Norwegian man falls to his death from 16th floor of Pattaya condo

A Norwegian man allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the 16th floor of his condominium in Pattaya yesterday, shocking his Thai wife, who was cooking in the kitchen.

The wife contacted officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station to report the death of her husband, 88 year old Jan Asbjorn Hauge, at their condominium in the Jomtien neighbourhood of Pattaya. The incident occurred at approximately 3.30pm yesterday, August 8.

Police reported that Hauge allegedly jumped from the balcony of his room on the 16th floor. His body fell onto the roof of a bar on the third floor. Sawang Boriboon Dham Rescue team was called to retrieve the body from the roof. Rescuers faced difficulties during the operation and had to use a boom lift to access the third-floor roof.

Police stated that there were no signs of physical altercation or struggle, either on Hauge’s body or in the room he shared with his wife.

Hauge’s wife told the police that they had not argued and Hauge had never mentioned anything about suicide. According to her, Hauge had a kidney disease and was very quiet on the day of the incident. She believes he seized the opportunity while she was cooking to take his own life.

The wife said she was shocked when she saw Hauge’s body on the roof of the bar. She had to take some time to compose herself before reporting the matter to the police.

Leaping from a condo in Pattaya has become a thing over the past few years with locals insensitively calling it “The Pattaya Flying Club.”

In a related report, a Thai mother and her daughter committed suicide in their home in Pattaya in July. The mother had been suffering from lung cancer, while her daughter had been battling autoimmune diseases. It is believed they ended their lives due to the distress caused by their illnesses.

Multiple suicide cases have been reported in Pattaya recently, including the deaths of a Chinese man in February, a Czech man in March, a Thai-American man in April, and a British, Russian, and Thai man in June.

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.