The case involves a 15-year-old boy found dead mysteriously in a rice field. Police are urgently gathering evidence and investigating both personal disputes and situational conflicts as possible leads.
Regarding the death of Wacharapol Rathee, known as "White" aged 15, a resident of Sai Thong village, Kaset Wisai District, Roi Et Province, who was found dead during the morning of 2 August 2026 in a rice field at Ban Nong Hua Non, Village No. 13, Dong Krang Noi Subdistrict, Kaset Wisai District. The body was submerged in water, and medical examination found wounds on the head and neck. The body was sent for autopsy at the forensic department of Srinagarind Hospital in Khon Kaen Province to determine the exact cause of death.
Preliminary police investigation revealed that before the incident, the deceased stayed overnight at a relative's house about 60 meters from his home. Around 3:00 a.m., a man arrived on a motorcycle, parked in front of the house, and called the boy out. He then left on the motorcycle, and the body was found later that same morning.
On 3 August 2026, reporters visited Sai Thong village, Kamphaeng Subdistrict, Kaset Wisai District, Roi Et Province, the home of the deceased. The atmosphere was filled with sorrow as relatives and villagers gathered to prepare for the arrival of the body, which had been sent for autopsy at the forensic department of Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen, before returning for traditional funeral rites.
Ms. Somporn Seehanam, 53, the mother of the deceased, still grieving, said her son was diligent and liked to forage in the forest seasonally—collecting frogs, fishing, and gathering mushrooms to bring back for her and his sister. He usually went out with relatives or villagers.
She described her son as polite and not prone to socializing much. As far as she knew, he had no history of quarrels or conflicts with anyone. Moreover, the location where the body was found was not a usual place for him to forage. She remains doubtful about the cause of death and hopes the police will expedite their investigation to clarify the matter for the family.
Meanwhile, investigation leaders Pol. Col. Weera Hangnak, Chief of Investigation at Roi Et Provincial Police, and Pol. Col. Aksornkit Phuangsuwan, Chief of Dong Krang Yai Police Station, along with the investigative team, continue to work on the case. They are gathering evidence from the scene, tracing the victim's movements, reviewing CCTV footage, and questioning related individuals and those who last saw the victim alive.
The police have preliminarily focused their investigation on several lines, particularly on personal conflicts and any immediate disputes that might have occurred before the incident.
However, no conclusion has yet been reached regarding the cause of death or suspects involved, pending autopsy results, forensic examinations, and other evidence. Police affirm they will conduct a thorough and fair investigation, following legal procedures to question those involved, aiming to resolve the case as soon as possible.