Mentally unstable RTN officer causes chaos in Krabi province
A Royal Thai Navy (RTN) officer in camouflage attire, exhibiting signs of mental instability, wreaked havoc on the streets in Krabi province. The individual, whose erratic behaviour was caught on camera and widely shared on social media, was confirmed to be a genuine naval officer based at the Phang Nga Navy base.
The individual had previously shown signs of mental illness and had physically harmed a military officer in his company. Consequently, he was placed under medical treatment. The family recently requested his home unit to continue his treatment.
RTN spokesperson Veerudom Muangjin revealed that the soldier was stationed at the Phang Nga Navy Base’s security unit. Upon noticing his behaviour, he was taken to the Phang Nga Navy Base Hospital where he was diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.
Due to the hospital’s limitations in treating psychiatric patients, it was decided he would be transferred to a naval hospital in Bangkok or Sattahip for further treatment. However, his parents contacted the home unit, stating their son had previously received treatment for drug addiction before enlisting.
They requested to continue his treatment at a healthcare facility in their hometown. The home unit authorised them to visit their hometown for rest, reported Sanook.
The incident occurred on November 23. The patient had received a leave of absence from the unit and was travelling home with his parents.
Psychotic episode
During the journey, he experienced a psychotic episode in the car. He then exited the vehicle and caused chaos on the streets until the police intervened and took him to the police station to calm down.
He was released the following day, and his parents took him for treatment and rehabilitation for drug addiction at a drug rehabilitation centre in Thung Yai District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.
The security unit at Phang Nga Navy Base, the patient’s home unit, coordinated with the patient’s parents to visit and provide assistance to the family as per the unit’s capabilities. They also set up a committee to consider and seek approval from the treating physician to discharge the soldier suffering from psychiatric illness to ensure effective treatment in the future.
The RTN has strict measures to prevent and suppress drug abuse within military units. The RTN commander has emphasised that all units of the RTN must seriously address this issue and provide careful attention and care to regular soldiers, who are considered the youngest members of the RTN family.
