Nong Bua Lamphu woman claims to be 129

A woman in Nong Bua Lamphu is attracting nationwide attention after an old Thai identity card indicated she was born in 1896 - which will make her 130 on 18 September 2026.

Saen Mangkharat, known locally as Great-Grandmother Saen, lives in Ban Yang Luang Phatthana, Moo 10, Kut Chik subdistrict, Mueang Nong Bua Lamphu district. A Facebook page run by Phra Ajarn Abhinan Suchitto published her story and an image of the card, which gives her date of birth as 18 September 1896.

A life spanning six Thai reigns

Phra Ajarn Abhinan said Saen was originally from Maha Sarakham before moving to the Nong Bua Lamphu area when it was still part of Udon Thani province.

That account matches the area's administrative history. Nong Bua Lamphu became a province on 1 December 1993, when several districts were separated from Udon Thani.

The monk said he had heard villagers speak of an elderly resident aged over 100, so he visited Saen and asked to see her identification documents. The old card he was shown recorded the 1896 birth date.

On that basis, Saen was born late in the reign of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, and has lived through the reigns of Rama VI, Rama VII, Rama VIII, Rama IX and the present monarch, Rama X.

Documents needed to confirm the age

The identity card alone does not amount to internationally recognised verification of Saen's age. People claiming extreme longevity normally need records spanning their life, including birth evidence, household registration, family documents and official records from different periods.

LongeviQuest, an organisation that checks records of people aged over 110, says a single identity document is not enough to validate such a claim. The fully verified world longevity record remains that of Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 aged 122 years and 164 days.

If Saen's 18 September 1896 birth date were formally confirmed, she would exceed that record by more than seven years. There has so far been no report that the Department of Provincial Administration, public health authorities or an age-verification organisation has begun a formal process.

Pictures courtesy of Facebook Phra Ajarn Abhinan Suchitto

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13 September 2026