Pictures courtesy of SiamChon

Police in Pattaya are investigating the death of an 86-year-old Canadian man who was found dead after falling from a high-rise condominium in the Jomtien area on the morning of 15 January 2026. The man’s body was discovered in a car park beside the building, prompting an immediate response from local police, tourist police and rescue services.

Officers from Pattaya City Police Station received the report and attended the scene. The condominium is a 27-storey building, and the deceased was confirmed to be a foreign national who had been residing on the 14th floor. His body showed injuries consistent with a fall from height and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to preliminary findings, the deceased was a Canadian citizen aged 86 and was named by police, who had been living in the condominium with his Thai wife. A search of his room revealed no signs of a struggle, forced entry or disturbance to personal belongings. Police stated that there was no immediate evidence to suggest the involvement of a third party.

Security staff at the condominium told investigators that the man’s Thai wife had left the room at approximately 05.00 to attend to the garden of a property, as part of her normal routine. A caregiver was scheduled to arrive at around 06.00 to look after the man in her absence. When the caregiver arrived and could not locate him in the room, staff and the caregiver began searching the premises.

The search led to the discovery that the man had fallen from the balcony of his room and landed in the car park area beside the building. Condominium staff then notified police and emergency services, who secured the area and began their investigation. Officers documented the scene and coordinated with rescue personnel to manage the recovery of the body.

In line with standard procedure, police ordered that the body be transferred by rescue workers to the Police General Hospital’s forensic institute for a post-mortem examination. Investigators are also questioning people close to the deceased and reviewing closed-circuit television footage from within the building to determine the precise circumstances leading to the fall.

Key Takeaways

• An 86-year-old Canadian man was found dead after falling from a 27-storey condominium in Pattaya on 15 January 2026.

• Police found no signs of a struggle or theft in the man’s room and are treating the case as an unexplained death pending further checks.

• Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage and awaiting forensic results.

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from SiamChon 2026-01-15

 

 

Another tragic story.Why don't they get higher reelings?This happens to often and the police can't find any evidence for foul play.

5 minutes ago, norsurin said:

Why don't they get higher reelings?

Did you look at the picture? The railing shown is high. You do not just fall over that railing, you have to climb. All Condos and Hotels I stayed had high railings. Yes, you can still find low railings, but there are less and less of them around.

So the arriving caretaker couldn't find him and saw his body in the parking lot. So no idea when he met his demise then.

28 minutes ago, CHdiver said:

Did you look at the picture? The railing shown is high. You do not just fall over that railing, you have to climb. All Condos and Hotels I stayed had high railings. Yes, you can still find low railings, but there are less and less of them around.

Yes..but they can prevent this if they build even higher reelings.

In my regular hotel in Bangkok the reelings go all the way to the top.

The main windows have also reeiings that prevent guests to clime out.

At the top floor where the swimming pool is its impossible to clime and fall or jump from.

I guess many of these cases is suicide.

Elderly people should avoid living in high rises.

Or anyone, actually.

Way too many balcony falls going on in Thailand.

48 minutes ago, norsurin said:

Another tragic story.Why don't they get higher reelings?This happens to often and the police can't find any evidence for foul play.

Is it that tragic, if I reached that age I'd go back to paragliding.

13 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Elderly people should avoid living in high rises.

Or anyone, actually.

Especially if they have dementia and a wife ranting all day in a foreign language.

13 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

but that's a horrendous way to die.

Not really, it’s over and done with rather quickly.

16 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Way too many balcony falls going on in Thailand.

Accept it, it’s a way of life here, or death rather.

3 minutes ago, novacova said:

Especially if they have dementia and a wife ranting all day in a foreign language.

Are you suggesting she drove him to it?

Troll post removed, @Harrisfan this is the news section.

31 minutes ago, norsurin said:

n my regular hotel in Bangkok the reelings go all the way to the top.

Let me guess: Bangkok Hilton?

13 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Are you suggesting she drove him to it?

Not intentionally. Though folks in early to mid stages of dementia tend to get annoyed and stressed out being around unintelligible noise.

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

but that's a horrendous way to die.

what kind of fear does someone experience as they are falling?

scary stuff.

ideally, we need to die peacefully.

Well, a fall that leads to death would not be pleasant. But, provided you were up high enough, it would be over in seconds...

It's the 2nd,3rd, and 4th floor fallers who are still living who really got it bad..

Methinks the gentleman knew exactly what he was doing.......RIP sir.

2 hours ago, CHdiver said:

Did you look at the picture? The railing shown is high. You do not just fall over that railing, you have to climb. All Condos and Hotels I stayed had high railings. Yes, you can still find low railings, but there are less and less of them around.

I like to sit and enjoy the view and been at many places that you need to stand up which almost defeats the reason to have a view.

12 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Elderly people should avoid living in high rises.

Or anyone, actually.

Way too many balcony falls going on in Thailand.

I guess this is another on top of the two reported yesterday.

12 hours ago, petermik said:

Methinks the gentleman knew exactly what he was doing.......RIP sir.

Well said. My idea too.

He was 86. He needed a caretaker as his wife likely overburdened with the necessary tasks.

He had enough of the suffering.

Same thing happened in my condo in Jomtien last year. 88 year old did the Pattaya Plunge. I'm 76 now. If I make it to 88, I might be considering it, too.

15 hours ago, norsurin said:

Yes..but they can prevent this if they build even higher reelings.

In my regular hotel in Bangkok the reelings go all the way to the top.

The main windows have also reeiings that prevent guests to clime out.

At the top floor where the swimming pool is its impossible to clime and fall or jump from.

I guess many of these cases is suicide.

Sounds more like a prison than hotel. No thanks.

16 hours ago, norsurin said:

Another tragic story.Why don't they get higher reelings?This happens to often and the police can't find any evidence for foul play.

Sad to say it but if he was a suicide candidate the height of the railings would be irrelevant, however from the post pic they look fine.

14 hours ago, petermik said:

Methinks the gentleman knew exactly what he was doing.......RIP sir.

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Well said. My idea too.

He was 86. He needed a caretaker as his wife likely overburdened with the necessary tasks.

He had enough of the suffering.

32 minutes ago, LALes said:

Same thing happened in my condo in Jomtien last year. 88 year old did the Pattaya Plunge. I'm 76 now. If I make it to 88, I might be considering it, too.

When I was in my 60's, I didn't understand this way of thinking. I was in perfect health, and suicide was the last thing on my mind.

Then, in my mid-70's I got old. Yes... I can even look back and see the very DAY I became old. Next birthday I'll be 80. I'm not in bad condition, but certainly not the picture of strength and health that I was in my 60's. I'm suddenly discovering 'limits' to what I can or can't do because of my 80yr old body and I don't like it!

Another 5-8 years of increasing limits might easily be all that I'm willing to deal with. I never would have understood that way of thinking when I was younger. But I've already checked off just about everything on my Bucket List (if I had a Bucket List.) Life is still enjoyable for me, but once that changes...

14 hours ago, atpeace said:

I like to sit and enjoy the view and been at many places that you need to stand up which almost defeats the reason to have a view.

Cruise ships have bigger balconies than most these condos. Waste space the extra 3m2 be better as inside use. They are dangerous due to small size and low rails.

16 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Elderly people should avoid living in high rises.

Or anyone, actually.

Way too many balcony falls going on in Thailand.

Way too many falls , yes, but most hotels/condos are high rise, it would be difficult to find ones that aren't.

17 hours ago, norsurin said:

Why don't they get higher reelings?

Higher railings would protect people from falling, but not from committing suicide. I think that most falls from high rise buildings are suicides. If you've had enough of life, there should be a humane solution available to get help to end your life peacefully.

17 hours ago, CHdiver said:

Did you look at the picture? The railing shown is high. You do not just fall over that railing, you have to climb. All Condos and Hotels I stayed had high railings. Yes, you can still find low railings, but there are less and less of them around.

There is no way that the height of the railings can be judged by looking at the photo . I have stayed in many Thai hotels and I have yet to see railings more than 90 cms to 1 meter high on balconies . I do not think that the 86 year old man who was being cared for , was capable of climbing over the railings . Indeed there are too many cases of people falling from Thai balconies and they cannot all be suicides .

He should have returned to Canada, where his wish to commit suicide (because of his inability to look after himself) would have been granted within 48 hours, by MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying).

There is a huge surge in people dying in Canada as a result of this particular "way out".

17 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

86yos will die soon anyway

I think most men think about the day they can't take care of themselves, and what to do then!

Especially here in a strangers country and many do not have a proper network or family.

Good to have a plan when that day coming so you do not need to go flying off balconies. It is unnecessary stress and mess for innocent people you causing.

Have a plan and stick to it, and make sure nobody can suspect fault play.

I had this discussion a few days ago with one guy, and he got enough drugs stacked up to his end day.

Living with cancer for the last 4-5 years, so he is determined to do it himself.

17 hours ago, save the frogs said:

but that's a horrendous way to die.

what kind of fear does someone experience as they are falling?

scary stuff.

ideally, we need to die peacefully.

He may have had dementia, hence the need for a caregiver. Afflicted people can and do wander off

13 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

He may have had dementia, hence the need for a caregiver. Afflicted people can and do wander off

So people need to learn from this incident and seal off access to balconies when someone with dementia is in the house.

Or never leave them unattended.

Or both.

39 minutes ago, Leopold Bloom said:

He should have returned to Canada, where his wish to commit suicide (because of his inability to look after himself) would have been granted within 48 hours, by MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying).

There is a huge surge in people dying in Canada as a result of this particular "way out".

Nonsense and/or misinformed. "..allowing eligible individuals with grievous and irremediable medical conditions (whether death is foreseeable or not) to receive help to end their lives." (G search) I don't think his state qualifies as 'grievous and irremediable'. He should have gone to Switzerland...