Udon Thani worker found dead amid extreme heat
In Udon Thani, amidst extreme heat, a 27 year old construction worker was found dead at a worker’s camp near a water factory. Lying beside electrical wires wrapped around him, police suspect dehydration and heatstroke, leading to heart failure.
Police Lieutenant Kittikawin Umathitipong received reports of a dead worker at a construction camp in Mueang district, Udon Thani province. Upon arrival at the scene, accompanied by a doctor from Udon Thani Hospital, rescue services, and volunteers from the Udon Thani Promotion Foundation, they found the body of a 27 year old man from Mueang Phia subdistrict in Kut Chap district, Udon Thani.
He was a drainage pipe worker, lying on his back near a water tank, dressed in grey shorts with no shirt and electrical wires wrapped around his chest three times.
Upon inspection, there were no signs of struggle, assault, or electrocution. Nearby, two tents were set up, with several empty large bottles of white liquor found outside.
Initially, police and the doctor speculated that due to yesterday’s 37 degrees Celsius heat in Udon Thani, the deceased, a known drinker, may have consumed excessive alcohol, causing dehydration or heatstroke, resulting in sudden heart failure. He was estimated to have died 10 to 12 hours prior.
Paphon Laomaichon, a 40 year old contractor from Ban Phai district, Khon Kaen, employed the deceased for drainage work in the Non Sung-Na Kham district. He stated that he had worked there since March 15.
The deceased, who was responsible for guarding the site and assisting main workers, was known to drink one to two large bottles of white alcohol daily but did not take drugs. He was described as a good worker, earning 400 baht (US$12) a day.
On the previous day, Paphon had taken a backhoe to dig at a nearby site and intended to pick up the deceased for another job. Unable to reach him by phone, he went to the camp only to find him deceased.
Typically, the deceased would stay in the city but due to the distance, he camped at the site. That morning was unusual, as he didn’t call to withdraw money for food and liquor, prompting Paphon to investigate and notify the police.
Upon checking, Paphon found the wires wrapped around the body but detected no electrical current when touching him. Concerned about potential danger to others, he unplugged the wires.
Two days prior, the deceased had called Paphon, mentioning a fainting incident at a store. Previously, family members had taken him for epilepsy treatment but he fled the scene.
Although not mentally ill, his heavy drinking led to slow reactions. Paphon speculated that the wires might relate to a fainting episode due to epilepsy or heatstroke from the extreme heat and drinking.
Paitoon Jorapimun, a 56 year old house construction contractor at the water factory, observed the worker digging a hole around 5.30pm on April 7. He speculated that he died before his phone disappeared.
The wires might have been used to prevent drowning in the nearby pond during seizures. No signs of assault were found, and he urged anyone who found the dead man’s phone to return it to the Non Sung police substation.
He noted the deceased frequently poured water over himself due to the heat, and his heavy drinking made him restless. The women workers at the factory were frightened by his behaviour.
During a possible seizure, he may have entangled himself in the wires with his head resting on a scaffold edge. The police later sent the body for a detailed autopsy at Udon Thani Hospital’s forensic department before releasing it to the family for traditional funeral rites, reported KhaoSod.
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