Fisherman ends life by lethal injection with weed killer

RASSADA, PHUKET: A commercial fisherman allegedly cheated out of his pay by his employer ended his life yesterday morning by injecting himself with liquid weed killer.

At 12:30pm on April 20, Phuket City Police duty inspector Pitak Sompong received a report from residents of Soi Hormok, off Srisuthat Road in Rassada Village 3, that they had found the body of an apparent suicide victim in his home.

Arriving at the scene, one of several apartments in a single story block, police found the deceased lying face up on the bed.

Dressed in a white, short-sleeved shirt and gray shorts, the man had a puncture wound consistent with injection by hypodermic needle on the inner elbow of his left arm.

On the bed police found a syringe partially filled with a blue liquid weed killer. A bottle of the herbicide was found resting nearby in a plastic bag, atop of which was an unused syringe.

Subsequent investigation identified the deceased as 36-year-old Mitr Kampan, a resident of Rassada Village 3.

Investigators found no signs of forced entry or struggle in the room. They estimated that the time of death was about three hours earlier.

A suicide note left by Mr Mitr identified himself as having no living relatives. It also requested whoever found the body to have it taken to a local temple for Buddhist bathing rites and cremation.

Police turned the body over to Kusoldharm Foundation workers, who took it to the morgue at Vachira Phuket Hospital for further examination.

Further investigation revealed that the deceased had been employed as a crew member aboard a Phuket-based fishing vessel.

He reportedly lost his job and was allegedly cheated out of his back pay by his employer. Depressed and penniless, he apparently decided to end his life by lethal injection.

— Kom Chad Luek