A 50-year-old unnamed American man was found dead on a sixth-floor apartment balcony area in Jomtien, Chon Buri, during the early hours of 18 May 2026. Police and rescue workers were called to the scene after residents reported seeing a man lying motionless over the balcony of a seven-storey rental apartment building.

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Police said the incident was reported at around 1am to investigators at Pattaya City Police Station. Officers, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Saijai Kamjunla, arrived with rescuers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya rescue foundation to examine the scene.

Large numbers of Thai residents and foreign tourists had gathered outside the building when authorities arrived. The deceased man was found with his head hanging over the balcony edge on the sixth floor. He was wearing grey jeans and flip-flops but no shirt.

Initial checks by investigators indicated the man had been dead for at least three hours before their arrival. Police reported there were no signs of forced entry, theft, or a struggle inside the room.

Officers also stated that the body showed no visible injuries or signs of assault during the preliminary examination. The exact cause of death has not yet been determined.

A witness identified only as “Nong Tao”, a teenager who was sitting with friends opposite the apartment building, told police he first noticed what appeared to be a person hanging over the balcony. After taking a closer look and realising the man was motionless, he became alarmed and alerted a nearby motorcycle taxi rider, who contacted emergency services.

Investigators documented the scene and collected photographic evidence as part of the inquiry. Rescue workers later transferred the body to hospital for a full post-mortem examination to establish the precise cause of death.

SiamChon reported that the case remains under investigation, and police have not yet released further details about the circumstances leading to the man’s death. Authorities are expected to await forensic and autopsy findings before determining whether any additional action.

Pictures courtesy of SiamChon

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Adapted by ASEAN Now SiamChon 18 May 2026

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Grasping for air while uncontrolled vomiting? Maybe autonomous reactions to drug overdose? More needs to be known.

1. Heart attack and trying to signal for help? (Yeah, he could have used a phone)

2. Murdered but he was too heavy for the killer to push over the railing to fake a suicide?

Didn't quite make it to fall season.

UPDATE

American Man Dead on Balcony in Jomtien

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

Police in Pattaya are continuing to investigate the death of a 50-year-old American man who was found lying face down over a sixth-floor balcony at an apartment building in Jomtien during the early hours of 18 May 2026. The incident shocked residents, tourists and passers-by after the body was spotted protruding from the balcony railing of the building on Jomtien Second Road.

Emergency services were alerted at 12.50am after reports of a foreign man hanging motionless from the balcony. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station and rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya rescue foundation attended the scene.

The body discovered at a sixth-floor room. Investigators and reporters climbing to the scene reported a strong smell of cannabis throughout the fifth and sixth floors of the building. Apartment staff unlocked the room for police inspection.

Police said blood was visible around the man’s face and estimated he had died around three to four hours before discovery. The position of the body caused distress among witnesses gathered below the building.

Documents found at the scene identified the deceased as Timothy Witsil, a 50-year-old American national. Investigators reported there were no signs of a struggle inside the room.

Police found the television switched on, while a suitcase, laptop computer and clothing belonging to the deceased were discovered inside a wardrobe. No evidence of theft or forced entry was reported.

The apartment manager told officers the man had been staying alone at the property since 14 May 2026. He had rented the room on a daily basis for 600 baht per night and was due to check out on 20 May.

A neighbouring resident said they did not know the deceased personally but had occasionally noticed the smell of cannabis coming from the room where he was staying.

Amarin reported that rescue workers later removed the body from the building and transferred it to Pattaya Bhattamakun Hospital for temporary storage, while the embassy and relatives are contacted. The body will also undergo a detailed forensic examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 18 May 2026

psychotic episode on cannabis?

Troll post removed.

@PhilipHabib this is the news section, if you can’t post without trolling then don’t. Rule 10. You will not post troll messages. Trolling is the act of purposefully antagonizing forum members by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other members into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

That's the Grand Residence Hotel, on Jomtien Saisong right by the Rompho bar beer complex. RIP.

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

psychotic episode on cannabis?

It happens all the time according to my niece who is an emergency ward nurse in a large hospital.

No point in speculation until the post Mortem is carried out

will we know the cause or at least the Authorities will

Maybe he was seconds away from jumping, but the thought of jumping gave him a heart attack.

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Grasping for air while uncontrolled vomiting? Maybe autonomous reactions to drug overdose? More needs to be known.

There was no reported evidence of any of that.

"Maybe autonomous reactions to drug overdose"

What does that mean, what is an "autonomous reaction" [sic]?

Some really disrespectful comments about a serious event where someone lost their life.

This shows it's just not some of the tourists who need to grow up and stop being idiots and remember "what goes around, comes around".

2 hours ago, Screaming said:

It happens all the time according to my niece who is an emergency ward nurse in a large hospital.

She's a nurse, not a doctor, right? And not a psychiatrist, right? Nor are you? The difference being 8 years of medical school. So nonetheless with a few years of school she can diagnose a psychotic episode - how? Just sitting there watching people rapidly coming and going? Do you or she even know what a psychotic episode is? In fact, such cannabis induced episodes, mostly in the form of extreme paranoia, affect an estimated .47% of people who use cannabis throughout their lifetime. Less than one half of one percent. They are mostly temporary and rarely cause much problem or permanent harm. I'm 69 and in my entire lifetime I've never seen anything worse than temporary attacks of paranoia in smokers. What your niece probably sees are people affected by combinations of cannabis and alcohol and other drugs, or who may have underlying mental health issues. That's why we have REAL doctors.

Edited May 18May 18 by Jonathan Swift

19 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

with a few years of school she can diagnose a psychotic episode -

She doesn't have to diagnose an incident to know it is. Doctors or other staff can tell her.

7 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

She doesn't have to diagnose an incident to know it is. Doctors or other staff can tell her.

You're funny. Look up the word diagnose, that might help. If it's not diagnosed, you don't know what it is. All you're doing is guessing. Duh. Nurses do this all the time, much to the annoyance of REAL doctors. Tell me what hospital, I want to make sure I never go there.

10 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

You're funny. Look up the word diagnose, that might help. If it's not diagnosed, you don't know what it is. All you're doing is guessing. Duh. Nurses do this all the time, much to the annoyance of REAL doctors. Tell me what hospital, I want to make sure I never go there.

You reacted you didn't read what I wrote. The doctor diagnose the problem and then tells other attending staff what the diagnosis is.

I didn't say it actually happen but it could. You just rambled about 8 years of training which I believe is what Veterinarians do.

49 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

She's a nurse, not a doctor, right? And not a psychiatrist, right? Nor are you? The difference being 8 years of medical school. So nonetheless with a few years of school she can diagnose a psychotic episode - how? Just sitting there watching people rapidly coming and going? Do you or she even know what a psychotic episode is? In fact, such cannabis induced episodes, mostly in the form of extreme paranoia, affect an estimated .47% of people who use cannabis throughout their lifetime. Less than one half of one percent. They are mostly temporary and rarely cause much problem or permanent harm. I'm 69 and in my entire lifetime I've never seen anything worse than temporary attacks of paranoia in smokers. What your niece probably sees are people affected by combinations of cannabis and alcohol and other drugs, or who may have underlying mental health issues. That's why we have REAL doctors.

Agree, and have never known anyone out of hundreds I've been around and smoked with who had any bad episodes regarding just weed. Alcohol, , Meth and Cocaine yes. A bit of paranoia in first time smokers but the people I was around always helped the others when they were trying out weed. Maybe laughed when they coughed but that's all. Acid also in a couple, but other's around helped them.

55 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

mostly in the form of extreme paranoia, affect an estimated .47% of people who use cannabis throughout their lifetime.

This is from AI, which is quoting a PubMed study:

1 hour ago, Jonathan Swift said:

She's a nurse, not a doctor, right? And not a psychiatrist, right? Nor are you? The difference being 8 years of medical school. So nonetheless with a few years of school she can diagnose a psychotic episode - how? Just sitting there watching people rapidly coming and going? Do you or she even know what a psychotic episode is? In fact, such cannabis induced episodes, mostly in the form of extreme paranoia, affect an estimated .47% of people who use cannabis throughout their lifetime. Less than one half of one percent. They are mostly temporary and rarely cause much problem or permanent harm. I'm 69 and in my entire lifetime I've never seen anything worse than temporary attacks of paranoia in smokers. What your niece probably sees are people affected by combinations of cannabis and alcohol and other drugs, or who may have underlying mental health issues. That's why we have REAL doctors.

.47 sounds minute, but on estimated users in Thailand that’s around 38000 people, so quite a lot. That doesn’t include tourists either, just Thai residents.

Must have been the Hate for the man as he left the China summit, yelling top of his lungs when he saw Air force one fly by!😂

Cannabis user, nothing said about alcohol, seems to be common on threads today what with the train driver also on cannabis. I wonder if cannabis is the cause of both these horrific incidents and the damage it has caused to all the families left behind.

The Devil's weed is getting the blame for this sad event.

31 minutes ago, flaming dragon said:

He smoked some of that paraquat weed from the 70's. If his shorts were around his ankles and Jomtien being what it is, could have been a homocide.

There is one other plausible explanation, but…

We won't know for sure until toxicology reports, but you have to be a damn fool idiot to buy and ingest street drugs in Thailand.

RIP Mr. Witzel

Bad image for tourism in Thailand.

Going out with a whimper instead of a bang. A lot easier to clean up at any rate.

On 5/18/2026 at 2:00 PM, fredwiggy said:

Agree, and have never known anyone out of hundreds I've been around and smoked with who had any bad episodes regarding just weed. Alcohol, , Meth and Cocaine yes. A bit of paranoia in first time smokers but the people I was around always helped the others when they were trying out weed. Maybe laughed when they coughed but that's all. Acid also in a couple, but other's around helped them.

First time I smoked pot at 17, I smashed an ashtray over my head to stop the continuous buzzing in my brain……that swore me off pot for life. Guess that qualifies as a psychotic episode??

RIP American man, whatever caused your death is a moot point, we all have an expiration date, when it's our time, it's our time. Peace

5 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Yes, as some never should partake of mind altering substances if they already have a mental condition.

8 hours ago, Explorator en Action said:

First time I smoked pot at 17, I smashed an ashtray over my head to stop the continuous buzzing in my brain……that swore me off pot for life. Guess that qualifies as a psychotic episode??

His reply on that makes sense. Not saying it was in your case, and it all depends on how many more ashtrays you've broken in this manner since.