PATTAYA, Thailand – Rescue workers who helped recover the bodies of five murder victims in Huai Yai returned to the burial site on August 2 to hold a Buddhist merit-making ceremony, reflecting on the emotional and challenging search that led to the grim discovery. Sutthiphong Boonmachai, head of the Special Operations Unit of the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Foundation in Pattaya, invited Phra Kru Palad Theerayut Chotiko, better known as Luang Phi Ex, abbot of Wat Khao Boonmee Dararam, along with three other monks, to conduct religious rites at the site where the bodies were found.
The victims included a Thai family of three — a father, mother and daughter — and two Russian tourists whose disappearances were linked to the same criminal investigation. Sutthiphong said many rescue personnel involved in the operation later spoke of experiences that were difficult to explain. While he personally believes faith and spiritual encouragement helped sustain search teams during the mission, he stressed that such beliefs are personal and played no role in the criminal investigation.
He praised police officers, local officials, village leaders, volunteers, residents and rescue workers who spent days combing dense forest in difficult conditions. The search was complicated by conflicting information provided by suspects, forcing teams to investigate multiple locations before finding the actual burial site.
During the excavation, rescue workers discovered the bodies of the Thai family buried together in a single grave. The mother was found at the bottom, the father in the middle and the daughter on top, suggesting the victims had been placed together inside a narrow pit that widened beneath the surface.
Sutthiphong admitted the operation was extremely stressful because suspects could only provide vague landmarks such as coconut trees and canal banks. After several months, the landscape had changed significantly, making it difficult to identify precise locations.
He said that during the search he quietly prayed for guidance and hoped that, if the victims were indeed buried in the area, rescue teams would be able to locate them quickly. Eventually, searchers uncovered bone fragments and human remains that led to the recovery of the victims.
Following the completion of the mission, the Sawang Boriboon Foundation organized the merit-making ceremony to dedicate blessings to the five victims and to provide spiritual comfort to the personnel involved in the operation. Sutthiphong emphasized that the ceremony was conducted solely as an expression of faith and respect for the deceased, while the police investigation continues to rely on forensic evidence and witness testimony.
