https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... rned-house (Photo at link)
KANCHANABURI: Firemen found the charred body of a hanged foreign man in a ground floor room when called to a burning house early Monday morning, police said.
The fire was reported about 3.30am at house 452 in Kanchanaburi Villa Housing Estate in tambon Tha Makham of Muang district, Pol Lt Suthikan Iamsamang, Muang duty officer, said.
Ten fire engines from Muang, Tha Makham and Pak Phraek municipalities were dispatched to fight the blaze.
The two-storey house was burning fiercely when the firemen arrived. They had to cut a padlock to slide open the main gate and enter the premises. It took them about an hour to put out the flames.
They at first thought there was no-one in the house. But when searching the kitchen on the ground floor with the aid of flashlights they found the charred body of a foreign man hanging by a rope from a ceiling beam.
Neighbours told police the dead man was a German, aged about 50, who had lived in the house for about 10 years with his Thai wife. Lately, the wife only visited him once in a while.
They said the man, who had not been identified, was reclusive and rarely talked to them.
They said that shortly before 3.30am they heard three or four loud explosions insiude the house. They went outside to take a look and saw the house on fire. They called the police.
When firemen and police examined the second floor, they found two 15-kilogramme gas cylinders, each ringed with four burned car tyres.
They speculated that the German set fire to the car tyres, intending to burn down the house, before going downstairs to hang himself.
The investigation was continuing.
