Father in Chanthaburi mourns son’s tragic overdose at home

A father mourned the loss of his 35 year old son, who succumbed to an overdose of sedatives amid ongoing stress and health issues. The incident occurred yesterday in their home at 50/3 Soi Thetsaban Phatthana 3, Wat Mai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chanthaburi.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Jakkrit Saengchan and a team from Phra Pokklao Hospital and the Sawang Katanyu Foundation, arrived at the scene to investigate the incident. The body of Weerayut Phenwong, also known as Ball, was discovered in his bedroom.

He was found lying on his back, shirtless and in jeans, with foam around his mouth and his body starting to turn blue, indicating he had been dead for approximately eight hours. There were no signs of a struggle or disturbance in the room.

Phenobarbital pills, a type of barbiturate used for short-term treatment of insomnia and seizures, were scattered on the floor near the bedroom. His father, 62 year old Somsak Mitrapraya, who has a left leg amputation and uses a prosthetic leg, had already picked up some of the pills and put them back into their container.

During the police investigation, Somsak recounted that he had a conversation with his son earlier but became concerned when Weerayut made an ominous remark about dying similar to a recent drowning case in the news. Somsak noticed his son muttering to himself at around 8pm yesterday, June 26 and suggested he take some of his medication to help him sleep. Weerayut took two pills and went back to his room.

Tragic discovery

Somsak, who had been working on gemstones, went to bed around 10pm. Upon waking the next morning, he found more pills scattered across the floor and noticed that a significant number of pills were missing from the container, despite having recently refilled it. He didn’t pay much attention until he called for his son to buy food and received no response. A friend of Weerayut’s arrived and didn’t get a reply, prompting them to break down the door, where they discovered Weerayut had died.

Somsak revealed that his son had previously harmed himself with sharp objects and had attempted suicide by overdose but was saved in time. He attributed his son’s actions to chronic stress and the inability to find work for many years. Despite these past incidents, no one anticipated this tragic outcome.

After the initial investigation, rescue personnel transported Weerayut’s body to the hospital for an autopsy to confirm the exact cause of death. His relatives will then be able to conduct funeral rites according to tradition, reported KhaoSod.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact 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.