Another case of a recruit soldier dying mysteriously. He was seriously ill with pus in his ear and staggering. The mother questions why her son, a new recruit who had trained less than a month and became ill, was still required to train until his condition worsened severely.
On 25 Feb 2026, Ms. Nichanan Wangkahat, a former Chonburi MP candidate from the Prachachon Party, posted a message on Facebook. “Nam-Nichanan Wangkahat-Nitchanan” She posted photos with a statement: Location: Air Force, 1st Airborne Infantry Battalion, Don Mueang, Bangkok. A new case where a mother questions why her son, a new recruit who had trained less than a month and fell ill, was still made to train by the instructors until his illness escalated. She also questions the medical treatment process, which she believes contributed to her son's death at age 21.
She identified the deceased as Private Phruetsapha Wimuttithamchai, nickname Diamond, conscription batch 1/2568, aged 21, from Ubon Ratchathani Province. He completed grade 9, then worked in a personal business running a coffee and beverage shop with his girlfriend, so he did not continue to high school or attend Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Upon turning 21, he was drafted and assigned to the Air Force, 1st Airborne Infantry Battalion, Don Mueang, Bangkok. His father and mother are both government officials—the father in a government position and the mother a teacher. They have two sons.
Ms. Nichanan added that Private Phruetsapha was the eldest son, cheerful, well-mannered, polite, and health-conscious, paying close attention to his diet, with the mother saying he knew the calorie content of everything he ate. On 1 May 2025, he began his conscript training at the Air Force, 1st Airborne Infantry Battalion, Don Mueang, Bangkok. The unit allowed recruits to use their phones once a week for 30 minutes each time.
Mother shocked by her son's condition
Ms. Nichanan also posted the mother’s account: After one month of training, during a visitation day when parents could visit, the mother was shocked to see Diamond had changed completely from a cheerful, talkative boy to someone who hardly spoke. He hugged his mother tightly and expressed deep love, something he never usually showed. He told her the training was so hard he wondered if he might die there. When asked how he felt, he did not respond. The unit allowed visits for one day, so after visiting, the mother went to visit relatives in Uthai Thani Province. Diamond called, asking if she could visit again the next day. When she asked if the camp allowed visits two days, he said, “Please come visit me tomorrow, Mom.”
When the mother returned, Diamond hugged her again and said he was staggering and could not keep his balance during training. His friends laughed and mocked him as a joke, although he was struggling, and the instructors did not allow him to rest, forcing him to train with the others continuously. He said, “How can someone who’s sick get better if not allowed to rest?” “I think I might die here.” He said this a second time. The mother could only comfort him. She did not contact the unit, feeling hesitant because he had just started training. Then she returned home.
Ear pus discharge would not stop
Ms. Nichanan reported that according to neighbors at Diamond’s funeral, pus was continuously draining from his ear and he was staggering constantly. When the mother went to handle paperwork after his death, the administrative officer still remembered him as “the one who was staggering.” They had even recorded a video, but after Diamond’s death, the mother was told the clip was deleted and was no longer available.
Only paracetamol was given
According to the mother’s account, “He had pus draining continuously from his ear. His friends could smell it. He went to the camp doctor, who gave him paracetamol and ear drops, but it did not cure him. At follow-ups, he received the same treatment. He told me, ‘How can I get better if I’m not treated seriously at a hospital?’ His illness continued.”
Training instructors ignored his illness
However, instructors did not allow Private Phruetsapha to rest at the medical unit. Instead, they made him wear training clothes and lie on a cot under a building next to his training mates. On the day he died, he fell off the cot. His friends rushed to help, but the instructors said, “Don’t interfere. Leave him alone.” They made him continue training until it was over. Later, friends found he had no pulse. They performed CPR and sent him to Bhumibol Hospital. Doctors said he had no pulse but attempted resuscitation and called the mother to ask if she wanted to let him pass naturally or decide on treatment. The mother asked if surgery was possible. The hospital said there was a 99.99% chance of death, 0.01% chance of survival, but if he survived, he might be in a persistent vegetative state.
Ms. Nichanan added, “As a mother who loves her child with all her heart, I asked the doctors to operate for that 0.01% chance. I was willing to accept him as a 'sleeping prince.' The doctors performed the surgery, but his brain was already dead and he was unresponsive. He survived for one more month and passed away on 1 Jul 2025, coinciding with clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border in Ubon Ratchathani Province.”
Ms. Nichanan further said that the mother remained suspicious and filed a complaint with 69 pages of documents online. The mother had learned about Ms. Nichanan’s page from another soldier case, Petchrat, and reached out. Since Private Phruetsapha’s death on 1 July 2025, the mother had been pursuing compensation of 42,000 baht, which she only received in mid-January this year. The compensation included 12,000 baht funeral expenses and 30,000 baht death benefits. The mother held the funeral at a temple in Bangkok, spending 58,000 baht.
Finally, the mother said Private Phruetsapha had a young daughter who was recently born because his girlfriend was four months pregnant when he was conscripted.