Tragically, a 51-year-old female tourist was found dead inside an Ayutthaya historical site with a cutter knife wound on her arm. A letter addressed to her relatives instructed them to sell her belongings to repay debts. Authorities are preparing to conduct an autopsy.
At 07:30 on 19 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Police Lieutenant Colonel Laphatsakrita Tharalert, an investigator at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station, received a report of a woman found dead from a stabbing inside a historical site in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. He informed Police Colonel Pongphop Prasoppichai, the station chief, before leading a team of investigators, the on-call doctor from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital, and Ruamkatanyu Foundation personnel to the scene for investigation.
At the scene, the body of a woman was found lying against the ancient site’s wall. She wore a white shirt, black long pants, a gray scarf with heart patterns, and glasses. Her left arm had a deep cut wound with heavy bleeding. Inside her bag, an ID card identified her as Ms. Kanyanat, age 51, from Wang Hin District, Sisaket Province.
Also found were a life insurance card, a cutter knife, her medication, a ticket dated 18 Jan for entry to the historical park, and a handwritten letter from the deceased instructing relatives to sell multiple sewing machines she owned to pay off debts. The letter included the name and phone number of a contact relative. Authorities cordoned off the area to prevent unauthorized access while conducting a thorough investigation.
According to the historical site caretaker, he started his shift overnight and patrolled the area around midnight, finding nothing unusual. However, at around 06:00 the next morning, he discovered the woman lying against the ancient wall, already deceased. He promptly alerted police and relevant authorities to investigate.
Later, investigators contacted the deceased’s relatives using the phone number provided in the letter and reached her niece. She said the deceased had a chronic kidney condition and ran a sewing shop in Min Buri, Bangkok. The niece said the woman had previously confided about her financial debts and instructed that if anything happened, her sewing machines should be sold to pay debts. The deceased had also planned to visit and worship at temples in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya before the incident.
The on-call doctor from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital conducted a preliminary autopsy and found the deceased’s blood vessels were cut by a cutter knife, causing severe blood loss leading to death. It is estimated she died approximately 7–8 hours before discovery.
Investigators documented the scene with photographs and ordered the detective team to review nearby CCTV footage to determine when the deceased entered the area before the incident. Meanwhile, Ruamkatanyu Foundation personnel transported the body to the Institute of Forensic Science in Pathum Thani Province for further detailed examination.