A newborn baby boy was found dead inside a rubbish bag in a women’s toilet at a shopping centre in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area, prompting a police investigation. The discovery was made at approximately 16:25 on 20 March 2026, when officers from Thong Lor Police Station were alerted to the incident in Khlong Toei district. Forensic officers and rescue workers attended the scene, where the infant’s body was recovered from a black bin bag.

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Police said the body was discovered in a storage room adjacent to the toilet after a cleaner noticed an unusually heavy rubbish bag while carrying out routine duties. The cleaner removed the bag from the bin and placed it in the nearby storage area before informing a security guard. Upon inspection, the bag was opened and the body of a male infant was found inside.

Initial examinations indicated no visible signs of bruising or external injuries on the baby’s body. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of death and are continuing forensic checks to determine further details. The identity of the person responsible for abandoning the infant remains unknown.

Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from within and around the shopping centre to trace individuals who may have entered the toilet area prior to the discovery. Witnesses, including the cleaner and security personnel, are being questioned as part of the ongoing inquiry. Police have stated that all procedures are being followed in accordance with legal protocols.

Khaosod reported that police said further updates will depend on forensic results and evidence gathered from surveillance footage. Efforts are ongoing to identify those involved and determine the circumstances leading to the infant’s death.

Picture courtesy of Khaosod

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Khaosod 22 Mar 2026

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Shame, shame, shame. Desperate mother or not, someone somewhere would have been ready to love this baby.

UPDATE

Woman Arrested in Sukhumvit Baby Death Case

Pictures courtesy of InsideThailand

A 25-year-old Filipino woman has been arrested in connection with the discovery of a newborn baby’s body in a rubbish bag inside a Sukhumvit shopping centre toilet. The arrest was made at 11:40 on 21 March 2026, as police continue investigating the incident that shocked Bangkok a day earlier. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of the infant’s death.

The suspect, identified as Miss Jovelyn Canino Cardienete, was detained at the Police General Hospital in Pathum Wan district. She faces charges of concealing a body and acting in a way that could interfere with a forensic examination to obscure the cause of death. Senior officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau and Thong Lor Police Station led the operation following a review of evidence.

The case stems from an incident reported at 16:25 on 20 March, when police were alerted to a baby’s body found in a women’s toilet on the ground floor of a shopping mall on Sukhumvit Road, near the Sukhumvit 24 exit. A cleaner discovered a heavy black plastic bag while collecting rubbish at around 16:00 and moved it to a nearby storage room before notifying security staff. Upon inspection, the bag was found to contain the body of a male infant with no visible signs of injury.

Investigators examined CCTV footage from the shopping centre and identified a foreign woman entering the toilet carrying a pink suitcase and a white shoulder bag. The woman was later seen leaving the area, travelling via escalator through several floors before using a ride-hailing service to reach Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.

Police tracked the suspect to the transport hub, where she was found with bloodstains on her clothing. She was taken to hospital for examination, where doctors confirmed she had recently been pregnant and required immediate medical treatment, including injections and stitches. She remains under medical care.

Authorities have yet to confirm definitively whether the suspect is the mother of the deceased infant, pending laboratory test results. However, investigators say available evidence strongly suggests a link. Forensic results are also pending to establish the exact cause of the baby’s death.

Adapted by ASEAN Now InsideThailand 22 Mar 2026

UPDATE

Newborn Discovery in Bangkok Mall Leads to Filipina's Arrest