Thai Jonah: the fishy tale of Rewat Nongwong

PHUKET: A 24-year-old man who claims he have spent three days underwater without dying was the subject of a miracle, according to some Ayutthaya residents who believe his tale.

To others, including rescue workers who spent three days looking for him in the filthy Chao Praya River, the man, Rewat Nongwong, is a liar – one who should face criminal charges.

Mr Rewat said that on June 20 around 8:30pm, he and two friends were walking along the river and passed under a bridge near Wat Bang Khian Wichian Chai.

Suddenly, he felt like he “wasn’t himself” anymore and walked straight into the Chao Phraya River.

As soon as the water reached his neck, he lost consciousness. Then he had the feeling that he was inside an underwater cave.

While in the cave, women were sitting on top of him.

He said he could see lots of people searching for him in the water, but he couldn’t call out to them. It was as if ghosts were stopping him from speaking.

He was trapped in the cave for three days, and then one morning he was freed, he claimed.

Mr Rewat immediately went to tell relatives about what had happened. The people under the water told him they wanted to eat fresh chicken and fresh blood, he told them. He asked his relatives to bring those items and make an offering at the river.

His relatives quickly took him to a temple because they worried that the water people would come and kill him.

Not all the villagers were convinced by Mr Rewat’s story, however. Some of them claimed to have seen him walking near the bridge before his “miraculous” re-appearance.

Others, who believed the tale, think the spirits had decided to take Mr Rewat’s life before realizing that his time had not yet come.

Most of the rescue workers who spent three days solid looking for Mr Rewat’s body were unimpressed. He was a liar who had wasted their time, they said. They are considering contacting police and seeking his prosecution on fraud charges.

— Sanook News