CHAINAT — 18 April 2026, a 58-year-old municipal waterworks employee died after falling from a bamboo tree, with heatstroke suspected as a contributing factor, police said.
At about 14:00, investigators from Muang Chainat police station responded to reports of a fatal fall in a bamboo grove in Hat Tha Sao subdistrict. Medical staff and rescue volunteers attended the scene.
The victim, identified as Chuan Pringpricha, was found shirtless, wearing trousers and trainers. Nearby were a machete, a chainsaw and a bottle of drinking water, while his shirt was found hanging on a bamboo branch.
A preliminary examination found bruising to the nose, believed to have been caused by a hard impact with the ground, along with minor abrasions on the body. Doctors said he may have suddenly lost consciousness due to an underlying condition or heatstroke amid extreme heat, before falling from a height of about three metres.
His wife, Wanna Koednoi, 48, said he worked as a waterworks employee for Hat Tha Sao municipality and took on extra jobs during his free time. He had been cutting overgrown bamboo at a neighbour’s field for about a week.
She said he left for work at around 10:00, but had not returned home by 13:00, which was unusual as he normally came back to eat and care for his bedridden mother. Concerned, she rode out to check and found him dead at the site.
Relatives said they did not suspect foul play. Police have released the body to the family for religious rites.
For preventive methods and treatments for heatstroke, read here:
BANGKOK BRACES FOR EXTREME HEAT, HEATSTROKE RISK
