Police officer found dead in petrol station bathroom in Rayong

A maid and an attendant at a petrol station in the eastern province of Rayong found the dead body of a police officer inside a bathroom. The cause of the death is under investigation.

The deceased man was named Chaiyasak Punnapongchai, the 54-year-old Deputy Inspector of Mueang Rayong Police Station. He was discovered inside a bathroom at a petrol station on Sukhumvit Road in the Nern Phra sub-district of Rayong.

The bathroom door was locked, and no evidence of foul play was found.

Chaiyasak’s head was submerged in a basin next to the toilet, and no injuries were visible on his body.

A key to a Honda sedan was located in his pocket, and the vehicle was still parked in the petrol station.

A member of the cleaning staff, Butsara Lertwilai, reported to the authorities that she cleaned the bathroom throughout the day and noticed that one of the bathrooms was consistently locked.

Butsara stated that she knocked on the door and received no response, causing her to feel scared and seek assistance from a male petrol station employee. The man climbed on top of the bathroom and discovered Chaiyasak’s body.

An officer from the Mueang Rayong Police Station checked the CCTV camera and found that Chaiyasak arrived at the petrol station at 11.07pm on January 31. He parked his car in front of the bathroom, went inside, and never emerged.

The authorities suspect that Chaiyasak may have suddenly lost consciousness due to a lack of sleep or a pre-existing health condition.

His body was taken to a hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.

Chaiyasak’s colleagues expressed sadness at his loss. They informed the media that he had recently been promoted from Senior Sergeant Major to Police Sub-lieutenant at the beginning of January.

No issues at work or health problems were mentioned by his friends.