UPDATE Woman Arrested in Sukhumvit Baby Death Case Pictures courtesy of InsideThailand A 25-year-old Filipino woman has been arrested in connection with the discovery of a newborn baby’s body in a rubbish bag inside a Sukhumvit shopping centre toilet. The arrest was made at 11:40 on 21 March 2026, as police continue investigating the incident that shocked Bangkok a day earlier. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of the infant’s death. The suspect, identified as Miss Jovelyn Canino Cardienete, was detained at the Police General Hospital in Pathum Wan district. She faces charges of concealing a body and acting in a way that could interfere with a forensic examination to obscure the cause of death. Senior officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau and Thong Lor Police Station led the operation following a review of evidence. The case stems from an incident reported at 16:25 on 20 March, when police were alerted to a baby’s body found in a women’s toilet on the ground floor of a shopping mall on Sukhumvit Road, near the Sukhumvit 24 exit. A cleaner discovered a heavy black plastic bag while collecting rubbish at around 16:00 and moved it to a nearby storage room before notifying security staff. Upon inspection, the bag was found to contain the body of a male infant with no visible signs of injury. Investigators examined CCTV footage from the shopping centre and identified a foreign woman entering the toilet carrying a pink suitcase and a white shoulder bag. The woman was later seen leaving the area, travelling via escalator through several floors before using a ride-hailing service to reach Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. Police tracked the suspect to the transport hub, where she was found with bloodstains on her clothing. She was taken to hospital for examination, where doctors confirmed she had recently been pregnant and required immediate medical treatment, including injections and stitches. She remains under medical care. Authorities have yet to confirm definitively whether the suspect is the mother of the deceased infant, pending laboratory test results. However, investigators say available evidence strongly suggests a link. Forensic results are also pending to establish the exact cause of the baby’s death. Adapted by ASEAN Now InsideThailand 22 Mar 2026
