Another family grieves mysterious death in Thai army

[snoop1130]

Another family grieves mysterious death in Thai army

By THE NATION

 

 

THE FAMILY of Private Leuchanont Nantabut, who died at the age of just 22, suspect that he might have been the latest victim of violence inside a Thai military camp.

 

 “About two weeks before his death, he told me about a conflict he had with a more senior soldier. He talked about his fear that he would be attacked and killed,” Leuchanont’s father Kampaeng Nantabut said on Thursday from his hometown in Si Sa Ket province.

 

Leuchanont had served as a private for 11 months after responding to a conscription notice and voluntarily joining the military. On May 17, however, he died in mysterious circumstances. 

 

Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters’ spokesman Maj-General Kris Channiyom said on Thursday that a preliminary investigation suggested Leuchanont had fallen down while trying to secretly climb a building to get into a recreation area.

 

 “He was neither drunk nor beaten up,” Kris said, adding that the military would like to extend its condolences to Leuchanont’s family. 

 

According to Kris, there was no witness to the fall because Leuchanont was alone at the time. “But we will conduct a thorough investigation and we will increase safety measures in our compounds,” Kris said.

 

Leuchanont worked at the Military Police Battalion under the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. He reportedly disappeared on May 17 and his body was found four days later. 

 

His body was sent back to his hometown on Wednesday so he could be given a proper funeral. 

 

Kampaeng said his family had contacted many soldiers at the unit where Leuchanont worked to find out precisely what happened. 

 

Strangely, their answers about the death differed. 

 

 “One says he just died in his sleep and simply did not wake up. Another says he was accidentally electrocuted. Another mentions a fall down a building,” he said. 

 

He said the post-mortem report had said his death had been caused by the impact of a blunt object that broke his ribs.

 

Leuchanont’s elder brother said sadly on his Facebook page that those responsible would probably get away with it scot-free. 

 

 “I know that in the end, we won’t be able to bring you to justice but I would like to ask how many more victims will have to die at your hands for you to end such practices,” he said.

 

His post did, however, reveal his suspicion about foul play being behind his brother’s death and his awareness of the fact that many young men died while conscripts or soldiers. 

 

Last year, Private Khacha Pacha, also 22, died at a military camp in Lop Buri province reportedly following a discipline-related beating. In 2017, Private Noppadol Worakitphan, 21, died after being disciplined as did another youngster, Private Yutthanikinan Boonniam, 22. 

 

The list of those who died in mysterious circumstances while serving the forces runs much longer, and goes back some years.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369906

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-23

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Denim]

Unseen , amazing Thailand , the land of smiles.

 

Unless you are a conscript who has fallen out with a bunch of bullies.

 

RIP young man. Not the first and a long sad way from being the last.

[darksidedog]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

his body was found four days later. 

In an army camp where he would undoubtedly be listed as missing and a search should be automatic? Don't believe that bullshit for an instant.

 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The list of those who died in mysterious circumstances while serving the forces runs much longer, and goes back some years.

Murdering juniors seems to be the accepted way of things in what this country calls an army. I hate to think what would happen if they were ever needed to face real combat.

The worst part of it all is that the powers that are supposed to be, as we have all seen routinely ignore trainee murders, so the perpetrators know they will never face justice. So, do I allow my son to face conscription, or pay the 60,000 Baht graft fee to allow him to avoid it and not be beaten to death in "training?"

The stench coming from the ever growing piles of garbage across the country here, is nothing compared with that from these continuous mysterious deaths.

[Orton Rd]

Conscript army needs to go, pointless, expensive and oppressive. No rich kids are in it of course, but then almost anyone can pay to keep out of it. If you are poor or stupid and unfortunate in the sick raffle you are sentenced to waste 2 years of your life doing menial tasks and errands for your 'betters' No better than slavery, should be a widespread refusal to be bullied into it.

[Isaanbiker]

“One says he just died in his sleep and simply did not wake up. Another says he was accidentally electrocuted. Another mentions a fall down a building,” he said.

 

And I would say that somebody has helped a bit, used extreme brutality because of only guys who can resist extreme pain are real men,- bullshit. 

 

They've "just" set an example and killed the poor guy. Left the dead boy somewhere to change the witnesses' view of what happened.

 

   I feel so sorry for a young man's life to go through such a spastic organization after he'd to go thru the boy scout mimic at school, not so long ago at SK..

 

   In the end, Mr. Pinochio is at fault, who's neither a real soldier nor a politician. Thailand was once called the Land of Smiles.

I'm afraid that Smiles can easily be replaced by Lies now.

 

If I wouldn't have spent a good amount of my life here already, I'd never ever even think about moving to this place where lost faces are asking their fortune teller what the weather will be like tomorrow.

Or how many incense sticks you need to stay in power. 

 

Rest in PEACE, young man. You didn't deserve all that crap, nor your parents and friends who dearly miss you.

 

  

[LomSak27]

Nothing mysterious about it at all, except for those who want it to be. A soldier or soldiers with more social status killed him and now cannot be arrested. Unfortunately not unusual. Condolences for the family.

 

BTW Hopkins got another top 10 recruit. Syracuse has to be thinking about what ifs.

[sammieuk1]

There can be few privates left to kill surely with this army full of generals????RIP

[daveAustin]

Thai army - A Few Good Men it is not. Don't let your kids go in, chaps.

[AlexRich]

RIP. Bullying is rife in these institutions, as are cover ups. To be fair, not just in Thailand.

[wisperone]

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck....it's a duck.

 

Sorry for you, and your family. RIP..as trite as that is.

[tominbkk]

5 hours ago, koratkorat1 said:

where is the this happens everywhere comments?

Why are you always so negative?

[steven100]

8 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

Conscript army needs to go, pointless, expensive and oppressive. No rich kids are in it of course, but then almost anyone can pay to keep out of it. If you are poor or stupid and unfortunate in the sick raffle you are sentenced to waste 2 years of your life doing menial tasks and errands for your 'betters' No better than slavery, should be a widespread refusal to be bullied into it.

Conscript army is good imo if done correctly. Kids can learn alot from dicilpine, respect and community awareness.  It should be instilled in all young buys to join therefore not sitting on the sofa playing video games all day or getting mixed up in a drug group.

The likes of Australia & the UK could do well to follow conscription ..... there'd be alot less drug addicts, murderers, thieves and nobodies around today if they took this route years ago.

[PatOngo]

15 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Conscript army is good imo if done correctly. Kids can learn alot from dicilpine, respect and community awareness.  It should be instilled in all young buys to join therefore not sitting on the sofa playing video games all day or getting mixed up in a drug group.

The likes of Australia & the UK could do well to follow conscription ..... there'd be alot less drug addicts, murderers, thieves and nobodies around today if they took this route years ago.

Yes, what EVERY country needs is a military junta running the show, keeping the peasants in line. The only threat to Thailand is internal! How was your time in the military Stevo? Thailand doesn't need conscription, it needs an EDUCATION SYSTEM! 

[Isaanbiker]

6 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Yes, what EVERY country needs is a military junta running the show, keeping the peasants in line. The only threat to Thailand is internal! How was your time in the military Stevo? Thailand doesn't need conscription, it needs an EDUCATION SYSTEM! 

It needs a totally new and overhauled Education System without generals on top of it. 

 

  And teachers who don't lose face if they don't know the answer to a question. 

 

Equal education for students who go to a smaller school, no high entrance fees for students and teachers.

 

Teaching positions should be given based on education not based on the size of the wallet. And education should be free for all. 

 

But Thailand is far away from that. Way too far. 

[geoffbezoz]

9 hours ago, Denim said:

Unseen , amazing Thailand , the land of smiles.

 

Unless you are a conscript who has fallen out with a bunch of bullies.

 

RIP young man. Not the first and a long sad way from being the last.

Not just conscripts is it ? many others outside the military have died in unexplained circumstances associated with the military and covered up with differing stories. No doubt the next 5 years will be worse than the last 5. Another poor conscript from Issan who has apparently died from violent abuse or worse,  RIP.

[yellowboat]

55 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Conscript army is good imo if done correctly. Kids can learn alot from dicilpine, respect and community awareness.  It should be instilled in all young buys to join therefore not sitting on the sofa playing video games all day or getting mixed up in a drug group.

The likes of Australia & the UK could do well to follow conscription ..... there'd be alot less drug addicts, murderers, thieves and nobodies around today if they took this route years ago.

Closer to home Steven.  Why did your Asian neighbor, Taiwan give up conscription ?  They actually do face a very real threat unlike Thailand.  They rely on a volunteer military.   There are not many addicts, murderers or thieves in Taiwan.  They also have a far superior participatory government. 

 

So government is not in charge of parenting ?  What do parents do ?  Thailand, at its core, has an education and income problem.  Those with better educations and higher incomes make and are able to make better decisions. 

 

Look at Malaysia.  Malaysia has no conscripts.  Better government compared to Thailand.

 

You should stop pointing at the declining west and pay attention to those in Asia who are passing Thailand by.  Your Asian neighbors should be Thailand's role models. 

[Hayduke]

 

It’s a misnomer to call this collection of thugs an army. They’re more of a government-sponsored gang whose primary function is to intimidate and extort their own people. Their leadership is corrupt and self-serving and uses their conscripts (the ones too poor to bribe their way out ) to further their own parasitic ends. They have no sense of honor, no sense of duty, no sense of service before self...and certainly no sense of shame.

 

 

 

[JAG]

 

 

 

2

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

The likes of Australia & the UK could do well to follow conscription ..... there'd be alot less drug addicts, murderers, thieves and nobodies around today if they took this route years ago.

You would, two years down the line, end up with a lot of fitter, more self-motivated, better organised and trained/experienced/familiar with using violence drug addicts, murderers, thieves and nobodies around

[MaxLee]

Life is cheap as <deleted> in the land of smiles, especially in the barracks

[stanleycoin]

2 hours ago, steven100 said:

Conscript army is good imo if done correctly. Kids can learn alot from dicilpine, respect and community awareness.  It should be instilled in all young buys to join therefore not sitting on the sofa playing video games all day or getting mixed up in a drug group.

The likes of Australia & the UK could do well to follow conscription ..... there'd be alot less drug addicts, murderers, thieves and nobodies around today if they took this route years ago.

IMO, All asylum seekers need to do this for 5 years when first entering the uk.

i'm sure the boat and truck loads of them,  will reduce in time. 

 

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He said the post-mortem report had said his death had been caused by the impact of a blunt object that broke his ribs.

Which would normally attract the attention of a police investigation.. but then we all know how it works here.

Thailand 2019 and murder is tolerated in the armed forces!

And they're just about to re-elect themselves for another term as the countries leaders....

[Srikcir]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

we will increase safety measures in our compounds,”

TRANSLATION?

We will make sure there's never a witness to such deaths.

[hansnl]

14 hours ago, darksidedog said:

In an army camp where he would undoubtedly be listed as missing and a search should be automatic? Don't believe that bullshit for an instant.

 

Murdering juniors seems to be the accepted way of things in what this country calls an army. I hate to think what would happen if they were ever needed to face real combat.

The worst part of it all is that the powers that are supposed to be, as we have all seen routinely ignore trainee murders, so the perpetrators know they will never face justice. So, do I allow my son to face conscription, or pay the 60,000 Baht graft fee to allow him to avoid it and not be beaten to death in "training?"

The stench coming from the ever growing piles of garbage across the country here, is nothing compared with that from these continuous mysterious deaths.

Don't know where you come from, but try to find out what seems to go wrong in your country's army......

[Tajasia]

Unreformed uncontrolled and completely out of control describes all of Thailand's justice and leadership groups. Thank uncle Tu for his outstanding reforms lol.

[Tajasia]

11 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

It needs a totally new and overhauled Education System without generals on top of it. 

 

  And teachers who don't lose face if they don't know the answer to a question. 

 

Equal education for students who go to a smaller school, no high entrance fees for students and teachers.

 

Teaching positions should be given based on education not based on the size of the wallet. And education should be free for all. 

 

But Thailand is far away from that. Way too far. 

There in the que for a 21st Century certificate

[IAMHERE]

Seems like a Thai conscript is more likely to be killed by one of his own than an foreign enemy soldier.

[SOTIRIOS]

...regardless of rank...

 

...what would a soldier....at an army base.....possibly have to fear.....???

 

...except other soldiers....???

 

 

[PatOngo]

15 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Seems like a Thai conscript is more likely to be killed by one of his own than an foreign enemy soldier.

As I stated earlier, the only threat to this country is internal! Have lots v have nots!