A 66-year-old man put a cutter to his throat in a bid to seek justice from Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha over the conduct of a soldier based in Roi Et who allegedly committed adultery with his wife. Police later overpowered the man.
The drama took place in front of the entrance to Government House at Chamai Maruchet bridge at about 9.10am.
The man, identified later as Voraphon Sujariya, 66, accused the soldier of romantic involvement with his wife -- and then registering a marriage with her, Thai media reported. The soldier is attached to the 6th Infantry Division in tambon Phosai of Roi Et’s Sri Somdet district.
Voraphon sat down, took off his T-shirt and held a cutter to his throat while claiming his wife had duped him into transferring 280,000 baht to her for reasons that remained unclear. He said he had earlier petitioned the military agency of the accused solider, but nothing had been done.
Plainclothes police and Government House officials tried to intervene, asking Voraphon to stay calm, but he continued to hold the cutter to his throat and refused to leave the area. Police later asked him to show his documentation, and used the opportunity to overpower him.
The man was later taken to an area beside the Office of the Civil Service Commission, where public liaison chief Sathit Sutthiserm went to talk with him. It was not yet clear how the situation would be resolved.