Leap of irony: Cheating Thai husband attempts suicide after scam

A cheating Thai husband tried to end his life by leaping from a pedestrian bridge on Pattanakarn Road in Bangkok after his online affairs took a dramatic turn. Ironically, he was scammed out of less than 1,000 baht by the very women he was cheating with.

A Facebook page shared a video of the man’s suicide attempt and a subsequent rescue mission. The cheating man’s identity was not disclosed, yesterday, August 28. Three to four rescuers were seen pulling the man’s arms, who was on teetering on the edge of the bridge outside the handrail, preparing to jump.

Another rescuer was on the road below and attempted to soothe the man, convincing him to abandon his suicide attempt.

“Calm down, calm down. Want a phone? Want to call anyone? Stop it, go back and talk to your wife.”

The rescue team successfully intervened and thwarted the man’s suicide attempt. He was then taken to Khlong Ton Police Station to rest before being allowed to return home.

A police officer later revealed the motive behind his attempted suicide to Channel 7, stating that the man had fallen victim to repeated online dating scams. Although he was married, he continued to flirt with women he met online.

One woman recently scammed him by asking him to transfer small amounts of money, between 50 and 100 baht each time. He lost less than 1,000 baht in total but felt disappointed and wanted to take legal action against the romance scammers.

However, the police could not proceed with his case because he had willingly given the money to these women. After learning that he could not do anything about the loss, the man decided to go to the bridge to commit suicide. Fortunately, his suicide attempt was thwarted.

In a related story, a Thai businessman sought help from a non-profit organisation in March after he lost 4 million baht to a woman he had dated online for more than five years after meeting her through an online game.

Another Thai millionaire took legal action against a romance scammer in the same month after he lost 63 million baht to her. He gave her the amounts she requested over six years, even though they had never met in person.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please get in touch with the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.