Swedish man hangs himself in Patong

PATONG: The body of Swedish national Bengt Anders Hilmar Lundberg, 56, was found hanging this morning from a post in the unfinished upper floor of his rented apartment near the Thara Patong Beach Resort, in what police say was a suicide. Pol Maj Pisit Cheanpetch, the Inspector of Kathu Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim was spotted by a villager living in the building next door. Police estimate that Mr Lundberg had been dead for at least three hours when his body was found. A retired Swedish government officer, Mr Lundberg was living in Patong with his girlfriend, Sorn Ngamraluek. K. Sorn told police that they had been out drinking together the previous night. She left at midnight to return home while Mr Lundberg stayed at the bar. At 2 am, she went back to pick him up. On the way home, he started talking about committing suicide. K. Sorn told police that after they got home, Mr Lundberg pulled out a nylon strip that was wrapped around a chair seat, said “goodbye” to her, and walked up to the second floor of the apartment. He later came back downstairs, wrote her a small note saying, “Goodbye forever”, and walked back up to the second floor. Not believing he was serious, K. Sorn remained downstairs. She told police that there were no problems in their relationship, but added that Mr Lundberg had appeared to be worried about something earlier in the evening. Mr Lundberg’s body has been transferred to the Thalang Hospital morgue awaiting collection by relatives.