A son hired a caretaker for his bedridden mother with Alzheimer's at 26,000 baht per month. Upon reviewing surveillance footage, he was devastated to see verbal abuse and physical harm causing bruises on his mother. The caretaker claimed the mother caused the injuries herself. The son has now reported the case to the police.
At 11:30 a.m. on 6 Sep 2023 GMT+7, at the coordination center of the Saimai Must Survive Facebook page on Wat Ko Road, Saimai District, Bangkok, Mr. Wichayaphon Rungsangchai, 45, a logistics employee from a company in Chachoengsao Province and son of the victim Mrs. Sombun Rungsangchai, 78, along with his wife Ms. Walee Rungsangchai, 40, filed a complaint seeking help from Mr. Ekaphop Luangprasert, founder of the Saimai Must Survive page. They asked for assistance in locating Ms. Nualchan Prawanna, a cruel caretaker hired to care for the mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. She was employed for a total of 10 months before it was discovered she had been physically abusing the mother, leaving bruises all over her body. CCTV footage revealed attempts to gag the mother by tying a towel around her head and obstructing her mouth and nose. The caretaker is currently evading capture.
Mr. Wichayaphon explained that his mother, aged 78, suffers from cerebrovascular disease (stroke) with brain death affecting the left side, causing weakness from the leg upwards, and brain atrophy. She has memory impairment and has been ill since February 2024. Initially, she was hospitalized but when nearing discharge, he and his wife sought a caregiver through Facebook pages to hire a professional to help care for their bedridden elderly mother. Since both needed to take their child to school and work, they hoped to find a caregiver knowledgeable in elderly care to assist with bathing and physical therapy.
At first, they contacted a Facebook page and were offered a female caregiver. However, that woman was currently committed to another case, so Ms. Nualchan, the woman who eventually caused the harm, was sent to care for the mother instead. Initially, they hired her for six days, paying 800 baht per day. During that time, the caregiver appeared to provide good care, bathing the mother twice daily, feeding her properly, and the mother showed no bedsores or bruises. Near the end of this short-term contract, Ms. Nualchan expressed a desire to continue working. The family, seeing her willingness and apparent dedication, decided to hire her from 4 Oct 2025 GMT+7 to Aug 2026, paying 26,000 baht monthly to live in the house, sleeping in the same room as the mother for convenience.
However, abnormalities began in early January 2026 when Ms. Nualchan sent photos via LINE, which included the son and his wife, showing bruises on the mother's body, including arm and knee joints and other areas. She claimed these bruises resulted from the mother’s physical therapy, alleging the mother caused the injuries herself by flailing her arms against edges or barriers. Although the son and his wife were concerned, they still trusted her as they lacked knowledge about bedridden elderly care and did not suspect a hired caregiver would harm the patient.
On the morning of 19 Aug 2026, the wife heard the mother cry out while Ms. Nualchan was touching her. She quickly approached the door and asked what was happening. The wife witnessed Ms. Nualchan trying to cover the mother’s head completely with a cloth and restrain her by bending her head backward. The mother cried out each time she was touched. The wife grew suspicious and asked why the mother was crying; Ms. Nualchan replied that the mother was singing the national anthem and laughed to mask the situation. The wife remembered the incident and planned to review the CCTV footage later, but at that time, they had limited time as they needed to leave for work and take their child to school.
Mr. Wichayaphon said that upon reviewing the CCTV footage, he was heartbroken to see the abusive behavior toward his mother during the 10 months of care. The caretaker verbally abused and physically harmed the mother, causing fear. She denied responsibility, blaming the mother for causing her own bruises. Watching the footage was deeply distressing; they had hired someone to care for the mother who was actually abusing her. After confronting Ms. Nualchan with the evidence, she admitted to hitting and beating the mother. He terminated her employment on 23 Aug 2026 and filed a criminal complaint with the Muang Chonburi Police Station on 25 Aug 2026, submitting all video evidence.
Mr. Wichayaphon added that he was deeply pained by the ongoing abuse. The caretaker typically harmed the mother at 9 p.m., midnight, and 3 a.m., times when he and his wife were at work or when the house was quiet. If Ms. Nualchan was awake, she would wake the mother to physically abuse her, causing the mother to cry out in pain. After abusing her, the caretaker would sleep peacefully. She also threatened the mother, saying that if she did not try to stand, her son would send her to a nursing home, even though the mother physically could not stand. The caretaker lied continuously to the son and wife. He is very upset to have trusted someone who instead harmed his mother.
After filing the police report, they learned that authorities are awaiting forensic results on the mother’s injuries. The police will issue a summons for the caretaker to face charges of physical abuse. The son worries the caretaker might continue working in similar roles or harm other elderly patients, posing a serious social threat. He is convinced his mother is not the first victim. The caretaker understands the vulnerabilities of elderly patients and their busy families and manipulates situations to evade blame. Because of the mother’s Alzheimer's, she quickly forgets incidents and often denies them. The caretaker also reportedly coached the mother to say she inflicted injuries on herself.
Mr. Wichayaphon hopes his case serves as a warning to others hiring caregivers for elderly patients. He advises verifying identities through official documents and criminal background checks. He stresses the importance of continuous monitoring via CCTV, including in bathrooms where bathing occurs, as these are high-risk areas. He urges people not to trust what caregivers say or show but to stay vigilant to prevent similar abuse. He hopes no one else will suffer as he did.
Ms. Walee, Mr. Wichayaphon’s wife, said that before Ms. Nualchan cared for her mother-in-law, she had heard that Ms. Nualchan previously cared for an elderly woman who has since died, though the cause of death is unclear. Reviewing Ms. Nualchan’s Facebook activity shows ongoing activity. During her care of the mother, no theft was observed. Currently, the family cares for the mother themselves, hiring a part-time caregiver. The mother’s condition has improved. With their experience, they frequently ask the mother questions and monitor CCTV to prevent recurrence. The mother’s wounds are healing, and her mental state has improved, though she remains wary of door-closing sounds because she associates them with being harmed. Ms. Walee will provide further statements to police to support additional charges for abuse.
Mr. Ekaphop Luangprasert, founder of the Saimai Must Survive Facebook page, stated he will contact the Muang Chonburi Police Chief to follow up on the case’s progress. He aims to assist in gathering evidence and expedite issuing a summons to the suspect to ensure legal proceedings continue.