Pictures courtesy of responders

A 49-year-old man has been confirmed dead after a saloon car plunged into an irrigation canal in Ban Pong district, Ratchaburi province, late on the night of 2 January 2026. Rescue teams were deployed after reports that the driver managed to exit the vehicle before disappearing underwater, prompting an urgent search operation.

The incident was reported at around 11.00 pm on 2 January 2026, when Ruam Jai Ratchaburi Charity Foundation (Poh Teck Tung 36) received a request to investigate a road traffic incident involving a car that had fallen into a canal. The location was near Tang Nam Long steel factory in Moo 3, Pak Raet subdistrict, Ban Pong district, Ratchaburi. Concern was raised after good Samaritans at the scene said they saw a person exit the vehicle and then submerge.

Following the alert, the Ruam Jai Ratchaburi underwater search and rescue team was dispatched to locate the missing person. After conducting a search in the canal, divers discovered the body of a man. Initial checks confirmed one deceased male, aged 49, who was a local resident from Nakhon Pathom province.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Somsak Kittiwatcharanon, the investigating officer, attended the scene as the case officer responsible for the area under Ban Pong Police Station. Rescue Unit 30 assisted with the recovery of the body and arranged for it to be transported for a preliminary post-mortem examination at Ban Pong Hospital.

Volunteers and rescue workers from several units took part in the operation, including lighting and equipment vehicles from Ruam Jai units 25, 41 and 56. Additional support was provided by volunteer teams from Bang Phae and Damnoen Saduak districts, among others, who assisted throughout the search and recovery.

Authorities have not released further details regarding the cause of the crash or the circumstances leading up to the vehicle entering the canal. Police are continuing the investigation and inquiries to establish the sequence of events and confirm whether any other factors or vehicles were involved.

Key Takeaways

• A 49-year-old man from Nakhon Pathom was found dead after a car fell into an irrigation canal in Ratchaburi.

• The incident occurred at around 11.00 pm on 2 January 2026 in Ban Pong district, with rescue divers deployed.

• The body was sent to Ban Pong Hospital for an initial post-mortem examination as police continue inquiries.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now 2026-01-04

 

 

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