30-8-2024 (PATTAYA) A holiday in Thailand took a devastating turn for a 36-year-old New Zealand man, who lost his life in a distressing incident at a Pattaya hotel on the morning of 29 August 2024. The tourist, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, reportedly jumped from the balcony of his seventh-floor room, succumbing to his injuries upon impact.
Pattaya police received an urgent call at approximately 6:00 AM, alerting them to the tragic event at a centrally-located hotel near Beach Road in the Nongprue sub-district of Banglamung, Chonburi province. Responding swiftly, local law enforcement and rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation rushed to the scene.
Upon arrival, authorities were confronted with a grim sight. The man’s body was discovered on air conditioning units and electrical conduits of an adjacent building, having fallen from a considerable height. Rescue workers faced the sombre task of retrieving the deceased, while police conducted an initial examination that revealed no apparent signs of physical assault.
Hotel staff provided crucial information, describing the victim’s behaviour prior to the incident. According to their accounts, the man appeared to be experiencing what they believed were drug-induced hallucinations. Witnesses reported hearing him shouting “Help Me!” in English moments before his fatal plunge. Despite attempts by hotel employees to calm the distressed guest, their efforts proved unsuccessful.
Pattaya police conducted a thorough search of the victim’s room but found no evidence suggesting foul play. In a move that may prove vital to the investigation, hotel staff provided authorities with video footage capturing the man’s frantic state in the moments leading up to the tragedy. This evidence has been collected and will be analysed as part of the ongoing inquiry.
The body has been transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital. A comprehensive autopsy will be performed to determine the precise cause of death and to ascertain whether any substances may have contributed to the man’s erratic behaviour.
Local authorities are now in the process of contacting the New Zealand embassy to facilitate communication with the deceased’s family.
