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Community Forum · Est. 2006
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#1
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05-16-2019, 09:32 PM
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Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
On December 5th, 2014, a 24-year-old Swedish longboarder named K.H. was found dead at an abandoned 49-story skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand. Authorities believe K.H. committed suicide at the building by hanging himself from the ceiling of the 43rd floor. As word on K.H.’s suicide and stories on local superstition spread over the internet, the abandoned skyscraper has gained notoriety as the “Ghost Tower.” Officially known as the Sathorn Unique Tower, the building was originally envisioned as a luxury apartment tower. Construction started in 1990 but came to a halt in 1997 at 80-percent completion when the Asian Financial Crisis bankrupted the lenders financing the project. Meanwhile the developer behind the project was arrested in 1993 for allegedly plotting to murder the president of the Supreme Court. The case dragged on for fifteen years until 2008 when the developer was found guilty, however he would later be acquitted in 2010. Despite the acquittal, the building remained incomplete as the project became prohibitively expensive to restart. Locals believe the building is cursed with bad karma because it was built on top of a graveyard and is haunted by their angry spirits and ghosts. These urban legends along with global exposure from social media has increased the notoriety of the Ghost Tower among western travelers as a unique destination with spectacular views. While security guards have been installed to deter trespassers, they have been known to accept bribes for passage. K.H.’s body was initially discovered by a local photographer named Nattawat who had snuck past the guards to take images of Bangkok's skyline. At 11 AM, Nattawat had finished taking photographs from the rooftop and was on his way down when he smelled a foul odor on the 43rd floor. Upon further investigation, he found K.H.’s dead body hanging in a small room. Nattawat immediately rushed out of the building and went to a police box to report the body but was told there was nothing they could do as traffic cops. He then called a number of emergency phone numbers including 191, 199 and 193, but was unable to get help. Eventually Nattawat found a police officer at a metro station, but the officer informed him he was assigned to a different district and could not help. Frustrated, Nattawat went home. At home and still disturbed by the incident, Nattawat posted his discovery on the popular Thai message board Pantip.com. Soon the thread went viral and many users began teasing Nattawat that he had seen a ghost. Users on the message board did not believe Nattawat because he did not take a photo of the body despite being a photographer. Eventually someone suggested he contact the JS100 police radio station. Upon contacting the police radio station, a rescue team was dispatched to the Ghost Tower where K.H.’s body was finally discovered by authorities at 10:30 PM. A wooden ladder, a rice box, and an empty can of beer was found near his body. A black wallet containing two credit cards and a Swedish driver’s license was found in his jeans. Immigration documents showed K.H. arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on November 10, 2014 and stayed at a guest house on Khao San road until he went missing on November 20, 2014. Today a search for the term “Ghost Tower” on Youtube will result in numerous videos by urban explorers making their way to the top of the building for the breathtaking views. Many of these videos will reference K.H.’s suicide and the superstition behind his death. K.H. may not have expected to become a part of an urban legend, but his death would further fuel the belief among locals that the abandoned skyscraper is haunted with ghosts, and in turn has raised the notoriety of the Ghost Tower among western travelers. TL;DR: A 24-year-old Swedish longboarder committed suicide in Bangkok, Thailand at an abandoned skyscraper known as the "Ghost Tower." |
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#2
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05-16-2019, 09:41 PM
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Re: Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
Here is a video from the recovery of the body. You will need to skip to 2:15 to see the body. File size is too big so embedding from youtube. Also below is a video from February 2013 of K.H. longboarding down the hills of Chiang Mai, Thailand. |
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#3
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05-16-2019, 10:06 PM
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Re: Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
Below are three different videos from urban explorers that will give you a better idea of what the Ghost Tower is like. They include great drone footage. More videos can be found online by searching “Ghost Tower.” The Ghost Tower has become a popular attraction as word has gotten out to the public, and recent reviews on Google indicate that the security guards still take bribes from tourists for entry. If you happen to visit Bangkok and go to the Ghost Tower, it would be interesting if you visited the site of the suicide on the 43rd floor and shared your experience here. |
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#4
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05-16-2019, 10:55 PM
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| So Fucking Banned Poster Rank:9 Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 96,329 Mentioned: 181 Post(s) Quoted: 35256 Post(s)
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Re: Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
I want to go there
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#5
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05-16-2019, 11:17 PM
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Re: Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
He had looks, youth and a great skill, yet he decides to check out. Maybe he knew something we don't. He didn't intend to leave a good looking corpse, I guess. "All our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death."
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#6
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05-17-2019, 04:34 AM
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Re: Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
Excellent post, great job.
__________________ "I'd give the world for the chance just to see your face again. Still I pretend that you're still standing by." |
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#7
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05-17-2019, 05:16 AM
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Re: Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
Brilliant post. This sent me on a quest for more info and took up the next four hours of my afternoon. So...thank you!!!
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#8
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05-17-2019, 04:44 PM
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Re: Swedish Longboarder (24) Suicide by Hanging at Bangkok's Abandoned Ghost Tower
They started building on a graveyard. I don't see any mention of the corpses being moved so I'm assuming they were not. Being a firm believer in all things paranormal, you could not pay me enough to visit that place. There is so much that happens with no logical explanation to not believe there are supernatural forces. |