Officers from Tha Chatchai Police Station were notified by a local citizen around 11:45pm last night that the man had parked his Isuzu pick-up truck on the outbound side of the bridge, left his vehicle and prepared to jump off into the water below.
On arriving at the scene, police officers and officials from the Tha Chatchai checkpoint spoke to the man in order to calm him down before he agreed to come down from his position. He was then taken to Tha Chatchai Police Station where his relatives were alerted to come and collect him.
From initial questioning police confirmed it appeared the man was experiencing personal problems and had become so desperate that he had decided to take his own life.
No details on the man’s name or age were released by police at time of press.
The incident follows a very similar situation on Nov 16 where police were able to prevent a 19-year-old man from jumping from the Thao Srisoonthorn Bridge.
Two men already this month have jumped from a bridge at the north end of the island into the dangerous fast-moving water in the channel below.
Piyanat Kamnerd, 25, from Takua Thung in Phang Nga, parked his motorbike halfway across the bridge leading onto Phuket and jumped into the water below on Nov 13.
Rescue workers have been searching for him since.
Buncha Suksunit, also 25, a resident of Baan Pru Sompan in Moo 8, Tambon Thepkrasattri, in Phuket, parked his pickup truck halfway across Thao Srisoonthorn Bridge, leading off the island, and jumped over the side late on Nov 3.
The bodies of the two men have yet to be found.
If you or anyone you know is in dire need of emotional support and counselling, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791 (English), 02-713-6793 (Thai) or Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai).