PHUKET: A man left his motorcycle on the new Sarasin Bridge 2 today and jumped into the water below in an apparent bid to end his life. But locals spotted his leap and rescued him.
The man, named as Thanawat Mingsuwan, was taken to Takuatung Hospital in Phang Nga then later transferred at his own request to Vachira Hospital in Phuket City.
He told nurses at the Phang Nga hospital that he had insurance coverage at the Phuket City hospital.
It is not known what made the man decide to stop his motorcycle on the new bridge off Phuket and make the 15-metre leap about 10am.
The bridge, opened on August 1, has yet to be officially named but for now it is being referred to as Sarasin Bridge 2. All traffic leaving Phuket takes this one-way, two lane route off the island.
The original Sarasin Bridge was the scene of the romantic leap in 1973 of love-crossed couple Dam and Gew. Dam, a bus driver, loved Gew, the daughter of a wealthy family, but they were forbidden to see each other.
The couple jumped from the bridge and their bodies were recovered still tied together by a loincloth.
The bridge has been modified and turned into a tourist walking bridge with a central sala that is ideal for viewing Andaman Sea sunsets.
A third bridge, the Thepkasatree Bridge, is the same height and carries two lanes of traffic onto Phuket from the Phang Nga mainland.
Latest figures show that the number of suicides recorded in Thailand has declined considerably, but those who do take their lives tend to be older now.
Anyone feeling depressed or suicidal should talk to friends or family, or go to see a doctor.
The man, named as Thanawat Mingsuwan, was taken to Takuatung Hospital in Phang Nga then later transferred at his own request to Vachira Hospital in Phuket City.
He told nurses at the Phang Nga hospital that he had insurance coverage at the Phuket City hospital.
It is not known what made the man decide to stop his motorcycle on the new bridge off Phuket and make the 15-metre leap about 10am.
The bridge, opened on August 1, has yet to be officially named but for now it is being referred to as Sarasin Bridge 2. All traffic leaving Phuket takes this one-way, two lane route off the island.
The original Sarasin Bridge was the scene of the romantic leap in 1973 of love-crossed couple Dam and Gew. Dam, a bus driver, loved Gew, the daughter of a wealthy family, but they were forbidden to see each other.
The couple jumped from the bridge and their bodies were recovered still tied together by a loincloth.
The bridge has been modified and turned into a tourist walking bridge with a central sala that is ideal for viewing Andaman Sea sunsets.
A third bridge, the Thepkasatree Bridge, is the same height and carries two lanes of traffic onto Phuket from the Phang Nga mainland.
Latest figures show that the number of suicides recorded in Thailand has declined considerably, but those who do take their lives tend to be older now.
Anyone feeling depressed or suicidal should talk to friends or family, or go to see a doctor.
