Elderly man escapes hospital in Central Thailand, found by police

An elderly man undergoing treatment for chronic alcoholism escaped from a hospital in Chai Nat, dressed in a patient gown still stained with blood. He was later found and detained by police. The man claimed he was attending a friend’s housewarming party.

Local police officers in Chai Nat province began searching for a patient who had escaped from Chai Nat Narenthorn Hospital. The man, undergoing treatment for chronic alcoholism, had untied himself from his hospital bed and fled.

After approximately 15 minutes, police located and detained him near an intersection in front of the Chai Nat City Police Station. The hospital had alerted the police, and a good Samaritan reported seeing a man in a hospital gown walking from the bridge over the Chao Phraya River towards the intersection.

Upon inspection, the patient was identified as Chai (pseudonym), approximately 65 years old. He was wearing a hospital gown, barefoot, and wrapped in a white hospital blanket. He was also carrying a bag of snacks and a drink.

The blanket he was wrapped in had bloodstains. When questioned by a concerned citizen about the blood on his clothes, Chai revealed a wound on his arm, explaining that he had fallen. His hospital wristband was still intact.

When officials arrived, they questioned him about his presence in the area. Chai denied being a hospital patient, stating he had not been to the hospital. Instead, he claimed he was attending a friend’s housewarming party and had borrowed the clothes from a friend.

The police then tricked Chai, offering to call a car to take him to his destination while waiting for the hospital’s vehicle to arrive. Chai eventually complied.

A reporter mentioned that Chai has been hospitalised for several days for chronic alcoholism treatment. His intense craving for alcohol led him to find a way to escape when the hospital staff was not paying attention. He managed to escape capture until the police found him, reported KhaoSod.