Missing 74-Year-Old Alzheimer’s Patient Found Deceased in Rice Field

Picture from responders.

A 74-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, who had been missing for nearly a month, has been found dead in a remote rice field in Nakhon Phanom province.

Police were alerted to the discovery on 21 March, when Lieutenant Surasak Singhkha, Deputy Inspector of Investigation at That Phanom Police Station, received a report of a body found in a field near Kab Phuang village, Nam Kam Subdistrict, That Phanom District. Senior officers, forensic experts, and medical personnel from Somdej Phra Yupparat That Phanom Hospital were dispatched to the scene.

The body was discovered beneath a tamarind tree, severely decomposed. Authorities estimated that the man had been dead for nearly 20 days, making facial identification impossible.

The deceased was found wearing dark blue jeans and a green sports shirt, with a sun hat and a pair of glasses nearby. A yellow bicycle was also located approximately 50 metres from the body. Crucially, a state welfare card found in the deceased’s shoulder bag identified him as Mr Surasak, 74, a resident of That Phanom Municipality, whose home was about 10 kilometres from the site of the discovery. Relatives later confirmed his identity.

The first person to discover the body, Mr Uthai Noitulang, 52, said he had been tending to his cattle when he stumbled upon the scene. He recognised the deceased as an elderly man he had often seen cycling and walking around the area but had no idea he had gone missing.

The victim’s sister-in-law, Mrs Jarunee Muentree, 65, confirmed that Mr Surasak suffered from both a stroke-related condition and Alzheimer’s disease. He frequently cycled around neighbouring villages, often losing his way.

He had last been seen on 25 February, after which his disappearance was reported to That Phanom Police Station. Despite extensive searches by his relatives, no trace was found until this tragic discovery.

It is believed that he became disoriented while cycling, wandered into the rice fields, and ultimately succumbed to exhaustion or illness. The family has stated that they do not suspect foul play and will proceed with traditional funeral rites.

-- 2025-03-22