Burmese man drowns retrieving coins during Loy Krathong in Phuket

A tragic incident unfolded in Phuket as a Burmese man drowned while attempting to retrieve coins from floats in a reservoir during the Loy Krathong festivities. This unfortunate event took place in Thalang, with police confirming the man’s death in the early hours of November 15.

The Loy Krathong festival, celebrated at the Bang Ma Ruan reservoir in the Sri Soonthorn area, became the backdrop for this incident. Police were alerted to the tragedy at 3.40am. The reservoir had been a popular spot for cultural celebrations, where participants traditionally place coins on floating krathongs as offerings.

Witnesses at the scene shared their accounts with the police. A local security guard, among others, described seeing the man, approximately 30 years old, seated at the edge of the reservoir.

He was reportedly searching for coins left on the water’s surface. The man removed his shoes and placed them, along with his mobile phone, on the bank before wading into the water.

Unfortunately, the man vanished beneath the water shortly after entering it. Witnesses believe he may have encountered a sudden drop in the reservoir’s depth. Despite a bystander’s attempt to find him, the efforts were in vain.

Rescue divers from the Kusoldham Phuket Foundation arrived promptly and searched. They managed to retrieve the man’s body at approximately 4.30am. The police identified the deceased as a Burmese national, choosing not to disclose his name.

The body was subsequently taken to Thalang Hospital for a post-mortem examination before being released to his family for funeral arrangements.

During the investigation, police interviewed a local known only as Auntie Tik. She revealed that she had been visiting the reservoir after the Loy Krathong festival for the past four to five years to collect coins left on the krathongs.

Previously, she had been able to gather around 3,000 baht (US$85) each time. However, she noted that this year she could only collect between 200 and 300 baht (US$6 to 9) due to an increase in people engaging in the same activity, reported The Phuket News.

“Nowadays, I get less because there are a lot of people coming to collect them,” Auntie Tik explained to the police. “Most of the coins I get are 1 baht or 10 baht (US$0.03 to 0.3). After I collect them, I exchange the coins. Most people don’t take 25 satang coins though.”