An American man in his early thirties drowned after jumping into a lake at a luxury housing estate in Samut Prakan province yesterday afternoon, July 7, following what witnesses and police described as a sudden and unexplained episode of erratic behaviour.
Bang Phli Police Station received the report at around 3pm and arrived at the scene in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan, along with a duty doctor from Ramathibodi Chakri Naruebodindra Hospital and rescuers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation.
According to a video recorded by a village staff member, the man began behaving erratically for reasons that remain unclear before running into the estate’s lake and swimming until he became exhausted, going under in front of onlookers.
None of the witnesses entered the water due to its depth of more than 10 metres, and a rescue dive team recovered his body around 20 metres from the shore after a 30-minute search.
The man was later named as a 32 year old American national. Police said no wounds consistent with an assault were found on the body, which was sent to Ramathibodi Chakri Naruebodindra Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
A village security guard told Thairath reporters the man had returned to the estate by taxi and attempted to pay the driver 1,000 baht, but the driver declined the fare after noticing his unusual behaviour.
The man reportedly then approached a resident’s car and knocked on the window, asking for a ride, prompting the guard to warn the resident not to let him in.
The guard said the man then became increasingly agitated, shouting and rolling on the road before appearing to raise his hands as if praying. When a police patrol arrived, he reportedly ran into the estate and jumped into the lake.
Police said they had requested reinforcements and rescue teams after assessing that they were unable to restrain him, before he tired and went under.
The man’s girlfriend said the couple had been together for around three years but had spent time living apart due to relationship difficulties, having reunited less than three months before the incident.
She said he had been behaving normally beforehand with no prior signs of illness or distress, and that she was unaware of the cause of the episode. She said she did not witness any drug use during the time they lived together.
She added that the interior of the rented house had been smeared with paint overnight while she was asleep, and that he had not slept that night.
The homeowner described extensive damage throughout the house, including to furniture and electrical appliances. She said the property, a lakeside home worth 22 million baht (US$610,000), had been rented out for 35,000 baht a month for around three months.
Investigators from Bang Phli Police Station searched the house and the man’s car, finding two unused syringes on the driver’s seat and unidentified white pills in a waist bag, police said.
A post-mortem examination conducted with forensic doctors from Ramathibodi Chakri Naruebodindra Hospital and rescue officials found injuries consistent with rolling on the road surface, according to police.
The body will undergo further examination to determine the exact cause of death, including testing for drugs. Police said they are gathering evidence and have contacted the US Embassy in Thailand to proceed with further procedures.
The story American drowns in Samut Prakan lake after ‘erratic episode’ as seen on Thaiger News.
