Australian falls to his death at Phuket airport

Australian falls to his death at Phuket airport
The Phuket airport parking building. A 50-year-old Australian fell to his death from the the fifth floor on Tuesday night. (Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran)

PHUKET: A 50-year-old Australian man fell to his death from a parking building at Phuket international airport on Tuesday night.

His death was reported to police about 8.30pm by a security guard, who said he shouted out to the man not to jump, but he did anyway. The man’s name was withheld pending notification of relatives.

Police sent to scene found the man’s body on the ground in the motorcycle parking area of the airport, Pol Col Salan Tantisartsanakun, chief of Sakhu police station, said.

Security camera recordings showed showed the man arriving at the airport alone. He walked along the road to the parking building and took a lift to the upper floors. He tore up a 500 baht  banknote and a 50 baht note and then jumped from the fifth floor, police said.

Police said the man entered the country on Aug 24 and later left. He re-entered Thailand on Aug 28 and stayed at a hotel in Patong. His belongings were still in the hotel room.

According to police, he had no air ticket to leave the country. He had no criminal record.

His body was sent to Vachira Phuket Hospital for post-mortem examination. The Australian embassy had been notified, police said.

An Australian man, 50, was found dead here, on the ground floor of the Phuket airport parking building, in the motorcycle parking area. (Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran)