Funeral woe turns to joy as Thai parents realise ‘dead’ son is alive
Thai parents held a three-day funeral for their son before discovering that he was still alive and undergoing treatment at a hospital in the southern province of Phatthalung.
Amarawadee Datekhao shared the case of mistaken identity that her family experienced with ThaiRath yesterday, March 26. She explained that her 17 year old son, Pongsaphak Thaneerat, and his friend were rushed to Phatthalung Hospital on March 23 following a motorcycle accident.
When Amarawadee and other family members arrived at the hospital to check on her son’s condition, the medical team informed them of the tragic news and transferred what they believed to be her son’s body back to their home for the funeral.
Amarawadee and her family noticed that the clothes on the deceased did not match those of her son but initially dismissed their concerns and focused on the funeral arrangements.
Due to the severity of the accident, the facial structure was significantly damaged, making identification difficult. It was only on the final day of the funeral that the mistake was realised.
The parents of Pongsaphak’s friend attended the funeral and raised suspicions. The friend’s parents insisted that their son had a pierced ear, whereas the person at the hospital showed no signs of an ear piercing.
Amarawadee then checked the hospital documents and found that the recorded blood type did not match her son’s.
The two families sought clarification from the hospital and soon realised that a mistake was made. Pongsaphak was still being treated at the hospital, while his friend tragically died in the accident.
The hospital later held a press conference to explain the error to the public. The hospital stated that both patients were admitted to the hospital without any personal identification documents, which made it difficult for the medical staff to confirm their identities.
However, the hospital insisted that the medical team had provided the best possible care to both teenagers but unfortunately, one of them had succumbed to his injuries.
Despite the distressing mix-up, the two families expressed their understanding of the mistake and stated that they had no intention of taking legal action against the hospital.
Pongsaphak’s condition had reportedly improved significantly, and Amarawadee and her family regarded the mistake as good news.
Latest Thailand News
