Durian Farm Owner Dies While Repairing Water Pump in Chanthaburi
An elderly durian farm owner in Chanthaburi died while repairing a water pump motor after floodwaters receded. He was found dead in a nearby canal with signs of improvised electrical wiring at the pump site. Police are investigating whether he drowned or suffered an electrocution.
On October 8, 2026, police received a report of a man found dead in Wang Kum canal, Ban Chang soi, Moo 5, Patvi subdistrict, Makham district, Chanthaburi province. Officers and volunteers retrieved the body, which was floating face‑up wearing a long‑sleeve shirt, black long pants, with a hat nearby. At the canal bank they discovered the water pump motor, its power cable hastily taped and the cut‑off switch only partially disengaged, along with pipes, a foot valve, a machete, and the victim’s sandals. A 14‑year‑old assistant told investigators that he had been helping the 66‑year‑old owner, identified as Phetay, repair the pump after lunch; the victim had sent him to get food before returning to work, and was later found missing. A neighbor who first saw the hat floating alerted authorities, leading to the discovery of the body. The corpse has been sent to Makham Hospital for autopsy to determine whether the cause of death was drowning or an electric shock.
