Missing Man Found Dead After Disappearance While Collecting Shellfish in Pattani

Picture courtesy of Amarin.

After a search lasting over 20 hours, rescue teams have found the body of a 50-year-old man who mysteriously vanished while collecting shellfish along the shoreline in Pattani province.

The deceased, identified as Mr Chanchai Mama, was last seen at around 11:00 on 8 May while setting shellfish stakes in the sea near the mouth of the Rusamilae subdistrict, Mueang district. Wearing a red-orange T-shirt and black trousers, Mr Chanchai was seen briefly conversing with a fellow villager before disappearing. By 17:00, concerned family members began searching for him after he failed to return home. His boat was later discovered adrift near the location where he had been working, but there was no sign of the man himself.

Alarmed by the situation, relatives notified authorities. More than 20 volunteer divers from the Shark Rescue team and the Santi Rescue Unit, supported by seven boats, joined the operation to scour the surrounding waters.

As the search extended into 9 May, local villagers gathered in large numbers along the shore, anxiously hoping for positive news.

At approximately 16:40, divers and local fishermen searching near Laem Pho in Yaring district, about 20 kilometres from where Mr Chanchai was last seen, discovered a body floating in the water. The man was wearing a red shirt and black trousers, matching the description given by villagers. The body was brought ashore amid a sombre gathering of relatives and townspeople.

Authorities transported the deceased to Pattani Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-10.