A Frenchman was allegedly bludgeoned to death with a hammer by his own son at his home in Thailand.

Picot Pascal Pierre, 52, was last heard arguing with his unruly son Paul, 19, at the family's townhouse in the Soi Pridi Banomyong 13 area of Bangkok, before his corpse was found by the housekeeper on September 3 afternoon.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Prasert Chan-aksorn, deputy superintendent at the Khlong Tan District Police Station, said Picot had suffered severe head and back injuries inflicted by a blunt object. A yellow Stanley hammer believed to be the murder weapon was retrieved as evidence.

Cops launched an investigation and tracked down Paul at a nearby condominium unit. He was allegedly wearing bloodstained shoes during the arrest.

The teenager was remanded in police custody for interrogation, and was described as 'unstable' and 'erratic'. Police were waiting for a translator to interrogate him as he did not speak fluent Thai or English.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Prasert said: 'The son may have struck his father with the hammer when their argument turned violent. The dead man's body has been taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for an examination and to find the precise cause of his death.'

Concerned neighbours said the pair were in a heated fight on September 1 for around 15 minutes, after which the house fell silent with the lights turned off. They said they found Paul's behaviour odd that day, as he had parked his motorcycle away from the house when he typically left it in the yard.

The maid who found the body told police she was going to work as usual on September 3, but became worried when no one would answer the door. She looked through the window and saw the TV still turned on, with shards of an electric fan littering the floor.

Frightened, she called the Frenchman's wife, leading to the body's discovery.

The woman, who was not named by officers, said she and Paul had moved out of the townhouse due to the Picot's love of brandy, which had escalated into heavy drinking lasting several days. She said her son was 'prone to fits of anger and violent outbursts' that led to frequent conflicts with Picot.

Investigators also found that rescue volunteers had previously been called to the family's house on two separate occasions to restrain Paul and take him to a hospital.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Prasert said Paul was remanded in custody while being questioned on suspicion of premeditated murder.

The police chief added: 'The suspect has not been cooperative. Therefore, officers will interrogate him further until reveals what happened with his father.'