PATTAYA — A 26-year-old Thai woman and her eight-year-old son were rescued from their burning condominium in the early hours of Tuesday after her Irish husband allegedly set fire to their room and locked the family inside, in a terrifying incident that has left neighbours shaken and police searching for answers.

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Pattaya City police and emergency responders were called to the Prime Suites Condominium on Soi Pattaya Klang 4 in tambon Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, at 3:49 a.m., according to Police Major Chaowalit Suwanmanee. At the scene, smoke was billowing from a room on the fourth floor of the seven-storey building, and alarmed residents had gathered outside as firefighters rushed inside, spurred by reports that two people—one of them a child—were trapped in the burning unit.

It took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to bring the blaze under control, and during that time they successfully rescued the trapped occupants: the eight-year-old boy and his 26-year-old mother. Both were pulled from the smoke-filled room and taken to safety, though their condition has not been disclosed.

The father, identified as a 50-year-old Irishman, was described by witnesses as being in a wild, frenzied state. According to those at the scene, he was standing on the balcony as if he intended to jump, prompting rescuers to intervene. They were able to restrain him and bring him to safety before he could harm himself. The man was subsequently taken to hospital, and the situation was brought under control, Police Major Chaowalit said.

Condo Inferno in Pattaya!

An Irish foreigner allegedly went berserk, confined his wife and child, then set fire to the room and reportedly tried to jump from the balcony.

Rescue workers stormed in and rushed to save lives amid chaos.https://t.co/hm21d3AZXD pic.twitter.com/9hSvq5SjFZ

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The man’s Thai wife told police that her husband had been talking to himself in the room for some time before the fire started. She alleged that he used a lighter to set the room ablaze and then locked them inside, preventing them from escaping. Police later found a kitchen knife on a table in the room, adding a chilling new dimension to an already disturbing scene. The woman declined to speak to reporters about what may have triggered the incident, saying she would only provide details to police.

A condominium employee, identified as 48-year-old Thanyawarat, told police that the couple had quarrelled frequently and that tensions in the household had been evident to staff. She also revealed that the wife had sent a message earlier that morning asking for help, saying her husband had begun hallucinating, was holding a knife and was walking around the room in an agitated state. The message, sent just hours before the fire, suggested that the woman had been aware of the escalating danger but had been unable to escape.

The incident has raised urgent questions about the couple’s relationship, the husband’s mental state, and whether warning signs were missed. Police have confirmed that their investigation is continuing, and no formal charges have been announced at this stage. The Irishman remains in hospital, and it is not yet known whether he will face criminal charges once he is discharged.

Mentally ill man sets fire to his own house

For the young mother and her eight-year-old son, the trauma of being locked inside a burning room by a husband and father will linger long after the smoke has cleared. For the residents of the Prime Suites Condominium, the early morning fire has been a terrifying reminder that the greatest dangers sometimes come not from strangers, but from behind closed doors.

-Thailand News (TN)