Mysterious odour leads to discovery of decomposed body

A strong odour led neighbours to discover a decomposed body in a house after the occupant had been missing for over a week. The deceased, 60 year old Thanakrit, was found naked without any signs of struggle.

At 10.30am yesterday, September 15, Police Lieutenant Nattawat Ladawan, an investigator at Udon Thani City Police Station, received a report about a body found in a house in Udon Thani. Accompanied by a medical examiner from Udon Thani Central Hospital and rescue volunteers from Udon Sawang Metha Thammasatan Foundation, the team swiftly proceeded to the scene.

The house, a two-storey concrete structure within a gated community in Udon Thani Municipality, was locked. Relatives and neighbours had forced the door open to investigate the pervasive stench. Inside the house’s hall, they found Thanakrit’s body.

The initial examination showed no signs of physical assault and no evidence of a struggle inside or outside the house. It is believed that he had been dead for over a week.

His father, Amporn, arrived at the scene and, in his grief, lit incense to call his son’s spirit back home.

Neighbour Suwannanee noted that the foul smell had been lingering for days. Initially, she suspected it was coming from a rubber factory about 10 kilometres away. Her husband, who was washing their car, thought the smell came from the garbage bins outside their house and cleaned them, but the odour persisted.

Lived alone

Coincidentally, relatives of the deceased arrived at the house and decided to check inside. They noticed that the lights both inside and outside the house were on. Upon forcing the door open, the odour intensified, and they discovered Thanakrit’s decomposed body, prompting them to alert the police and rescuers.

Suannanee revealed that the deceased lived alone in the house. He used to have a wife, but she hadn’t been seen in a long time. He wasn’t very social and was known to suffer from a stroke. He had a dog, but it hadn’t been seen or heard for a while.

Sumarat, the deceased’s sister, mentioned that Thanakrit was a direct sales professional who had separated from his wife and lived alone. His two daughters worked in Bangkok and abroad. He used to communicate with her monthly via Line and would always call back within a week if he went silent.

She had just wished him a happy birthday on August 23, and he had responded. Before his birthday, he had visited their father in Kumphawapi district, which reassured them he was well.

She started to worry after not being able to contact Thanakrit for a week. Other relatives, including his daughter, also tried calling but got no response. A visit was planned for after September 25 but after growing increasingly worried, she decided to make an immediate visit.

It is suspected that Thanakrit’s chronic illness might have flared up, leading to his death while he was alone. His relatives have no doubts about the cause of death. The body has been taken to Udon Thani Central Hospital for a detailed autopsy and will be returned to the family for traditional funeral rites, reported KhaoSod.