Authorities were finally able to extract the
crazed Chanok Suwan from his house after his failed suicide attempt.
Patcharapol Panrak
A Sattahip man got a beat-down from neighbors after trying to blow
up his house in a suicide attempt.
Sattahip police and Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officers broke down
the door of the Soi Bonkai rowhouse owned by Chanok Suwan, 42, Feb. 5,
finding the drunk occupant holding a knife and his kitchen on fire. In an
apparent suicide attempt, Chanok tried to torch a cooking-gas canister in
hopes of causing a deadly explosion.
Neighbors were not amused. Pushing past authorities, several inflicted
punches and kicks on the man they called a frequent troublemaker.
“There have been crazy incidents before, but never to the extent of burning
himself,” said Pranee Samrit, 63.
The incident began when the unemployed former hotel-security guard
barricaded himself inside his townhouse while on a severe bender. When a
neighbor detected smoke and fire inside the house, he broke his way in, only
to be assaulted with a barrage of empty liquor bottles.
Neighbors poured onto the street as Chanok flung more bottles out the
upper-floor window, hitting several onlookers and damaging two cars.
Authorities finally arrived and, using plywood, cooking-pot lids and helmets
to shield themselves from flying bottles, forced their way into the house,
but could not find Chanok, who had hidden in a bathroom. After breaking down
the door, he threatened the officers with a knife. They subdued him by
spraying fire extinguishers into the suspect’s face. A fight ensued and he
finally was captured and the fire extinguished.
