‘Mentally unstable’ man found dead with knife in neck

PHUKET: A man was found with a knife in his neck after witnesses claimed to have seen him pouring petrol around his rented one-room house and attempting to light it on fire today.

Thalang Police duty officer Somkit Kaosung received a report at about 10:30am of a “mentally unstable” man pouring petrol around the house, north of Phuket Town.

Arriving at the scene in Rassada, police forced their way into the house. Inside, they discovered the man dead with a slashed throat and a knife still embedded in his neck.

Police identified the dead man as Khumkhan Sangsuwan, 55, from Nakhon Phanom.

“Mr Khumkhan used to work as a security guard for a company in Phuket Town,” said Lt Col Somkit.

“He lived in the rented room with his newly wed wife and his 25-year-old daughter.

“The daughter and neighbors told me that Mr Khumkhan suffered mental problems that had worsened in the last two months. Several times he ran out of the house holding a knife threatening to kill himself,” he said.

Ms Suangjai told police that she had tried unsuccessfully to take her father to hospital in Surat Thani for treatment.

Both Mr Khumkhan’s wife and daughter were at work when the incident occurred, explained Lt Col Somkit.

“From our initial investigation, we assume he committed suicide due to stress. However, we will still need to question his daughter and wife along with other witnesses,” Col Somkit said.

Mr Khumkhan’s body was taken by Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers to Thalang Hospital for examination.

— Thawit Bilabdullar