Autistic Boy 11, Guards Deceased Father’s Body for 3 Days, Believing He Was Asleep

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

In a heartbreaking incident, an 11-year-old autistic boy sat beside the body of his deceased father for three days inside a parked vehicle, unaware that his father had passed away. The child believed his father was merely asleep. The incident occurred near the seafront in the Khlong Wan subdistrict of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.

On 28 May, Pol. Lt. Charan Suksawat, an investigator from Khlong Wan Police Station, was alerted by local residents who discovered a corpse inside a pickup truck parked by the seaside. The vehicle was located about 200 metres from the King Mongkut Science Park at Waghor. Rescue personnel from Sawang Prachuap Foundation and on-call physician Dr. Thidaporn Plengudomkit from Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital were dispatched to the scene.

Police arrived to find a Nissan pickup truck with a covered bed, registered in Samut Sakhon, parked by the beach. Inside the truck bed, they found the body of Mr. Ekaphon Changsap, 59, a local resident of Prachuap Khiri Khan. His body, dressed only in shorts, had started to decomposed and showed signs suggesting he had been dead for at least three days. No signs of injury were observed.

Mr. Ekaphon’s 11-year-old autistic son was found sitting beside his father’s body, unaware of his death. The child believed his father was simply sleeping and had remained by his side, surviving on limited food they had brought with them on the trip. The father had taken both of his sons, aged 11 and 7, on a fishing trip to the beach. Fishing rods, water containers and a pair of red sandals believed to belong to the deceased were found in the vehicle.

Police learned from the younger son, aged 7, that they had gone fishing and stayed in the truck. When their father stopped moving, the elder son stayed behind in the belief that he was still alive. Meanwhile, the younger child eventually returned to the rented house alone. The landlord, concerned after the tenant had not returned for three days, asked the boy about his father. The child replied, “Dad died, came back to life, then died again,” prompting initial disbelief.

After further delay and concern, the landlord went to the local police and filed a report. He then accompanied the younger boy to the beach, where they discovered the father’s body.

Dr. Thidaporn stated that the cause of death could not be confirmed at the scene. The body was transferred to Prachuap Khiri Khan Hospital for an autopsy. There were no initial signs of foul play.

Police have contacted the deceased’s relatives to arrange for religious rites and to take custody of the two children.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-29.