BURIRAM — 24 May 2026, a Thai man searching for shellfish in a reservoir in northeastern Thailand was shocked to discover a severed Buddha head submerged underwater after initially believing he had stepped on a sack of discarded durian shells.
Police in Nang Rong district of Buriram province said the discovery was reported at about 12.00 on Saturday at Nong Thalok reservoir in Nang Rong subdistrict.
Dep. Pol. Lt. Karun Saengarun, an investigator at Nang Rong police station, said rescue workers and a diving team were sent to inspect the site after local residents alerted authorities about a Buddha head found underwater.
The reservoir, covering more than 50 rai (about 20 acres), is used as a raw water source for local tap water production.
The discoverer, identified as Tawan, 29, told police he had been diving for shellfish in the reservoir as usual when his foot struck what he believed was a sack lying underwater.
“At first I thought it was a bag filled with discarded durian shells,” he said. “But when I opened it, I was shocked to find a Buddha head inside.”
Tawan said he became frightened and immediately contacted police without removing the object from the water because he feared showing disrespect to a sacred object.
Divers recovered the old fertiliser sack within about 10 minutes.
Inside, authorities found a Buddha head measuring about 30 centimetres in height and width and weighing about 30 kilogrammes. Officials said the top section of the head appeared to have been cut off.
Police documented the discovery before transferring the artefact to Nang Rong police station for further examination.
Authorities said experts from Thailand’s Fine Arts Department would be asked to determine the age and origin of the Buddha statue and whether it had been stolen from a temple.
