Baht-lash: South Korean man goes on rampage after being scammed by Thai girlfriend in Pattaya
A distraught South Korean man went on a rampage yesterday by discarding 100,000 baht banknotes and trying to leap from the eighth floor of a Pattaya condominium after losing money to a Thai girlfriend.
Officers from Muang Pattaya Police Station rushed to the condominium on Soi Bua Khao in Pattaya after residents reported a foreign man on a rampage. The man reportedly had a knife in his hand and was shouting that he would take his own life by jumping off the balcony.
When officers arrived at the scene they found the South Korean man, later identified as 41 year old Seungwon Jeong, standing on the balcony of his room on the eighth floor. He was pacing the balcony with a knife in his hand.
Seungwon made a loud noise and then launched over 100,000 baht Thai banknotes from the balcony. He walked around the balcony for about an hour brandishing a knife before disappearing into his room.
Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station and the Tourist Police hired a South Korean interpreter to talk to Seungwon in his room. The interpreter went to the front of his room and successfully persuaded him to open the door to talk.
Seungwon informed officers, through the interpreter, that he had been in Pattaya for about a month, and his stress had escalated a few days ago following the sudden disappearance of his Thai girlfriend. He revealed that the Thai woman had lured him into investing in a grocery store on her behalf, only to abandon him later.
Expressing concern about his financial predicament, Seungwon decided to reach out to his debtor, requesting the return of the money. However, the debtor not only refused but also responded disrespectfully.
Officers chose not to file charges against Seungwon and escorted him to the hospital for a medical examination. Additionally, they planned to get in touch with his family in South Korea to explore a resolution, aiming to prevent Seungwon from causing further disturbance or attempting self-harm.
