CNEWS Weird News - Man falls to death raising 'lucky' flag 

                  Thu, November 13, 2003 

                  Man falls to death raising 'lucky' flag


                         
                  BANGKOK (AP) - A factory owner with money troubles climbed 
                  onto the roof of his building in central Thailand to raise a 
                  flag believed to ward off bad luck and then slipped and fell 
                  to his death, police said Friday. 
                  Boonchai Lotharakphong, 43, whose factory made sportswear for 
                  the U.S. company Nike, died Thursday when he slipped off the 
                  roof in Lopburi province, 115 kilometres north of Bangkok, 
                  police Maj. Jeerasak Kerddee Muangkon said. 
                  The man's factory produced clothing for Nike for the last 10 
                  years but faced financial problems since a regional economic 
                  crisis of 1997. 
                  To improve his fortunes, Boonchai visited a Chinese 
                  fortune-teller who gave him the flag - believed to have 
                  magical powers - and told him to fly it from the roof of the 
                  factory to act as a charm and prevent bad luck.