BANGKOK, THAILAND – The death of a young soldier in military custody raised serious doubts after a stainless-steel spoon was found in his ashes following cremation, even as an official autopsy concluded he died from sudden heart failure with no signs of violence.
The incident in the military prison
Conscript Phetcharat Kamlangying, who served with the 2nd Artillery Regiment, Royal Guard in Prachinburi province, collapsed on 10 November 2025 in the military prison of the 12th Military District and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards by doctors.
According to the 1st Army Area Command, the soldier suffered a seizure while in custody, was found with no pulse, transferred to a hospital and died there a short time later.
Autopsy found no signs of violence
The military medical autopsy reportedly found no external or internal injuries, no evidence of blows, no brain contusion and no internal bleeding, according to the army.
The official cause of death was recorded as acute heart failure due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with heart block, and the army described the medical findings as complete and final.
Ritual, resistance in the mouth and a spoon
The case took an unexpected turn only at the cremation, when undertaker Sittiporn felt a hard resistance in the deceased’s mouth while placing ritual flowers during the traditional ceremony.
After the body was fully burned, he discovered an intact stainless-steel spoon in the ash tray, which he said had not been used or inserted during the preparation of the body or the ritual.
Family loses trust in military explanation
The relatives, who had initially accepted the army’s explanation of natural heart failure and proceeded with the funeral, were informed about the spoon only afterwards and said they had no knowledge of such an object in their son’s body.
The father stressed that the family was not making direct accusations against specific army personnel, but demanded clear and verifiable answers as well as the still-outstanding support that had been promised under welfare schemes for soldiers.
Disciplinary measure and detention before death
According to the responsible commander, Phetcharat had been disciplined before his death for returning late from leave to his unit, with the officer stating only that penalties could range from minor measures to detention.
It has since been confirmed that the soldier was being held in the 12th Military District Prison before he collapsed, but the army did not disclose details of the actual punishment imposed.
Prison chiefs transferred and central inquiry
After the spoon was found, the army initiated administrative measures and temporarily transferred the director of the military prison and the supervising warden there to headquarters.
At the same time, the commander of the 1st Army Region ordered the creation of a central investigative committee to review all units involved, detention procedures and responsibilities, which the army said was intended to ensure fairness to both the unit and the family.
Official statement maintains heart-failure finding
In an extensive statement on 23 February, the 1st Army Area Command reaffirmed the autopsy results and again stressed that there was no evidence of physical assault, no brain injury and no internal bleeding.
The official cause of death therefore remained a sudden cardiac arrest linked to acute heart weakness, while the command promised transparency, announced that it would publish the investigation’s findings and extended its condolences to the family.
Doubts from relatives and new witness claims
Phetcharat’s aunt told TV station Channel 7 she strongly doubted the diagnosis of a congenital heart condition, pointing out that her nephew had worked in the family’s timber business before conscription and had never shown signs of heart problems.
Former parliamentary candidate Nitchanan Wangkahat, who brought the case to public attention on social media, said she had received consistent, anonymously submitted accounts from at least three witnesses and soldiers claiming that a higher-ranking soldier had forcefully kicked Phetcharat in the chest.
Defence minister orders broader investigation
The army has not confirmed these accounts, but growing public pressure prompted Defence Minister General Nattaphol Nakpanich to order a widened investigation on 23 February 2026.
“If indications of violence or torture are substantiated, those responsible will be prosecuted under the law on the prevention and suppression of torture and enforced disappearance,”
said Nattaphol Nakpanich, Defence Minister, while referring to interim reports from subordinate units that had so far shown no irregularities.
Role of the spoon remains unresolved
The minister said he could not answer in detail whether spoons were routinely allowed in detention, but noted that soldiers often carried their own spoons and that in some units spoons and drinking vessels formed part of standard equipment.
He referred speculation that the spoon might have been used as a weapon to the investigators and again emphasised that the autopsy had shown no internal injuries, while the discovery of an intact stainless-steel spoon in the ashes remained an unresolved detail that did not appear in the autopsy reports.
Discipline and trust in the armed forces
Addressing the Defence Council, General Nattaphol urged commanders to strictly monitor discipline in all areas, from conscripts and rangers to civilian staff and non-commissioned officers, while ensuring the greatest possible transparency to the public.
“Unresolved incidents can damage trust in an institution that has often been praised for its operations in the past,”
said Nattaphol Nakpanich, Defence Minister, adding that allegations of torture must be pursued rigorously under the anti-torture law and other relevant rules, even as the official version continued to state that Phetcharat died from acute heart failure and the question remained how the spoon entered the soldier’s body.