A shocking incident occurred on the morning of September 30 in Chatuchak, Bangkok, when a 21-year-old man set himself on fire in public, terrifying students and commuters nearby. Authorities confirmed that the man was still alive upon being rushed to the hospital but had fallen into a coma. His family suspects the incident may be linked to a romantic dispute, as witnesses reported seeing him visibly agitated while talking on the phone prior to the act. Police are waiting for his condition to stabilize before questioning him and his relatives to determine the exact cause.
Surveillance footage showed the man engulfed in flames as he ran from a bus stop in front of the Land Development Department toward the Sena Nikom BTS station, even colliding with a motorcycle amid the chaos. According to reports from Bangkok Post and Thaiger, the man wore a black hoodie and pants and carried a yellow fuel container. He poured the flammable liquid over his shoulders and back before igniting it, immediately setting himself ablaze.
Fortunately, several bystanders acted quickly to help. A driver used cloth to beat out the flames, while a 47-year-old security guard sprayed the fire with an extinguisher. The fire was extinguished within two minutes, but the man suffered severe burns and lost consciousness. The security guard assisting with the fire recalled, “He was still alive while I sprayed him, but he was badly burned, and his clothes were almost completely burned off.”
Emergency responders transported him to the hospital, while police recovered a 6-liter yellow fuel container and a lighter at the scene, along with traces of fire retardant powder on the ground. Witnesses said the man had been talking on the phone at the bus stop, visibly distressed, shortly before the incident. Authorities continue to investigate, awaiting the man’s stabilization to clarify the exact reasons behind this tragic act.
