Classic fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple used forensic science as one of their investigating methods while TV series like “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, “Bones”, “Law & Order”, “Criminal Minds” and “Waking the Dead”, have glamourised the profession. You’ll now have a chance to watch a real autopsy in Bangkok if you desire according to Supichai Limsiwawongse, a forensic expert at the institute. He is recently on record as saying his team wanted to allow people in to watch their work.

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Death takes on a life of its own at Thailand’s Institute of Forensic Medicine

Bob Dylan’s song, “Death Is Not the End”, plays in an incongruous loop in my head, as I gather up my courage and walk into the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM) at Police General Hospital on Bangkok’s Henri Dunant Road, a short walk from bustling Siam Square.

The faded, tired-looking white building looks much like any other government facility in Bangkok but knowing what’s behind the doors sends shivers down my superstitious spine. Wisps of smoke hanging in the air and the heavy scent of incense from the shrines around the building amplify the uneasy atmosphere.

The Institute of Forensic Medicine is where the dead are delivered when the way in which they have met their maker cannot be easily explained or where foul play is suspected.

Classic fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and…

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