In Udon Thani, a 24-year-old convenience store clerk was strangled to death and found naked in a dormitory. Friends revealed the victim had been ill prior, lost contact, and had not called in sick to work, so they came to check and found her body.
At 16:30 on 15 Sep 2026, Police Lieutenant Sorawisit Meepian, deputy investigator at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station, received a report via Romphothong Radio Center about a woman found dead naked in a dormitory in Ban Luem Subdistrict. He and Deputy Superintendent Pichit Pakethat, Deputy Patrol Officer Vikhanet Suetrong, forensic police, investigators, an on-duty doctor from Udon Thani Hospital, and Methatham rescue volunteers went to investigate.
The scene was a two-story concrete dormitory, room number 1 on the ground floor. Inside, the body of Ms. Phatwarin (surname withheld), 24, from Nong Khai Province, was found lying naked face down on the floor, covered with a blanket. A black electrical cord was wrapped around her neck. There were abrasions on her buttocks, with feces still present. The room was disorganized, a table fan was tipped over on the desk, and the toilet in the bathroom had unflushed feces. Two mobile phones and other belongings were intact. The medical examiner estimated she had been dead about 20 hours from strangulation causing asphyxiation.
Ms. Jiraporn, 30, a coworker and the person who found the body, said the victim worked at a convenience store and lived alone in the dormitory. On Sunday, she worked the morning shift, finishing at 3 p.m. On Monday at 5 a.m., the victim sent a Line message requesting sick leave, and Jiraporn was still able to contact her at 6:45 a.m. The victim said she had a fever overnight. However, later she could not be reached and had not notified the store about her absence, so they decided to check her room. The victim never spoke about any problems but often complained about being tired from work.
Mr. Weerachet, a friend working at a different convenience store branch, said the victim had rented the dorm room alone for 3–4 months. Their last conversation was on Sunday. Yesterday around 5–6 p.m., he called and messaged her but received no answer, which was unusual since they usually kept in touch. He described her as cautious by nature. She currently had no boyfriend, though 4–5 years ago she had one; however, when she wanted to get engaged, the man was not ready and preferred to save money for the dowry first, while she wanted to proceed quickly, leading to their amicable breakup. He said she had no work issues.
“Seeing the state of the body, I believe someone must have attacked her because the victim dislikedlockingher door. Even when going to work, she would notlockthe room. I used to remind and warn her every day, but she didn’t believe me.”
Ms. Boombim, 37, the victim’s aunt, came to see the body. She said a friend had called to inform her that her niece had died in this dormitory. She just learned that her niece was working and living in Udon Thani. They must wait for the authorities to investigate the cause of death to determine if it was murder. She expressed disbelief at the niece’s death and hoped the police would catch the perpetrator.
Officials initially hypothesize that the victim was sick with a fever and stayed in her dorm room, requesting leave. While using the bathroom, someone knocked or entered the room. Upon exiting the bathroom, she encountered the attacker, struggled, and was strangled to death. Deputy Superintendent Pichit Pakethat is leading investigators to review CCTV footage from the dormitory and nearby areas to find clues and apprehend the suspect for prosecution.