Police arrested “Neng,” a man close to the mother, who admitted he cared for the 4-month-old infant. On the day of the incident, he secretly paddled a boat to take the baby out of the house but accidentally dropped the child into the water. The baby's mother rushed over, yelling angrily in grief.
Around 19:00 on 23 Oct 2026, the body of a 4-month-old infant named “Nong Lukkaew” was found floating in the Chao Phraya River near Tha Rae, Village 10, Ban Len subdistrict, Bang Pa-in district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. The mother reported the baby missing from the crib inside the house since midnight on 22 Oct. The home is riverside with standing floodwater, and the body was found about 1 kilometer from the house.
Following the incident, Bang Pa-in police and forensic officers inspected the scene and collected evidence. Initially, the cause of death was undetermined. They questioned family members and related persons and continuously examined evidence to clarify the disappearance and death of the infant.
On 28 Oct 2026, the case progressed after investigators suspected inconsistencies in the testimony of a man named “Neng” or Chalermchai Taweepol, 36, who was in a relationship with Ms. A (alias), 36, the infant’s mother. Authorities tested him for narcotics, which were found, and he was taken for detailed interrogation.
In interrogation, Neng stated that before midnight on 22 Oct, he paddled an orange plastic boat from his home by the Ban Len canal to the infant’s mother’s house, about 200 meters away. He and the woman were dating, but her mother—the infant’s grandmother—disapproved, so he often secretly visited by boat.
The suspect claimed he had previously seen the baby and felt affection, wanting to care for the child. He had asked the mother for the baby but was refused. On the incident night, he intended to take the child from the house to care for them, insisting he had no intent to kill or harm the baby.
Neng continued that upon arriving, he parked the boat at the back and went inside to take the baby from the mosquito net while the mother and grandmother were asleep. Carrying the baby on his shoulder to return to the boat, an unexpected event caused the infant to fall into the water. The suspect said he was shocked and unsure what to do, so he paddled back home.
After the interrogation, police seized the orange plastic boat and paddle from Neng’s home for forensic examination to verify links to the night of the incident.
Later, Pol. Col. Phiphop Naputra, chief of Bang Pa-in police station, and investigators took Neng by boat to reenact the confession route, starting from his residence, then paddling along Ban Len canal to the infant’s house about 200 meters away.
Authorities docked the boat at the back door area and led Neng inside to reenact taking the baby from the mosquito net and the path back to the boat. The reenactment was difficult due to reliance on water routes to reach the locations described by the suspect.
During the reenactment, the atmosphere was tense as the baby’s mother rushed toward Neng, shouting angrily in grief over the incident. Police intervened to control the situation and maintain order to prevent disorder.
After the reenactment, reporters asked Neng about his motives for taking the baby from the house. He claimed he had no intention to kill or harm the infant but acted out of affection, wanting to hold and care for the child. He said the baby fell into the water unexpectedly, causing him to panic and not know what to do. He apologized to the family before police took him into custody for legal proceedings.