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Deranged man killed after destroying famous statue

A shrine official shows what is left of the Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok yesterday after a 27-year-old man attacked it with a hammer. PHOTO: EPA

A mentally disturbed man was beaten to death early yesterday after he destroyed a much revered Brahman statue at the Erawan Shrine -- one of Bangkok's most popular places of worship, police and eyewitnesses said.

Thanakorn Pakdeepol, 27, was found dead in a pool of blood outside the shrine shortly after he attacked the sacred image at 1am, police said. He was beaten to death with a steel bar.

"I saw him climb over the fence and use a hammer to smash the statute," said Wandee Vichai, 42, a vendor who was one of the few eyewitnesses to the incident.

"I started to scream and some trash collectors came out and chased after the man. When I caught up with them he was lying dead on the pavement," Wandee said.

Lumpinee Police Colonel Supisarn PakdeeNarunart said two suspects had been arrested for Thanakorn's slaying.

The victim's father Saiyan Pakdeepol said his son had suffered from mental illness for several years and was nervous and depressed on Monday, one of Bangkok's hottest days so far this season with temperatures reaching 39oC.

"This is a sign that if the prime minister doesn't resign the country must sacrifice blood."

Samridh Kaokrieng, astrologer

Saiyan said his son had a breakdown and ran out of the house at midnight.

The incident, coming at a time of great political upheaval in Thailand, was immediately hailed by some as an inauspicious sign for embattled Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"This is a very unlucky omen, especially since the perpetrator was crazy and was killed after committing the sacrilege," said Samridh Kaokrieng, a well-known astrologer who once served as the prime minister's private fortune teller.

"This is a sign that if the prime minister doesn't resign the country must sacrifice blood," Samridh said.

The fortune teller recently lost his job with Thaksin after he informed the premier that the stars were not in his favor and he should step down.

Mass protests calling for the prime minister's resignation have been escalating in the capital since Jan. 23, when Thaksin's family sold off their 49 percent stake in Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings, an investment arm of the Singapore government.

The US$1.9 billion sale has sparked a nationalistic backlash among many Thais who have criticized the premier for handing over sensitive sectors to a foreign firm.

Shin Corp holds government-granted concessions to run Thailand's largest mobile phone service, the national satellite network, a TV station, an Internet service and a no-frills airline.

The Erawan Shine stands next to the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in central Bangkok. The shrine was built in 1956, one year after the original government-owned Erawan Hotel was opened as one of the capital's first international-class establishments.

Rear Admiral Luang Suwichanphaet, a specialist in astrology, advised the hotel management to construct the shrine with the Thao Maha Brahma statue, also known as Phra Prom, on the corner of its property to ensure good fortune.

The Erawan Hotel was bought by the Hyatt hotel group about 14 years ago.

The shrine is a popular place of worship for Buddhists and Hindus from Thailand and abroad, especially among tourists from Hong Kong and Singapore.
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