Body of Missing Retired Civil Servant Discovered by Excavator in Kanchanaburi Canal

Picture courtesy of Amarin.

A grim discovery was made on the morning of 29 May, when a backhoe operator conducting land clearance work in a canal accidentally unearthed the body of a missing retired civil servant. The decomposed remains were found tangled in aquatic weeds beneath a railway bridge in Tha Maka District.

The incident occurred around 10:15 when a backhoe driver working near Khlong Tha San, under a railway overpass in Moo 3, Tha Khram En subdistrict, spotted something unusual as his machine scooped up vegetation. Upon closer inspection, he realised it was a human body and immediately contacted local authorities.

Volunteers from the Khun Rattanawut Foundation were dispatched to the scene, where they had to proceed on foot to reach the remote location. There, they discovered the body of an elderly man, face-down and partially submerged in water. Emergency services carefully recovered the remains for preliminary examination by a forensic team, attending police officers, and a medical examiner.

Shortly after the discovery, a woman arrived at the scene with family members and confirmed the body to be that of her missing husband, Mr. Sontaya Karnsonthi, aged 71. He had been reported missing since 21 May 2025.

According to his wife, Mr. Sontaya was a retired railway employee who lived nearby. She described him as someone who often went for walks, particularly around the railway tracks, reminiscing about his working days. He had not been seen since his disappearance over a week ago.

Following the recovery, medical officials ordered the body to be transferred to Makarak Hospital for further forensic examination to determine the cause of death and assist with the official investigation.

The circumstances surrounding Mr. Sontaya’s death remain under investigation. Authorities have not ruled out foul play but are awaiting the results of the post-mortem.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-30.