Man becomes dogs’ dinner

PHITSANULOK: A man who lived alone in a wooden shack on a fruit farm in Phitsanulok fell to his death and was half-eaten by the 20 dogs he kept to guard his orchards.

When villagers living nearby noticed that Mai Khongthong, 66, wasn’t out watering his fruit trees as usual February 25, they called out to him but heard no response.

They went to investigate, and found Mr Mai’s mauled body lying face down on the ground next to the raised wooden house he lived in.

Around the body were Mr Mai’s dogs – and lumps of half-chewed human flesh.

After making the gruesome discovery the villagers informed the police and Mr Mai’s children, who run a well-known gold shop in nearby Wangthong.

Investigating officer Tulawut Wimala of Wangthong Police said Mr Mai had gone to live on his own at the fruit farm, watering the trees each morning and looking after the 20 dogs he kept to guard the orchard.

Col Tulawut said Mr Mai probably fainted and fell from the wooden shack to the ground below.

After his hungry dogs smelled blood, they started eating him. When police arrived at the scene, the animals had eaten the flesh off Mr Mai’s face and skull and stripped the flesh off his right arm from his fingers to his shoulder.

Chunks had also been taken out of his left thigh, and his skeleton was visible in several places.

Mr Mai’s death has caused much chatter in the village of Baan Samtoey, with many residents refusing to let their dogs out lest they go near the man-eating dogs of Mr Mai’s farm.