Boonlua Chatree
An American man believed to have been living
illegally in Thailand for 31 years died of an apparent suicide in his
Central Pattaya home.
Gerhard Habel, 78, was found by 74-year-old wife
Anong Tintachart hanging from a long shoelace in their Soi Paniadchang
5/1 house April 17.
Anong said she awoke to find her husband not in bed
and discovered the body. She said she didn’t know of any reason he would
want to kill himself.
During their investigation, Banglamung police found
that Habel had entered Thailand from Singapore in 1980 and could not
find any evidence of visas or permanent resident permits allowing him to
live legally in the kingdom since then.
