Body of Homeless Man Discovered After Monitor Lizard Sighted With Body Part

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

A decomposed body was discovered near a canal embankment in Samut Prakan after workers spotted a monitor lizard carrying a body part and running into the water. Authorities estimate that the man had been dead for one to two weeks. A lottery ticket was found in his possession.

 

On 25 March, officers from Mueang Samut Prakan Police Station were alerted to the presence of a bloated corpse in a wooded area near the Klong Chonprathan irrigation canal, close to the Kiti Nakhon Samut Prakan housing estate in Tai Ban Mai Subdistrict. Upon receiving the report, police coordinated with investigative teams and the Ruam Kusol Foundation rescue unit to inspect the scene.

 

At the embankment, authorities found the deceased, later identified as 62-year-old Mr Saipan, lying on his back in an advanced state of decomposition. His body showed signs of scavenging by animals, with bite marks on his face and right leg. Nearby, a makeshift shelter was found, along with two women’s shoulder bags. A search of his belongings revealed a lottery ticket with the number 523125 from the draw dated 1 November 2024.

 

Initial investigations indicated that the deceased was a homeless man who had been living along the canal embankment. Local residents knew him as “Uncle Ngok” and frequently provided him with food and water. He was described as harmless and mentally unstable but never aggressive towards others.

 

Mrs Supaporn, a municipal worker from Bang Pu Subdistrict, recounted how she and two colleagues were spraying herbicide in the area when she noticed a monitor lizard carrying an unidentified object. Suspicious, she alerted her co-workers and, upon closer inspection, realised it was a human body part. They immediately reported the discovery to the authorities.

 

Neighbourhood leader Mr Amnat Buntin confirmed that the deceased, was a local man who had been raised by his adoptive mother. Reports suggested that both he and his mother suffered from mental health issues. He had lived in a makeshift shelter by the canal for years, bathing in the water and roaming the area, but never causing trouble for the community.

 

Residents frequently provided him with food, and many expressed sadness over his passing. Authorities conducted an initial investigation at the scene, documented evidence, and transported the body to Samut Prakan Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

 

-- 2025-03-26