Elderly man found dead 1 kilometre from Udon Thani home

The discovery of a missing elderly man’s body, just 1 kilometre from his home after a four-day search, has left his family and neighbours in Udon Thani province bewildered. The incident sparked discussions among the local community, with some attributing his disappearance to supernatural causes.

News surfaced yesterday, July 25, that 76 year old Saengthong Burapha, a resident of Dong Samran Chai village, Nong Saeng subdistrict, Udon Thani province, had been found dead. Saengthong had been missing since July 21 when CCTV footage captured him leaving his home and heading into the forest at approximately 9.40am. Despite extensive search efforts by relatives and villagers, his body was only discovered yesterday.

The unfortunate discovery was made by villagers who resumed their search. Saengthong’s body was found lying on his back, appearing to have suffered from dehydration and starvation. The location was a mere kilometre from his home, puzzling his relatives as they had previously searched the same area without success. There were no signs of foul play, and the family did not suspect any criminal activity, allowing officials to release the body for traditional funeral rites.

Saengthong’s nephew lit incense to inform the local spirits and invited his uncle’s spirit to return home. This act spurred conversations among the villagers, with many believing that the spirits in the area were strong and may have concealed Saengthong’s body during previous searches. This belief is strengthened by the fact that villagers had scoured the area for four days without finding him, only for his body to appear suddenly.

Throngdet Sriyotha, the first person to find the body, shared his experience. While searching near a cassava plantation, he noticed a patch of flattened grass and suspected Saengthong might be there. Upon closer inspection, he discovered Saengthong’s lifeless body and immediately contacted the family and the police. Throngdet mentioned that the villagers were aware of Saengthong’s condition, as he suffered from dementia. Whenever he was seen wandering, they would promptly return him to his home.

Early-stage Alzheimer’s

Viewatt Manee Roong, who considered Saengthong a grandfather figure, provided further insights. Saengthong had been a tractor driver for his family for many years and was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. On July 21, the day Saengthong went missing, no one was home as they were all at work. Upon returning, they assumed he was resting under a pile of blankets that resembled a person sleeping.

Viewatt recounted that around 4pm, he went to check on Saengthong to invite him to dinner but found him missing. Initially, there was no concern as Saengthong often wandered off, and villagers would usually bring him back. However, as night fell and no one had seen or returned him, the family grew worried and began searching.

Despite their efforts, it took four days for Saengthong’s body to be found at the entrance of a local plantation. The discovery was particularly perplexing as the area had been searched previously without success. Viewatt speculated that Saengthong might have become disoriented and unable to find his way back, reported KhaoSod.