Shocking telephone junction box theft attempt turns deadly for Thai men

Two Thai men who attempted to steal a telephone junction box this morning met a tragic end due to a fatal electric shock. Their lifeless bodies were discovered at 6am today beside their Isuzu pickup truck in Soi Suksawat 62, Bang Mot, Thung Khru, Bangkok.

The individuals have been identified as 44 year old Somchok and 63 year old Kamphon. Both were mechanics who had partnered in this ill-fated crime.

The police, led by Deputy Superintendent Athikom Saengjit of Rat Burana Police Station, along with forensics and the Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers, arrived at the scene following a report of two fatalities. They discovered the bodies of both men lying near a wall behind their bronze Isuzu pickup.

Near the deceased, a large rectangular iron box was found, a metre in width, 1.5 metres in height, 1.3 centimetres thick, and weighing more than 50 kilogrammes.

The junction box seemed to have been hauled onto the back of the pickup truck. Inspection of the base of the box revealed signs of tampering, with large electrical and telephone wires severed from beneath the ground, reported Khaosod.

From this evidence, it was deduced that the two dead men were thieves who had attempted to cut the wires to steal the telephone junction box but were electrocuted in the process. A large pair of bolt cutters was found clutched in the hand of one of the victims, further cementing the conclusion.

The police documented all evidence and collected the tools used by the deceased. The two dead bodies were handed over to volunteers for a detailed examination at Siriraj Hospital’s forensics department before being released to relatives for religious rites. The investigation continues to determine if any other individuals were involved in the attempted theft of the telephone junction box.

Follow more of The Thaiger’s latest stories on our new Facebook page HERE.