A human skeleton was unexpectedly found beneath the Limpaporn Chapel at Wat That Thong, with the remains dating back over 50 years. Police believe it is unlikely to be a murder case and suggest the individual may have been a donor to the chapel's construction.
At 12:00 p.m. on 18 July 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jakrawat Donprajam, an investigator from Khlong Tan Police Station, was notified of the discovery of a skeleton inside Wat That Thong, a royal monastery on Sukhumvit Road, Phra Khanong Nuea subdistrict, Watthana district, Bangkok. He proceeded to the scene with investigators, forensic officers, medical examiners from Chulalongkorn Hospital, and volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation.
The examination site was beneath the 155-year-old Limpaporn Chapel, which was undergoing renovation to add a third floor. Workers had removed the concrete floor beneath the main Buddha altar and found an old, decayed red wooden coffin. Inside was a female skeleton estimated to have been deceased for at least 50 years. Also found in the coffin were a stainless steel tray and four 50-satang coins dated 1957, which were collected as evidence.
Mr. Jetsada Taithong, 21, a company worker, reported that while breaking the floor to install jacks to raise the chapel to two stories, he discovered the coffin and immediately informed the police.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Jakrawat stated that initially it seems unlikely to be a homicide. He suggested the deceased might have been a donor who contributed to the chapel's construction, and after death, their descendants possibly buried them beneath the main Buddha altar, hoping they would remain within the Buddhist faith forever.