Teen Found Drowned After Night Trapping Rats in Rice Field

Pictures courtesy of SiamRath 

A 17-year-old boy was found dead in an irrigation canal beside a rice field in Uthai Thani province on 22 December 2025, after leaving home overnight to trap rats and eels. The discovery devastated his grandparents, who had prepared food for him and raised the alarm when he failed to return.

Police from Nong Chang Police Station were notified at about 15:12 on 22 December 2025 of a male body in a water channel in Village 6, Ban Dong Rai, Nong Yang subdistrict, Nong Chang district. Officers, rescue volunteers from the Disaster Relief Club and Uthai Thani Rescue Unit (Nong Chang point), and an on-duty doctor from Nong Chang Hospital attended the scene.

The location was a rice field adjacent to an irrigation canal, where the boy was found lying face down in water approximately 50 centimetres deep. The body showed signs of early rigor mortis, and investigators estimated he had been dead for not less than three hours.

Near the canal, police found a plastic cylinder used for trapping eels and the deceased’s motorcycle parked nearby. A field rat and rat-trapping equipment were discovered inside the motorcycle. The deceased was identified as Mr Anuwat, aged 17, a resident of Nong Chang district.

According to his grandfather, Mr Prajuab, the teenager was hardworking and had left home at around 2am to catch eels and field rats. In the morning, the family cooked food, including stir-fried holy basil, and waited for him to return, but he did not come back as expected.

Becoming concerned, the grandfather went out to search for his grandson and eventually found the boy’s shoes left near the canal. Looking closer, he then saw his grandson’s body lying in the water and immediately informed the boy’s grandmother, other relatives, and the authorities.

Mr Prajuab also told police that on the previous day, 21 December 2025, the teenager had complained of chest pain. This information has been recorded as part of the investigation and may be relevant to determining the cause of death. Initial police assessments have not yet confirmed whether the death was accidental or related to an underlying medical condition. Officers have stated that no signs of struggle were immediately apparent at the scene.

SiamRath reported that the body has been sent to Sawan Pracharak Hospital for a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death. Police said further findings would be released once forensic results are available and the investigation is complete.

Key Takeaways

• A 17-year-old boy was found drowned in an irrigation canal in Nong Chang district on 22 December 2025.

• He had left home at around 2am to trap rats and eels and was later found face down in shallow water.

• The body has been sent for autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.

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 Adapted  by  Asean Now from Siamrath 2025-12-24