Mystery Death: Woman Found Floating in Khwae Noi River Identified
A 55-year-old Bangkok woman was identified after being found floating in Khwae Noi River in Thong Pha Phum district; security footage showed her standing on a suspension bridge before her body appeared in the water on September 4.
Deputy investigator Ittipol Ruengracha of Thong Pha Phum Police Station, working with volunteers from the Thai national disaster relief organization and local foundations, discovered the body of an unidentified young woman floating in the Khwae Noi River near the Ban Prangkasai Bridge in Thong Pha Phum district on September 4. After an initial autopsy at Thong Pha Phum Hospital, the body was stored at the hospital. With no documents found at the scene, police launched a social media appeal to identify the deceased.
After the discovery, Kanchanaburi Provincial Police Commissioner Phasawir Ruengphu ordered officers to intensify the investigation. However, they faced obstacles as the victim was not a local resident and no missing persons report had been filed in the province, making leads difficult to obtain.
On September 6, police reviewed security camera footage from various locations and discovered that on the afternoon of September 3, the woman—wearing short pants, flip-flops, and a collared short-sleeved shirt and carrying a plastic bag—left a package at a van terminal and then shopped at various market stalls. Footage showed her suddenly standing still and then collapsing backward before getting up and continuing to walk. The final clip showed her walking onto the suspension bridge over the Khwae Noi River with a plastic bag, remaining there for a considerable time before her body was later found in the water.
Investigators went to the van terminal office to check uncollected packages and found clothing and identity documents belonging to a dual Thai-American national. The victim was identified as Ms. Rumphaphak (surname withheld), age 55, from Bangkok. Police found a phone number in the bag, and after being unable to reach it, they tracked down a relative's number. After showing photos to the relative, they confirmed the identity. The relative stated that the deceased enjoyed making merit and came from a wealthy family, and expressed confusion about the circumstances after reviewing the footage and images. The family is scheduled to collect the body on September 8 for religious rites.
