Woman commits suicide after posting drawing of Prayut online
published : 1 May 2020 at 00:11
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Wassayos Ngamkham
A young security guard hanged herself after posting a drawing of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha online and complaining about life under his regime.
The suicide of Plaifon Amsarika, 19, a security guard in Bangkok, drew much public attention.
The young woman ended her life after posting online a pencil sketch she made of Prayut along with a message complaining about the hardship she faced and describing the prime minister as "heartless".
She blamed him for the tough life and troubles she and other poor people have faced under his regime.
She wrote, “It’s a drawing that I had no desire to continue drawing. I drew it in a fit of depression, having no money to buy milk for my child. I worked 12 hours a day and yet I have nothing left. I drew it with tears…..”
Her story made headlines on social and mainstream Thai media. But people were surprised on seeing the name of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the whiteboard at the temple where her funeral was held.
Thaksin was named the host of her funeral on May 1, Khaosod Online reported.
A former Pheu Thai MP insisted that naming Thaksin as the host had nothing to do with politics. Now was the time for all people to help one another, he said, according to Khaosod Online.
Plaifon, from Chachoengsao, was found hanged in her room in Bangkok.
Her husband Wichai Hemhuem told police that Plaifon talked to him over the phone, and said she intended to hang herself.
He immediately left his workplace and rushed to their room. On arrival, he found her hanging unconscious. Her took her down and tried to revive her, but she did not respond.
Police and medics rushed to the scene in response to his call, but she died.
Plaifon posted her comments and drawing of Prayuth on her Facebook page on April 22, one week before her suicide. As news of her death spread, the post went viral.
Learn from listening
Vocabulary
- depression: a medical condition in which a person is so unhappy that they cannot live a normal life - ความสะเทือนใจ, ความเศร้าสลด, ความหดหู่
- desire: a strong wish to have or do something - ความอยาก, ความประสงค์, ความต้องการ
- funeral: a ceremony that takes place after someone dies - งานศพ
- hang (verb): to kill somebody by tying a rope around their neck and allowing them to drop; to be killed in this way - ฆ่าด้วยการแขวนคอ
- hardship: difficulty - ความลำบาก
- heartless (adj): feeling no pity for other people; not carrying about what others feel - ซึ่งใจ แข็ง, ซึ่งใจจืด, ซึ่งไม่มีความเมตตาสงสาร
- intended: planned; wanted to happen - ที่ได้วางแผนไว้ ที่ตั้งใจให้เกิดขึ้น
- medic (noun): a doctor or medical student; a person in an emergency situation who gives people medical treatment - แพทย์,นักศึกษาแพทย์,เจ้าหน้าที่แพทย์
- regime: a government that controls a country, especially in a strict or unfair way - รัฐบาลที่ขึ้นมาปกครองโดยการยึดอำนาจ
- sketch: a simple picture that is drawn quickly and does not have many details - ภาพร่าง
- suicide: the action of deliberately killing yourself - การฆ่าตัวตาย
- tears (noun): drops of water that come from your eyes when you cry or when something (dust, gas, etc.) has entered your eyes - น้ำตา
- tough: demanding that particular rules be obeyed and showing a lack of sympathy for any problems or suffering that this may cause - ดื้อรั้น,แข็งแรง,ใจแข็ง
- whiteboard: a large white board in a classroom that is used by the teacher to write things on for the class -
