Thai father commits suicide after son’s assault and unfair police fine

A Thai father committed suicide so his family could access his funeral fund to pay an unfair fine imposed by police in the central province of Suphan Buri after the man’s 14 year old son was physically assaulted by his friend’s father.

The story of the 63 year old Thai man, Sakorn, and his two sons went viral on Thai social media last week. The man took his own life under pressure following an allegedly unfair judgement by officers from Songphinong Police Station in Suphan Buri.

His 14 year old son revealed to Channel 3 that he argued with his friend at school, and the friend took the argument to his father. The friend’s father approached the boy at school and threatened to run his 10-wheel lorry over the boy before attacking him by punching him in the eye.

Furthermore, the attacker drove his lorry close to the boy, who was riding a motorbike with his girlfriend, causing the boy to crash into the roadside.

The boy recounted the incident to his father, Sakorn, and they later filed a complaint against the attacker at Songphinong Police Station. The boy said police concluded that the case was an altercation and both parties had to pay a 1,000 baht fine.

Sakorn consulted with the boy’s older brother, 29 year old Sakesan, also known as James, on how to find the money to pay the fine. They could not find a solution as they still could not earn enough to buy food. According to Sakorn’s sons, the man told them he would take his life to solve the conundrum.

“We are poor. How can we fight them if we don’t have money? If we have money, we will win. The only way to get the money is to claim my funeral fund.”

Police blame miscommunication

Sakesan tried to dissuade his father from the tragic decision and promised to find a solution to the issue before they separated and went to sleep. Sadly, the 14 year old boy woke up in the morning to find his father had hanged himself.

The boy tried to save his father by seeking help from neighbours to send him to hospital but to no avail. Sakorn left a note for his sons.

“James, take care of your brother. I hope you two will always love each other. Hosting my funeral only one night. I love both of you. Take care of your younger brother.”

An officer from Songphinong Police Station, Apichart Parnpare, informed Channel 3 that the fine was a result of a miscommunication. The police intended to fine only the attacker. If the victim agreed to let the attacker pay the fine, the case would be considered resolved. Otherwise, the police would refer the case to court for further legal proceedings.

Channel 3 reported that the attacker and his son visited the police station today, July 1, for further questioning. In an interview with the media, the attacker admitted to physically assaulting the victim and cutting him off on the road.

The police later intervened in the interview, stating that they wanted the two parties to reach an agreement and would provide an update to reporters on the outcome.

The family reportedly did not have money to buy a coffin but a temple and locals in the area supported them. There was no report about the cost of Sakorn’s funeral fund.

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.