A man has been placed in police custody for allegedly slashing the throat of his five-year-old son and killing him before trying to commit suicide near a petrol station in Bangkok's Prawet district, police said yesterday.
Prawet police were alerted to the incident at 5.30am yesterday and found Montree Saengya, 33, drunk with what appeared to be self-inflicted wounds on his limbs, torso and throat.
Also found next to the man was a dead boy aged five whose throat had been slashed with a sharp object which was identified later as a shard from a broken beer bottle. The wound was 10cm long.
Mr Montree, who appeared drunk and disoriented and kept murmuring to himself, was rushed to Sirindhorn Hospital and placed under police custody.
Pol Col Alongkorn Sirisongkhram, superintendent of Prawet police station, said, based on witness accounts, Mr Montree took a motorcycle taxi from Soi On Nut 64 at 10pm on Thursday with his son to Soi Phatthanakan 78 to look for his wife.
Mr Montree asked the motorcycle taxi to drive around the area for about an hour before he gave up. He did not pay the fare but left his ID card with the driver.
He then bought two bottles of beer and sat down in front of a shop opposite PT petrol station on Phatthanakan Road.
At about 5am yesterday, he was seen carrying the boy across the road to the petrol station and placing him by the roadside. The boy's clothes were soaked with blood and passers-by alerted the police.
Suriya Chakamnan, the motorcycle taxi rider, said Mr Montree asked him to help find his wife.
Mr Suriya said he dropped the man off in front of Soi Phattanakarn 78 after an hour and requested a 100-baht fare but Mr Montree could not pay so left the ID card instead.
He said he remembered the passenger and was shocked to learn from police about the killing.
Mr Montree's condition was critical due to extensive blood loss, police said.
It is believed he tried to kill himself after murdering his son.
