Drug-Addled Man Climbs 200-Foot Radio Tower, Rescued After 2 Hours

Buriram authorities were alarmed when a 48-year-old man under the influence of drugs climbed a radio transmission tower, scattering flyers that accused him of being harassed. After a two-hour persuasion effort, he was successfully brought down. Police noted the man had undergone drug rehabilitation several times but continued using, ultimately causing his wife to leave him.

On August 11, Buriram City Police and the Sawang Dharma Rescue Unit were alerted by Thai Radio Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) Buriram that a man had climbed a radio tower and was in danger. Officials, including Sritham Rajkaew, Deputy Governor of Buriram, and Lieutenant Colonel Siriwan Somkitchiri, Deputy Commander of Buriram Provincial Police, rushed to the scene.

They found a man identified as Nanthon, 48, from Koksra village, Kho Wan subdistrict, Lahan Sai district, Buriram, who had climbed halfway up the 120-meter-tall radio tower to a height of 60 meters. Below the tower, officers discovered a Honda Wave motorcycle without Nanthon's seat and a beer-colored liquid in a bottle near the motorcycle's front rack. They also found four attached printed pages that Nanthon had dropped to the ground.

The papers contained what appeared to be grievances stating he had not received assistance from state agencies. The content indicated that his home contained chemical leaks, even near his phone charger, causing family hardship. He claimed he had filed complaints at the Lahan Sai District Office but was instead subjected to a urine test along with his wife, leaving him unsure whom to turn to.

Government officials used megaphones to persuade Nanthon to descend, while rescue units from multiple areas were asked to provide additional airbags due to his height. After more than two hours, Nanthon agreed to come down, much to the relief of the officials on scene.

Nanthon stated he had attempted to file complaints at multiple agencies but was denied, as they dismissed his claims that his family was being exposed to toxins. Fearful for their safety and frustrated by government inaction, he brought along a sample of the toxin in a bottle before climbing the tower out of frustration.

Cheliwan Pothikaet, a Thai PBS staff member who witnessed the incident, reported that Nanthon entered without responding when asked which agency he was from, then quickly climbed the radio tower and refused to come down before authorities were notified.

Sritham Rajkaew, Deputy Governor of Buriram, stated that preliminary background checks revealed Nanthon had been involved with drugs and had a history of mental health treatment. He will be sent for another physical examination.

When asked about Nanthon's claims, Thaiphnom Somserm, Chief of Lahan Sai District, stated that the man was a drug addict who had been sent for rehabilitation multiple times without improvement, and his wife had eventually fled the home. He acknowledged that the Lahan Sai district area is severely affected by crystal methamphetamine.