Three bodies found in swamp

MAI KHAO: Police believe the bodies of three men recovered from Pru-Je-San swamp at Baan Dan yesterday afternoon are those of Burmese workers.

The police were alerted to the gruesome find by villagers living nearby.

Tah Chat Chai Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Payongsak Petchrod told the Gazette that officers arrived at the scene about 1:40 pm with rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation, who assisted in recovering the bodies.

“We believe that the bodies were in the swamp no longer than 48 hours before they were discovered,” he said.

“No-one has yet come forward to claim them,” he added.

The bodies were all clothed and none had visible wounds, Col. Payongsak said. “It appears they could have drowned, but we are still waiting for confirmation of the exact causes of the deaths from autopsies being conducted at Thalang Hospital,” he said.

“We should have the results within the next few days. However, we believe the bodies are of Burmese nationals aged between 20 and 30 years,” he said.

Police are questioning residents of the many workers’ camps in the area, but thus far the three bodies remain unidentified, he said.

The discovery of the bodies comes in the wake of an island-wide crackdown by district and immigration police on unregistered migrant workers following the death by suffocation of 54 illegal Burmese laborers on their way to Phuket in Ranong on April 9.