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The young lad and the sea
PATONG: A 15-year-old German boy tried to drown himself at Patong Beach
after his parents forbade him to see again a ladyboy he had met on Soi
Bangla.
On the evening of September 12, the boy - whose name was not released
because he is a minor - was ordered to stay in his room by his parents, who
feared that his new third-gender friend might take advantage of him.
As love-struck teenagers are wont to do, however, the golden-haired youth
sneaked out of his room. But rather than seek out the object of his
affection, he instead bought beer and a pair of handcuffs.
Brew and manacles in hand, he proceeded to the beach, where he bound his
ankles with the handcuffs, took a last swig of beer - and began wading
awkwardly into the monsoon-season surf.
While all sorts of unusual behavior takes place on Patong Beach after dark,
the sight of the young German trying to end his life in this fashion was
apparently enough to draw the attention of passers-by.
Soon police were at the scene, yelling at the boy to remove himself from the
sea. But he was apparently unwilling - or unable - to comply, forcing them
to wade into the brine and fish him out.
Back at Kathu Police Station, officers managed to remove the handcuffs from
the boy's ankles. He told them he had decided to kill himself because his
feelings were hurt when his parents ordered him not to see his ladyboy
friend.
"We weren't going to do anything - we were only friends," he told them,
adding that the ladyboy had always taken "good care" of him.
(Phuket Gazette, 28-SEP_2005)
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