Suicide
Schoolgirl in
death plunge
from flat

Wassayos Ngarmkham
Anucha Charoenpo

     A schoolgirl jumped to her death
from her flat yesterday after being
reprimanded for turning up late at
school.
     The body of Wachiraphorn Kaewsrinon,
a 15-year-old Mathayom 4 student of
Surasak Montri School, was found lying
on the ground near her Din Daeng flat on
Pracha Songkhroh road at 8am.
     Police believe the suicide might have
had some connection to her passion for
Matsumoto Hideto, better known as
Hide, lead singer of the band X Japan,
who hanged himself at his home in
Tokyo in May 2, 1998, after X Japan
disbanded. Hide is an idol of teenage
girls throughout Asia.
     His suicide at that time had a fatal
impact on a number of Japanese female
teenagers, many of whom also killed
themselves.
     Police believe Miss Wachiraporn
committed suicide because there were
no signs of struggle near the fire exit
on the 8th floor of the building from
where the she jumped.
     Wasant Kaewsrinon, 43, believes his
daughter’s suicide was influenced by
Hide. “My daughter was crazy about
his music, his personality and his con-
certs. She regularly bought his albums,
photographs and his concert videotapes,”
he said tearfully.
     “Once she asked me to allow her to
attend a memorial to mark the death of
Hide held somewhere in Bangkok last
year, she changed the color of her hair
and dress like the members of X
Japan band.” He said.
     Her mother Jintana, 38 said: “A few
days ago she came home to Saraburi.
She brought along Hide’s songs and his
concert videotapes. She locked herself
in a room and listened to the songs and
watched the videotapes all day long.”
     Wasinee Chaoenpatthanakul, the
girl’s classmate and her close friend, said
she believed her friend was upset after
being reprimanded by some teachers
for coming late to school on Monday.