Lt Yingyong Chuykit from the Patong Police was notified at around 6:40am today by staff from a hotel on Rat Uthit 200 Pi Rd that a Frenchman had died after jumping from a balcony on the 16th floor of the hotel.
The victim, name withheld until his family have been notified, was staying at room 302 of the Saria Mansion and had checked in alone on Sept 29 police were told.
An electrician from the hotel from which the man jumped, Mr Kittisak Duangniras, 37, witnessed the incident and told police in a statement that he went up to the 16th floor of the building to turn off the lights when he spotted a man standing on the balcony ready to jump.
Mr Kittisak attempted to talk the man down, but he did not listen and instead put a blindfold and jumped.
Police checked the victim’s room at Saria Mansion but found no signs of a struggle or robbery. However, police did find a note with a contact number for the victim’s family in France and cash set aside for a motorbike rental.
The French Consulate in Phuket has been notified of the incident.