Patong - Tourist Police volunteer found in apparent suicide

[dirtydog]

Tourist Police volunteer found in apparent suicide

PATONG: Kathu Police are treating as “probable suicide” the death of UK national James Alasdair Elliott, 37, who was found hanging by the neck from a ceiling fan in a rented room on Nanai Rd.

Kathu Police Duty Officer Capt Songserm Preecha said police were notified of Mr Elliott’s death at 10:30 am yesterday by Preecha Chormanee, owner of the Nanai Apartments on Soi Nanai 1, where Mr Elliott rented a room on the third floor.

Entering the room, police found Mr Elliott hanging by the neck from a nylon rope that was tied to the room’s ceiling fan. He was wearing only a white T-shirt and white underwear.

The room was cold as the air conditioner had been left running and the television was also left on, but there were no signs of struggle, theft, wounds to the body or other evidence of foul play, Capt Songserm said.

Police estimated Mr Elliott died no fewer than five days before his body was discovered.

Staff at the apartment building told police that Mr Elliot had been living in the apartment for about eight months and had worked as a Tourist Police volunteer since the tsunami.

The British Embassy was informed of Mr Elliott’s death yesterday, Capt Songserm said.

Immigration Police volunteer Tim Gardener described Mr Elliott as a very intelligent man who had served as a medic in the British Royal Navy.

Mr Elliott’s medical background and outstanding language skills, he spoke about eight languages, made him valuable in assisting foreign patients at Patong Hospital, he said.

Mr Gardener had taken photographs of Mr Elliott just a few days before he took his own life as he intended to promote all the good work Mr Elliott had done as a Tourist Police volunteer since the tsunami, Mr Gardener said.

“He made tireless efforts to assist in the DNA testing and identification of tsunami victims – a dreadful task for anyone to perform. Billy deserved extra credit as he did all this unpaid from the goodness of his heart. The staff at Patong Hospital called him ‘Billy OK’.

Mr Elliott’s friends in the hospitals and the volunteer Tourist Police were “obviously shocked” by the news that he had taken his own life, Mr Gardener told the Gazette.

“He was a fantastic person. What a loss, that’s all we can say,” he said, adding that he felt it was strange that someone of Mr Elliott’s intelligence would take his own life without leaving behind a note to explain why.

Phuket Gazette

[John]

Almost all of the sad suicide stories miss one important point - the reason. I just see the (quick) result. Those stories cannot be so simple...

[Ivor Biggun]

What a waste of someone that could contribute so much to life.

[dirtydog]

Well, I feel sure that a well balanced tourist police volunteer like himself would be welcomed anywhere in Thailand, did I say well balanced? Hmmm, most well balanced people don't commit suicide, so this nutter who killed himself was in a position to abuse, extort and basically do what the fok he liked, another good choice by the Thai tourist police.......

[Sir Burr]

Jeez DD.
You take cynicism to new heights......

[dirtydog]

Sir Burr, I consider you a normal well balanced person, how many times have you comitted suicide? I bet the answer is zero aint it, normal well balanced people do not hang themselves from ceiling fans, so therefore we can agree that he isn't or wasn't a well balanced person, now, before we carry on do you agree with the above

[Thetyim]

so therefore we can agree that he isn't or wasn't a well balanced person

He wasn't well balanced but he was well hung

[dirtydog]

You take cynicism to new heights......

New heights? these crazies are working for the Thai police, they even get to buy a nice uniform, I mean what the fok was going on in his mind, there he is wandering down the street in his uniform with police backing, next day he tests out how good the retaining bolts are in his ceiling fan, would you trust someone like that?

[EmperorTud]

Well balanced people don't become Tourist Police Volunteers IMO. I note there is 'Immigration Police Volunteers' now according to the article, WTF?
What next, Traffic Police Volunteers?
With 250,000 Police in Thailand how do they need so many volunteers?

[dirtydog]

What next, Traffic Police Volunteers?

We have them in Pattaya already.....

[John]

I am not a fan of the tourist police. But 2 guys I know working with them simply try to survive here - get a little bit. Come home at 4 or 5 in the morning and sleep until noon for next to nothing. They even lost their visa - so no special treatment. In my opinion they should go home to their country and restart a live there.

Suicide can have many reasons - no money, no honey, a disease, no hope. Mostly they do not want to die but they simply do not want to continue like this. It is aggression against the own person - so no harm to other people. It might be the hardest choice one can make - nothing is as final as this. And it is the most powerful decision we can make in our own world. It might be not always the right one.

[Reaper]

I find it strange that he was well liked yet clearly he was not a person with many close friends as it took them 5 days to discover his body. What a pity as it appears he had a lot to offer.

Reminds me of the guy who was found sleeping on the streets in the UK. He was a tsunami volunteer and spent a lot of time in Thailand. He had nothing to return too.

[EmperorTud]

What next, Traffic Police Volunteers?

We have them in Pattaya already.....

One of the reasons I like Bangkok is the total absence of these Jobsworth ****s.

[bkkandrew]

^Simpler to say absence of the ****s generally, no?

[November Rain]

DD, I know 2 people who have committed suicide. Both had their reasons & both were ostensibly well-balanced people, loved by friends & family. You can't judge someone in that way.

I think the writing of a note is the sort of thing that happens more in books & films than in real life. Neither of the 2 I knew left notes, either.


What I find the most disturbing, apart from the waste of a seemingly caring, talented person's life, is that he was undiscovered for at least 5 days. I'm not a particularly sociable person, but I think (even discounting littl'un) I would be found in less than 5 days. Very sad.

[Texpat]

There's no way I would trust a ceiling fan in Thailand.

Probably held up by bailing wire and a piece of bubble gum.

My luck I'd fall and shatter a hip.

[Sir Burr]

so this nutter who killed himself was in a position to abuse, extort and basically do what the fok he liked, another good choice by the Thai tourist police.......

DD,
This was the bit I was refering to as excessively cynical. For what ever reason he topped himself, the above assumption is a bit OTT.

I don't like Police Volunteers, either (suicide's too good for them).

[sesame]

If you google "% suicides who leave note" you will find some interesting discussions and research on this topic.

Would you leave a note? Yes, absolutely, to reassure my friends and family, first and foremost, that I was not acting impulsively and that they should in no way feel guilty (the latter being a terrible burden many carry), to stop them torturing themselves over the "why/s ?", to express my love and gratitude to them and to exclude the need for autopsy or criminal investigation. (Not that I am contemplating suicide, but might in the event of serious illness or disabilty).

(My comments and question really belong in a separate thread.)

I am very sorry to hear of this man's death.

[dirtydog]

I have to admit I am not sad about his death, we all know how corrupt the Thai police are, why anybody would want to work with or be associatted with them I really have no idea, unless you have criminal activities that you do and need to hide there is no reason to work for or associate with a corrupt police force, I mean would you want to be with Seargent Somchai when he shakes down a driver for 200baht for a non existent driving offense and share the spoils with him? Or go into a gogo bar and phone the police when the girls get naked?

[Rattanaburi]

Well, after dealing with so many dead people, he must have been thinking a lot about death. Lots of people who have seen days and days of death through war commit suicide. But who knows the real story. This guy could have been killed by the police because he knew too much about their crimes. Information never comes easy here in LOS (Land of Suicides).

[Driventowin]

You take cynicism to new heights......

New heights? these crazies are working for the Thai police, they even get to buy a nice uniform, I mean what the fok was going on in his mind, there he is wandering down the street in his uniform with police backing, next day he tests out how good the retaining bolts are in his ceiling fan, would you trust someone like that?

Are you suggesting that one of the highest occupational suicide rates which is 'law enforcement' is only populated by crazies (Thailand not withstanding of course)..

There are numerous stresses they deal with on a daily basis that can drive one to suicide and not even being paid was most certainly a contributing factor that is why it is one that requires constant evaluation on all levels under the best of circumstances most especially mental health which is highly unlikely to have been offered here for anyone, let alone a volunteer..

I'm not defending him mind you, as I stated already in another thread, I can't see why anyone would allow themselves to be exploited like that for no compensation by a foreign Government that can clearly afford to pay them, but only chooses not to for the purposes of lining their own pockets.

But your characterisation was disturbing in it's content..

[Driventowin]

But who knows the real story. This guy could have been killed by the police because he knew too much about their crimes. Information never comes easy here in LOS (Land of Suicides).

This is also another thought that crossed my mind but it also serves to make my point about working with them as a volunteer and whihc also carries over to make DD's point as well..

[dirtydog]

I just went to the bucthers, saw loads of dead animals, thats all people are when they are dead, I didn't have any thoughts of committing suicide whilst perusing the steak section, you should see the prices they are charging, I did think about murder though, anyway I just bought dead pig minced up for a chilli I shall make tonight, and you know what, I won't even whince when I chuck that 3kilo of pig into the frying pan to brown it off, hopefully I can be so brave whilst I liquidise the tomatos, they have feelings as well

[Sir Burr]

hopefully I can be so brave whilst I liquidise the tomatos, they have feelings as well

You should buy the cans of tomato pulp.
Let someone else murder the tomatos and have a clean conscience.

[oldgit]

What normal person goes with a nurse that wears a sanitary towel under her chin and keeps on giving her the secret Mason hand shake?