Police Major Patapi Srichai of Kathu Police was alerted to the incident at 11.37pm last night (April 30), and reported to the scene, a high-rise residential property on Patong’s Rat-Uthit 200 Pi Rd.
Police photographed the scene, near a swimming pool on the property’s third floor, noting the lifeless body of a foreign man who had sustained multiple broken limbs, and was wearing black T-shirt, shorts and in a face-down position in a pool of blood.
The deceased was named as Mr Jamie William Brown, a 30-year-old* Australian national who stayed in a room on one of the property’s upper floors.
Police questioned a *woman with a western name*, who was named as an in-law of the deceased, who police said lived in the same room together, but did not elaborate further.
“The woman reported that she had and Mr Brown were in the room together at about 11.20pm last night when she said Mr Brown went out onto the balcony to photograph fireworks taking place outside.
“She said that he was leaning over the railing dangerously, and she warned him to be careful before going into the bathroom to take care of personal business.
“When she emerged from the bathroom 10 minutes later, she said she saw him hanging over the railing clinging on with his hands, and then rushed to try and help him back up, but that he was just too heavy and she didn’t have enough strength to pull him back up.”
"He slipped, right before her eyes, she said, before she then rushed, in panic, to the first floor to notify someone of the incident," Pol Maj Patapi reported
Police questioned the security guard of the property who confirmed that he was the first to discover Mr Brown’s body upon vaguely hearing a crashing sound on the third floor.
Police inspected the room of the deceased and did not report anything unusual. The body of Mr Brown has been transported to Patong hospital for further inspection.
*It has not been verified whether the deceased had already reached his 30th birthday this year or not, as his birthday coud not be verified at the time of press.
**Police named the woman, whose name and age have been omitted from the story by editors.