Swedish man dies in fall from Phuket hotel room

PHUKET: A Swedish man died early yesterday morning when he jumped from his hotel room in Patong in an attempt to stop his girlfriend from leaving.

“Witnesses said they heard a loud argument at about 2am,” said Maj Weerapong Rakito of the Patong Police.

Then they saw the man on the balcony of his second floor room at the Absolute guesthouse on Nanai Road.

“They heard him shout: ‘Don’t leave, come back,'” Maj Weerapong said.

“Then he jumped.”

Police named the man as 50-year-old Swedish national Tommy Joakim.

Mr Joakim’s girlfriend, Ornanong Prasert, 34, told police that she and Mr Joakim had spent the evening in a bar in Patong.

“Ms Ornanong said that Mr Joakim got upset because someone smiled at her and she smiled back,” said Maj Weerapong.

“She said Mr Joakim became jealous and took her back to his room, where they started fighting.

“Ms Ornanong decided to leave the room because she didn’t want to continue fighting with Mr Joakim. She thinks Mr Joakim jumped to get downstairs faster to stop her.

“Unfortunately, he broke his neck in the fall.”

Mr Joakim’s body was taken to Patong Hospital and the Swedish embassy was notified of his death.

“We will call Ms Ornanong in to question her again,” Maj Weerapong said.

— Thawit Bilabdullar