Kenneth Glad
A British businessman has died in Thailand following a fall from a high-rise apartment building. The incident is under investigation as questions remain about the circumstances.
The UK Foreign Office has confirmed it is supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand, after reports identified the person as Quentin Griffiths, a co-founder of online fashion retailer ASOS.
Further details have come from British media. The Sun reports that Griffiths, 58, fell from the 17th-floor balcony of his condominium in Pattaya, a coastal city in eastern Thailand, while The Daily Mail names Pattaya as the location and says that emergency services discovered his body on the ground below the building.
Thai police told local media there were no visible signs of a struggle inside the apartment, according to the newspaper reports. Officers have not ruled out other possibilities, and forensic testing is under way. A full post-mortem examination is expected. Investigators say it could take months to establish the exact cause of death.
Reported Financial Dispute
In recent months, Griffiths had been involved in what the British tabloids characterised as a financial dispute in Thailand concerning shared business and property interests with his former wife. Media accounts said he had previously been questioned by police and denied wrongdoing. The matter was reported to be ongoing.
More than two decades earlier, he had helped build one of Britain’s best-known online fashion brands.
Griffiths was among the four founders who launched ASOS in London in June 2000. Originally called AsSeenOnScreen, the company began by selling outfits inspired by film and television before expanding into a global fast-fashion retailer aimed at young adults.
It later listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker ASC and grew into a business serving customers in nearly every country.
He stepped back from his executive role in 2005 after serving as marketing director.
ASOS’s Rise and Recent Pressures
In recent years, ASOS has faced mounting pressure from intensifying competition and shifting consumer habits.
The company reported revenues of £2.9 billion in its latest annual results, alongside restructuring efforts designed to stabilise performance in a difficult retail climate.
There has been no indication that Griffiths retained any management position at the company in recent years.
Thai police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fall.
Sources: The Sun; Daily Mail
