Sad serenade: Thai man’s bridge suicide plunge echoes old tune

“What becomes of the brokenhearted” sang Jimmy Ruffin in the summer of 1966, in the case of a crestfallen 33 year old Thai man from Udon Thani province, that would mean an attempt to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge.

Natthawut Sanphakarn threatened to end his life by jumping off a bridge after experiencing heartbreak a staggering 20 times. Fortunately, a quick-thinking police officer, Wikanes Suetrong, deputy of the Udon Thani Municipal Police Station, and his team, sprung into action and managed to thwart the suicide attempt, comforting the man by showing him a picture of a woman, promising to connect him with her, which helped to calm him down.

Natthawut, riding his red Honda Dream motorcycle, with the registration number กษข 904 Udon Thani, had parked on the bridge, prepared to leap. As he was about to fall, officers managed to grab him.

He wept and told the police that he wished to take his own life. As police tried to calm him down, Natthawut revealed his distress stemmed from his futile search for true love. He had suffered deception and heartbreak 20 times, the latest with a woman named Warakorn whom he had been seeing for two years.

During his work hours, she would see other men, leading him to contemplate suicide, no longer wanting to experience heartache.

Officers were able to alleviate his stress by showing him a picture of the alleged woman who broke his heart on a mobile phone, promising to contact her for him. This acted as a pacifier for Natthawut, who appeared calmer and better. He even kissed the picture of the woman on the mobile phone.

Subsequently, officers took Natthawut and his motorcycle to the Udon Thani Hospital Centre, where he could receive treatment for his stress before they contacted his family to take him home.

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.

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