Still stumped, Bangkok police doubt foul play behind mystery corpse

Investigators recover an unidentified body Sept. 1 from an abandoned building in Bangkok. Photos: Thai Rescue News / Facebook (left), Police Spokesperson’s Office / Courtesy (right)
Investigators recover an unidentified body Sept. 1 from an abandoned building in Bangkok. Photos: Thai Rescue News / Facebook (left), Police Spokesperson’s Office / Courtesy (right)

Investigators said Friday they were running DNA tests on a desiccated corpse discovered in an empty water tank atop an abandoned building in a bid to identify who it was.

The spokesman of the Police Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine said Friday that an initial examination of the remains had been completed but would not share specifics regarding the autopsy results, citing policy. He would only confirmed that the deceased was male.

“We are currently testing his DNA. So far the body has not been identified yet, nor has any family member contacted the police about a missing person matching the deceased’s description,” Watee Asawutmangkun said, adding that foul play did not seem to be involved.

Mystery skeleton in deserted Bangkok building stumps police (Photos)

Earlier this week, metro police Division 2 commander Ekkachai Boonwisut told reporters that he suspected the deceased might have been a homeless person who wandered into the abandoned building for shelter. He may have fallen into the tank and been unable to escape, he theorized.

The badly decomposed remains were discovered on the 32nd floor of a deserted building on Ratchadaphisek Road on Sunday by a man inspecting the building for renovations. He told reporters that the tower was abandoned nearly 30 years ago while under construction. The building, meant to be a hotel, was never completed due to a legal dispute that was recently settled.

Find all episodes of The Coconuts Podcast

“I saw the shoes first and then socks. When I crouched down to get a closer look, that’s when I saw the skeleton,” he said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Royal Thai Police Operations Center at 1599 or Phahon Yothin Police Station at 02-512-2447.

Other unidentified body mysteries:

Mystery skeleton in deserted Bangkok building stumps police (Photos)

Phangan police unable to ID mystery corpse; could be foreign fisher

Expat swimmers discover mystery corpse off Koh Phangan




BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on