A 32-year-old Lao national was killed after a lift car fell on him inside an abandoned hotel in Pattaya, Chonburi, on 9 June 2026. Emergency services, forensic officers and police were called to the former four-star hotel on Soi Yume, after receiving a report that a person had been trapped beneath a falling lift.

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The abandoned hotel, which has more than 300 rooms, has remained vacant since closing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators found the lift car at ground-floor level inside a five-storey section of the building. Beneath it was the body of the victim, identified from documents found in a black shoulder bag as Mr Kanthawisak Wongphuthon, 32, from Laos.

Police said the victim’s right wrist was visible beneath the lift, while his head was submerged in standing water at the bottom of the lift shaft. His neck and lower body had been crushed beneath the lift car. Rescue workers used heavy lifting equipment to raise the lift, which weighed at least 500 kilograms, and it took more than two hours to recover the body.

A preliminary examination found that the victim had suffered a broken neck and severe crushing injuries. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Itthikon Saikrathok, and forensic investigators from Chonburi Crime Scene Investigation Unit 2 examined the scene.

Rescuers said an anonymous caller had reported the incident to the Sawang Boriboon Foundation emergency centre. However, when operators attempted to call back, the person did not answer. Upon arrival, no one was present at the scene and volunteers only discovered the victim after searching the lift shaft.

Local residents told police that the deceased had been living inside the abandoned hotel with a friend described as a dark-skinned man with closely cropped hair. The friend was not found at the scene and has since disappeared. Police are attempting to locate him for questioning as a potential witness.

The hotel caretaker said the property has been left derelict for years and is frequently occupied by squatters and homeless people. He stated that items had repeatedly been stolen from the building and that the lift had never been removed despite the hotel’s closure.

Investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of the incident. A preliminary theory suggests the victim may have entered the flooded pit beneath the lift, possibly to bathe and inadvertently disturbed the ageing mechanism.

Amarin reported that police noted that the lift cables remained intact, although the equipment was in a severely deteriorated condition. Police and forensic officers are continuing their investigation and will examine all evidence before determining the cause of the fatal incident.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 10 June 2026

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4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

A 32-year-old Lao national was killed after a lift car fell on him inside an abandoned hotel in Pattaya, Chonburi, on 9 June 2026. Emergency services, forensic officers and police were called to the former four-star hotel on Soi Yume, after receiving a report that a person had been trapped beneath a falling lift.

Get today's headlines by email

The abandoned hotel, which has more than 300 rooms, has remained vacant since closing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Investigators found the lift car at ground-floor level inside a five-storey section of the building. Beneath it was the body of the victim, identified from documents found in a black shoulder bag as Mr Kanthawisak Wongphuthon, 32, from Laos.

Police said the victim’s right wrist was visible beneath the lift, while his head was submerged in standing water at the bottom of the lift shaft. His neck and lower body had been crushed beneath the lift car. Rescue workers used heavy lifting equipment to raise the lift, which weighed at least 500 kilograms, and it took more than two hours to recover the body.

A preliminary examination found that the victim had suffered a broken neck and severe crushing injuries. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station, led by Pol. Lt. Col. Itthikon Saikrathok, and forensic investigators from Chonburi Crime Scene Investigation Unit 2 examined the scene.

Rescuers said an anonymous caller had reported the incident to the Sawang Boriboon Foundation emergency centre. However, when operators attempted to call back, the person did not answer. Upon arrival, no one was present at the scene and volunteers only discovered the victim after searching the lift shaft.

Local residents told police that the deceased had been living inside the abandoned hotel with a friend described as a dark-skinned man with closely cropped hair. The friend was not found at the scene and has since disappeared. Police are attempting to locate him for questioning as a potential witness.

The hotel caretaker said the property has been left derelict for years and is frequently occupied by squatters and homeless people. He stated that items had repeatedly been stolen from the building and that the lift had never been removed despite the hotel’s closure.

Investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of the incident. A preliminary theory suggests the victim may have entered the flooded pit beneath the lift, possibly to bathe and inadvertently disturbed the ageing mechanism.

Amarin reported that police noted that the lift cables remained intact, although the equipment was in a severely deteriorated condition. Police and forensic officers are continuing their investigation and will examine all evidence before determining the cause of the fatal incident.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

Join the discussion?

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 10 June 2026

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An abandoned hotel with a working lift???

Someone will be responsible at least because of neglegance

However the poor lad had to die.

Tragic accident

23 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

An abandoned hotel with a working lift???

Someone will be responsible at least because of neglegance

However the poor lad had to die.

Tragic accident

Wasn't working very well, it would seem.

1 minute ago, emptypockets said:

Wasn't working very well, it would seem.

I doubt it was working at all until that last fall. I wonder if he was cable harvesting?

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

An abandoned hotel with a working lift???

Someone will be responsible at least because of neglegance

However the poor lad had to die.

Tragic accident

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

54 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I doubt it was working at all until that last fall. I wonder if he was cable harvesting?

With the friend disappearing, this must be the case. I have watched countless hours of urban exploring videos and never once has an elevator become unmoored when it is in a mothballed state

57 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I doubt it was working at all until that last fall. I wonder if he was cable harvesting?

3 minutes ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

Depends on what country you're in.

12 minutes ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

Kids explore & play in disused places all the time, so yes it should be safe, especially if it's not boarded up & secured.

12 minutes ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

18 minutes ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

Well not in Thailand maybe. In England the Occupiers liability act 1957 and 1984 says different.

I can’t imagine that a USA building owner would get away without being sued either, given the propensity for law suites for any reason in that country.

I don’t know about other countries

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

An abandoned hotel with a working lift???

It was not reported that the lift was working, lifts need electrical power to operate. It was reported though that the lift fell, probably due to its deteriorated condition.

Edited Wednesday at 03:54 AM5 days by Liverpool Lou

1 hour ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

Owners of abandoned properties are required by Thai law to make them safe in order to avoid negligence lawsuits but it's highly unlikely that the family of this homeless, trespassing, probably illegal Laos individual is going to be taking legal action against the owners.

10 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Wasn't working very well, it would seem.

Obviously only one way

23 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It was not reported that the lift was working, lifts need electrical power to operate. It was reported though that the lift fell, probably due to its deteriorated condition.

Probably it was working

2 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

It was not reported that the lift was working, lifts need electrical power to operate. It was reported though that the lift fell, probably due to its deteriorated condition.

Probably it was working

How do you think it was "probably" operable without power?

23 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It was not reported that the lift was working, lifts need electrical power to operate. It was reported though that the lift fell, probably due to its deteriorated condition.

It was NOT reported that the lift was NOT working

1 hour ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

I think you're wrong. As an owner you're responsible. Make sure that electricity is off and nobody can enter.

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

How do you think it was "probably" operable without power?

Why do you think there was no electricity?

Even the intruder could have tried to use the elevator illegally in a wrong way.

So, sure you can go on in assumptions.

Can't wait to read more 🤣

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The hotel caretaker said the property has been left derelict for years and is frequently occupied by squatters and homeless people.

Isn't it one of the purposes of having a caretaker for an abandoned building to keep squatters away?

2 hours ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

"He knew the risks"? Boyo, you are a hardass!

If the property is abandoned and derelict, why should the poor and homeless not use it for shelter?

The lift was just an unfortunate byproducts that will now be used to close a safe space and have the poor sleeping on the sidewalks and beaches again.

Make you happy?

3 hours ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

English law is very different and the owners would have a real problem refuting liability

3 hours ago, Harsh Jones said:

He was there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

In Thailand property owners can face severe criminal liabilities if they set lethal booby traps, use excessive force, or cause intentional harm to trespassers. Here the owner appears simply negligent.

These sort of places like abandoned hotels slowly get stripped of absolutely everything that can be removed of value, right down to things like wires from walls and scrap metal... seen this before in other cities until eventually they are sealed off by someone.

I doubt very much the lift was working if it was abandoned during Covid, more likely that he was scavenging for stuff to sell and it all went south... otherwise hard to see how he ended up like that there. More likely that he somehow disturbed/jolted/caused movement of the stuck lift and it broke free and crushed him whilst trying to yank something... case of misadventure and not being cautious.

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It was not reported that the lift was working, lifts need electrical power to operate. It was reported though that the lift fell, probably due to its deteriorated condition.

It was NOT reported that the lift was NOT working

It was reported that the hotel had been abandoned since covid, what do you think, rationally, the chances are that there was still power connected? Is electricity provided free of charge to owners of abandoned buildings? Do you think the owners of the building wanted to ensure that the homeless trespassers had all the light, AC and other conveniences to keep them comfortable?

Edited Wednesday at 06:36 AM5 days by Liverpool Lou

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

s there illegally and he knew the risks. There's no negligence case here. Owners are not required to make things safe for trespassers and thieves

I think you're wrong. As an owner you're responsible. Make sure that electricity is off and nobody can enter

Yet you're suggesting to me that the electricity in this abandoned hotel was probably connected, you can't have it both ways.

5 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Lao national was killed after a lift car fell on him inside an abandoned hotel in Pattaya,

Safe & Trusted Thailand!!

Wow! What a horror to look at that human mess.

This quote got me, "preliminary theory suggests the victim may have entered the flooded pit beneath the lift, possibly to bathe and inadvertently disturbed the ageing mechanism" Who would bath in dirty water at the bottom of a lift well?? Hope that person has a better after life.

Maybe he tried to de-attach the counter weights so he could sell them.

"These big metal blocks seams heavy, I can sell them as scrap metal for a decent price, I just need to remove those steel wires that hold them first..."

Just a thought

RIP anyway.

57 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yet you're suggesting to me that the electricity in this abandoned hotel was probably connected, you can't have it both ways.

Make your choice.

What about a short circuit?

Did this already came in to your mind.?? You seem to me the right expert in this case😂

Don't want to be a party-pooper but there is no way the electricity was still connected to stuff like the lift if the hotel was abandoned 6 years ago during Covid.

Who in their right mind would still be paying for that? No chance.

The guy got himself killed through misadventure and was probably scavenging for stuff to sell, then it when south. The police suggestion that he may have been bathing in the water is just ludicrous.

I guess the only question is whether Thai law requires abandoned buildings to be blocked off in some way, or under some rules, to prevent access and such accidents... but I doubt, as mentioned by others, the family of the Lao guy will have the resources to go through the Thai courts to challenge this, who will not side with a foreigner anyhow, especially if he was there illegally or was violating immigration laws etc. No way. Sadly, just a case of bag him and tag him... next emergency, please.

No one gives a rat ass! If sidewalks, potholes, expose wires everywhere no one is getting fine or going to jail. 🤣

7 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

8 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yet you're suggesting to me that the electricity in this abandoned hotel was probably connected, you can't have it both ways.

Make your choice.

What about a short circuit?

Did this already came in to your mind.?? You seem to me the right expert in this case😂

Gawd... for a short circuit to exist it requires electrical power so, no, that never entered my mind, if there's no power there could not be a short circuit.

"You seem to me the right expert in this case😂"

I don't claim to be an expert but I am rational and I know how electrically-powered facilities need electrical power in order to operate.

18 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

It was NOT reported that the lift was NOT working

I think you're wrong. As an owner you're responsible. Make sure that electricity is off and nobody can enter.

Wrong. As long as you can prove that you took steps to prevent people from getting in, then you aren't liable if someone gets in anyway and kills themselves. I've broken into a boarded up house myself.