Man Dies After Alleged Assault at Bangkok Park Pond

A man died after he was allegedly assaulted and thrown into a pond at Benchasiri Park in Bangkok, police said.

Thong Lor police received a report of a man falling into the water late on 21 August and called rescue workers and divers to search the pond.

Witnesses told authorities that two men had been arguing near the pond when one of them was allegedly assaulted until he lost consciousness. The attacker then reportedly threw him into the water before fleeing.

Rescue workers later recovered the body of an unidentified man from the pond. He was not wearing a shirt or shoes and was dressed in black shorts. He was pronounced dead after being brought ashore.

On the morning of 22 August, police detained Thaweesak Phanngam and took him to the Bangkok South Criminal Court for detention on a charge of intentional murder. Investigators opposed bail, and no relatives had sought his release during the police investigation.

When reporters asked Thaweesak why he had thrown the man into the pond, he initially declined to comment. He later said the two had argued but claimed the victim had not lost consciousness and was behaving uncontrollably.

"He was still agitated. We couldn't control him, so I threw him into the water to restrain him and calm him down," Thaweesak told reporters.

He said he did not know what had caused the man's behavior, adding that the victim had acted similarly before when he became agitated.

Park security staff said the two men had been sleeping around the park for about three to four weeks and had become friends. They sometimes went begging together and generally drank alcohol outside the park because drinking inside was prohibited.

Security staff said they had not previously seen the pair fight. However, they said the victim had been involved in three alleged indecent incidents at the park over two days in the four to five days before his death.

Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the man's death.