If someone is having suicidal thoughts and IS attention seeking...they NEED something...quite obviously.

However, I have suicidal thoughts A LOT -- it is not attention seeking. My therapist asks me about them because I am not always forthcoming about them. In fact I have to chart the intensity of them daily. It's like they are ALWAYS there -- just varies in intensity. Sometimes I need to talk about them...sometimes I don't.

I do think it CAN be, but I don't think having them is automatically so.
That said, having suicidal thoughts is not "normal" and if one IS having them, they should make sure to talk to someone about it.