A man who turned up for advanced voting in Bangkok's Bang Khen district office yesterday jumped to his death in a temple pond to escape police arrest over his outstanding warrants.
Natthawat Pukaeo fled from the balloting venue when he was alerted to the arrest team from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD).
He fled to Bang Khen underpass then ran to nearby Phrasi Mahathat temple where he jumped into the temple's fish pond and disappeared, police said yesterday.
Rescuers and divers were called in to search for him in the three-metre deep pond. They later retrieved his body.
An inspection found he had worn a wig apparently to disguise himself.
"The man was wanted on warrants," Bang Khen police chief Pol Col Amnat Intharasuan said.
The CSD learned of his appearance at the district office from Nakhon Sawan police who asked the CSD to nab him.
According to investigators, Mr Natthawat is wanted on a total of 19 warrants issued in many provinces.
The 45-year-old was accused of cheating people out of money since 2010.
He fooled shop owners into buying sugar from him but never delivered the products. He was earlier caught on three arrest warrants but jumped bail.
