Police and rescue teams scrambled after receiving a report of a 29-year-old man who harmed himself following heartbreak involving a university woman. He traveled by train from Chiang Mai to Lopburi, spent all his money, and ultimately faced a painful reality.
At 14:30 on 5 Aug 2016, Lopburi police received a call from a concerned citizen reporting a man self-injuring near the back of the Phra Kan Shrine, Tha Hin Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lopburi. Officers and Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers promptly responded but initially could not locate him until local residents pointed to the man lying on the lawn at Wat Nakhon Kosa.
Upon examination, he had a bleeding wound on his left arm. Rescuers provided first aid and learned the man, identified as Mr. A (alias), 29, from Chiang Mai, had arrived in Lopburi by train on the morning of 4 Aug to meet a woman named Bee (alias), whom he had known through social media for over five months.
Mr. A sadly recounted that he fell in love after seeing Bee's photo online and loved her even more upon meeting her in person. They shared a meal on 4 Aug, which deepened their connection.
He continued that Bee had asked to borrow money to buy a mobile phone. Carrying a little over 3,000 baht, he gave all the money to her. Later that evening around 20:00, when he went to meet Bee as arranged, he found her with another man, leading to an argument.
Subsequently, Bee and the other man disappeared and could not be contacted. Mr. A wandered aimlessly through the night, unable to find a way out, and ultimately hurt himself hoping to elicit sympathy from the university woman.
Police checked Mr. A's background and discovered he lived with his grandmother in Chiang Mai and had a history of depression requiring ongoing medication. After questioning and treating his wound, Mr. A showed police a photo of Bee—his phone's profile picture—revealing she was an attractive young woman.
After a conversation and persuasion, Mr. A affirmed he would not harm himself again and declined to press charges. He wished to return home to his grandmother and no longer cared for the deceitful woman. Police arranged transport to the train station and instructed railway and police staff to monitor him during the journey to prevent relapse due to missed medication, ensuring his safe return to Chiang Mai.