Thai groom-to-be attempts organ sale & suicide over lack of dowry

Police in the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon successfully intervened in a suicide attempt by a Thai man who was unable to pay his 200,000 baht dowry, even after attempting to sell his organs.

Officers from Mueang Sakon Nakhon Police Station and the rescue team were alerted to the suicide attempt at a pedestrian bridge outside the Robinson shopping mall on Nittayo Road in Sakon Nakhon at around 10.30am yesterday, May 22, and rushed to the scene.

The Thai man, identified only as Pete, was seen pacing back and forth on the bridge, repeatedly attempting to jump. Officers closed the road beneath the bridge and prepared a safety cushion.

Rescuers and police then convinced Pete to abandon his suicide plan. After the discussion, he asked the police to contact his girlfriend and bring her to the scene.

While waiting for his girlfriend, Pete revealed to officers that he had been in a relationship with his girlfriend for nearly a year and planned the wedding with a 200,000 baht dowry. However, the wedding could not proceed because Pete could not afford the dowry for his future wife.

Pete’s girlfriend declined to attend the scene, prompting officers to persuade Pete to communicate with her over the phone. Pete requested the police to place the phone on the ground for him to retrieve, which they accepted. However, as Pete moved towards the phone, the police swiftly apprehended him and transported him to the hospital for additional treatment.

According to police, the groom-to-be lived in Bangkok but his girlfriend was from Sakon Nakhon province. He travelled to Sakon Nakhon three weeks before the incident to prepare for the wedding ceremony.

A week ago, Pete made a Facebook post offering to sell his organs to raise money for the dowry but there were no takers. Unable to afford the dowry, he had to leave his girlfriend’s home, abandoning their wedding plans.

After the wedding fell through, Pete’s girlfriend cut off all contact with him. Despite his attempts to reconcile with her, he was unsuccessful, which ultimately led to his attempted suicide.

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.