A German man jumped to his death from the fourth floor of the passenger terminal at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday, after refusing the board a flight four days earlier.
The 52-year-old man, identified as Mike Schwager (Maik Schwagerus on national ID) landed on a concrete beam on the second floor, near a bathroom behind the duty-free shop in Zone E.
Khaosod estimated the fall to be at least 15 meters.
Though Schwager was given first aid and rushed to Samitivej Suvarnabhumi Clinic, doctors were unable to save him.
Kittipong Kittikachornm, deputy director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, revealed to PPTV that Schwager was scheduled to fly to Zurich, via Dubai, at 9PM on Oct. 7. However, he refused to board the plane and and had been residing in the airport, near the area where he jumped, ever since.
As of press time, his motives remain unknown.
One netizen, present at the terminal on the day of the incident, took to Twitter with his criticism of airport authorities.
“He’s been wandering for four days, how did the airline not know?” he asked in a post with a photo of airport officials crowding around the terminal attached.
เช้าวันนี้ประมาณ ๑๐.๐๐น. มีผู้โดยสารชาวตะวันตก พลัดตกในอาคารผู้โดยสารขาออก #สุวรรณภูมิ เสียชีวิต ขณะที่กำลังมีการ boarding ณ bus gate E2A
ประเด็นที่น่าสงสัยคือผู้เสียชีวิตได้ทำการเช็คอินและผ่านการตรวจคนออกเมืองตั้งแต่วันที่ ๗ ตุลาคมฯ
เดินหลงอยู่ ๔ วัน ทำไมสายการบินถึงไม่ทราบ pic.twitter.com/s2Atqe8gh2
— One’s Way #YNWA (@Khongsak) October 11, 2018
His point is especially relevant given the alarming amount of suicides that have occurred at country’s most prominent airport.
Last year, The Bangkok Post reported that eight people have jumped to their deaths since Suvarnabhumi first opened in 2006.
Though the airport invested THB33 million about (US$1 million) in 2013 installing 2.5-meter-high glass barriers to discourage people from taking their lives, multiple travellers have, since, still managed to get around the wall and jumped.
Coconuts reached out to Suvarnabhumi for a statement today but was told to call back later for “all relevant staff are currently on holiday.”
Related Stories:
The Suvarnabhumi Suicides: Airport to erect THB30M glass wall to deter jumpers
Thai Airways employee jumps to his death at Suvarnabhumi
Canadian leaps to death in apparent suicide at Suvarnabhumi
German man jumps to his death at Suvarnabhumi (VIDEO)
Reader Interactions