PATTAYA, THAILAND – A 63-year-old Belgian tourist was severely injured after falling from the seventh floor of a Pattaya hotel during the night to Tuesday, as police said the cause of the incident remained unclear but no foul play was currently suspected.
Emergency call in early hours
According to Pattaya City Police, an emergency call was received at about 2:36 a.m. reporting a person who had fallen from a considerable height and was lying seriously injured in front of a hotel on Soi Buakhao. Officers from the Pattaya City Police Station, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Itthikorn Saikrathok, arrived at the scene together with rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya foundation. They found the victim, identified as Johan Rene B. Renier from Belgium, lying badly hurt in front of the building.
Fall from seventh-floor room
Initial investigations indicated that the man had fallen from a room on the hotel’s seventh floor. Police said he apparently hit a canopy first and then landed on the ground in front of the building, and at the time of the fall he was reported to have been completely naked. Rescue workers provided immediate first aid and transported the severely injured man to a nearby hospital, but police said they initially had no detailed information on his current condition.
Witness heard loud impact
A 24-year-old Thai man, Itthiphon Sri Chai, was near the hotel at the time of the incident and told officers he had heard a loud noise that sounded to him like a traffic accident. When he went to look, he found the foreigner lying on the ground in front of the building, crying loudly for help.
“I immediately notified the authorities,”
said Itthiphon Sri Chai, witness.
No signs of struggle or break-in
During an initial inspection of the hotel room and the surrounding area, investigators reported no visible signs of a physical altercation. Police also said there were no indications of theft or of anyone having forced entry from outside.
“We documented the scene extensively with photos and other evidence,”
said Pol. Lt. Col. Itthikorn Saikrathok, investigating officer.
Accident or suicide attempt under review
Authorities stated they were examining whether the case involved a tragic accident or a possible suicide attempt, adding that a final assessment was not yet possible. To clarify the sequence of events, officers planned to review the hotel’s CCTV footage and cameras in the surrounding area, and the investigation was continuing. The man was being treated at a local hospital, and officials said his condition remained unclear as investigators worked to reconstruct the course of the night.