Unidentified Woman’s Body Found Along the Mekong River. Suspected Dead for 14 Days

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

An unidentified woman’s decomposed body was discovered washed ashore along the Mekong River in Bueng Kan province, Thailand, showing signs of head trauma. Authorities estimate she has been deceased for approximately 14 days. No missing person reports have been filed in the area, and police are appealing to the public for information that might help identify the victim.

On September 25, Police Lieutenant Colonel Prasong Wongsin, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at Bung Khla Police Station in Bueng Kan, received a report from Boon-um Sunikun. While gathering driftwood from the Mekong River near Ban Huai Leb Mue in Bung Khla district, Boon-um noticed a body tangled in some small bushes along the riverbank.

Police, local authorities, forensic teams from Bueng Kan, medical personnel from Bung Khla Hospital, and rescue workers from Sawang Si Wilai Rescue Unit arrived at the scene. They found the badly decomposed body covered in mud, with parts of the legs already missing due to animal activity. The skull, also soiled with mud, was retrieved and cleaned along with the blue elastic-waist pants the deceased was wearing.

Preliminary medical examination identified the remains as a woman, approximately 150 cm tall, likely aged between 50 and 60 years old, with graying black hair. A notable feature was a depression on the right side of her skull, possibly caused by a blow from a blunt object, though investigators believe it might also have resulted from the body being repeatedly struck by rocks as it floated down the river.

Lieutenant Colonel Prasong confirmed that the body has been transferred to the Sawang Si Wilai Rescue Unit, awaiting further investigation and potential identification. No identification documents were found on the body, and no missing persons have been reported in the vicinity.