A lovesick mute man caused a commotion on Bangkok’s Rajadamri Road on Saturday by sitting on the roof of the Big C Supercenter and threatening to throw himself off.
As Withawas Somkhane, 23, sat with his legs dangling off the building, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was across the road on the plaza in front of Central World department store – causing extra headaches for police.
The premier was in the area to open the “Joining Forces Against Corruption” festival.
Around 10:30am, one of Yingluck’s security staff alerted police to Withawas’s presence.
A large crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the would-be suicide with police setting up a safety cushion on the ground below.
Officers quickly realized Withawas was mute and they would have to communicate with him using written messages.
Withawas passed them a note that read: “My name is Kim. I love Nong Mai so much. Now I feel devastated and I will love Nong Mai forever.”
Withawas refused to move for more than one hour until he sent another message asking police for some water.
Lt Col Phairat Yano of Lumphini Police Station passed a bottle of water to Withawas and seized the chance to grab the young man and pull him to safety.
Officers took Withawas to the station for questioning.
Eventually his mother, Pratana Somkhane, 45, and 18-year-old girlfriend “Nong Mai” arrived at the station.
Mai, whose real name has been withheld, is also mute.
Police questioning revealed that Mai had recently told Withawas she wanted to split with him because of his extreme jealousy.
As a result, Withawas had been threatening to kill himself for several days.
On Wednesday he had threatened to throw himself off the sixth floor of the Amari Watergate Hotel in the Pratunam district but his mother had been able to talk him down.
On seeing Mai at Lumphini Station, Withawas was overjoyed and leapt up to hug her. He passed her a message asking if the two could get back together.
Her reply: “I still love you, but I feel tired. So I want us to go our separate ways.”
After talking things over, Mai resolved that she still loved Withawas – and would get back together with him.
Officers will fine Withawas THB200 for causing a public nuisance.
—
Story: ThaiRath
