It took seven hours, but a depressed motorcycle taxi driver who climbed a 10-story cellphone tower in Nong Plalai climbed down safely.
Athid Suanok, 35, scaled the tower early April 25, claiming he was scared of being shot. Neither pleading by his father, Sangim Suanok, 72, nor cajoling by relatives could convince him to come down.
Authorities arrived with an aerial truck and brought Sangim up to talk to his son and give him water and cigarettes. Still no luck.
Sangim said his son has been depressed and had gone out that morning to collect mangoes. Next thing he heard, Athid had climbed the tower.
Athid told police he was convinced one of his relatives planned to shoot him. But around 6 p.m., in need of a smoke, the taxi driver climbed down of his own accord uninjured.
