PATTAYA, Thailand – A tragic incident unfolded at a six-story mansion on Soi Buakhao, South Pattaya at 4 p.m. on July 17, resulting in the death of Mr Leo Jan Jonkers, a 70-year-old Dutch national. A crowd of alarmed tourists gathered as rescue workers faced challenges recovering Jonkers’ body from the second-floor awning where he fell, with blood pooling around him.
The damaged and bent iron frame of the awning posed difficulties, leading to the deployment of a cherry picker from Pattaya City to safely lower the body to the ground. An initial examination found no signs of physical assault.
According to a staff member at the mansion, Jonkers had checked in on July 11 and was scheduled to check out the following day. He had inquired about extending his stay shortly before the incident but had not yet decided. After taking the elevator upstairs, a loud crash was heard as he fell onto the second-floor awning. The staff member, shocked by the discovery, immediately notified authorities upon finding the body.
Pol. Lt. Col. Thanongsak Inphadung and his team reviewed CCTV footage showing Jonkers walking on the rooftop before the fatal fall. The footage has been collected as evidence. The body was transferred to Banglamung Hospital by rescue personnel and will undergo an autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital to determine the exact cause of death.
