SRI RACHA, Thailand – A tragic discovery was made at a temple in Sri Racha district after a 73-year-old drifter was found dead beneath a collapsed bed inside a small wooden hut where he had been living alone. Rescue workers from the Sawang Prateep Sri Racha Rescue Foundation responded to the scene at Wat Wiwekaram in Bang Phra subdistrict on Monday afternoon after reports of a body found near monks’ quarters. Inside the tiny 2.5-meter wooden shack, rescuers discovered the body of 73-year-old Thanin Nikotanont partially trapped beneath a broken bed, with only part of his feet visible. Authorities estimated he had been dead for two to three days.
Investigators found the old plywood bed had severely deteriorated after repeated exposure to rainwater leaking through the roof. The weakened structure reportedly collapsed while the elderly man was sleeping, causing him to fall through a large hole and become wedged beneath the frame.
Police said the victim appeared physically frail and likely lacked the strength to free himself after becoming trapped. No signs of assault or struggle were found at the scene.
A local resident who discovered the body said he noticed a strong odor while sweeping leaves nearby and alerted monks at the temple before the grim discovery was made. Relatives told police the deceased had mental health difficulties and often wandered around Bang Phra Market, where local residents and community leaders regularly gave him food out of sympathy. Although he had family, he frequently chose to sleep alone inside the temple hut instead of returning home. A cousin of the victim said she had brought food for him two days earlier but did not see him at the time and assumed he had gone elsewhere. Police recorded evidence at the scene and ruled the death an apparent accident. The family declined to pursue further investigation, and the body was released to rescue workers for religious rites.
