The 26-year-old Thai girlfriend of Quentin Griffiths says she has cried every day since the British millionaire mysteriously plunged to his death from his luxury 17th-floor condo
The glamorous young girlfriend of ASOS co-founder Quentin Griffiths said “she can’t believe he would kill himself”.
London born Griffiths, 58, mysteriously plunged to his death from the 17th floor of his luxury condo in Pattaya, a notorious coastal resort in Thailand. Now his heartbroken 26-year-old Thai partner, Jom Thipanongsri, has spoken of her disbelief after local police announced they were treating the fall on February 9, as a suspected suicide.
The beautician revealed she has cried every day since Griffiths, 32 years her senior, was found dead on the pavement outside his home, wearing blue shorts, a white t-shirt but no shoes. She insisted her multi-millionaire boyfriend who helped launch ASOS 26 years ago, was not depressed or on any medication and had given no warning signs to any friends.
Jom, who runs a nail salon in Pattaya, told The Sun : “No one close to him ever thought he would take his own life, because no one saw any warning signs at all. And personally I never saw him taking antidepressants or any other medication.
“I’m so sad, heartbroken. I was in complete shock when I heard the news, and I have been crying every day since. He was a special person, my hero — I love him so much and miss him every single day.”
The couple met a few years ago and started dating after the collapse of Griffiths’ second marriage to Thai wife Ploy Kringsinthanakun, 43. Jom quickly became a love match for the tennis fanatic, who drove a £200,000 McLaren supercar.
But she said Griffiths was showing signs of stress due to ongoing legal battles with his ex-wife, who accused him of stealing £500,000 from her company. However she said he kept his business matters from her.
He had won custody of their children, a boy and girl aged 11 and 12, but the matter was believed to be still before the courts.
Last January, the Brit was reportedly arrested at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and questioned by detectives after Kringsinthanakun alleged he had forged documents to sell land and shares in the business without her knowledge.
Griffiths denied the allegations and was released after questioning. Ploy, who lives in Bangkok, has said she played no role in his death, which occurred just days before their next scheduled court appearance.
Jom said: “Recently, he had shown some signs of stress. I know that there were problems with his ex-wife, but he did not tell me any details.
“The last time we spoke he said he had to take the children to meet their mother and take photos together for the court.
“Quentin was granted custody and I understand the court restricted the mother from approaching the children.
“If she wanted to see the children she had to send an email to Quentin. She could not come to see them on her own. I have met his children. They were cheerful and good people. I feel sorry for them now, and I don’t know who will take care of them.”
An autopsy showed no signs of foul play or external injuries suggesting assault, according to police statements. The door to Griffiths’ suite was reportedly locked from the inside with a double lock. Thai police said CCTV footage from the condo showed nobody else entering or exiting the room during the time period in question.
Griffiths, who also had three children in England with his first wife, launched ASOS in 2000 with Nick Robertson, the great-grandson of high street legend Austin Reed. It grew into a £3billion global business, with the likes of Princess of Wales and Michelle Obama wearing its own-label designs. Griffiths quit as marketing director after just four years but pocketed £15million from selling shares in 2010.
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