A 69-year-old blind German man sat waiting for his wife at their home in Chachoengsao, unaware that she had taken her own life inside until a neighbour arrived on Tuesday evening.
Police were called to the two-storey house in Khlong Udom Chonlachon at 6.30pm on Tuesday, where they found the body of a 53-year-old Thai woman who had hanged herself. Her husband, blind in both eyes due to a car accident, was sitting at a table outside.
A neighbour told police the couple had rented the house for over a year. The woman worked as a taxi driver in Bangkok for two to three days at a time, preparing meals for her husband before leaving. The neighbour would check in and cook for him if she was away for longer.
On the day of the incident, the husband called out, asking the neighbour to turn on the house lights. When the lights came on, the woman’s body was discovered.
The husband told police his wife had returned home that morning distressed after a traffic accident. The other party was demanding 40,000 baht in compensation, which the couple did not have.
Officials visited the home on Wednesday to assess the man’s situation and found his visa had expired. He has lived in Thailand for 16 years on a German pension.
The man said he wishes to remain in Thailand. Authorities will contact his relatives. Meanwhile, neighbours continue to provide him with meals and care.
