Untimely death in a boarding house stirs unsettling urban lore

Residents around a local boarding house today were taken aback when a delivery man was discovered dead in his room, having seemingly passed away three days prior. The gruesome discovery left his sole neighbour unnerved and motivated to seek new residences, while at the same time reviving the old saying about death heralded by the call of a barn owl.

It began around 7am, when police in the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province were alerted to the discovery of a corpse in a boarding house in the Uthai district. Upon arrival at the scene, they found disquieting traces of blood extending from a second-floor dwelling down to the ground level. Inside, they discovered the remains of Veerachai, a 43 year old native of the Uttaradit province. Based on preliminary checks, it was apparent that Veerachai had been deceased for at least three days, with no signs of conflict detectable, reported KhaoSod.

Interviewing residents of the room next to the deceased, police learned that Veerachai made his living as a delivery rider. His daily routine involved him leaving the boarding house early in the morning and returning around 8pm. The last time they saw him alive was August 6.

In the days that followed, they worried about Veerachai’s health when they hadn’t seen him. Those fears were later confirmed by the sight of blood trails seeping from Veerachai’s room in the boarding house early in the morning.

This scared the neighbours, especially since only two rooms were occupied, leaving them as the only people to uncover Veerachai’s untimely demise. Their fear persuaded them to search for a different place to live.

Adding a layer of local lore to the dreadful proceedings, a 65 year old resident known only as Lek, shared a chilling anecdote. He revealed that he had been hearing the calls of an owl for two days, often haunting howls around the fields and the boarding house.

The superstition about the owl’s call portending death unnerved the man, even worrying about his children who are out of town. The discovery of the dead body in the boarding house seemed to give a chilling confirmation of the superstition.

Following Veerachai’s unfortunate death, local police sent his body for an exhaustive autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Sciences in Pathum Thani to pinpoint the cause of death. They also reached out to his family to complete official procedures and the interment rites for Veerachai, bringing a grim conclusion to the eerie discovery in a quiet boarding house.