Woman found dead at Ayutthaya historical site in confirmed suicide
A female tourist was found dead inside a historical site in Ayutthaya this morning, January 19, with police confirming the death was a suicide after discovering a farewell letter and a sharp object at the scene.
Police were alerted at around 7.30am after a woman was discovered unresponsive within the Ayutthaya Historical Park area in Ban Pom subdistrict, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district. Officers, medical staff and rescue workers were dispatched to the scene to assess the situation.
The deceased was found leaning against an ancient structure inside the site. She was wearing a white shirt, black trousers, a grey scarf with a heart pattern and glasses. Officers observed wounds on her left arm caused by a sharp object, with significant blood loss at the scene.
Identification found in her bag confirmed the woman as 51 year old Kanyanat from Sisaket province. Also found among her belongings were a life insurance card, prescribed medication, a box cutter, a ticket showing entry to the historical park dated January 18, and a handwritten letter addressed to relatives.
According to police, the letter instructed family members to sell several sewing machines owned by the deceased to repay debts. The note also included contact details for relatives.
A caretaker at the site told police that routine patrols were conducted during the night, including around midnight, with nothing unusual detected at the time. The woman was later found at approximately 6 am the following morning, after which authorities were notified.
Investigators later contacted a relative listed in the letter, the woman’s niece. She told police that the deceased had a long‑term kidney condition and ran a sewing business in Min Buri, Bangkok.
The niece added that her aunt had previously spoken about financial stress and had mentioned that, if anything happened to her, her sewing machines should be sold to settle debts.
Kanyanat had also informed relatives that she planned to travel to Ayutthaya for sightseeing and temple visits. Family members later learned that she had harmed herself and died at the site.
A preliminary examination by doctors from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital concluded that the woman died from blood loss caused by self‑inflicted injuries. She was believed to have been dead for approximately seven to eight hours before being found.
Thairath reported that Kanyanat’s body was transferred by Ruamkatanyu Foundation staff to the Institute of Forensic Science in Pathum Thani for further examination.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.
