PATTAYA – A British man has died after falling from the tenth floor of a luxury hotel in central Pattaya. Pol Lt Manasak Phonliam from Pattaya City Police Station are working to find out what led to the fall.
Pol Lt Manasak told reporters that at approximately 5.30 pm on Saturday, he received a report of a foreigner falling from a building near a hotel on Pattaya Second Road in Bang Lamung, Chonburi. He alerted his superiors and headed to the location with forensic officers, an on-call doctor, and Sawang Boriboon Foundation rescue staff.
When they arrived at the scene, they found the body of Keith Jones, a 74-year-old British citizen. He was lying face down, dressed in black swimming trunks. There was blood coming from his mouth, and he had several broken bones.
The incident took place in a central area popular with tourists. Hotel staff set up barriers to keep people away from the scene.
Mr Phanupat Thanakasemphakin from the special affairs office told police he had been about six to seven metres from where the man landed. He said he heard a loud sound similar to a transformer blowing and went to investigate. He found the man face down and bleeding, still breathing but in a critical state. He tried to help, but the man did not survive.
Police reported that the Hotel staff said that Mr. Jones had been staying on the hotel’s tenth floor. Forensic officers found no signs of a struggle or forced entry in his hotel room. Security footage recorded only Mr. Jones going in and out of the room. No one else was seen entering.
The cause of the fall is still unknown, but Pattaya police have not ruled out suicide. Mr. Jones’s body will be sent to the Police Hospital forensic institute for an autopsy. Officers plan to interview hotel staff to find out more about what happened.
Balcony Deaths in Pattaya
Pattaya, a lively city along Thailand’s eastern coast in Chonburi Province, attracts crowds with its beaches, nightlife, and tall hotels. Yet, it’s also known for a worrying trend: several tourists have fallen from balconies, hotel rooms, or other high places.
These incidents often involve foreign visitors, who locals call “farang.” Many cases are tied to drinking, struggles with mental health, or accidents. Police usually record most of these as suicides or accidental falls, although a few cases raise questions about other causes.
While high-rise falls can happen anywhere, Pattaya sees more of them because of its many tall buildings.
Local officials and tourism authorities keep asking hotels to boost balcony safety, like adding higher railings and barriers that stop people from climbing over. These calls grow louder after several deaths in a short time. For example, Pattaya saw four people die from falls in May 2024, which sparked fresh demands for tighter rules.
It’s tough to find exact numbers, as not every case attracts media attention, especially overseas. Still, reports suggest that every year, dozens die from falls at tourist hotspots across Thailand, with Pattaya seeing the most.
These tragedies reflect a wider safety problem in Thailand’s tourist areas. Similar falls and other tourist deaths have happened in nearby Phuket, often linked to swimming or accidents during the rainy season, and on Koh Tao, a place already known for its own risks.
Besides high-rise falls, tourists also face dangers such as road crashes, drownings, and even incidents involving elephants. Still, falls from buildings in Pattaya remain a unique concern due to so many high-rise hotels.
The Thai government has repeatedly reminded hotels to boost security, but not every place follows through. Travel advice from sources like Australia’s Smartraveller recommends travellers take serious care in Pattaya, warning them about theft, assaults, and accidents, especially around nightlife spots.
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