Police investigate death of elderly man at Samut Songkhram facility

Police are urgently investigating the discovery of an 84 year old man, found with a stab wound in his abdomen, at a coconut sugar boiling facility in Samut Songkhram. The man, who had a history of psychiatric treatment, was discovered yesterday evening, September 9.

Police received a report about the incident at 6pm yesterday. Chaiyachet Duangrat, Deputy Inspector at Bang Khonthi Police Station, immediately coordinated with Napaphai Hospital’s medical team and rushed to the scene. Accompanying him were Chulaphon Meechamnan, the Superintendent of Bang Khonthi Police Station, forensic experts, investigators, the village headman, and a rescue unit.

The body was found lying on a bed, shirtless, wearing black shorts. Near the body, a five-inch kitchen knife with a sharp tip was discovered and collected as evidence. The deceased was identified as the owner of a coconut plantation spanning over 10 rai.

Investigators interviewed Sanan, a 57 year old waste collector and the deceased’s son-in-law. Sanan explained that his father-in-law had five children who had moved to different provinces for work. Sanan, who lived with the deceased, took care of him in place of his wife, who worked in Bangkok and returned home on weekends.

Sanan recounted that he had returned home from work and taken a sleeping pill to rest. Upon waking at 4pm, he noticed his father-in-law was missing and began searching for him, eventually finding him dead.

Further investigations revealed that the deceased had spent his younger years working in the coconut plantation. Later, he became a monk but had to leave the monkhood due to his mental health issues, which required ongoing medication for several decades. In recent years, his condition had worsened, leading to episodes of erratic behaviour, reported KhaoSod.

Police initially considered self-harm but did not rule out the possibility of murder, given the deceased’s ownership of a sizeable coconut plantation. The body was sent to the hospital for an autopsy, and police are continuing to interview those involved to determine the precise cause of death.