Teens in “Romeo and Juliet’ double suicide

THALANG: Two Thai teenagers drowned in a reservoir in Thalang yesterday evening in what police believe may have been a double suicide echoing the classic tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet”. Pol Capt Suwarid Prommul of Thalang Police Station said that the two – food shop worker Maitree Kumvisete, 19, and Chanida Tiyapongpattana, 16, a student at Phuket Vocational College – came from families which have been feuding since the young couple first started going out together three years ago, when he was 16 and she was 13. Witnesses fishing at the reservoir told police that at about 4:30 pm they had seen a boy and a girl arguing. But when they looked later, the two had disappeared, so they decided to call 191. Capt Suwarid told the Gazette that he arrived at the reservoir, in Baan Bang Rieng Moo 3, Tambon Srisoonthon, at about 5:30 pm. “There, under a tree, we found a motorcycle belonging to Maitree. On the seat was a student’s bag belonged to Chanida. On the ground, we also found a pair of men’s shoes and a pair of women’s shoes.” Ten divers from the Kusonlatham Foundation searched the reservoir. Within 40 minutes, Maitee’s body was found about five meters below the surface. Chanida was found an hour later, tangled in plants at the bottom of the reservoir. “I don’t know what happened,” Capt Suwarid said. “At this point, anything is possible, though we are sure it wasn’t murder. The families have asked me not to give out any more information.” But, he added, the two families have disagreed with one another since the relationship began. According to the police, the bodies will be cremated at about the same time – but not in the same place.