Foreigner drowns in Bangkok over water pistol

Two foreigners have died in Thailand’s capital: one drowned in a canal while trying to retrieve a water pistol, and the other fell down a hotel fire escape.

Rescuers were told Sunday night that a foreigner had fallen from Pratunam Pier into the Saen Saep canal. Witnesses said the visitor was celebrating the Songkran water festival. Accidentally dropping a water pistol into the canal, the man jumped into the water to retrieve the weapon and drowned.

At the scene, divers retrieved the body from the canal under the neighbouring Chaloemlok Bridge. The identity of the dead foreigner has not been confirmed, the Bangkok Post reported.

At 1 am on Monday, police from Lumpini police station were called to a hotel in Klong Toi district where the body of a 54-year-old Japanese man was found lying in front of a damaged car. The deceased was wearing a black shirt and blue jeans but no shoes.

Police found that the man checked into the hotel alone at 12:45 pm. The man then climbed the fire escape to the seventh floor of the hotel, from where he fell and crashed to his death, falling onto a parked car.

The silver Toyota Vios car, registered in Sakeu province, near where the Japanese man’s body was found, had a dented roof and a broken windscreen. Blood stains were found on the bonnet.

As a result of road accidents that occurred during the celebration of the Thai New Year, Songkran, from 11 to 14 April in Thailand, killed 162 people. Road accidents killed 162 people and injured 1,279.

The period from 11 to 14 April is four days of the government’s road safety campaign for Songkran, the Thai New Year holiday. During this period, there were 1,259 road accidents.

Nakhonsitthammarat had the most road accidents, 50, and the most casualties, 54. Bangkok and Royet recorded the highest number of fatalities, with ten each.

By Monday, some people had started returning to workplaces in Bangkok and other regional economic centres, increasing traffic on national highways.

From 11 to 14 April, 3,890 traffic citations were recorded. Ninety-six per cent of the violations were drunk driving. Bangkok recorded the most cases of drunk driving, with 399. The capital is followed by Nonthaburi, 227, and Samutprakan, 214.

The number of accidents, deaths and injuries is lower than in last year’s Songkran celebrations. According to the UN, an average of about 55 people are killed in accidents on Thailand’s roads every day of the year.