Villagers in Tha Wang Pha, Nan Province, entered the forest to collect wild mushrooms and were shocked to find the skeleton of a wandering monk deceased inside a rock shelter. Investigation revealed that relatives had been searching for him since losing contact in 2015.
At 09:00 on 13 May 2026, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jirawat Kongta, an investigator at Tha Wang Pha Police Station in Nan Province, received a report from the Nan City Radio Center 191 that a human skeleton had been found deep in the forest at the end of Ban Nam Paeng, Village No. 7, Phathong Subdistrict, Tha Wang Pha District, Nan Province. He reported this to Police Colonel Suriya Khunto, Chief of Tha Wang Pha Police Station, before rushing to inspect the scene along with a forensic medical team from Tha Wang Pha Hospital, rescue personnel, and local investigators.
The scene was located deep in a forested valley with difficult access. At the time of inspection, heavy rain was falling, forcing officials to hike for a long time to reach the site. Upon arrival, they found a human skeleton that had been deceased for a long time inside a rock shelter shaped like an overhanging cliff.
At the scene, officials found an alms bowl, monk’s robe, and a monk identification book bearing the name Phra Apirak Aphinanto, also known as Mr. Apirak Kamnak, aged 40, from Tha Tum Subdistrict, Mueang District, Maha Sarakham Province, affiliated with Wat Pa Srinuan Chan in Nong Bua Lamphu Province. He was a monk of the Dhammayut tradition.
Villagers who went into the forest to collect wild mushrooms reported that when they reached the area—characterized by a rock cavity resembling a naga hood—they discovered the human skeleton inside. Shocked, they fled the forest and then called the police and local leaders to investigate.
Preliminary checks found that relatives of Phra Apirak had previously searched for him after he was last seen in Phuket Province in 2015, before losing contact for several years until the skeleton was discovered.
Officials took photographs and mapped the scene as evidence before sending the remains for further examination at the hospital. They are coordinating with relatives to confirm the identity and determine the true cause of death.
Officials also warned the public that those entering forests to gather wild products during the rainy season should travel in groups, inform relatives of their route, and avoid risky or deep forest areas for their safety and protection of their property.
