Mentally ill man guards mother’s body for a week

A MENTALLY ill man in Bangkok spent five days crouched over his mother’s dead body in a Bangkok apartment before the foul smell alerted the landlady.

Walisa Amnuaypon, 58, said she knocked on the door but received no response. When she opened the room with her spare key she was shocked to find Somchai Saeju, 59, sitting next to the rotting corpse of his mother Sunyu Saephan, 88.

Police called to the scene, an apartment block on Rama II Road Soi 18 in Jomthong District, estimated Mrs Sunyu had been dead for five days, as the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition.

Investigation revealed that Mrs Sunyu lived in the room with Mr Somchai and his sister Muay Sawju, both of whom were reported as mentally ill.

Not one member of the family had jobs. Mrs Muay went out each day to beg for money from local people.

Nobody realized anything was wrong until a person in a room next door noticed the smell and told landlady Mrs Walisa.

Police believe Mrs Sunyu probably died of chronic illness and old age.

They believe that owing to their mental condition, Mrs Muay and Mr Somchai were probably unaware their mother was even dead.