German death-plunge treated as “suicide’

PATONG: In what police are treating as a case of suicide, a German man fell to his death from the 20th floor of the Royal Paradise Hotel yesterday morning.

Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnark identified the man as Alexander Staubl, 35.

Police received a report of the death from hotel staff about 11 am. Mr Staubl’s body was found dressed in gray shorts and a blue T-shirt about 15 meters from the swimming pool on the hotel’s third floor.

He had suffered massive head trauma and is believed to have died instantly.

“He lived in Kata-Karon for a long time and was a partner in a dive company in Karon. We assume he decided to take his own life by jumping. We found no signs of struggle or indications of foul play in his room,” Col Grissak said.

Mr Staubl left a suicide note apologizing and indicating that he intended to take his own life, Col Grissak added.

Royal Paradise Hotel receptionist Yupawadee Thavornanumart, who booked room 2003 for Mr Staubl at about 10:15 pm on Saturday, said that she recommended Mr Stauble take a 10th floor room at a cheaper rate, but he had insisted on having the highest room available.

“He told me that he had lived in Thailand for about nine years. He looked friendly and laughed as we spoke.

“I noticed that he checked in with just one very small bag, only big enough to hold a few items of clothing. He said he didn’t need assistance and went up to his room on his own,” she said.

Mr Staubl’s death is the second death of a foreign tourist staying in the hotel in three weeks.

On February 7, the body of Danish tourist Henrik Rasmussen, 47, was found in a canal just meters behind the hotel. The cause of that death is still under investigation.