Police probe of Belgian’s death on Koh Tao finds guru left Thailand

[webfact]

Police probe of Belgian’s death on Koh Tao finds guru left Thailand
By THE NATION

 

 

SURAT THANI: -- Surat Thani police have visited a house on Phangan Island off Surat Thani province where Sathya Sai Baba guru Raaman Andreas reportedly stayed. The visit comes after police last week reopened the investigation into the death of a Belgian tourist on Koh Tao in April.

 

However, two foreigners at the house informed police that Andreas had left Thailand for India about two months ago and would be travelling to Sri Lanka.

 

They said they did not have any information about when Andreas would return to Thailand, a police source said, adding police would check with immigration officials to learn about his entrance and departure dates.

 

Police have focused their investigation on frequent visits by Elise Dallemange, 30, to Andreas’s community, which provides a yoga and tantra retreat for people seeking a tranquil island haven. 

 

However, they have expressed doubts about whether the Sathya Sai Baba sect was involved in the Belgian’s death.

 

Her mother, Michele van Egten, told foreign media that she did not believe that her daughter committed suicide, as Thai police initially announced, and suggested that they might have tried to cover up the real cause of death. 

 

The fact that Dallemange’s body was found on Koh Tao has drawn a great deal of attention as the island became notorious after the brutal murders of two British backpackers in 2014.

 

Police reopened the Dallemange case by sending a special team to Koh Tao to collect evidence again in order to address the allegations made by van Egten. 

 

In relation to the 2014 case, police were heavily criticised for their handling of the murders and the arrest of two Myanmar workers, who now face the death penalty, with many people expressing doubts whether they were the real killers. 

 

Meanwhile, police are also seeking van Egten’s cooperation through the Belgian Embassy in Bangkok with a request for her to send back a laptop for police to analyse for possible clues that could help their investigation.

 

The laptop was among Dallemange’s belongings found with the body and returned to her mother. 

 

Meanwhile, deputy police spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen said the forensic report confirmed that Dallemange had died of asphyxiation and no trace of a struggle was found, which seemed to confirm police’s conclusion that she took her own life.

 

He said police had already interviewed about 10 witnesses.

 

When the body was found in April, her relatives did not express any doubts about the police’s conclusion, the spokesman said, adding that she had reportedly attempted suicide previously.

 

He did not identify the relatives but earlier reports indicated that Dallemange’s parents came to Thailand to identify the body.

He also denied earlier reports the body had been partly devoured by animals before it was found.

 

Police are waiting for information from Noppawong Police Station officers regarding reports that Dallemange had previously tried to run in front of a moving train in Noppawong district in Bangkok. Information is being sought from Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry where she was sent after train police and bystanders reportedly stopped her from committing suicide.

 

Police wanted to know who picked her up when she was discharged from the Institute, the same source said, adding they would also trace Dallemange’s movements on Koh Tao before her death.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30319802

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-04

[Samui Bodoh]

This story can be summed up as;

 

"Police are investigating everything diligently, but we don't expect any of investigations to succeed."

 

What a mess.

[darksidedog]

21 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

This story can be summed up as;

 

"Police are investigating everything diligently, but we don't expect any of investigations to succeed."

 

What a mess.

I think you need to change the word diligently for incompetently, and then you have it pretty right. Total embarrassment. Sending the lap top home, then asking for it back. Deciding to interview someone who should have been questioned straight away, but now has been gone for 2 months. Conflicting reports as to the state of the body. Everything that has come out about this and other investigations on Koh Tao, says the police either don't have the first clue how to actually run an investigation, or that they don't have the first clue how to properly run a cover up.

[canuckamuck]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

I think you need to change the word diligently for incompetently, and then you have it pretty right. Total embarrassment. Sending the lap top home, then asking for it back. Deciding to interview someone who should have been questioned straight away, but now has been gone for 2 months. Conflicting reports as to the state of the body. Everything that has come out about this and other investigations on Koh Tao, says the police either don't have the first clue how to actually run an investigation, or that they don't have the first clue how to properly run a cover up.

The police there do their job perfectly, most people are just confused about what their job really is though. To protect and serve, certain people.

[rkidlad]

In these big cases where foreigners are involved, they should only have one 'professional' speaking about the case. Too many stories that are contradicting themselves and of course people get confused. 

 

It's really not that hard to say "We don't know yet. We are investigating and we will give information out as soon as we know and it can be verified". Only one problem there - someone having to say "We don't know". 

 

What's the old proverb? 'It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out loud and remove all doubt". There may be many cases where there's nothing suspicious at all, but the police can't help themselves and have to say something that contradicts another top dog. Then there's confusion. Last time I checked - 'confusing' the public was a serious crime here in Thailand. 

Edited July 4, 2017 by rkidlad

[williamgeorgeallen]

38 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

In these big cases where foreigners are involved, they should only have one 'professional' speaking about the case. Too many stories that are contradicting themselves and of course people get confused. 

 

It's really not that hard to say "We don't know yet. We are investigating and we will give information out as soon as we know and it can be verified". Only one problem there - someone having to say "We don't know". 

 

What's the old proverb? 'It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out loud and remove all doubt". There may be many cases where there's nothing suspicious at all, but the police can't help themselves and have to say something that contradicts another top dog. Then there's confusion. Last time I checked - 'confusing' the public was a serious crime here in Thailand. 

well i doubt thai visa would exist if all of us fools kept our mouths shut. 

[Stargeezr]

I have never trusted Gurus and wonder what kind of people they really are, the one in the picture

could be an axe murderer.

Geezer

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

they have expressed doubts about whether the Sathya Sai Baba sect was involved in the Belgian’s death

Police investigations should focus on evidence and not beliefs and that's all there is to support "doubts."

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the forensic report confirmed that Dallemange had died of asphyxiation

But no autopsy was done that would confirm a visual forensic examination.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Police wanted to know who picked her up when she was discharged from the Institute, the same source said, adding they would also trace Dallemange’s movements on Koh Tao before her death.

Important events to investigating her death never determined.

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

she had reportedly attempted suicide previously.

Never confirmed by police during its "investigation."

 

Just a series of omissions for a professional and responsible police investigation. One might as well as PM Prayut whether her death was suicide or murder.

[eeyang wah]

Oh good idea let's check with immigration, why didn't we think of that before? It's not as if they're just another department of the police or anything is it.

 

Oh look at that he's left the country, what a surprise. Really wish he'd stuck around so we can frame him. Ah well maybe next time we'll keep quiet instead of revealing every step of our "investigation" to the media so that all suspects are pre-warned.

 

You just couldn't make it up. 

 

 

[toofarnorth]

1 hour ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I have never trusted Gurus and wonder what kind of people they really are, the one in the picture

could be an axe murderer.

Geezer

I'm with you there Geezer , like the monks here some are good some a bit iffy .  How someone becomes a guru I don't know but growing your hair and beard long , sitting crossed legged , arms outstretched , fingers pointing skywards and repeating " I am a tree "  does very little for me.

[Lamar]

In India? In Sri Lanka? It was also written that he was in Germany ... It must not be so difficult to locate him, by his plane ticket when he left the kingdom, or thanks to the interview he gave to the press a day or two ago (IP adress!). 

 

The police seem to really focus a lot on him: we see his photo everywhere, as yesterday at the Channel 3 News.

 

There are apparently not many elements against him, except for the troubling coincidence that he left Koh Pha Ngan the same day as Elise Dallemagne ... Apparently there is no testimony nor CCTV record that he would have been present on Koh Tao at the time of the death of the young woman. The police can easily check with the Emigration Department if he left the country BEFORE or AFTER the death of Elise!

 

The announcements describe the members of this ashram as "weird cult" ... But can we be right sure that it is really more "weird" than certain practices of what some call "Thai Buddhism"? On the professional profile of the young woman on Linkedin she displays skills in aromatherapy, naturopathy and phytotherapy; The practice of yoga and an internship in an ashram is in logical continuity with her centers of interest and professional skills.

The interest in these practices and disciplines, a little bit "New Age", tinged with "Oriental philosophies", is something quite widespread, which flourished during the "Beatles era". This is not a priori something gloomy or a mortal threat...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pumpjack]

cops want her laptop back now ?  after giving it to the family with her body ,  why to hell didnt they keep it and screen it first within hours of the " murder " 

 

 

what a bunch of wan***s  !!! 

[sweatalot]

2 hours ago, eeyang wah said:

Oh good idea let's check with immigration, why didn't we think of that before? It's not as if they're just another department of the police or anything is it.

 

Oh look at that he's left the country, what a surprise. Really wish he'd stuck around so we can frame him. Ah well maybe next time we'll keep quiet instead of revealing every step of our "investigation" to the media so that all suspects are pre-warned.

 

You just couldn't make it up. 

 

 

they mean:

we'll keep quiet instead of revealing every step of our "investigation" to the media so that all scapegoats are pre-warned.

[DiscoDan]

I don't think the Guru murdered her, looks like there is no short supply of young attractive women who are willing to worship him.

 

He did say he did not spend much time with her giving an excuse of having to sort his visa out,  maybe it was because of rejection that she took her life.

[sweatalot]

7 minutes ago, DiscoDan said:

I don't think the Guru murdered her, looks like there is no short supply of young attractive women who are willing to worship him.

 

He did say he did not spend much time with her giving an excuse of having to sort his visa out,  maybe it was because of rejection that she took her life.

It is not clear that she took her life. Could well be murder

[petermik]

bluster,bluster and more bluster...............its only a foreigner when all said and done,just let the story die a death so the police can go back to collecting traffic fines

[Juan B Tong]

I am more than a little surprised that this Guru bullship is still going on.  

 

[dunroaming]

Well if I were Mr Andreas  I would give Thailand a wide birth until the police have stitched someone else up, which they will almost certainly do now that there is international coverage.

[sawadee1947]

Hahahahaha, what they expected????? That he would stay the whole next month to wait for the police interrogation? Now as it is ....it's much easier to go for a suicide. No witnesses at all, not even potential ones....

[joebrown]

6 hours ago, Lamar said:

In India? In Sri Lanka? It was also written that he was in Germany ... It must not be so difficult to locate him, by his plane ticket when he left the kingdom, or thanks to the interview he gave to the press a day or two ago (IP adress!). 

 

The police seem to really focus a lot on him: we see his photo everywhere, as yesterday at the Channel 3 News.

 

There are apparently not many elements against him, except for the troubling coincidence that he left Koh Pha Ngan the same day as Elise Dallemagne ... Apparently there is no testimony nor CCTV record that he would have been present on Koh Tao at the time of the death of the young woman. The police can easily check with the Emigration Department if he left the country BEFORE or AFTER the death of Elise!

 

The announcements describe the members of this ashram as "weird cult" ... But can we be right sure that it is really more "weird" than certain practices of what some call "Thai Buddhism"? On the professional profile of the young woman on Linkedin she displays skills in aromatherapy, naturopathy and phytotherapy; The practice of yoga and an internship in an ashram is in logical continuity with her centers of interest and professional skills.

The interest in these practices and disciplines, a little bit "New Age", tinged with "Oriental philosophies", is something quite widespread, which flourished during the "Beatles era". This is not a priori something gloomy or a mortal threat...

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think you're forgetting how difficult it might be for Thai police to locate the guru. Haven't been doing too well on the Red Bull heir and the Dammachayo monk disappearances have they? 

[bannork]

21 minutes ago, joebrown said:

I think you're forgetting how difficult it might be for Thai police to locate the guru. Haven't been doing too well on the Red Bull heir and the Dammachayo monk disappearances have they? 

The guru may have charged a lot to find the meaning of life but Thammachayo charged an awful lot more!

[TheLobster]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, police are also seeking van Egten’s cooperation through the Belgian Embassy in Bangkok with a request for her to send back a laptop for police to analyse for possible clues that could help their investigation.

 

12 hours ago, pumpjack said:

cops want her laptop back now ?  after giving it to the family with her body ,  why to hell didnt they keep it and screen it first within hours of the " murder " 

what a bunch of wan***s  !!! 

Maybe they need it back for a different reason?

[anon789561]

On 7/4/2017 at 9:44 AM, Stargrazer9889 said:

I have never trusted Gurus and wonder what kind of people they really are, the one in the picture

could be an axe murderer.

Geezer

I agree. Weird nonsy types. Sit around talking <deleted> and humming. Pray on the vulnerable as far as I can work out 

[bannork]

4 hours ago, Happy enough said:

I agree. Weird nonsy types. Sit around talking <deleted> and humming. Pray on the vulnerable as far as I can work out 

5555 I like that -pray on the vulnerable- should be longer though- pray with the vulnerable and then prey on them.

[YetAnother]

On 7/4/2017 at 5:08 AM, webfact said:

with a request for her to send back a laptop for police to analyse for possible clues that could help their investigation.

seriously ? they didnt completely search that laptop the first time around ?!

[balo]

On 7/4/2017 at 8:43 AM, rkidlad said:

It's really not that hard to say "We don't know yet. We are investigating and we will give information out as soon as we know and it can be verified". Only one problem there - someone having to say "We don't know". 

This is how we do it in the west. Just look at the recent terrorist attack in London. The police press conferences will not give us any details, nothing the first days. 

"We don't know" is an acceptable answer in the beginning of a case, no need to lie about that.

 In Thailand the police seems to be working in a different way, any information  , even if it's just a rumor must be shared with the world and then the confusion starts.....

 

 

 

[swanny321]

RIP, beautiful young woman.

[Khun Han]

On Saturday, July 08, 2017 at 2:04 PM, YetAnother said:

seriously ? they didnt completely search that laptop the first time around ?!

 

If I were Elise's mother, I would have the contents of the laptop cloned, and have an expert analysis done, looking for any differences, when she gets it back.

[brd]

why no one has raised the question why she was hiding her real name when registering in a hotel without showing her passport ? could not it be because she was running away from some one doing it discreetly ? would that some one any one other than the guru ? a local ?

[balo]

4 hours ago, brd said:

why no one has raised the question why she was hiding her real name when registering in a hotel without showing her passport ?

Maybe she wanted to kill herself and not be found?