Michel , Valerie and her boss Jean-Yves travel to Thailand on one of their company 's tours incognito and enjoy an idyllic holiday . They decide that they will move to Thailand permanently , to perpetuate the bliss they experienced there . However , towards the end of their holiday , Muslim extremists commit a terrorist act ( coincidentally very close in similarity to the Bali Bombing which occurred after the novel was published ) in which Valérie is killed . Michel is left bereft , and at the end of the novel he travels back to Thailand to die . At this point , the reader realizes that the novel is in fact his suicide note
Bali Bombing
2002 Bali bombings
Platform (novel)