A mother and her son were rescued from their burning condo early Tuesday after an Irishman set fire to their room and locked his family inside.
Police and emergency responders were called to the Prime Suites Condominium on Soi Pattaya Klang 4 at 3.49am.
At the scene, smoke was billowing from a room on the fourth floor of the seven-storey building.
Alarmed residents gathered outside while firefighters rushed inside, after reports that two people, one a child, were trapped inside the burning room.
It took about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control, and the trapped 8-year-old boy and his 26-year-old mother were rescued.
The father, a 50-year-old Irishman, was in a wild state, according to witnesses, standing on the balcony as if he intended to jump. Rescuers were able to restrain him and take him to safety.
The man was taken to hospital, police said.
His man's Thai wife told police her husband had been talking to himself in the room for some time before starting a fire with a lighter and locking them inside.
A condominium employee told police the couple often argued.
The wife had earlier that morning sent a message asking for help, saying her husband had begun hallucinating, was holding a knife and walking around the room, the employee said.
