Thai taxi driver hangs himself to protest coup

A Thai taxi driver who protested against the Sept. 19 coup by slamming his taxi into a tank at the Royal Plaza last month killed himself by hanging himself from a pedestrian overbridge in Bangkok on Wednesday in an apparent protest against the military coup, according to local reports.

Col. Phaisarn Kojasup, commander of Bang Sue police station, was quoted by Thai news group The Nation as saying that Nuamthong Praiwal, 60, was found hung from a rail of the pedestrian flyover on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Highway in front of Thai Rath newspaper head office early Wednesday.

A handwritten note was found near the body, saying the death was to protest against a spokesman of the Council for National Security for saying he had no ideology in his earlier protest against the coup, the report said.

"I am a taxi driver who has sacrificed himself for democracy," his note said.

Phaisarn said the surrounding evidences indicated that the man committed suicide.

Nuamthong made headlines on September 30 when he slammed his taxi into a tank at the Royal Plaza. He painted his purple taxi with the words, "Destroy the country" and "Suicide".

He suffered broken ribs at that time.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said he was saddened by the death but doubted there would be any copycat suicide bids.

"We can talk to find ways to solve our problem and explain the reasons (for the coup)," said Surayud.

Source: Xinhua