Pier pressure: Man found hanged in Phuket mangroves
Police probing grim discovery above hidden jungle camp
A man has been found dead, hanging from a tree in dense mangroves near Bang Duk Pier in Mai Khao, Phuket, sparking a police probe into whether the tragedy was suicide or something more sinister.
The grim discovery was made around 10am on Saturday, July 13, by a shocked passerby, who spotted something dangling in the trees while walking near the water’s edge.
On closer inspection, the horrified witness realised it was a body hanging from a rope and immediately alerted the police.
Officers from Tha Chatchai Police Station rushed to the scene with rescue teams from the Kusoldharm Foundation and local tambon officials. They found the man suspended above a crude makeshift shelter, where he was believed to have been living rough.
The deceased, later identified as 45 year old Chatchai Kitchaman, was wearing a red T-shirt and black shorts. Officers estimate he had been dead for at least two days.
Rescue workers had to hack through thick mangrove branches to retrieve the body, which was then covered in a white cloth and taken ashore for further examination, Phuket News reported.
“We’re investigating the cause of death and have contacted his family so religious rites can be arranged,” a police officer at the scene confirmed. “At this stage, we cannot rule out suicide.”
The tragic find is the latest in a string of suspected suicides across Thailand in recent weeks.
Last month in Bangkok, a Thai soldier reportedly took his own life at a welfare facility using an M16 rifle, while in Phetchabun province, a 64 year old man allegedly murdered two people before killing himself, believed to be over a bitter land dispute.
Police are now urging those struggling with their mental health to seek help and avoid suffering in silence.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.
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