Angry Thai woman cuts rope to leave painters hanging above 26th floor

Condominium resident angry she had not been told about work outside her room, media reports

A woman in a high-rise condominium in Bangkok cut a support rope for two painters and left them hanging above the 26th floor until their rescue.

The woman was angry she had not been told they would be doing work outside of her room, Thai media said.

The woman is facing attempted murder and property destruction charges, Col Pongjak Preechakarunpong, chief of the Pak Kret police station north of the Thai capital, told AP.

A video clip on social media showed two painters asking the residents on the 26th floor to open the window and let them in.

One of the painters, a Myanmar national named Song, told Thai media he and two friends had lowered themselves from the 32nd floor to repair a crack on the building.

When he reached the 30th floor, he felt the rope was heavier and when he looked down, he saw someone on the 21st floor open a window and cut his rope. He tried asking for help from other units, but nobody was in the other rooms.

The third colleague continued to support them from the top floor, said Praphaiwan Setsing, the resident who saved them.

Ms Praphaiwan said her British husband noticed one painter signalling for help and called her to talk to them.

“This incident is shocking and should not happen at all,” she said.

The management of the condo accompanied the painters to report the incident to the police. The 34-year-old woman at first denied she was responsible, but police sent the severed rope for a fingerprint and DNA analysis, media reported.

On Wednesday, the woman and her lawyer appeared at the police station. After the police showed her the CCTV footage and forensic evidence, she confessed but denied any intention to kill the workers.

Col Pongjak said the suspect was temporarily released. Police will file an indictment at the provincial court within 15 days, he said. She could face a prison term up to 20 years if found guilty on a charge of attempted murder.