PATTAYA, Thailand – Police were notified of a body discovered at an abandoned eight-story condo located about one kilometer off Sukhumvit Road in Na Jomtien, Sattahip, on March 30. Inside the building, authorities discovered the body of Somjai, 50, who was lying face up in a pool of blood, his head severely injured. The body was located on the second floor, and it appeared he had been dead for about six hours.
Next to the body, investigators found a bamboo ladder and a wooden ladder connecting the second and third floors. A witness, Panya, 43, the deceased’s friend, was covered in blood and in shock, and he was the one who first reported finding the body.
Panya later admitted that he and Somjai had entered the abandoned condo with the intention of stealing scrap metal and electrical wires to sell for money to buy drugs. They arrived around noon on the same day, and while Panya stayed on the first floor, Somjai had used the makeshift ladders to climb to the second floor to begin his theft. Later, Panya heard a fall, and upon climbing up, he found his friend lying in a pool of blood. Despite attempts to revive him, he realized that Somjai had already passed away.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Somjai was likely climbing to the third floor when he lost his balance and fell, hitting his head on the concrete of the second floor, leading to his fatal injuries.
The body was sent for autopsy at the Police Hospital in Bangkok to determine the exact cause of death. Authorities are also planning to question Panya about the incident and will take legal action against him for theft, trespassing, and drug-related offenses.
The owner of the condo will be contacted for further investigation, and legal actions are expected to be taken.
