad the poor man could only see this way out. R.I.P and condolences to his family and friends

[gemguy]

Now that is a new twist.

If you did try to commit suicide using a plastic bag over your head there is hardly a chance you would succeed .

Guaranteed you would panic and remove the bag when you are near suffocation.

If someone murdered you that way there would be very little chance of success unless the victims hands were securely fastened and bound from behind so the victim could not easily remove the plastic bag while securing and binding the victims feet would be somewhat necessary also.

That would entail the victim being drugged or being held down by a very strong person or several people and forcefully bound and tied up so the plastic bag could be put over the head and sealed enough that suffocation occurs after about 1 minute to 2 minutes and then remove the means of binding the persons hand and feet in an attempt to make it look like suicide.

Or forcefully held until suffocation occurs but normally that would entail at least 2 people or 3 people to very forcefully hold the person down or forcefully held in a manner allowing the plastic bag to be secured over a persons head and closed or sealed off in a manner enough to created the conditions of suffocation.

Sex games gone wrong is a possibility....possibly.

In the police investigation ( that will not happen ) they should be looking for any tell tale marks on the victims wrists and ankles confirming he was bound and secured or they should be looking for knock out drugs in his blood.

Suicide in that manner can be ruled out 99.9999 %

Anyhow, the death will not be investigated by the Thai police..... but we can hypothesize.

Cheers

Edited June 4, 2016 by gemguy

[daoyai]

Read a few posts saying it is not possible to exit your movie using the plastic bag method, well my good friend did it and this is the standard procedure. The suicider takes enough valium or other sleep inducing narcotic to fall into a deep sleep, but befor passing out they put a bag over their head with an open bottom so they can breathe, the opening has a cord tied to a wrist and the person keeps their arm elevated or propped up, when they pass out the arm drops, pulling the cord and thus the bag closes around the neck. end of story.

[Buffaloooooo]

Maybe it was just a drunken spur of the moment thing

[marcusd]

RIP Mr Harris

One thing strikes me as odd

was last seen on November 23....entry was forced on November 26

A post mortem examination could not establish the cause of death due to the decomposed state of the body

Are 3 days really long enough that cause of death cannot be established?

Well if a weapon is not involved I would imagine so.

Suffocation would cause discolouring of the skin but three days decomposition will do that too.

I'm guessing (I hope) that they submitted tissue samples for toxicology.

Chicog!!! you have been here long enough to answer your own questions. STOP trolling ...LOL. THAILAND getting tissue samples? Police investigating? You know all crimes are SOLVED here very fast too.

[mikiea]

RIP

[Chicog]

Chicog!!! you have been here long enough to answer your own questions. STOP trolling ...LOL. THAILAND getting tissue samples? Police investigating? You know all crimes are SOLVED here very fast too.

I missed it in the OP:

Toxicology reports revealed traces of the antihistamine drug diphenhydramine in Mr Harris's blood although not enough to have caused any type of overdose.

Since a narrative verdict was recorded, the coroner did not find it to be a suicide.

[scubascuba3]

Read a few posts saying it is not possible to exit your movie using the plastic bag method, well my good friend did it and this is the standard procedure. The suicider takes enough valium or other sleep inducing narcotic to fall into a deep sleep, but befor passing out they put a bag over their head with an open bottom so they can breathe, the opening has a cord tied to a wrist and the person keeps their arm elevated or propped up, when they pass out the arm drops, pulling the cord and thus the bag closes around the neck. end of story.

I assume if it was a nitrogen exit bag there would be additional evidence? Pretty miserable way to go. People should be allowed to go somewhere for a humane suicide.

[daoyai]

Read a few posts saying it is not possible to exit your movie using the plastic bag method, well my good friend did it and this is the standard procedure. The suicider takes enough valium or other sleep inducing narcotic to fall into a deep sleep, but befor passing out they put a bag over their head with an open bottom so they can breathe, the opening has a cord tied to a wrist and the person keeps their arm elevated or propped up, when they pass out the arm drops, pulling the cord and thus the bag closes around the neck. end of story.

I assume if it was a nitrogen exit bag there would be additional evidence? Pretty miserable way to go. People should be allowed to go somewhere for a humane suicide.

My understanding is that nitrogen is so painless, to the point of it being euphoric, people die happy. Rapture of the deep, as well as high altitude euphoria experienced by pilots,. Co2 is painful.

[jobin]

Did i read that this unfortunate chap had a Thai gf? He came to visit her, got dumped (whatever), he decides life is shit without this woman, and bags it. After the 3 bottles of vodka.

Rest in peace.

[CharlieH]

off topic/nonsense removed.

[Acharn]

Joke all you like until it happens to you. Some shameful people troll these forums.

I would have chosen the adjective "shameless," but I'm American. We don't know from English.

[jobin]

Nitrogen? Hmm. Gotta wonder about helium balloons as termination facilitators.

[MyFrenU]

I believe in the UK the majority of male deaths under 45 years old are suicides sadly,as in the biggest killer of men under that age.The problem is that Thailand has such previous form for cover-ups and suspicious deaths,particularly of foreigners that no-one believes it anymore when suicide is mentioned unfortunately,even if it is genuinely the case!