A burned body was found in overgrown grassland, reduced to skeleton. Relatives are confident the remains are their missing nephew who was burned. Police have not confirmed the identity and await forensic evidence, fearing it may be a homicide disguised by burning.
At 10:00 a.m. on 4 Apr 2016, Police Lieutenant Damrong Subinmit, deputy investigator at Sai Thong Watthana Police Station, Kamphaeng Phet Province, was notified of a burned body found as a skeleton in overgrown grassland. He went to inspect with rescue workers from Sawang Kamphaeng Phet at the site beside Kaew Sri Wilai Temple and Sai Thong Kindergarten School, Moo 10, Thung Sai Subdistrict, Sai Thong Watthana District, Kamphaeng Phet.
The municipal fire truck from Thung Sai Subdistrict was extinguishing a fire in the dense grassland. After controlling the fire, they found an unidentified burned body, reduced to skeleton, in a ditch beneath the forested area. Police cordoned off the site awaiting forensic investigators and coordinated with village leaders to check for any missing persons.
Mr. Wallop Boonkerd, 48, administrative staff at Sai Thong Kindergarten School and the first to discover the body, said the area is dense grassland beside the school next to the temple that caught fire since the evening of 3 Apr. The fire had been put out but reignited today. He called the Thung Sai municipal fire department to extinguish the flames and then found the burned body, only bones remaining. He notified police and village leaders to investigate, but no information yet on any missing persons from the village.
Monks at Kaew Sri Wilai Temple said a man had previously sought shelter to sleep at the temple. He had relatives but no home. He disappeared several days ago after leaving clothes and belongings at the monk's quarters where he stayed. The man was named Pichai Maniprai, or Num, 51, from Thung Sai Subdistrict, Sai Thong Watthana District, Kamphaeng Phet Province, though they were not certain if the remains were his.
Mrs. Thitima Mahakaraket, 59, the aunt of the suspected victim Pichai, 51, who has been missing, arrived at the scene confident the remains are her nephew. He usually drank alcohol and had epilepsy. He went missing from home nearly two weeks ago. The last time he called relatives was to ask them to bring tobacco and alcohol to the temple, after which he disappeared.
Police have not ruled out any possibilities and have not confirmed the identity as Pichai, 51. Identification must await forensic comparison with relatives. If it is Pichai who died at the site, someone nearby should have noticed a foul odor due to its proximity to the temple and school. Forensic officials are preparing to collect more evidence to identify the deceased.
Rescue personnel have sent the skeleton for forensic examination to determine the cause of death at Sawanpracharak Hospital (Khao Khiao), Nakhon Sawan Province.