Woman’s body found in Bangkok canal, believed to be abandoned for days

A shocking discovery occurred yesterday evening as police were summoned to a grisly scene in the Bang Khun Thian district of Bangkok. In Phraya Ratchamontri Canal, near the end of Soi Tha Kham 8, Samae Dam sub-district, the lifeless body of a woman was found floating face down, seemingly deserted for the past four days. She was thin, had long hair, and was thought to be between the ages of 40 to 50 years old.

Upon receiving the call, Thotsaphon Panthakan, a forensic police officer, promptly coordinated with medics at Siriraj Hospital, Ruamkatanyu Foundation officials, and civilian defence volunteers from Bang Khun Thian district, to examine the scene. It was around 6pm when the team arrived and encountered the disturbing sight.

The deceased woman was wearing a black T-shirt and shorts. She had long hair, and was tall and thin, with an estimated height between 155 and 160 centimetres. Preliminary investigations showed no visible signs of injury and personal identification was nowhere to be found. She had presumably been dead for at least three days, they concluded.

The woman who alerted authorities, 56 year old Siriwat Khamnim, stated that she first noticed what she initially thought looked like a pillow while paddling her boat. The next day, she saw the same object floating in the same spot, but this time a monitor lizard was on it. She tried to chase the lizard away, but it stayed still. The next day, the object was still there. She took a closer look.

Siriwat said that she recognised human hair and eventually noticed ears. Nevertheless, she still convinced herself that it must be a mannequin. Reluctant to alert others due to the potential fright, she waited until people were finished with work. It was then that she recounted her findings, leading others to investigate, eventually learning of the body’s presence, compelling them to notify the nearby police. Siriwat, visibly disturbed and shocked, stated that she didn’t recognise the woman, KhaoSod reported.

Police and forensic experts later tasked Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers with removing the woman’s body to further examine it at the forensic lab at Siriraj Hospital. More detailed investigations are to be conducted to determine the cause of fatality before authorities search for any relatives to reclaim the body for religious rites.