A mother and her son were rescued from their burning condo early Tuesday after a frenzied Irishman set fire to their room and locked his family inside.
Pattaya City police and emergency responders were called to the Prime Suites Condominium on Soi Pattaya Klang 4 in tambon Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri at 3.49am, Pol Maj Chaowalit Suwanmanee said.
At the scene, smoke was billowing from a room on the fourth floor of the seven-storey building.
Alarmed residents gathered outside while firefighters rushed inside, spurred by reports that two people, one a child, were trapped inside the burning room.
It took about 20 minutes to bring the blaze under control, and the trapped occupants, an 8-year-old boy and his 26-year-old mother, were rescued.
The father, a 50-year-old Irishman, was in a wild state, according to witnesses, standing on the balcony as if he intended to jump. Rescuers were able to restrain him and take him to safety.
The man was taken to hospital and the situation brought under control, Pol Maj Chaowalit said.
His man’s Thai wife told police her husband had been talking to himself in the room for some time before starting a fire with a lighter and locking them inside.
Police later found a kitchen knife on a table in the room, Pol Maj Chaowalit said. The woman declined to tell reporters what caused the incident, saying she would speak only to police.
A condominium employee, Thanyawarat, 48, told police the couple had quarrelled. frequently.
The wife had earlier that morning sent a message asking for help, saying her husband had begun hallucinating, was holding a knife and walking around the room, Ms Thanyawarat said.
The police investigation was continuing.